NameCensus.

UK surname

Tallant

Derived from a nickname for a person of tall stature or a habitational name from a place in Normandy.

In the 1881 census there were 136 people recorded with the Tallant surname, ranking it #16,433 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 282, ranked #15,406, up from #16,433 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Birstall and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Merton and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tallant is 294 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 107.4%.

1881 census count

136

Ranked #16,433

Modern count

282

2016, ranked #15,406

Peak year

2014

294 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tallant had 136 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,433 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 282 in 2016, ranked #15,406.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 196 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Tallant surname distribution map

The map shows where the Tallant surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Tallant surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tallant over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 95 #17,707
1861 historical 113 #19,151
1881 historical 136 #16,433
1891 historical 164 #17,205
1901 historical 183 #15,996
1911 historical 196 #15,150
1997 modern 272 #14,451
1998 modern 271 #14,883
1999 modern 270 #14,992
2000 modern 282 #14,532
2001 modern 265 #14,915
2002 modern 286 #14,442
2003 modern 280 #14,472
2004 modern 267 #15,038
2005 modern 268 #14,905
2006 modern 271 #14,880
2007 modern 279 #14,732
2008 modern 276 #14,994
2009 modern 278 #15,230
2010 modern 287 #15,195
2011 modern 286 #15,091
2012 modern 285 #15,050
2013 modern 288 #15,192
2014 modern 294 #15,047
2015 modern 288 #15,190
2016 modern 282 #15,406

Geography

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Where Tallants are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Birstall, Bradford, Ardsley, East and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Merton, Leeds, Barnsley and Kirklees. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Ardsley, East Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 024 Bradford
2 Merton 019 Merton
3 Leeds 055 Leeds
4 Barnsley 011 Barnsley
5 Kirklees 009 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tallant

These lists show first names that appear often with the Tallant surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tallant

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tallant, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Tallant surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Tallant household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Tallant is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tallant is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tallant falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tallant is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Tallant, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Tallant

The surname Tallant has its origins in France, tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "taillant," meaning "cutting" or "sharp," which likely referred to an occupation or personal characteristic of an early bearer of the name.

One of the earliest records of the name is found in the cartulary of the abbey of Savigny in Normandy, dated around 1180, where a certain Radulphus Taillant is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use in the region during that period.

The name Tallant is believed to have spread across France and eventually to England during the Norman Conquest of 1066. In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England compiled by order of William the Conqueror, there are several entries that may be early variations of the name, such as Taillant and Tailliand.

One notable figure bearing the Tallant name was Sir John Tallant, a prominent English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France in the 14th century (c. 1330-1395). He was granted lands in Suffolk for his military service.

Another figure of note was Jean Tallant (c. 1500-1570), a French Protestant scholar and theologian who played a significant role in the early years of the Reformation in France.

In the 17th century, the name appears in records of French Huguenot emigrants who fled religious persecution and settled in various parts of Europe and the New World. One such individual was Abraham Tallant (c. 1620-1690), who was among the early Huguenot settlers in South Carolina.

Other notable individuals with the Tallant surname include:

1. William Tallant (c. 1670-1737), an English merchant and philanthropist who endowed several charitable institutions in London. 2. John Tallant (1785-1854), a Scottish explorer and author who wrote about his travels in Africa. 3. Marie Tallant (1875-1962), a French painter known for her Impressionist landscapes. 4. Edward Tallant (1910-1989), an American author and journalist who chronicled life in the American Southwest. 5. Catherine Tallant (born 1952), a British actress known for her roles in television and theater productions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tallant families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tallant surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 60 Tallants recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.60x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 60 4.60x
Middlesex 17 1.29x
Oxfordshire 9 11.07x
Suffolk 9 5.61x
Sussex 9 4.05x
Lancashire 5 0.32x
Northamptonshire 5 4.04x
Derbyshire 4 1.94x
Norfolk 4 1.98x
Hampshire 3 1.11x
Kent 3 0.67x
Westmorland 3 10.37x
Berkshire 2 2.02x
Cheshire 1 0.34x
Surrey 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Beeston in Yorkshire leads with 15 Tallants recorded in 1881 and an index of 1136.36x.

Place Total Index
Beeston 15 1136.36x
Leeds 13 17.64x
Holbeck 11 127.31x
Cuddesdon 9 4090.91x
Eastbourne 9 88.06x
Hunslet 9 44.23x
Wherstead 8 6666.67x
Hammersmith London 7 21.59x
Guilsborough 5 1515.15x
Glossop Dale 4 41.45x
Horton In Bradford 4 19.63x
St George Hanover 4 23.27x
Milton In Gravesend 3 44.51x
Portsea 3 5.67x
Batley 2 16.13x
Heigham 2 18.40x
Kirkland 2 322.58x
Lancaster 2 21.51x
Norwich St Clement 2 85.11x
Southcoates 2 27.62x
St George In East 2 22.32x
Sunninghill 2 145.99x
West Derby 2 4.38x
Wortley In Bramley 2 19.36x
Chediston 1 625.00x
Clayton 1 31.35x
Croydon 1 2.81x
Hackney London 1 1.35x
Islington London 1 0.78x
Kendal 1 18.87x
Paddington London 1 2.07x
Salford 1 2.18x
Sheffield 1 2.41x
Stockport 1 6.68x
Stoke Newington London 1 9.75x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Tallant surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Tallant surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

FAQ

Tallant surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tallant surname in 1881?

In 1881, 136 people were recorded with the Tallant surname. That placed it at #16,433 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tallant surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 282 in 2016. That gives Tallant a modern rank of #15,406.

What does the Tallant surname mean?

Derived from a nickname for a person of tall stature or a habitational name from a place in Normandy.

What does the Tallant map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Tallant bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.