NameCensus.

UK surname

Tallon

A surname derived from the Middle English word "talu" meaning shank or talon, possibly referring to someone with a physical attribute.

In the 1881 census there were 243 people recorded with the Tallon surname, ranking it #11,294 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 658, ranked #8,097, up from #11,294 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lancaster Borough, Auckland St Andrew and West Derby. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, South Lakeland and Craven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tallon is 681 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 170.8%.

1881 census count

243

Ranked #11,294

Modern count

658

2016, ranked #8,097

Peak year

2000

681 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tallon had 243 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,294 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 658 in 2016, ranked #8,097.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 334 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Tallon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tallon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tallon 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 96 #17,594
1861 historical 136 #16,556
1881 historical 243 #11,294
1891 historical 258 #12,440
1901 historical 330 #10,899
1911 historical 334 #10,608
1997 modern 631 #7,854
1998 modern 657 #7,842
1999 modern 676 #7,718
2000 modern 681 #7,654
2001 modern 679 #7,532
2002 modern 676 #7,722
2003 modern 648 #7,846
2004 modern 647 #7,867
2005 modern 640 #7,855
2006 modern 650 #7,795
2007 modern 640 #7,962
2008 modern 647 #7,942
2009 modern 652 #8,046
2010 modern 669 #8,068
2011 modern 662 #8,039
2012 modern 648 #8,096
2013 modern 680 #7,917
2014 modern 666 #8,096
2015 modern 662 #8,077
2016 modern 658 #8,097

Geography

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Where Tallons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lancaster Borough, Auckland St Andrew, West Derby, Liverpool and Kirkby Lonsdale. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, South Lakeland and Craven. 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 Lancaster Borough Lancashire
2 Auckland St Andrew Durham
3 West Derby Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Kirkby Lonsdale Westmorland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 067 Cornwall
2 South Lakeland 004 South Lakeland
3 Craven 001 Craven
4 South Lakeland 005 South Lakeland
5 South Lakeland 010 South Lakeland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tallon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tallon

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tallon, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Tallon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Tallon household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Tallon is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tallon is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tallon falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tallon is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Tallon

The surname Tallon is of Anglo-Norman French origin, derived from the medieval French personal name Talon, a diminutive form of the ancient Germanic name Talo. This name is believed to have originated in the region of Normandy, France, around the 11th century.

The earliest known record of the surname Tallon dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as Talun or Talun'. This influential census survey, commissioned by William the Conqueror, documented landholders and their properties throughout England following the Norman Conquest.

During the Middle Ages, the name was also found in various forms, such as Talon, Taleun, and Talun, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. These variations are often linked to the different areas where bearers of the name settled, including regions of England and Scotland.

One notable early bearer of the surname Tallon was Sir John Tallon (c. 1370-1452), a prominent English soldier and landowner who served under King Henry V during the Hundred Years' War. He was knighted for his bravery in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.

Another significant figure was Robert Tallon (c. 1505-1558), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Salisbury from 1538 until his death. He played a crucial role in the English Reformation during the reign of King Henry VIII.

In Scotland, the surname Tallon is also found in the form Tallone. One notable bearer was Sir William Tallone (c. 1600-1677), a Scottish courtier and diplomat who served as the Secretary of State for Scotland under King Charles II.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Tallon was also associated with several prominent families in County Cork, Ireland. One such family was the Tallons of Tallonstown, who were landowners and influential members of the local gentry.

Another noteworthy figure was Sir Joseph Tallon (1634-1708), an Irish lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1687 to 1689, during the reign of King James II.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tallon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tallon 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. Lancashire leads with 81 Tallons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.88x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 81 2.88x
Westmorland 41 78.69x
Durham 19 2.69x
Cornwall 15 5.59x
Yorkshire 15 0.64x
Middlesex 13 0.55x
Derbyshire 8 2.16x
Kent 7 0.87x
Staffordshire 7 0.87x
Warwickshire 7 1.17x
Hampshire 5 1.03x
Leicestershire 5 1.90x
Midlothian 5 1.57x
Sussex 4 1.00x
Cumberland 2 0.98x
Devon 2 0.41x
Renfrewshire 2 1.09x
Somerset 2 0.52x
Cheshire 1 0.19x
Glamorgan 1 0.24x
Lincolnshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Widnes in Lancashire leads with 25 Tallons recorded in 1881 and an index of 123.21x.

Place Total Index
Widnes 25 123.21x
Kirkby Lonsdale 19 1347.52x
Whittington 18 6428.57x
Bishop Auckland 13 137.42x
Toxteth Park 12 12.60x
Barbon 10 4545.45x
Shoreditch London 10 9.73x
St Cleer 9 386.27x
Ditton 7 608.70x
Kendal 7 73.38x
Greenwich 6 15.90x
Helmington Row 6 182.93x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 11.19x
Portsea 5 5.25x
St Ive 5 290.70x
Aston 4 2.43x
Derby St Werburgh 4 18.67x
Kegworth 4 228.57x
Long Eaton 4 81.63x
Preston 4 5.32x
Sheffield 4 5.35x
Titteworth 4 325.20x
Applethwaite 3 193.55x
Birmingham 3 1.51x
Burslem 3 13.09x
Guisbrough 3 58.48x
North Leith 3 20.41x
Brighton 2 2.48x
Brightside Bierlow 2 4.34x
Holy Trinity 2 3.54x
Leeds 2 1.51x
Liverpool 2 1.17x
Millom 2 32.00x
Plympton St Mary 2 70.18x
Renfrew 2 32.95x
Walcot 2 9.84x
Windle 2 12.63x
Ashford 1 53.48x
Ashton With Stodday 1 909.09x
Bedford 1 17.01x
Blackburn 1 1.34x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 11.86x
Dukinfield 1 4.14x
Eastbourne 1 5.44x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 1 13.32x
Elton 1 10.29x
Gainsborough 1 11.19x
Gate Fulford 1 18.21x
Great Bowden 1 41.84x
Hutton Roof 1 416.67x
Liskeard 1 22.27x
Little Bolton 1 2.77x
Llandaff 1 7.28x
Lupton 1 555.56x
Manchester 1 0.79x
Newbattle 1 36.90x
Rye 1 26.32x
Soyland 1 35.46x
St Pancras London 1 0.52x
Westminster St John 1 3.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Sarah 10
Ann 8
Agnes 7
Elizabeth 7
Margaret 6
Jane 4
Annie 3
Emma 3
Alice 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Grace 2
Hannah 2
Isabella 2
Rose 2
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Janet 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Katie 1
Louisa 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1
Rebecca 1
Rosini 1
Sharlotte 1
Susanah 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 17
John 16
James 15
Thomas 11
Edward 9
George 8
Henry 6
Joseph 5
Richard 4
Robert 4
Charles 3
Anthony 2
Michael 2
Samuel 2
Thos. 2
Abel 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Fredric 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Jas. 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Moses 1
Peter 1
Pierce 1
Piercs 1
Pyott 1
Ralph 1
Rueben 1
Theodore 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Tallon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tallon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 243 people were recorded with the Tallon surname. That placed it at #11,294 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tallon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 658 in 2016. That gives Tallon a modern rank of #8,097.

What does the Tallon surname mean?

A surname derived from the Middle English word "talu" meaning shank or talon, possibly referring to someone with a physical attribute.

What does the Tallon map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Tallon 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.