NameCensus.

UK surname

Taplin

An English occupational surname for someone who made or sold candles, derived from the Old English word "tapur."

In the 1881 census there were 1,042 people recorded with the Taplin surname, ranking it #3,771 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,430, ranked #4,280, down from #3,771 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, South Stoneham and Bloxham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Winchester, Stratford-on-Avon and Chichester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Taplin is 1,544 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.2%.

1881 census count

1,042

Ranked #3,771

Modern count

1,430

2016, ranked #4,280

Peak year

1998

1,544 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Taplin had 1,042 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,771 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,430 in 2016, ranked #4,280.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,393 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Taplin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Taplin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Taplin 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 734 #3,582
1861 historical 652 #4,116
1881 historical 1,042 #3,771
1891 historical 1,183 #3,622
1901 historical 1,319 #3,793
1911 historical 1,393 #3,468
1997 modern 1,458 #4,002
1998 modern 1,544 #3,951
1999 modern 1,540 #3,989
2000 modern 1,523 #4,014
2001 modern 1,480 #4,027
2002 modern 1,521 #4,024
2003 modern 1,504 #3,989
2004 modern 1,497 #4,005
2005 modern 1,469 #4,027
2006 modern 1,467 #4,042
2007 modern 1,465 #4,083
2008 modern 1,454 #4,125
2009 modern 1,502 #4,116
2010 modern 1,497 #4,191
2011 modern 1,472 #4,204
2012 modern 1,407 #4,287
2013 modern 1,434 #4,296
2014 modern 1,457 #4,266
2015 modern 1,440 #4,269
2016 modern 1,430 #4,280

Geography

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Where Taplins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, South Stoneham, Bloxham and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Winchester, Stratford-on-Avon, Chichester, Wirral and North Somerset. 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 South Stoneham Hampshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Bloxham Oxfordshire
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Winchester 013 Winchester
2 Stratford-on-Avon 009 Stratford-on-Avon
3 Chichester 013 Chichester
4 Wirral 031 Wirral
5 North Somerset 012 North Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Taplin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Taplin

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Taplin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Taplin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Taplin is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Taplin is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Taplin falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Taplin 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Taplin

The surname Taplin originated in England, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "tapiner," which means "to hide or lurk." The name may have been given to someone who lived in a secluded area or worked as a poacher.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Taplin can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were census records compiled during the reign of King Edward I. The name was listed as "Tappeleyn" in these records.

The Taplin surname is also associated with various place names in England, such as Tapley in Devon and Taplin's Farm in Sussex. These place names likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

In the 14th century, a notable bearer of the name was John Taplin, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1345 as a resident of Gloucestershire. Another early example is William Taplin, who was recorded in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1428.

During the 16th century, the surname appeared in the parish records of several English counties, including Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and Somerset. One prominent individual from this period was Richard Taplin, a merchant from Bristol who lived from around 1530 to 1600.

In the 17th century, the Taplin name gained recognition with the birth of Thomas Taplin (1638-1695), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. Another notable figure was John Taplin (1677-1740), a lawyer and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire.

The 18th century saw the emergence of Samuel Taplin (1722-1798), a renowned surveyor and cartographer who worked on various maps of England and Wales. Additionally, William Taplin (1751-1833) was a respected artist and engraver known for his landscape paintings and etchings.

As the Taplin surname spread across England and beyond, it continued to be carried by individuals who made significant contributions to various fields, including academia, literature, and the arts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Taplin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Taplin 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. Hampshire leads with 238 Taplins recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.40x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 238 11.40x
Middlesex 163 1.60x
Surrey 97 1.95x
Oxfordshire 69 10.97x
Warwickshire 66 2.57x
Berkshire 51 6.67x
Essex 33 1.64x
Buckinghamshire 32 5.20x
Gloucestershire 32 1.60x
Worcestershire 32 2.41x
Wiltshire 27 3.00x
Kent 25 0.72x
Yorkshire 23 0.23x
Lancashire 22 0.18x
Somerset 20 1.22x
Hertfordshire 16 2.28x
Lincolnshire 15 0.92x
Staffordshire 15 0.44x
Leicestershire 14 1.24x
Devon 10 0.47x
Cheshire 9 0.40x
Durham 6 0.20x
Glamorgan 5 0.28x
Northamptonshire 5 0.52x
Derbyshire 4 0.25x
Royal Navy 3 2.47x
Bedfordshire 2 0.38x
Flintshire 2 0.73x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.15x
Sussex 2 0.12x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.16x
Denbighshire 1 0.26x
Dorset 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. South Stoneham in Hampshire leads with 30 Taplins recorded in 1881 and an index of 66.25x.

Place Total Index
South Stoneham 30 66.25x
Bloxham 29 470.02x
Basingstoke 26 108.29x
Portsea 26 6.36x
Battersea 25 6.67x
St Pancras London 19 2.32x
Camberwell 15 2.31x
Odiham 14 152.84x
Islington London 13 1.32x
Paddington London 13 3.47x
Blockley 12 159.57x
Birmingham 11 1.29x
Cliddesden 11 948.28x
Lambeth 11 1.24x
Leyton Low 11 26.92x
Milverton 11 181.82x
Newcastle Under Lyme 11 18.08x
Reading St Giles 11 14.67x
Reading St Mary 11 17.97x
St George Hanover 11 8.28x
Banbury 10 79.43x
Bristol St Paul In 10 18.79x
Buckingham 10 79.87x
Enderby 10 170.94x
Hackney London 10 1.75x
Kensington London 10 1.77x
Southampton St Mary 10 7.62x
Bishops Waltham 9 103.57x
Carisbrooke 9 31.06x
Hurstbourne Priors 9 629.37x
Lt Tew 9 927.84x
Basing 8 205.13x
Bermondsey 8 2.64x
Bethnal Green London 8 1.81x
Chute 8 533.33x
Farleigh Wallop 8 2162.16x
Harlington 8 148.98x
Kirkleatham 8 58.69x
Lyndhurst 8 139.86x
Merevale 8 1212.12x
Mile End Old Town 8 4.98x
Rotherhithe 8 6.36x
Stevenage 8 73.53x
Clapham 7 5.50x
Collingbourne Kingston 7 288.07x
Cowley 7 402.30x
Deptford St Paul 7 2.61x
Gt Rollright 7 514.71x
Macclesfield 7 7.01x
Pebworth 7 290.46x
Putney 7 15.08x
Toxteth Park 7 1.71x
Wellesbourne Mountford 7 285.71x
Chatham 6 6.28x
Moreton Morrell 6 666.67x
Oldbury 6 9.17x
Over Whitacre 6 594.06x
Pemberton 6 12.45x
St Katherine Coleman 6 618.56x
St Marylebone London 6 1.10x
St Maurice Winchester 6 69.12x
Tilehurst 6 38.86x
Whitchurch 6 90.63x
Wycombe 6 13.07x
Botley 5 132.98x
Bray 5 22.26x
Devizes St John 5 73.96x
Gateshead 5 2.20x
Hammersmith London 5 1.99x
Hampstead London 5 3.15x
Llandaff 5 8.48x
Sherborne St John 5 223.21x
Shiplake 5 233.64x
South Warnborough 5 454.55x
South Witham 5 349.65x
St Thomas Winchester 5 33.92x
Watford 5 9.19x
Wellesbourne Hastings 5 205.76x
Wellingborough 5 10.38x
West Ham 5 1.13x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 67
John 47
George 44
Charles 36
Thomas 34
Henry 30
James 24
Frederick 17
Joseph 17
Walter 17
Alfred 12
Arthur 12
Edward 12
Albert 9
Robert 9
Harry 6
Benjamin 5
Herbert 5
Ernest 4
Frank 4
Francis 3
Fred 3
Geo. 3
Philip 3
Richard 3
Thos. 3
Ashley 2
Esau 2
Fred. 2
Fredk. 2
Oliver 2
Samuel 2
Stephen 2
Tom 2
Wm. 2
B. 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Freddy 1
Fredrick 1
Henery 1
Lewis 1
Lindsey 1
Marzein 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Melville 1
Morgan 1
Odara 1
Wm.James 1

FAQ

Taplin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Taplin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,042 people were recorded with the Taplin surname. That placed it at #3,771 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Taplin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,430 in 2016. That gives Taplin a modern rank of #4,280.

What does the Taplin surname mean?

An English occupational surname for someone who made or sold candles, derived from the Old English word "tapur."

What does the Taplin map show?

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