NameCensus.

UK surname

Tapsell

In the 1881 census there were 260 people recorded with the Tapsell surname, ranking it #10,781 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 415, ranked #11,550, down from #10,781 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochester, London parishes and Brighton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dover, Flintshire and York.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tapsell is 455 in 2003. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 59.6%.

1881 census count

260

Ranked #10,781

Modern count

415

2016, ranked #11,550

Peak year

2003

455 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tapsell had 260 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,781 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 415 in 2016, ranked #11,550.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 355 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tapsell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tapsell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tapsell 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 189 #10,896
1861 historical 213 #11,419
1881 historical 260 #10,781
1891 historical 343 #9,994
1901 historical 355 #10,329
1911 historical 355 #10,172
1997 modern 428 #10,451
1998 modern 433 #10,718
1999 modern 437 #10,717
2000 modern 439 #10,650
2001 modern 430 #10,619
2002 modern 441 #10,618
2003 modern 455 #10,201
2004 modern 439 #10,516
2005 modern 421 #10,762
2006 modern 409 #11,032
2007 modern 412 #11,116
2008 modern 412 #11,210
2009 modern 414 #11,407
2010 modern 429 #11,324
2011 modern 425 #11,285
2012 modern 399 #11,740
2013 modern 415 #11,604
2014 modern 412 #11,743
2015 modern 419 #11,483
2016 modern 415 #11,550

Geography

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Where Tapsells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochester, London parishes, Brighton, Sundridge and Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dover, Flintshire, York and Sevenoaks. 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 Rochester Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 Brighton Sussex
4 Sundridge Kent
5 Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dover 014 Dover
2 Flintshire 004 Flintshire
3 York 020 York
4 Sevenoaks 013 Sevenoaks
5 Dover 010 Dover

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tapsell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tapsell

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tapsell, 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 Tapsell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Tapsell 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

London Fringe

Within London, Tapsell is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Tapsell is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tapsell falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tapsell 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 Tapsell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Tapsell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tapsell 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. Kent leads with 146 Tapsells recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.87x.

County Total Index
Kent 146 16.87x
Sussex 42 9.82x
Surrey 30 2.43x
Middlesex 27 1.06x
Hampshire 6 1.15x
Essex 3 0.60x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.62x
Dorset 1 0.60x
Lancashire 1 0.03x
Northamptonshire 1 0.42x
Somerset 1 0.25x
Yorkshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chatham in Kent leads with 31 Tapsells recorded in 1881 and an index of 130.25x.

Place Total Index
Chatham 31 130.25x
Rochester St Margaret 17 186.40x
Chislehurst 13 280.17x
Sundridge 13 902.78x
Hastings St Mary 10 93.99x
Knockholt 9 1304.35x
Rotherfield 9 239.36x
Tottenham 9 22.28x
Eastbourne 8 40.65x
Ramsgate 8 56.66x
St Pauls Cray 8 1212.12x
Farnborough 7 555.56x
Dover St Mary Virgin 6 71.68x
Hastings St Clement 6 149.25x
Newington 6 6.40x
Reigate Foreign 6 44.84x
Tooting Graveney 6 174.42x
Westminster St John 5 16.19x
Bethnal Green London 4 3.63x
Bexhill 4 187.79x
St Marylebone London 4 2.95x
Bermondsey 3 3.97x
Brighton 3 3.48x
Camberwell 3 1.85x
Cudham 3 337.08x
Holdenhurst 3 22.01x
Lewisham 3 6.50x
Strood 3 60.73x
Ash Next Sandwich 2 104.71x
Foots Cray 2 120.48x
Frindsbury 2 61.35x
Gillingham 2 11.21x
Lambeth 2 0.90x
Nonington 2 289.86x
Portsea 2 1.96x
Sevenoaks 2 28.49x
St Pancras London 2 0.98x
St Peters 2 50.00x
West Thurrock 2 120.48x
Acton 1 6.72x
Allhallows 1 370.37x
Battersea 1 1.07x
Bromley 1 7.58x
Burton Latimer 1 69.44x
Canterbury St Augustine 1 312.50x
Canterbury St Mary 1 17.21x
Chevening 1 106.38x
Colchester St Botolph 1 23.47x
Eastry 1 83.33x
Hackney London 1 0.70x
Hastings All Sts 1 24.81x
Horton In Bradford 1 2.55x
Ifield 1 1666.67x
Maidstone 1 3.88x
Melcombe Regis 1 14.49x
Orpington 1 37.74x
Paddington London 1 1.07x
Plumstead 1 3.47x
Preston 1 1.24x
Southwark Christchurch 1 8.42x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.96x
St Andrewthe Less 1 5.45x
St Faith Winchester 1 41.32x
Swanscombe 1 25.71x
Ticehurst 1 38.17x
Walcot 1 4.60x
Wimbledon 1 7.21x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 19
George 17
Thomas 10
Charles 8
John 8
Henry 6
Alfred 4
Edward 4
James 4
Walter 4
Harry 3
Richard 3
Samuel 3
Archibald 2
Edwin 2
Frederick 2
Fredrick 2
Herbert 2
Horace 2
Robert 2
Abert 1
Afred 1
Alfrel 1
Algelon 1
Arthur 1
Daniel 1
Edgar 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Howard 1
Isaac 1
Jas 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Leonard 1
Willm 1

FAQ

Tapsell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tapsell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 260 people were recorded with the Tapsell surname. That placed it at #10,781 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tapsell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 415 in 2016. That gives Tapsell a modern rank of #11,550.

What does the Tapsell map show?

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