NameCensus.

UK surname

Tapson

In the 1881 census there were 217 people recorded with the Tapson surname, ranking it #12,188 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 184, ranked #20,731, down from #12,188 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Paddington and Tavistock. Whitechurch, St Peter Tavy. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Wycombe and Plymouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tapson is 244 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 15.2%.

1881 census count

217

Ranked #12,188

Modern count

184

2016, ranked #20,731

Peak year

1901

244 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tapson had 217 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,188 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 184 in 2016, ranked #20,731.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 244 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tapson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tapson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tapson 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 171 #11,730
1861 historical 194 #12,310
1881 historical 217 #12,188
1891 historical 191 #15,437
1901 historical 244 #13,329
1911 historical 229 #13,712
1997 modern 190 #18,199
1998 modern 200 #18,114
1999 modern 202 #18,127
2000 modern 211 #17,603
2001 modern 199 #17,996
2002 modern 203 #18,115
2003 modern 198 #18,252
2004 modern 195 #18,500
2005 modern 195 #18,458
2006 modern 190 #18,898
2007 modern 190 #19,088
2008 modern 198 #18,753
2009 modern 194 #19,398
2010 modern 204 #19,200
2011 modern 197 #19,483
2012 modern 191 #19,802
2013 modern 196 #19,790
2014 modern 194 #20,097
2015 modern 184 #20,719
2016 modern 184 #20,731

Geography

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Where Tapsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Paddington, Tavistock. Whitechurch, St Peter Tavy and Plymouth St Charles the Martyr. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Wycombe, Plymouth, Taunton Deane and North Tyneside. 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 Paddington London (West Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Tavistock. Whitechurch, St Peter Tavy Devon
5 Plymouth St Charles the Martyr Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 010 Northumberland
2 Wycombe 004 Wycombe
3 Plymouth 012 Plymouth
4 Taunton Deane 001 Taunton Deane
5 North Tyneside 025 North Tyneside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tapson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tapson

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Tapson is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Tapson 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

Tapson falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Tapson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tapson 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. Devon leads with 65 Tapsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.17x.

County Total Index
Devon 65 15.17x
Middlesex 27 1.31x
Surrey 24 2.39x
Monmouthshire 13 8.74x
Lancashire 12 0.49x
Gloucestershire 10 2.48x
Staffordshire 10 1.44x
Anglesey 6 16.45x
Kent 6 0.85x
Durham 5 0.82x
Glamorgan 5 1.40x
Worcestershire 5 1.86x
Cornwall 4 1.72x
Hampshire 4 0.95x
Warwickshire 4 0.77x
Norfolk 2 0.63x
Royal Navy 2 8.15x
Somerset 2 0.60x
Bedfordshire 1 0.94x
Berkshire 1 0.65x
Lincolnshire 1 0.30x
Midlothian 1 0.36x
Sussex 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Plymouth Charles The in Devon leads with 13 Tapsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 68.89x.

Place Total Index
Plymouth Charles The 13 68.89x
St Woollos 11 66.27x
Battersea 9 11.88x
Camberwell 9 6.85x
Wednesbury 9 51.84x
Bristol St Nicholas 8 1095.89x
Plymouth St Andrew 8 24.24x
Everton 6 7.71x
Paddington London 6 7.93x
St Peter Tavy 6 2727.27x
Chelsea London 5 8.06x
Croydon 5 8.98x
Hammersmith London 5 9.86x
Holmside 5 331.13x
Holyhead 5 73.53x
Islington London 5 2.51x
Middleton In Oldham 5 68.31x
Oldbury 5 37.82x
Penarth 5 142.86x
Tavistock 5 102.46x
Kenilworth 4 136.52x
Plymstock 4 178.57x
Portsea 4 4.84x
South Tawton 4 454.55x
Cullompton 3 160.43x
Exeter St Sidwell 3 30.58x
Hackney London 3 2.60x
Kidbrooke 3 750.00x
Lamerton 3 370.37x
Lifton 3 291.26x
Bedwellty 2 7.61x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 14.86x
Clawton 2 645.16x
Lewisham 2 5.34x
Lyncombe Widcombe 2 23.07x
Norwich St Peter 2 96.15x
Royal Navy 2 9.54x
St Germans 2 122.70x
St Mary Magdalene 2 116.96x
St Marylebone London 2 1.82x
Stoke Damerel 2 6.67x
Abbots Kerswell 1 322.58x
Bedford St Peter 1 36.10x
Broadwater 1 12.56x
Buckland Monachorum 1 108.70x
Clapham 1 3.89x
East Stonehouse 1 11.85x
Edinburgh Canongate 1 14.25x
Exeter St Mary Major 1 38.76x
Exeter St Mary Steps 1 103.09x
Great Grimsby 1 4.79x
Kensington London 1 0.87x
Lidford 1 52.08x
Liverpool 1 0.67x
Llanfaes 1 625.00x
Pennycross 1 277.78x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 1.36x
Tiverton 1 13.55x
Tonbridge 1 3.95x
Tormoham 1 5.52x
Warfield 1 71.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 13
William 10
Thomas 7
Alfred 6
Charles 5
James 5
Robert 5
Joseph 3
Samuel 3
Albert 2
Christopher 2
George 2
Robt. 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Alexander 1
Archibald 1
Archie 1
Chas. 1
Ebsworth 1
Ebsworthy 1
Ebworthy 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Horace 1
Howard 1
Mark 1
Nicholas 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Roland 1
Sam 1
Willie 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Tapson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tapson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 217 people were recorded with the Tapson surname. That placed it at #12,188 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tapson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 184 in 2016. That gives Tapson a modern rank of #20,731.

What does the Tapson map show?

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