NameCensus.

UK surname

Tarbet

A Scottish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "isthmus or peninsula".

In the 1881 census there were 293 people recorded with the Tarbet surname, ranking it #9,884 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 232, ranked #17,694, down from #9,884 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Port Glasgow, Monkwearmouth and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Leith and Newhaven, Cornwall and Granton South and Wardieburn.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tarbet is 340 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 20.8%.

1881 census count

293

Ranked #9,884

Modern count

232

2016, ranked #17,694

Peak year

1901

340 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tarbet had 293 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,884 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 232 in 2016, ranked #17,694.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 340 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Student Living and Professional Footholds.

Tarbet surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tarbet surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tarbet 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 148 #13,028
1861 historical 170 #13,763
1881 historical 293 #9,884
1891 historical 310 #10,812
1901 historical 340 #10,647
1911 historical 139 #18,745
1997 modern 256 #15,034
1998 modern 261 #15,241
1999 modern 266 #15,150
2000 modern 275 #14,757
2001 modern 269 #14,776
2002 modern 262 #15,327
2003 modern 252 #15,530
2004 modern 252 #15,618
2005 modern 242 #15,987
2006 modern 234 #16,493
2007 modern 241 #16,341
2008 modern 246 #16,247
2009 modern 247 #16,549
2010 modern 249 #16,837
2011 modern 242 #17,001
2012 modern 239 #17,027
2013 modern 243 #17,114
2014 modern 232 #17,761
2015 modern 233 #17,627
2016 modern 232 #17,694

Geography

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Where Tarbets are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Port Glasgow, Monkwearmouth, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Leith and Newhaven, Cornwall, Granton South and Wardieburn, Selby and Old Town, Princes Street and Leith Street. 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 Port Glasgow Renfrew
2 Monkwearmouth Durham
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Leith and Newhaven City of Edinburgh
2 Cornwall 028 Cornwall
3 Granton South and Wardieburn City of Edinburgh
4 Selby 002 Selby
5 Old Town, Princes Street and Leith Street City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tarbet

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tarbet

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Student Living and Professional Footholds

Nationally, the Tarbet surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Student Living and Professional Footholds, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Tarbet household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

The Group includes many students, some of whom reside in communal residences. Single-person households are the most prevalent and the modal age band is 25 to 44. There are few families with dependent children. A significant number of White residents were born in EU countries (although UK-born residents are more common than in the rest of the Group), and households reflect a diversity of ethnic groups. Residential turnover is exceptionally high and, communal properties aside, flats are the norm. Some properties, including those in the private rental sector, are over-crowded. Many residents are professionals and technicians educated to degree level, and the Group is particularly common near the campuses of established university towns and cities.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Tarbet 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

Tarbet is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tarbet falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tarbet is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Tarbet

The surname Tarbet is of Scottish origin, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the place name Tarbert, which is derived from the Gaelic words "tair" meaning "across" and "bairt" meaning "shoulder of land," referring to a narrow isthmus or neck of land between two bodies of water.

The name Tarbert is found in various locations across Scotland, including Argyll, Kintyre, and the Hebrides Islands. The earliest recorded instance of the surname Tarbet appears in the parish records of Kilcalmonell, Argyllshire, in the late 1500s.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name Tarbet was John Tarbet, a merchant from Glasgow, who was mentioned in the Burgh Records of Glasgow in 1638. Another notable figure was Archibald Tarbet, a minister in the Church of Scotland, who served as the minister of Kilmarnock from 1677 to 1708.

In the 18th century, the Tarbet surname was prevalent in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the areas of Argyll and Perthshire. One notable individual from this period was James Tarbet, a Scottish soldier who fought in the Jacobite Rising of 1745 and was later imprisoned for his involvement.

Moving into the 19th century, the Tarbet name is found in various historical records, including census records and parish registers. One noteworthy individual was John Tarbet, a Scottish novelist and poet born in 1832, who wrote several works depicting life in the Scottish Highlands.

Another prominent figure was Sir Walter Tarbet, a Scottish businessman and philanthropist born in 1859, who made significant contributions to the development of Glasgow and was knighted for his services in 1902.

Throughout history, the Tarbet surname has been associated with various place names and alternative spellings, such as Tarbert, Tarbett, and Tarbat. While the name has Scottish roots, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tarbet families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tarbet 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. Angus leads with 47 Tarbets recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.81x.

County Total Index
Angus 47 17.81x
Renfrewshire 47 21.29x
Lanarkshire 44 4.78x
Lancashire 25 0.74x
Midlothian 18 4.72x
Durham 17 2.01x
Ayrshire 15 7.04x
Worcestershire 12 3.23x
Peeblesshire 11 82.09x
Aberdeenshire 10 3.79x
Isle of Man 10 18.91x
Staffordshire 7 0.73x
Devon 6 1.01x
Middlesex 6 0.21x
Gloucestershire 5 0.90x
Northumberland 3 0.71x
Selkirkshire 3 11.64x
Stirlingshire 2 1.90x
Argyllshire 1 1.26x
Essex 1 0.18x
Perthshire 1 0.78x
Surrey 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Greenock in Renfrewshire leads with 28 Tarbets recorded in 1881 and an index of 70.67x.

Place Total Index
West Greenock 28 70.67x
Dundee 25 25.38x
Glasgow 18 11.00x
Monkwearmouth Shore 17 102.78x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 15 9.77x
Loudoun 15 292.40x
Barony 13 5.58x
Port Glasgow 12 112.46x
Forfar 11 76.98x
Innerleithen 11 308.99x
Liverpool 11 5.36x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 10 20.26x
Dudley 10 22.11x
Toxteth Park 10 8.74x
Shettleston 8 96.97x
Walsall Foreign 7 14.10x
Kilmalcolm 6 226.42x
Exeter St Sidwell 5 36.82x
Govan 5 2.19x
Onchan 5 32.81x
Barrow In Furness 4 8.70x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 4 7.60x
German Peel 4 131.15x
St Pancras London 4 1.74x
Belford 3 333.33x
Melrose 3 46.23x
Kings Norton 2 6.00x
Liberton 2 33.96x
Lundie 2 645.16x
Monifieth 2 21.46x
Montrose 2 12.51x
St Vigeans 2 14.04x
Stirling 2 15.09x
Arbirlot 1 125.00x
Arbroath 1 11.44x
Auchtergaven 1 46.73x
Bristol St James In 1 12.17x
Carmyllie 1 89.29x
Dunoon Kilmun 1 16.18x
Edinburgh Greenside 1 19.84x
Exeter Heavitree 1 22.62x
German 1 34.60x
Lochwinnoch 1 30.40x
Newington 1 0.95x
Romford 1 11.25x
St George Hanover 1 2.69x
Tottenham 1 2.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Emily 5
Mary 5
Isabella 4
Elizabeth 3
Annie 2
Catherine 2
Eliza 2
Jane 2
Rose 2
Sarah 2
Abigail 1
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Arabella 1
Bridget 1
Caroline 1
Cathrin 1
Cicely 1
Edith 1
Elizamy 1
Frances 1
Harriett 1
Jessie 1
Laura 1
Lizia 1
Marion 1
Matilda 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 17
Thomas 7
John 5
James 3
Edward 2
George 2
Peter 2
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Claud 1
Gordon 1
Robert 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Tarbet surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tarbet surname in 1881?

In 1881, 293 people were recorded with the Tarbet surname. That placed it at #9,884 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tarbet surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 232 in 2016. That gives Tarbet a modern rank of #17,694.

What does the Tarbet surname mean?

A Scottish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "isthmus or peninsula".

What does the Tarbet map show?

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