NameCensus.

UK surname

Tarlton

Derived from a place name meaning "tarn hill" or "pool hill" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 135 people recorded with the Tarlton surname, ranking it #16,515 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 157, ranked #23,006, down from #16,515 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lymington, St George in the East and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Amber Valley, Trinity and Cotswold.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tarlton is 279 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.3%.

1881 census count

135

Ranked #16,515

Modern count

157

2016, ranked #23,006

Peak year

1911

279 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tarlton had 135 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,515 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 157 in 2016, ranked #23,006.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 279 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tarlton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tarlton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tarlton 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 142 #13,428
1861 historical 129 #17,271
1881 historical 135 #16,515
1891 historical 188 #15,609
1901 historical 275 #12,332
1911 historical 279 #12,018
1997 modern 154 #20,780
1998 modern 156 #21,144
1999 modern 162 #20,781
2000 modern 171 #20,044
2001 modern 167 #20,060
2002 modern 164 #20,687
2003 modern 153 #21,406
2004 modern 153 #21,528
2005 modern 148 #21,961
2006 modern 154 #21,576
2007 modern 153 #21,912
2008 modern 154 #22,034
2009 modern 152 #22,716
2010 modern 157 #22,800
2011 modern 157 #22,574
2012 modern 155 #22,762
2013 modern 163 #22,342
2014 modern 160 #22,824
2015 modern 156 #23,106
2016 modern 157 #23,006

Geography

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Where Tarltons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lymington, St George in the East, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Pancras and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Amber Valley, Trinity, Cotswold and Chesterfield. 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 Lymington Hampshire
2 St George in the East London (East Districts)
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Amber Valley 005 Amber Valley
2 Trinity City of Edinburgh
3 Cotswold 011 Cotswold
4 Amber Valley 017 Amber Valley
5 Chesterfield 010 Chesterfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tarlton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tarlton

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Tarlton 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

Tarlton is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tarlton 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 Tarlton 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 Tarlton, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Tarlton

The surname Tarlton originates from England, and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the place name Tarlton, which is found in several counties across England, including Gloucestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Berkshire. The name is believed to come from the Old English words "tær" meaning torn or tattered, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement, suggesting it may have referred to a settlement or farm with a torn or dilapidated fence or boundary.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which mentioned a Richard de Tarlton. The Tarlton surname also appears in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1292, indicating its presence in various parts of England during the medieval period.

In the 16th century, the name gained fame through the comedic actor Richard Tarlton, who was born around 1530 and died in 1588. He was a renowned clown and one of the most popular entertainers of his time, performing in plays and entertainments at the court of Queen Elizabeth I. His fame helped to further establish the Tarlton surname in English history.

Another notable figure was John Tarlton, a 17th-century English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1628. He was born in 1592 and died in 1642.

In the 18th century, Samuel Tarlton (1752-1834) was a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of Admiral and was knighted for his service.

Moving into the 19th century, John Tarlton (1804-1886) was a British architect and surveyor who worked on several notable projects, including the design of Croydon Town Hall in London.

Throughout its history, the Tarlton surname has been associated with various locations in England, including the villages of Tarlton in Gloucestershire and Nottinghamshire, as well as the manor of Tarlton in Berkshire. While the name has evolved and spread over the centuries, its roots can be traced back to these early place names and their Old English origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tarlton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tarlton 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. Middlesex leads with 44 Tarltons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.34x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 44 3.34x
Derbyshire 17 8.25x
Hampshire 16 5.93x
Yorkshire 16 1.23x
Nottinghamshire 11 6.20x
Lancashire 10 0.64x
Surrey 7 1.09x
Essex 4 1.54x
Kent 3 0.67x
Lanarkshire 2 0.47x
Warwickshire 2 0.60x
Cheshire 1 0.34x
Flintshire 1 2.83x
Leicestershire 1 0.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lymington in Hampshire leads with 12 Tarltons recorded in 1881 and an index of 606.06x.

Place Total Index
Lymington 12 606.06x
Codnor Loscoe 10 613.50x
St Pancras London 10 9.44x
Bradford 9 28.49x
Bow London 8 47.73x
Islington London 8 6.27x
Nottingham St Mary 8 17.43x
St George In East 7 78.13x
Camberwell 6 7.13x
Fulham London 6 31.41x
Bradford 5 68.40x
Linthorpe 5 64.18x
Heanor 4 129.87x
Southampton St Mary 4 23.57x
Ardwick 3 21.29x
Lenton 3 71.77x
Lewisham 3 12.52x
Sturston 3 882.35x
Bromley London 2 6.90x
Colchester St Botolph 2 90.50x
Leamington Priors 2 24.48x
Leyton Low 2 37.88x
Maryhill 2 23.98x
Rotherham 2 27.17x
Birkenhead 1 4.32x
Blackburn 1 2.41x
Dymeirchion 1 344.83x
Epsom 1 31.95x
Hornsey 1 6.01x
Liverpool 1 1.05x
Lutterworth 1 112.36x
St Clement Danes 1 46.95x
St Marylebone London 1 1.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Ann 6
Eliza 5
Elizabeth 4
Jane 4
Alice 2
Anne 2
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Elizth. 2
Lydia 2
Matilda 2
Rosina 2
Ada 1
Clara 1
Elisabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Millicent 1
Priscillia 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Rosetta 1
Sarah 1
Sonie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
John 6
Charles 5
Alfred 4
Joseph 4
Richard 3
Thomas 3
David 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
George 2
Henry 2
James 2
Robert 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Arthur 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Fredk.Wm. 1
Gerald 1
Isaiah 1
Jas. 1
Laurance 1
Luther 1
Matthew 1
Pitt 1
Reuben 1
Roger 1
Taster 1
Tatham 1
Theophilus 1
Vivian 1

FAQ

Tarlton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tarlton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 135 people were recorded with the Tarlton surname. That placed it at #16,515 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tarlton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 157 in 2016. That gives Tarlton a modern rank of #23,006.

What does the Tarlton surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "tarn hill" or "pool hill" in Old English.

What does the Tarlton map show?

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