UK surname
A surname derived from a place name, likely indicating a geographic origin.
The strongest historical links point to Devonport Stonehouse, East, Cottingham, East Carlton and St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tarvis is 281 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.
1881 census count
-
Modern count
12
2016, ranked #37,385
Peak year
1861
281 bearers
Map years
3
1851 to 1891
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Tarvis surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Tarvis surname density by area, 1891 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 143 | #13,343 |
| 1861 | historical | 281 | #8,921 |
| 1891 | historical | 246 | #12,912 |
| 1901 | historical | 25 | #31,259 |
| 1911 | historical | 64 | #26,435 |
| 1997 | modern | 5 | #37,891 |
| 1998 | modern | 6 | #37,703 |
| 1999 | modern | 2 | #38,551 |
| 2000 | modern | 2 | #38,472 |
| 2001 | modern | 3 | #38,091 |
| 2002 | modern | 1 | #38,709 |
| 2003 | modern | 2 | #38,424 |
| 2004 | modern | 4 | #38,013 |
| 2005 | modern | 3 | #38,312 |
| 2006 | modern | 6 | #37,788 |
| 2007 | modern | 7 | #37,687 |
| 2008 | modern | 6 | #37,883 |
| 2009 | modern | 5 | #38,122 |
| 2010 | modern | 6 | #38,024 |
| 2011 | modern | 5 | #38,168 |
| 2012 | modern | 7 | #37,854 |
| 2013 | modern | 7 | #37,909 |
| 2014 | modern | 9 | #37,679 |
| 2015 | modern | 10 | #37,563 |
| 2016 | modern | 12 | #37,385 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Devonport Stonehouse, East, Cottingham, East Carlton, St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace, Stoke St Mary, Taunton St Mary Magdalen, Taunton St James, Wilton, Bishops Hull, Staplegrove, Kingst and St Giles Camberwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Devonport Stonehouse, East | Devon |
| 2 | Cottingham, East Carlton | Northamptonshire |
| 3 | St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace | London (West Districts) |
| 4 | Stoke St Mary, Taunton St Mary Magdalen, Taunton St James, Wilton, Bishops Hull, Staplegrove, Kingst | Somerset |
| 5 | St Giles Camberwell | London (South Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Tarvis surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tarvis, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Tarvis surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Tarvis household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Tarvis is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tarvis is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Tarvis, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Tarvis is believed to have originated in the British Isles, specifically in England or Scotland, sometime in the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from an Old English or Anglo-Saxon word, possibly related to a place name or a personal characteristic.
One theory suggests that Tarvis may be a variant of the Old English name "Tarvison," which means "a son of Tarvis." Tarvis itself could be a contraction of "Tharvitius," a Roman name. Another possibility is that Tarvis is a locational name, referring to a place or settlement where the original bearers of the name lived.
While there are no definitive records of the name appearing in the Domesday Book, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, some early examples of the name can be found in medieval records and documents from the 13th and 14th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tarvis can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, where a certain Richard Tarvis is mentioned. In the same century, a John Tarvis is recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex from 1381.
Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Tarves, Tarvys, Tarvers, and Tarvis. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the names of places or regions where the surname was prevalent.
Notable individuals with the surname Tarvis throughout history include:
1. Sir Robert Tarvis (c. 1450-1520), an English knight and landowner from Leicestershire. 2. William Tarvis (c. 1570-1638), a Scottish clergyman and scholar who served as the Rector of Marischal College in Aberdeen. 3. John Tarvis (c. 1630-1695), an English merchant and entrepreneur who established a successful trading company in London. 4. Mary Tarvis (c. 1720-1798), a British philanthropist and social reformer known for her work in establishing schools and orphanages. 5. James Tarvis (1810-1885), a Scottish-born inventor and engineer who developed several innovations in textile manufacturing.
While the exact origins and etymology of the surname Tarvis remain uncertain, its presence throughout various historical records and the lives of notable individuals bearing the name attest to its long-standing legacy in the British Isles and beyond.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
FAQ
The latest modern count shown here is 12 in 2016. That gives Tarvis a modern rank of #37,385.
A surname derived from a place name, likely indicating a geographic origin.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Tarvis bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.