NameCensus.

UK surname

Tassell

A variant spelling of the surname Tassill, referring to someone who lived near a boundary line.

In the 1881 census there were 512 people recorded with the Tassell surname, ranking it #6,654 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 440, ranked #10,992, down from #6,654 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Hastings All Saints and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Maidstone, Aylesbury Vale and South Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tassell is 608 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 14.1%.

1881 census count

512

Ranked #6,654

Modern count

440

2016, ranked #10,992

Peak year

1901

608 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tassell had 512 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,654 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 440 in 2016, ranked #10,992.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 608 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Tassell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tassell surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Tassell 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 321 #7,237
1861 historical 244 #10,087
1881 historical 512 #6,654
1891 historical 488 #7,581
1901 historical 608 #7,000
1911 historical 565 #7,146
1997 modern 515 #9,110
1998 modern 519 #9,327
1999 modern 504 #9,606
2000 modern 490 #9,772
2001 modern 481 #9,743
2002 modern 485 #9,846
2003 modern 461 #10,072
2004 modern 452 #10,270
2005 modern 440 #10,382
2006 modern 439 #10,454
2007 modern 443 #10,467
2008 modern 444 #10,535
2009 modern 446 #10,755
2010 modern 461 #10,701
2011 modern 450 #10,790
2012 modern 433 #10,996
2013 modern 445 #10,928
2014 modern 456 #10,781
2015 modern 447 #10,873
2016 modern 440 #10,992

Geography

Back to top

Where Tassells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Hastings All Saints, London parishes, Rushden and Ulcombe. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Maidstone, Aylesbury Vale, South Cambridgeshire and North Devon. 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 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
2 Hastings All Saints Sussex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Rushden Northamptonshire
5 Ulcombe Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Maidstone 017 Maidstone
2 Aylesbury Vale 018 Aylesbury Vale
3 South Cambridgeshire 001 South Cambridgeshire
4 North Devon 002 North Devon
5 South Cambridgeshire 019 South Cambridgeshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Tassell

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Tassell

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Tassell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Tassell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Tassell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Tassell is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tassell falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tassell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Tassell

The surname Tassell is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a place name, possibly originating from the Old English words "tæssel" or "tassel," meaning a tassel or cluster.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tassell can be found in the Feet of Fines records for Essex, dated 1285, where a person named Roger de Tassele is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place called Tassele or Tassell in Essex.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1327, where a John Tassell is listed. The Subsidy Rolls were tax records, indicating that the Tassell family had achieved a certain level of prominence and wealth by that time.

During the 16th century, the surname Tassell can be found in the Musters of the Militiamen for Sussex in 1583, where a Thomas Tassell is recorded. This suggests that members of the Tassell family were involved in military service or had obligations to serve in the local militia.

Notable individuals with the surname Tassell throughout history include:

1. William Tassell (c. 1540-1610), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Ware in Hertfordshire. 2. John Tassell (c. 1580-1635), an English writer and translator, known for his work "The Seasoned Traveller" published in 1633. 3. Thomas Tassell (c. 1620-1685), a Scottish merchant and landowner who owned estates in Aberdeenshire. 4. Elizabeth Tassell (c. 1670-1745), an English diarist and landowner who kept a detailed diary documenting life in 18th century rural England. 5. Samuel Tassell (1724-1804), an English clockmaker and inventor from London, known for his contributions to the development of maritime chronometers.

While the surname Tassell is not among the most common surnames, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its English origins. The name's potential connection to place names and its appearances in various historical records provide insights into the lives and occupations of those who bore this surname throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Tassell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tassell 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 236 Tassells recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.85x.

County Total Index
Kent 236 13.85x
Middlesex 85 1.70x
Sussex 36 4.28x
Northamptonshire 33 7.03x
Cambridgeshire 28 8.85x
Surrey 26 1.07x
Huntingdonshire 14 14.12x
Leicestershire 11 1.99x
Lancashire 10 0.17x
Essex 7 0.71x
Derbyshire 6 0.77x
Durham 5 0.34x
Bedfordshire 3 1.16x
Dorset 3 0.92x
Renfrewshire 3 0.78x
Lincolnshire 2 0.25x
Glamorgan 1 0.12x
Hampshire 1 0.10x
Norfolk 1 0.13x
Somerset 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Headcorn in Kent leads with 50 Tassells recorded in 1881 and an index of 1960.78x.

Place Total Index
Headcorn 50 1960.78x
Bassingbourn 28 602.15x
Maidstone 22 43.34x
Chatham 17 36.26x
Islington London 16 3.31x
Newington 16 8.67x
Ulcombe 15 1339.29x
Hoo 11 486.73x
Borden 10 462.96x
Kensington London 10 3.60x
St Neots 10 185.53x
Ash Next Sandwich 9 238.73x
Harrow 9 117.96x
St Pancras London 9 2.24x
Hastings St Clement 8 101.01x
Tottenham 8 10.06x
Wellingborough 8 33.87x
Wye 8 303.03x
Burwash 7 179.03x
Deptford St Paul 7 5.33x
Faversham 7 43.08x
Northfleet 7 46.64x
West Derby 7 4.04x
Wilby 7 1000.00x
Bitteswell 6 967.74x
Canterbury St Alphage 6 329.67x
Derby St Werburgh 6 13.29x
Hastings All Sts 6 75.66x
Lambeth 6 1.38x
Lower Halstow 6 483.87x
Rushden 6 95.54x
Tonbridge 6 9.76x
Bridge 5 340.14x
Brighton 5 2.94x
Finchley 5 26.11x
Gillingham 5 14.23x
Ramsgate 5 17.97x
Seaton Carew 5 167.22x
South Shoebury 5 126.26x
Canterbury St Mildred 4 99.01x
Hackney London 4 1.43x
Huntingdon St John 4 139.37x
Mountfield 4 373.83x
Northampton St Sepulchre 4 16.74x
Paddington London 4 2.18x
Rochester St Margaret 4 22.26x
Camberwell 3 0.94x
Ecton 3 283.02x
Great Bolton 3 3.82x
Hugglescote 3 36.81x
Linton 3 201.34x
Margate St John Baptist 3 9.62x
Middle Greenock 3 28.41x
Mile End Old Town 3 3.81x
Patrixbourne 3 714.29x
St Luke London 3 3.74x
West Malling 3 78.13x
Bedford St Cuthbert 2 86.96x
Belgrave 2 16.00x
Bow London 2 3.15x
Chelsea London 2 1.33x
Hastings St Mary In The 2 11.14x
Leeds 2 161.29x
Marden 2 50.00x
Northampton St Giles 2 11.18x
Paulerspury 2 102.56x
Poole St James 2 16.23x
Spittlegate 2 18.10x
St George Hanover 2 3.07x
St Marylebone London 2 0.75x
Twickenham 2 9.34x
Westwell 2 116.96x
Woolwich 2 3.18x
Ampthill 1 25.91x
Edmonton 1 2.49x
Hove 1 2.71x
Lenham 1 29.41x
Ore 1 15.95x
St George In East 1 2.94x
Westminster St John 1 1.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 32
Charles 20
James 16
John 16
George 13
Thomas 13
Samuel 11
Alfred 9
Arthur 9
Henry 8
Edward 7
Frederick 7
Walter 6
Albert 5
Joseph 5
Herbert 4
Robert 4
Frank 3
Fredrick 3
Richard 3
Alexander 2
Ernest 2
Fredk. 2
Horace 2
Jesse 2
Timothy 2
Archibald 1
C. 1
Charley 1
Chas.F. 1
Colin 1
D. 1
Daniel 1
Ebenezer 1
Edgar 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Fenncis 1
Francis 1
Geo. 1
Gilbert 1
J.C. 1
Leonard 1
Lewis 1
Monague 1
Nortor 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Reginald 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Tassell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tassell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 512 people were recorded with the Tassell surname. That placed it at #6,654 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tassell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 440 in 2016. That gives Tassell a modern rank of #10,992.

What does the Tassell surname mean?

A variant spelling of the surname Tassill, referring to someone who lived near a boundary line.

What does the Tassell map show?

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