NameCensus.

UK surname

Tatters

A surname derived from the Old English word meaning "torn rags or tattered clothes".

In the 1881 census there were 139 people recorded with the Tatters surname, ranking it #16,228 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 229, ranked #17,878, down from #16,228 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, St Bees and Newcastle All Saints. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sunderland and Eden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tatters is 254 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 64.7%.

1881 census count

139

Ranked #16,228

Modern count

229

2016, ranked #17,878

Peak year

1998

254 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tatters had 139 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,228 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 229 in 2016, ranked #17,878.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 168 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Tatters surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tatters surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tatters 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 90 #18,317
1861 historical 73 #24,492
1881 historical 139 #16,228
1891 historical 151 #18,242
1901 historical 166 #17,011
1911 historical 168 #16,620
1997 modern 239 #15,718
1998 modern 254 #15,508
1999 modern 245 #16,012
2000 modern 249 #15,787
2001 modern 242 #15,832
2002 modern 242 #16,186
2003 modern 225 #16,808
2004 modern 215 #17,384
2005 modern 210 #17,572
2006 modern 222 #17,092
2007 modern 224 #17,193
2008 modern 228 #17,146
2009 modern 234 #17,194
2010 modern 237 #17,368
2011 modern 233 #17,426
2012 modern 234 #17,291
2013 modern 241 #17,202
2014 modern 240 #17,387
2015 modern 233 #17,627
2016 modern 229 #17,878

Geography

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Where Tatters' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, St Bees, Newcastle All Saints, Alston and Chester-le-Street (Harraton), Washington (Usworth and North Biddick ). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sunderland and Eden. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 St Bees Cumberland
3 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
4 Alston Cumberland
5 Chester-le-Street (Harraton), Washington (Usworth and North Biddick ) Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sunderland 028 Sunderland
2 Sunderland 017 Sunderland
3 Sunderland 019 Sunderland
4 Eden 006 Eden
5 Sunderland 027 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tatters

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tatters

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Tatters surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Tatters household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Tatters 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

Tatters 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

Tatters falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tatters is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Tatters

The surname Tatters has its origins in England, dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "totere," which meant "rag" or "tatter." This term was likely used to describe someone who wore ragged or tattered clothing, possibly a beggar or a poor person.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Tatters can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a William Toters in Oxfordshire. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

Another early reference to the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 for Worcestershire, which mentions a John Toters. The Subsidy Rolls were tax records, indicating that the Tatters family had established themselves as taxpayers in the region.

In the late 15th century, the name appeared in the form of "Tatteres" in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence from the influential Paston family of Norfolk. This suggests that the surname had spread to various parts of England by this time.

One notable figure with the surname Tatters was John Tatters (c. 1480-1545), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol. He served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1527 and was known for his involvement in the local wool trade.

Another individual of significance was Edward Tatters (1558-1624), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Rector of Holme Lacy in Herefordshire. He was a noted translator and published works on theology and philosophy.

In the 17th century, the Tatters surname appeared in various parish records across England, including in the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Hertfordshire. This indicates the widespread distribution of the name during this period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname in the United States can be found in the records of Massachusetts Bay Colony, where a Richard Tatters is listed as a freeman in 1639.

Other notable individuals with the surname Tatters include William Tatters (1680-1754), a successful merchant and landowner in Virginia, and James Tatters (1718-1789), a prominent attorney and judge in South Carolina.

Throughout its history, the surname Tatters has maintained its connection to its humble origins, reflecting the hardships and resilience of those who bore it in the past.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tatters families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tatters 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. Cumberland leads with 44 Tatters' recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.69x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 44 37.69x
Durham 33 8.18x
Northumberland 29 14.38x
Staffordshire 10 2.19x
Westmorland 10 33.56x
Kent 5 1.08x
Lancashire 3 0.19x
Nottinghamshire 3 1.64x
Surrey 2 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Alston in Cumberland leads with 26 Tatters' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1209.30x.

Place Total Index
Alston 26 1209.30x
Byker 12 120.36x
Preston Quarter 11 336.39x
Caverswall 10 420.17x
Ryhope 8 285.71x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 7 58.09x
Chester Le Street 6 193.55x
Houghton Le Spring 6 215.05x
Milbourne 6 5454.55x
Moresby 6 1363.64x
Harton 5 314.47x
Middlestone 5 617.28x
Wallsend 5 78.13x
Woolwich 5 29.26x
Dufton 3 1578.95x
Liverpool 3 3.07x
Nottingham St Mary 3 6.35x
Westgate 3 24.02x
Battersea 2 4.01x
Carham 2 384.62x
Gateshead 2 6.62x
Long Marton 1 303.03x
Mungrisdale 1 1250.00x
Witton Gilbert 1 62.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 11
Mary 10
Elizabeth 8
Sarah 8
Hannah 5
Isabella 4
Margaret 4
Esther 3
Ann 2
Matilda 2
Priscilla 2
Alice 1
Cath. 1
Cathrine 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Eunice 1
Frances 1
Hanh. 1
Isabel 1
Isabell 1
Louisa 1
Maiden 1
Margeret 1
Rachel 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 14
John 8
Thomas 8
George 5
Christopher 4
Robert 4
James 3
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Walton 2
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Cuthbert 1
David 1
Fred 1
Hugh 1
Jas. 1
Jas.Graham 1
Jonathan 1
Samuel 1
Wilkinson 1

FAQ

Tatters surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tatters surname in 1881?

In 1881, 139 people were recorded with the Tatters surname. That placed it at #16,228 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tatters surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 229 in 2016. That gives Tatters a modern rank of #17,878.

What does the Tatters surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English word meaning "torn rags or tattered clothes".

What does the Tatters map show?

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