NameCensus.

UK surname

Tavares

A Portuguese surname derived from the personal name Álvaro, meaning "guardian" or "defender."

In the 1881 census there were 3 people recorded with the Tavares surname, ranking it #33,498 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 741, ranked #7,368, up from #33,498 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth and Newham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tavares is 741 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24600.0%.

1881 census count

3

Ranked #33,498

Modern count

741

2016, ranked #7,368

Peak year

2016

741 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tavares had 3 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,498 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 741 in 2016, ranked #7,368.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Tavares surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tavares surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tavares 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
1881 historical 3 #33,498
1891 historical 5 #33,939
1911 historical 2 #34,020
1997 modern 200 #17,618
1998 modern 206 #17,796
1999 modern 215 #17,425
2000 modern 230 #16,644
2001 modern 232 #16,314
2002 modern 259 #15,453
2003 modern 270 #14,825
2004 modern 311 #13,549
2005 modern 341 #12,605
2006 modern 426 #10,712
2007 modern 458 #10,190
2008 modern 486 #9,852
2009 modern 527 #9,477
2010 modern 580 #8,999
2011 modern 572 #8,992
2012 modern 607 #8,534
2013 modern 641 #8,307
2014 modern 668 #8,082
2015 modern 685 #7,854
2016 modern 741 #7,368

Geography

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Where Tavares' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Newham, Wandsworth and North Lincolnshire. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 005 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Lambeth 026 Lambeth
3 Newham 009 Newham
4 Wandsworth 007 Wandsworth
5 North Lincolnshire 008 North Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tavares

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tavares

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Tavares surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Tavares 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Tavares 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

Tavares 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

Tavares falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tavares is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Tavares

The surname Tavares originated in Portugal and is derived from the Latin name Tabularius, which means "keeper of records" or "scribe". This name was likely given to those who worked as record-keepers or scribes in medieval times.

Tavares is a Portuguese patronymic surname, meaning it was originally formed by adding the suffix "-es" to the given name of the father or ancestor. This practice was common in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tavares can be found in the Livro Velho de Linhagens (Old Book of Lineages), a Portuguese genealogical manuscript from the 13th century. This document mentions several individuals with the surname, indicating that the name was already well-established in Portugal by that time.

In the 14th century, there are records of a noble family called Tavares de Sousa, who held lands and properties in the region of Entre-Douro-e-Minho in northern Portugal. This family is believed to have descended from a 12th-century knight named Rodrigo Tavares.

The surname Tavares also appears in the Livro do Armeiro-Mor (Book of the Chief Armorer), a Portuguese armorial from the 15th century, suggesting that some Tavares families were part of the nobility or had achieved a certain level of prominence.

Notable individuals with the surname Tavares throughout history include:

1. João Tavares de Vellez (c. 1370-1450), a Portuguese explorer and navigator who played a crucial role in the early Portuguese explorations along the West African coast.

2. Fernão Tavares (c. 1530-1590), a Portuguese military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Ilha de Moçambique (now Mozambique) in the late 16th century.

3. António Tavares de Sousa (c. 1620-1680), a Portuguese writer and historian who authored several works on the history of Portugal and its overseas territories.

4. Francisco Tavares de Proença (1722-1797), a Portuguese mathematician and astronomer who contributed to the development of nautical science and the study of celestial bodies.

5. José Tavares de Macedo (1809-1859), a Brazilian politician, writer, and lawyer who served as a senator and played a significant role in the political and intellectual life of the Brazilian Empire.

The surname Tavares has also been associated with various place names in Portugal, such as Tavares (a parish in the municipality of Vila Nova de Famalicão) and Souto Tavares (a parish in the municipality of Moimenta da Beira).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tavares families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tavares 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. Lancashire leads with 3 Tavares' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.65x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 3 8.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Toxteth Park in Lancashire leads with 2 Tavares' recorded in 1881 and an index of 170.94x.

Place Total Index
Toxteth Park 2 170.94x
Liverpool 1 47.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Janet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Aerigo 1
Antonio 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Tavares households.

FAQ

Tavares surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tavares surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3 people were recorded with the Tavares surname. That placed it at #33,498 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tavares surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 741 in 2016. That gives Tavares a modern rank of #7,368.

What does the Tavares surname mean?

A Portuguese surname derived from the personal name Álvaro, meaning "guardian" or "defender."

What does the Tavares map show?

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