NameCensus.

UK surname

Tees

A locational surname derived from the River Tees in northern England.

In the 1881 census there were 156 people recorded with the Tees surname, ranking it #15,114 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 244, ranked #17,096, down from #15,114 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Paisley Ferguslie, Ashford and South Staffordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tees is 253 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 56.4%.

1881 census count

156

Ranked #15,114

Modern count

244

2016, ranked #17,096

Peak year

1999

253 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tees had 156 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,114 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 244 in 2016, ranked #17,096.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 226 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Tees surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tees surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tees 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 62 #22,232
1861 historical 125 #17,678
1881 historical 156 #15,114
1891 historical 226 #13,668
1901 historical 187 #15,793
1911 historical 108 #21,736
1997 modern 243 #15,556
1998 modern 247 #15,813
1999 modern 253 #15,667
2000 modern 251 #15,692
2001 modern 233 #16,260
2002 modern 230 #16,730
2003 modern 229 #16,601
2004 modern 235 #16,379
2005 modern 223 #16,938
2006 modern 222 #17,092
2007 modern 226 #17,103
2008 modern 213 #17,903
2009 modern 220 #17,911
2010 modern 228 #17,844
2011 modern 228 #17,673
2012 modern 216 #18,251
2013 modern 217 #18,493
2014 modern 231 #17,813
2015 modern 235 #17,530
2016 modern 244 #17,096

Geography

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Where Tees' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Lambeth, Glasgow and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Paisley Ferguslie, Ashford, South Staffordshire, Glenwood North and Spittal. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Paisley Ferguslie Renfrewshire
2 Ashford 012 Ashford
3 South Staffordshire 013 South Staffordshire
4 Glenwood North Glasgow City
5 Spittal South Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tees

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tees

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Tees surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Tees household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Tees 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

Tees 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

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

Meaning and origin of Tees

The surname TEES is of English origin, derived from various place names in the northeast of England. It likely originated in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.

The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "tēs" or "tēse," meaning a place where the watercourse becomes wider or spreads out. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have lived near a river or stream that broadened at a particular point.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name TEES appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Tees." This reference suggests that the name was already established in parts of England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "de Tees," "atte Tees," and "Teys," reflecting the common practice of adding locational prefixes or suffixes to surnames during that period.

A notable early bearer of the name was John Tees, a member of the English Parliament who represented the borough of New Shoreham in 1335. Another early record mentions a William Tees from Yorkshire, who was listed in the Feet of Fines for the county in 1375.

During the 16th century, the name TEES appeared in the records of several English parishes, including those in Durham, Northumberland, and Yorkshire. This suggests that the name was well-established in the northeastern regions of England by that time.

One of the most prominent individuals with the surname TEES was Sir Brian Tees (1578-1648), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Yorkshire in the early 17th century.

In the 18th century, the name TEES was found in various parts of England, including London, where a John Tees (1701-1768) was a notable merchant and philanthropist.

Other notable bearers of the surname include William Tees (1837-1892), a British artist and engraver, and Thomas Tees (1823-1888), an English architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London.

While the surname TEES may have originated from specific locations in northeastern England, it eventually spread to other parts of the country and beyond, carried by individuals and families who migrated or established new roots over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tees families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tees 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. Lanarkshire leads with 38 Tees' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.72x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 38 7.72x
Surrey 20 2.70x
Middlesex 18 1.18x
Lancashire 14 0.78x
Dunbartonshire 10 24.46x
Hampshire 8 2.56x
Warwickshire 8 2.08x
Nottinghamshire 7 3.41x
Yorkshire 7 0.46x
Kent 5 0.96x
Renfrewshire 5 4.24x
Sussex 5 1.95x
Fife 4 4.44x
Staffordshire 2 0.39x
Anglesey 1 3.71x
Ayrshire 1 0.88x
Devon 1 0.32x
Essex 1 0.33x
Midlothian 1 0.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 17 Tees' recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.97x.

Place Total Index
Govan 17 13.97x
Barony 12 9.63x
Bonhill 10 152.44x
Birmingham 8 6.25x
Islington London 8 5.42x
Lambeth 8 6.03x
Rutherglen 8 110.80x
Barnsley 7 45.02x
Nottingham St Mary 7 13.20x
Preston 7 14.49x
Bermondsey 6 13.25x
St Paul Covent Garden 5 328.95x
Kettle 4 370.37x
Meon Stoke 4 1600.00x
Oving 4 459.77x
Paisley Middle Church 4 58.22x
Plumstead 4 23.11x
Stretford 4 40.28x
Guildford Friary 3 1304.35x
Portsea 3 4.91x
High Offley 2 476.19x
Layton With Warbreck 2 30.17x
St Pancras London 2 1.63x
Camberwell 1 1.03x
Cobham 1 81.97x
Cranleigh 1 91.74x
Devonport 1 27.47x
Lanark 1 25.25x
Llanfaes 1 833.33x
Mile End Old Town 1 4.16x
North Leith 1 10.60x
Oldham 1 1.72x
Paisley High Church 1 10.65x
South Bersted 1 45.87x
St Marylebone London 1 1.23x
Stevenston 1 33.67x
Titchfield 1 42.55x
West Ham 1 1.51x
Whitechapel London 1 6.67x
Woolwich 1 5.21x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Alice 5
Agnes 3
Harriet 3
Ada 2
Annie 2
Edith 2
Eleanor 2
Elizabeth 2
Jane 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Rose 2
Sarah 2
Caroline 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Grace 1
Julia 1
Lilian 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Mareat 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Tees surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tees surname in 1881?

In 1881, 156 people were recorded with the Tees surname. That placed it at #15,114 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tees surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 244 in 2016. That gives Tees a modern rank of #17,096.

What does the Tees surname mean?

A locational surname derived from the River Tees in northern England.

What does the Tees map show?

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