NameCensus.

UK surname

Temby

A Cornish habitational surname referring to someone from Temby, an area in Cornwall.

In the 1881 census there were 173 people recorded with the Temby surname, ranking it #14,112 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 138, ranked #25,127, down from #14,112 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Redruth, Illogan and Auckland St Andrew. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caerphilly, Cornwall and Merthyr Tydfil.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Temby is 241 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 20.2%.

1881 census count

173

Ranked #14,112

Modern count

138

2016, ranked #25,127

Peak year

1851

241 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Temby had 173 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,112 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 138 in 2016, ranked #25,127.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 241 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Temby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Temby surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Temby 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 241 #9,037
1861 historical 175 #13,409
1881 historical 173 #14,112
1891 historical 138 #19,411
1901 historical 158 #17,507
1911 historical 134 #19,131
1997 modern 129 #23,143
1998 modern 132 #23,394
1999 modern 127 #24,125
2000 modern 124 #24,469
2001 modern 123 #24,242
2002 modern 134 #23,492
2003 modern 138 #22,823
2004 modern 142 #22,573
2005 modern 145 #22,253
2006 modern 146 #22,320
2007 modern 146 #22,596
2008 modern 141 #23,383
2009 modern 140 #24,033
2010 modern 146 #23,921
2011 modern 134 #25,050
2012 modern 134 #25,059
2013 modern 139 #24,912
2014 modern 140 #24,977
2015 modern 145 #24,246
2016 modern 138 #25,127

Geography

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Where Tembys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Redruth, Illogan, Auckland St Andrew, Wendron and Camborne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caerphilly, Cornwall, Merthyr Tydfil and County Durham. 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 Redruth Cornwall
2 Illogan Cornwall
3 Auckland St Andrew Durham
4 Wendron Cornwall
5 Camborne Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caerphilly 002 Caerphilly
2 Cornwall 057 Cornwall
3 Merthyr Tydfil 006 Merthyr Tydfil
4 County Durham 051 County Durham
5 Cornwall 052 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Temby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Temby

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Temby is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Temby 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

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

Meaning and origin of Temby

The surname Temby originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "temian," which means "to tame" or "to cultivate." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked as a farmer or tamer of animals.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1230, where a person named Roger Temby is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, indicating its presence in various parts of England during the Middle Ages.

In the 14th century, the name Temby appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a certain John Temby is mentioned in 1348. This record provides evidence of the name's presence in the northern regions of England during that time period.

The Temby surname is also associated with several place names, such as Temby's Green in Berkshire and Temby's Farm in Oxfordshire. These place names suggest that the Temby family may have owned or resided in these locations, contributing to the spread and recognition of the name.

One notable figure with the surname Temby was Sir William Temby (1588-1662), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis during the reign of King Charles I. He played a significant role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.

Another prominent Temby was John Temby (1725-1798), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War. He is known for his participation in several battles against the French and Spanish fleets.

In the 19th century, William Temby (1810-1887) was a renowned English artist and illustrator, known for his intricate etchings and engravings depicting landscapes and architectural scenes.

The Temby surname also has connections to Australia, with records showing that a family of Tembys immigrated to the country in the early 19th century. One notable Australian Temby was George Temby (1842-1916), a businessman and politician who served as a member of the South Australian Legislative Council.

Thomas Temby (1870-1953), born in England but later emigrating to Canada, was a prominent figure in the Canadian labor movement, serving as the president of the Trades and Labor Congress of Canada from 1922 to 1926.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Temby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Temby 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. Cornwall leads with 159 Tembys recorded in 1881 and an index of 83.23x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 159 83.23x
Cumberland 5 3.44x
Northumberland 4 1.59x
Glamorgan 3 1.02x
Lancashire 1 0.05x
Middlesex 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camborne in Cornwall leads with 100 Tembys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1270.65x.

Place Total Index
Camborne 100 1270.65x
Crowan 20 1324.50x
Illogan 15 296.44x
St Ive 7 569.11x
Cleator 5 82.64x
Duloe 5 892.86x
St Cleer 5 301.20x
South Blyth Newsham 4 816.33x
Briton Ferry 3 85.47x
Mawgan In Meneage 2 400.00x
Dalton In Furness 1 12.94x
Gwennap 1 27.78x
Madron Penzance 1 14.39x
Redruth 1 18.52x
St Neot 1 133.33x
Truro St Mary 1 62.11x
Westminster St James 1 5.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 15
Mary 10
Grace 6
Susan 6
Annie 4
Caroline 3
Eliza 3
Emma 3
Jane 3
Sarah 3
Ada 2
Ann 2
Beatrice 2
Catherine 2
Edith 2
Eleanor 2
Clara 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizh.A. 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Elzth.J. 1
Emily 1
Flora 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Janie 1
Johanna 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Lillian 1
Lilly 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Minnie 1
Susanna 1
Tomasine 1
Tryphena 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 12
John 11
James 8
Samuel 6
Richard 5
Charles 4
Edward 4
Henry 3
Joseph 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Nicholas 2
Albert 1
Christopher 1
Edwin 1
Eliza 1
Eward 1
Freddy 1
Fredrick 1
H. 1
Harry 1
Howard 1
Martin 1
Matthew 1
Peter 1
Petter 1
Stephen 1
Victor 1
Wesley 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Temby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Temby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 173 people were recorded with the Temby surname. That placed it at #14,112 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Temby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 138 in 2016. That gives Temby a modern rank of #25,127.

What does the Temby surname mean?

A Cornish habitational surname referring to someone from Temby, an area in Cornwall.

What does the Temby map show?

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