NameCensus.

UK surname

Templar

A surname given to members of the medieval military order of Crusaders.

In the 1881 census there were 180 people recorded with the Templar surname, ranking it #13,735 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 309, ranked #14,442, down from #13,735 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bedminster and Willesden. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Templar is 322 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 71.7%.

1881 census count

180

Ranked #13,735

Modern count

309

2016, ranked #14,442

Peak year

2014

322 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Templar had 180 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,735 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 309 in 2016, ranked #14,442.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 192 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Templar surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Templar surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Templar 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 116 #15,545
1861 historical 134 #16,754
1881 historical 180 #13,735
1891 historical 192 #15,383
1901 historical 171 #16,689
1911 historical 184 #15,742
1997 modern 266 #14,658
1998 modern 275 #14,715
1999 modern 278 #14,705
2000 modern 285 #14,422
2001 modern 294 #13,896
2002 modern 314 #13,589
2003 modern 307 #13,614
2004 modern 310 #13,589
2005 modern 303 #13,757
2006 modern 291 #14,175
2007 modern 288 #14,428
2008 modern 290 #14,466
2009 modern 308 #14,161
2010 modern 311 #14,345
2011 modern 320 #13,976
2012 modern 316 #13,994
2013 modern 313 #14,299
2014 modern 322 #14,113
2015 modern 311 #14,369
2016 modern 309 #14,442

Geography

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Where Templars are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bedminster, Willesden, London parishes and Paddington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Bedminster Somerset
3 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
4 London parishes London 1
5 Paddington London (West Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bristol 049 Bristol, City of
2 Bristol 047 Bristol, City of
3 South Gloucestershire 005 South Gloucestershire
4 Bristol 038 Bristol, City of
5 Bath and North East Somerset 002 Bath and North East Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Templar

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Templar

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Templar surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Templar household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Templar 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

Templar is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Templar falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Templar 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 Templar, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Templar

The surname Templar is of Anglo-Norman origin, first appearing in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is derived from the Old French word "templier" meaning "a member of the Knights Templar". The Knights Templar were a powerful religious and military order founded in 1119 to protect pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land.

The name is believed to have originated in the early 12th century, when members of the Templar order began to establish themselves in England and other parts of Europe. The earliest recorded example of the surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Templar" in Lincolnshire.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various medieval records and manuscripts, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it was spelled as "Templer" and "Templar". During this time, the surname was often associated with individuals who had connections to the Knights Templar or lived in areas where the order had a strong presence.

One notable individual with the surname Templar was Sir Thomas Templar, a 14th-century English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. He was born around 1320 and died in 1390. Another was William Templar, a 16th-century English clergyman and educator who served as the headmaster of the prestigious St. Paul's School in London from 1562 to 1570.

In the 17th century, the surname Templar appeared in various parish records and legal documents, often associated with individuals living in areas with place names linked to the Knights Templar, such as Temple, Templepatrick, and Templeton.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname had become more widespread across England and other parts of the British Isles. Notable individuals from this period include Sir Graham Templar (1781-1865), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Sir Charles Templar (1837-1919), a British civil servant and colonial administrator who served as Governor of Bombay from 1886 to 1890.

Throughout history, the surname Templar has been associated with individuals of varying social status and occupations, reflecting its origins as a name connected to the prestigious and influential Knights Templar order.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Templar families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Templar 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. Somerset leads with 49 Templars recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.34x.

County Total Index
Somerset 49 17.34x
Middlesex 37 2.11x
Gloucestershire 23 6.68x
Lancashire 19 0.91x
Surrey 11 1.29x
Kent 8 1.34x
Hampshire 7 1.95x
Dorset 6 5.21x
Cornwall 3 1.51x
Leicestershire 3 1.54x
Warwickshire 3 0.68x
Anglesey 2 6.43x
Cambridgeshire 2 1.80x
Oxfordshire 2 1.84x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.94x
Durham 1 0.19x
Lanarkshire 1 0.18x
Monmouthshire 1 0.79x
Montgomeryshire 1 2.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bedminster in Somerset leads with 14 Templars recorded in 1881 and an index of 52.71x.

Place Total Index
Bedminster 14 52.71x
Kensington London 10 10.24x
Kingston On Thames 8 38.93x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 7 21.59x
Chorlton On Medlock 7 21.15x
Ramsgate 7 71.57x
Winscombe 7 921.05x
Mile End Old Town 6 21.65x
Paddington London 6 9.29x
Bristol St Paul In 5 54.53x
Holdenhurst 5 52.97x
Pilkington 5 63.21x
Wellington 5 130.55x
Burnham 4 186.05x
Liverpool 4 3.16x
Bradpole 3 319.15x
Bristol St James St Paul 3 26.13x
Compton Bishop 3 909.09x
Hampton London 3 103.81x
Leicester St Mary 3 19.07x
Shipham 3 1200.00x
St Clement 3 144.93x
Weston Super Mare 3 42.02x
Westonsuper Mare 3 517.24x
Aston 2 1.64x
Bridgewater 2 26.08x
Bristol St John Baptist 2 625.00x
Clifton 2 11.49x
Harrow 2 74.63x
Holyhead 2 34.48x
Limehouse London 2 10.38x
Milverton 2 192.31x
Portland 2 32.26x
St Marylebone London 2 2.13x
St Pancras London 2 1.42x
Westminster St James 2 11.08x
Wood Ditton 2 215.05x
Aberystruth 1 8.94x
Aldershot 1 8.29x
Axbridge 1 370.37x
Bermondsey 1 1.91x
Bristol St George 1 6.28x
Bristol St James In 1 19.76x
Bristol St Peter 1 81.30x
Camberwell 1 0.89x
Cheddar 1 70.42x
Clapham 1 4.56x
Dilworth 1 78.13x
East Claydon 1 500.00x
Edgbaston 1 7.28x
Fareham 1 23.15x
Hoo 1 126.58x
Launton 1 277.78x
Lyme Regis 1 72.46x
Maryhill 1 8.99x
Oxford St Aldate 1 87.72x
Pool 1 33.00x
Preston 1 1.79x
Ryton 1 54.35x
St Luke London 1 3.55x
St Martin In Fields 1 9.51x
Stapleton 1 15.31x
Taunton St Mary 1 19.27x
Widnes 1 6.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 11
William 10
George 7
Alfred 5
Frederick 5
Charles 4
Thomas 4
Arthur 3
Henry 3
Robert 3
Francis 2
Herbert 2
Wm. 2
Algie 1
Edward 1
Edword 1
Ernest 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
James 1
Jno. 1
Sam 1
Samuel 1
Walter 1
Wm.A. 1

FAQ

Templar surname: questions and answers

How common was the Templar surname in 1881?

In 1881, 180 people were recorded with the Templar surname. That placed it at #13,735 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Templar surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 309 in 2016. That gives Templar a modern rank of #14,442.

What does the Templar surname mean?

A surname given to members of the medieval military order of Crusaders.

What does the Templar map show?

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