NameCensus.

UK surname

Templeton

A locational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Templeton, meaning "temple town."

In the 1881 census there were 2,215 people recorded with the Templeton surname, ranking it #2,005 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,714, ranked #2,476, down from #2,005 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Riccarton and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cumnock Rural, Mauchline Rural and Machars South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Templeton is 2,729 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.5%.

1881 census count

2,215

Ranked #2,005

Modern count

2,714

2016, ranked #2,476

Peak year

2014

2,729 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Templeton had 2,215 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,005 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,714 in 2016, ranked #2,476.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,564 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Templeton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Templeton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Templeton 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 1,585 #1,820
1861 historical 1,692 #1,690
1881 historical 2,215 #2,005
1891 historical 2,304 #2,035
1901 historical 2,564 #2,143
1911 historical 831 #5,313
1997 modern 2,443 #2,573
1998 modern 2,567 #2,544
1999 modern 2,573 #2,555
2000 modern 2,554 #2,567
2001 modern 2,521 #2,541
2002 modern 2,548 #2,572
2003 modern 2,493 #2,572
2004 modern 2,528 #2,546
2005 modern 2,472 #2,563
2006 modern 2,537 #2,520
2007 modern 2,558 #2,520
2008 modern 2,608 #2,486
2009 modern 2,676 #2,483
2010 modern 2,701 #2,521
2011 modern 2,633 #2,551
2012 modern 2,619 #2,524
2013 modern 2,675 #2,513
2014 modern 2,729 #2,488
2015 modern 2,713 #2,479
2016 modern 2,714 #2,476

Geography

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Where Templetons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Riccarton, Glasgow, Paisley Abbey and Kilmarnock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cumnock Rural, Mauchline Rural, Machars South, Northern and Irvine Valley Rural and Dundonald, Loans and Symington. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Riccarton Ayr
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Paisley Abbey Renfrew
5 Kilmarnock Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cumnock Rural East Ayrshire
2 Mauchline Rural East Ayrshire
3 Machars South Dumfries and Galloway
4 Northern and Irvine Valley Rural East Ayrshire
5 Dundonald, Loans and Symington South Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Templeton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Templeton

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Templeton, 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 Templeton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Templeton 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Templeton is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Templeton is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Templeton

The surname Templeton is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "temp(e)l" meaning "temple" and "tun" meaning "an enclosed piece of ground, a farm, or a village." It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century, referring to someone who lived near a temple or church.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Templeton appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, which mentions a Richard de Templeton. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to the name, suggesting its presence in different parts of England during that period.

The Templeton surname is closely associated with several place names in England, such as Templeton in Pembrokeshire, Wales, and Templeton in Yorkshire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English roots and may have contributed to the spread of the surname.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the Templeton surname was Sir John Templeton (c. 1520-1594), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire. Another early bearer of the name was Robert Templeton (c. 1540-1613), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

During the 17th century, the Templeton surname gained prominence with individuals like Sir Thomas Templeton (1613-1675), an English politician and landowner from Staffordshire, and John Templeton (1630-1677), an English physician and author who wrote on medical topics.

In the 18th century, the name was associated with figures like John Templeton (1766-1825), a Scottish mathematician and writer, and Sir Emerson Templeton (1761-1835), an Irish politician and landowner who served as a Member of the Irish Parliament.

As the surname spread across the British Isles and beyond, it was carried by notable individuals like Charles Templeton (1915-2001), a Canadian evangelist, author, and journalist, and Sir John Templeton (1912-2008), an American-born British investor and philanthropist who established the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Templeton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Templeton 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. Ayrshire leads with 646 Templetons recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.00x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 646 40.00x
Lanarkshire 575 8.24x
Renfrewshire 141 8.43x
Yorkshire 95 0.44x
Lancashire 92 0.36x
Wigtownshire 77 26.87x
Cumberland 76 4.09x
Middlesex 59 0.27x
Dumfriesshire 44 9.23x
Argyllshire 30 4.99x
Kirkcudbrightshire 30 9.60x
Dunbartonshire 27 4.66x
Stirlingshire 27 3.39x
Durham 25 0.39x
Midlothian 23 0.80x
Surrey 21 0.20x
Essex 16 0.38x
Perthshire 16 1.65x
Glamorgan 13 0.35x
Staffordshire 13 0.18x
Buteshire 12 9.18x
Caernarfonshire 11 1.26x
Hampshire 10 0.23x
Aberdeenshire 9 0.45x
Devon 9 0.20x
West Lothian 9 2.77x
Westmorland 9 1.90x
Angus 8 0.40x
Worcestershire 8 0.28x
Northumberland 7 0.22x
Cheshire 6 0.13x
Gloucestershire 6 0.14x
Merionethshire 6 1.52x
Morayshire 6 1.79x
Shropshire 6 0.32x
Bedfordshire 5 0.45x
Kent 4 0.05x
Warwickshire 4 0.07x
Clackmannanshire 3 1.68x
Lincolnshire 3 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.10x
Sussex 3 0.08x
Hertfordshire 2 0.13x
Isle of Man 2 0.50x
Kincardineshire 2 0.76x
Norfolk 2 0.06x
Selkirkshire 2 1.02x
Channel Islands 1 0.16x
Denbighshire 1 0.12x
Derbyshire 1 0.03x
East Lothian 1 0.35x
Inverness-shire 1 0.16x
Nairnshire 1 1.52x
Northamptonshire 1 0.05x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.15x
Suffolk 1 0.04x

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 155 Templetons recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.98x.

Place Total Index
Govan 155 8.98x
Barony 144 8.15x
Kilmarnock 94 48.91x
Glasgow 58 4.68x
Kilmaurs 52 189.23x
Colmonell 44 271.10x
Riccarton 39 160.10x
Rutherglen 36 35.16x
Old Monkland 33 11.92x
Mauchline 32 172.41x
Ayr 31 40.67x
Sorn 30 94.58x
Stewarton 30 93.90x
Auckinleck 28 56.01x
St Cuthbert W O Upperby 26 510.81x
West Greenock 25 8.33x
Abbey 24 9.41x
Ardrossan 24 42.93x
Blantyre 22 30.28x
Kirkcowan 22 227.98x
Port Glasgow 22 27.21x
St Cuthbert W O 22 24.30x
West Derby 21 2.80x
Cambusnethan 20 12.90x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 20 1.72x
Kilwinning 20 38.35x
Paisley Middle Church 20 20.54x
Bothwell 18 9.51x
Leeds 17 1.41x
Old Luce 17 94.03x
Dalry 16 21.06x
Dreghorn 16 54.74x
Dalserf 15 21.54x
Dunlop 15 148.96x
Dunoon Kilmun 15 32.02x
Liverpool 15 0.96x
New Cumnock 15 53.57x
Paisley High Church 15 11.27x
Dumfries 14 29.77x
Dundonald 14 23.51x
Girvan 14 34.53x
Row 14 18.66x
St Martin In Fields 14 10.84x
Crawford 13 99.85x
Cumbrae 12 87.27x
Falkirk 12 6.44x
Maybole 12 24.41x
Kirkmabreck 11 80.53x
Neilston 11 13.10x
Stone 11 11.81x
Tarbolton 11 41.38x
Toxteth Park 11 1.27x
Troqueer 11 26.84x
West Ham 11 1.17x
West Kilbride 11 71.48x
Avondale 10 24.51x
Carluke 10 15.78x
Galston 10 22.64x
Hamilton 10 5.14x
Llysfaen 10 109.77x
Straiton 10 108.93x
Boness 9 20.09x
Campbeltown 9 12.42x
Everton 9 1.10x
Lambeth 9 0.48x
Lesmahagow 9 12.20x
Muirkirk 9 23.73x
Old Cumnock 9 25.03x
Penninghame 9 30.80x
Pontefract 9 19.54x
Sheffield 9 1.32x
Stoneykirk 9 43.92x
Tunstall 9 28.16x
Aberdeen Old Machar 8 1.92x
Kidderminster Borough 8 4.85x
Lanark 8 14.25x
Paddington London 8 1.01x
Torthorwald 8 109.29x
Tynron 8 258.06x
Warrington 8 2.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 32
Elizabeth 26
Jane 17
Annie 12
Sarah 11
Isabella 8
Margaret 8
Ellen 7
Agnes 6
Edith 6
Eliza 6
Helen 6
Alice 5
Martha 5
Ann 4
Florence 4
Kate 4
Anne 3
Barbara 3
Elizth. 3
Emma 3
Fanny 3
Janet 3
Jessie 3
Mabel 3
Margt. 3
Ada 2
Augusta 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Emily 2
Laura 2
Lilly 2
Margret 2
Maria 2
Matilda 2
Rose 2
Violet 2
Annbella 1
Bessie 1
Betsey 1
Blanche 1
Cath. 1
Elizah 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth.M. 1
Elona 1
Harriett 1
Jeannett 1
Jemina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 40
William 24
Thomas 22
Robert 18
James 14
Henry 9
Charles 8
George 7
Joseph 6
Richard 6
Alexander 5
Samuel 5
David 4
Thos. 4
Albert 3
Andrew 3
Arthur 3
Frank 3
Herbert 3
Horace 3
Patrick 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Hugh 2
Hy. 2
Jas. 2
Matthew 2
Peter 2
Robt. 2
Willm. 2
Alex 1
Allen 1
Bertram 1
Clement 1
Danl. 1
Earnest 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Henery 1
Horatio 1
Hubert 1
Josh. 1
Joshua 1
Mathew 1
Mitchell 1
Reginald 1
Wm.B. 1

FAQ

Templeton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Templeton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,215 people were recorded with the Templeton surname. That placed it at #2,005 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Templeton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,714 in 2016. That gives Templeton a modern rank of #2,476.

What does the Templeton surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Templeton, meaning "temple town."

What does the Templeton map show?

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