NameCensus.

UK surname

Tennet

In the 1881 census there were 127 people recorded with the Tennet surname, ranking it #17,166 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 166, ranked #22,140, down from #17,166 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Darlington, Gateshead and Richmond. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Tyneside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tennet is 197 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.7%.

1881 census count

127

Ranked #17,166

Modern count

166

2016, ranked #22,140

Peak year

1999

197 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tennet had 127 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,166 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 166 in 2016, ranked #22,140.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 188 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Tennet surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tennet surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tennet 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 44 #25,328
1861 historical 86 #22,810
1881 historical 127 #17,166
1891 historical 110 #22,557
1901 historical 157 #17,577
1911 historical 188 #15,550
1997 modern 186 #18,448
1998 modern 195 #18,397
1999 modern 197 #18,400
2000 modern 188 #18,916
2001 modern 187 #18,708
2002 modern 182 #19,411
2003 modern 177 #19,549
2004 modern 175 #19,805
2005 modern 171 #19,985
2006 modern 162 #20,886
2007 modern 159 #21,387
2008 modern 159 #21,598
2009 modern 162 #21,791
2010 modern 170 #21,560
2011 modern 173 #21,172
2012 modern 164 #21,883
2013 modern 163 #22,342
2014 modern 164 #22,445
2015 modern 165 #22,241
2016 modern 166 #22,140

Geography

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Where Tennets are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Darlington, Gateshead, Richmond, Stranton and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Tyneside. 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 Darlington Durham
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Richmond Yorkshire, North Riding
4 Stranton Durham
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Tyneside 015 South Tyneside
2 South Tyneside 008 South Tyneside
3 South Tyneside 003 South Tyneside
4 South Tyneside 018 South Tyneside
5 South Tyneside 016 South Tyneside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tennet

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tennet

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Tennet is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tennet is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tennet falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tennet is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Tennet families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tennet 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. Durham leads with 79 Tennets recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.10x.

County Total Index
Durham 79 21.10x
Yorkshire 28 2.25x
Northumberland 10 5.34x
Kent 5 1.16x
Surrey 4 0.65x
Isle of Man 2 8.56x
Lanarkshire 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westoe in Durham leads with 15 Tennets recorded in 1881 and an index of 70.69x.

Place Total Index
Westoe 15 70.69x
Darlington 11 76.12x
Stranton 9 71.43x
Tynemouth 8 79.76x
Brignall 7 11666.67x
Cockerton 7 583.33x
Ravensworth 7 5833.33x
East Thickley 6 789.47x
Ford 6 535.71x
Hetton Le Hole 6 126.58x
Monkwearmouth 6 167.60x
Richmond 6 307.69x
Gateshead 5 17.84x
Croydon 4 11.75x
Lewisham 4 17.47x
South Shields 4 120.12x
Stockton On Tees 4 22.17x
Marske In Guisbrough 3 135.75x
Forcett With Carkin 2 833.33x
Lezayre 2 190.48x
Middlesbrough 2 12.32x
Westgate 2 17.26x
Chatham 1 8.47x
Govan 1 0.99x
Northallerton 1 62.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Elizabeth 6
Jane 6
Margaret 6
Annie 4
Isabella 4
Ann 2
Maud 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Esther 1
Francis 1
Georgina 1
Hannah 1
Lilly 1
Margart 1
Martha 1
May 1
Rachel 1
Ruth 1
Sarah 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 13
Robert 10
George 9
James 8
John 8
Thomas 5
Joseph 4
Charles 3
Taylor 2
Arthur 1
Barker 1
Edward 1
Lancelot 1
Mark 1
Richard 1
Thompson 1
Wm.R. 1

FAQ

Tennet surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tennet surname in 1881?

In 1881, 127 people were recorded with the Tennet surname. That placed it at #17,166 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tennet surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 166 in 2016. That gives Tennet a modern rank of #22,140.

What does the Tennet map show?

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