NameCensus.

UK surname

Theakston

An English surname transferred to describe someone from one of various places called Theakston or Thickston.

In the 1881 census there were 169 people recorded with the Theakston surname, ranking it #14,324 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 353, ranked #13,081, up from #14,324 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Masham, Darlington and Kirk Ella (Willerby, Kirk Ella, West Ella), North Ferriby (Swanland). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Harrogate and Darlington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Theakston is 377 in 2007. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 108.9%.

1881 census count

169

Ranked #14,324

Modern count

353

2016, ranked #13,081

Peak year

2007

377 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Theakston had 169 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,324 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 353 in 2016, ranked #13,081.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 269 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Theakston surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Theakston surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Theakston 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 154 #12,668
1861 historical 150 #15,296
1881 historical 169 #14,324
1891 historical 210 #14,412
1901 historical 235 #13,662
1911 historical 269 #12,300
1997 modern 363 #11,849
1998 modern 365 #12,175
1999 modern 361 #12,347
2000 modern 351 #12,534
2001 modern 343 #12,545
2002 modern 371 #12,096
2003 modern 360 #12,152
2004 modern 366 #12,053
2005 modern 370 #11,875
2006 modern 370 #11,940
2007 modern 377 #11,900
2008 modern 375 #12,059
2009 modern 377 #12,269
2010 modern 375 #12,568
2011 modern 358 #12,883
2012 modern 360 #12,673
2013 modern 360 #12,890
2014 modern 364 #12,876
2015 modern 355 #13,033
2016 modern 353 #13,081

Geography

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Where Theakstons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Masham, Darlington, Kirk Ella (Willerby, Kirk Ella, West Ella), North Ferriby (Swanland), Warsill, Ripon (Newby-with-Mulwith, Ripon) and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Harrogate, Darlington and Waltham Forest. 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 Masham Yorkshire, North Riding
2 Darlington Durham
3 Kirk Ella (Willerby, Kirk Ella, West Ella), North Ferriby (Swanland) Yorkshire, East Riding
4 Warsill, Ripon (Newby-with-Mulwith, Ripon) Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 054 County Durham
2 Harrogate 001 Harrogate
3 Darlington 014 Darlington
4 Waltham Forest 021 Waltham Forest
5 Darlington 004 Darlington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Theakston

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Theakston

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Theakston surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Theakston household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Theakston 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

Theakston is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Theakston falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Theakston

The surname Theakston originated in England, likely in the Yorkshire region, during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "þecce" meaning thatch and "tun" meaning an enclosure or village, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived in a thatched village or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Theakston can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and estates in England compiled under the orders of William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a person named Theakeston, which is believed to be an early variation of the modern spelling.

The Theakston surname has its roots in various place names across Yorkshire, such as Thackston, Thackerston, and Thackestun, which were recorded in historical documents from the 12th and 13th centuries. These place names likely evolved from the Old English words "þecce" and "tun," further solidifying the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.

One notable figure bearing the Theakston surname was Sir Roger Theakston, a 14th-century English landowner and soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was born around 1320 and died in 1388. Another prominent individual was John Theakston (1770-1858), an English farmer and industrialist who played a significant role in the agricultural and industrial development of Yorkshire during the 19th century.

Other historical figures with the Theakston surname include William Theakston (1638-1718), an English clergyman and author of religious works, and Elizabeth Theakston (1799-1873), a British philanthropist and social reformer who advocated for the education of women and the abolition of slavery.

The Theakston surname can also be found in literary works, such as the novel "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë, where the character Hindley Earnshaw marries a woman named Frances Theakston. This reference further underscores the deep roots of the surname in the Yorkshire region.

While the variations in spelling and pronunciation have evolved over time, the Theakston surname has maintained its connection to its Anglo-Saxon origins and the geographical areas of Yorkshire, where it first emerged and flourished.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Theakston families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Theakston 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. Yorkshire leads with 125 Theakstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.65x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 125 7.65x
Lancashire 18 0.92x
Durham 9 1.84x
Middlesex 8 0.49x
Cheshire 2 0.55x
Gloucestershire 2 0.62x
Denbighshire 1 1.61x
Essex 1 0.31x
Lincolnshire 1 0.38x
Surrey 1 0.12x
Westmorland 1 2.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Middlesbrough in Yorkshire leads with 21 Theakstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 98.73x.

Place Total Index
Middlesbrough 21 98.73x
Manningham 16 79.48x
York St Mary 11 162.48x
Melbourne 8 3076.92x
Holy Trinity 7 17.82x
Islington London 7 4.38x
Spennithorne 7 6363.64x
Elvington 6 2857.14x
Kirk Ella 6 3000.00x
Litherland 6 146.70x
Masham 6 1000.00x
Scotforth 6 472.44x
Leyburn 5 909.09x
Worsley 5 41.46x
Darlington 4 21.12x
Woodmansey Cum Beverley 4 1290.32x
Bishop Auckland 3 45.59x
Pannal 3 191.08x
Rise 3 2727.27x
Bishopwearmouth 2 4.75x
Chester St Mary On Hill 2 64.10x
Gayles 2 2857.14x
Linthorpe 2 20.51x
Oxton 2 6666.67x
York St Maurice 2 64.94x
Appleby 1 322.58x
Armley 1 13.89x
Askham Bryan 1 588.24x
Barmby On Moor 1 400.00x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 9.28x
Chigwell 1 32.57x
Croston 1 99.01x
Ellingstring 1 1428.57x
Finghall Akebar 1 1111.11x
Foston 1 1666.67x
Harpham 1 714.29x
Horfield 1 30.77x
Hugill 1 454.55x
Hunslet 1 3.93x
Lambeth 1 0.70x
Leven 1 208.33x
Llangollen Llangollen 1 140.85x
Nafferton 1 142.86x
Sculcoates 1 3.86x
Sproatley Wyton 1 434.78x
Thornton Steward 1 714.29x
Tottenham 1 3.81x
York Marygate St Olave 1 158.73x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 15
William 11
Thomas 10
George 8
Henry 7
Edward 3
James 3
Joseph 3
Robert 3
Arthur 2
Christopher 2
Edwin 2
Francis 2
Septimus 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Charles 1
David 1
Frances 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Mark 1
Marmaduke 1
Matthew 1
Nathan 1
Reuben 1
Rupert 1
Tom 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Theakston surname: questions and answers

How common was the Theakston surname in 1881?

In 1881, 169 people were recorded with the Theakston surname. That placed it at #14,324 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Theakston surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 353 in 2016. That gives Theakston a modern rank of #13,081.

What does the Theakston surname mean?

An English surname transferred to describe someone from one of various places called Theakston or Thickston.

What does the Theakston map show?

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