NameCensus.

UK surname

Thirlaway

In the 1881 census there were 132 people recorded with the Thirlaway surname, ranking it #16,744 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 345, ranked #13,321, up from #16,744 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead and Long Benton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gateshead, County Durham and North Tyneside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thirlaway is 383 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 161.4%.

1881 census count

132

Ranked #16,744

Modern count

345

2016, ranked #13,321

Peak year

1998

383 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thirlaway had 132 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,744 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 345 in 2016, ranked #13,321.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 237 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Thirlaway surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thirlaway surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thirlaway 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 37 #26,673
1861 historical 55 #27,007
1881 historical 132 #16,744
1891 historical 138 #19,411
1901 historical 194 #15,425
1911 historical 237 #13,406
1997 modern 369 #11,690
1998 modern 383 #11,748
1999 modern 380 #11,907
2000 modern 379 #11,855
2001 modern 373 #11,830
2002 modern 368 #12,168
2003 modern 365 #12,038
2004 modern 356 #12,299
2005 modern 342 #12,579
2006 modern 353 #12,363
2007 modern 350 #12,600
2008 modern 351 #12,661
2009 modern 361 #12,663
2010 modern 369 #12,726
2011 modern 362 #12,773
2012 modern 340 #13,245
2013 modern 348 #13,239
2014 modern 345 #13,396
2015 modern 339 #13,493
2016 modern 345 #13,321

Geography

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Where Thirlaways are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead, Long Benton, Kelloe and Chester-le-Street. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gateshead, County Durham and North 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Long Benton Northumberland
4 Kelloe Durham
5 Chester-le-Street Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gateshead 007 Gateshead
2 County Durham 006 County Durham
3 County Durham 043 County Durham
4 County Durham 044 County Durham
5 North Tyneside 025 North Tyneside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thirlaway

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thirlaway

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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, Thirlaway 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

Thirlaway 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

Thirlaway falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Thirlaway is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Thirlaway families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thirlaway 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 105 Thirlaways recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.84x.

County Total Index
Durham 105 27.84x
Northumberland 19 10.07x
Yorkshire 5 0.40x
Gloucestershire 1 0.40x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Lumley in Durham leads with 16 Thirlaways recorded in 1881 and an index of 2461.54x.

Place Total Index
Great Lumley 16 2461.54x
Gateshead 10 35.41x
Heworth 9 121.13x
Usworth 9 450.00x
Longbenton 8 100.13x
Whickham 8 230.55x
Greencroft 7 1014.49x
Tanfield 7 155.90x
Wingate 7 270.27x
Lamesley 6 295.57x
Haswell 5 185.19x
Holmside 5 537.63x
Jesmond 5 188.68x
Thornaby 5 106.61x
Thornley 5 367.65x
Edmondsley 4 1000.00x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 2 17.75x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 20.45x
Sherburn House 2 2222.22x
Brandon Byshottles 1 21.14x
Durham St Nicholas 1 107.53x
Easington 1 181.82x
East Murton 1 140.85x
East Rainton 1 136.99x
Elswick 1 6.64x
Wall 1 588.24x
Westbury On Trym 1 11.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Elizabeth 14
Ann 6
Jane 5
Margaret 4
Isabella 3
Sarah 3
Ellen 2
Martha 2
Rebecca 2
Anne 1
Barbery 1
Bell 1
Dorothy 1
Elizth. 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Jessie 1
Lily 1
Magt. 1
Maria 1
Mgt. 1
Minnie 1
Pollie 1
Priscilla 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 10
John 9
Robert 8
George 7
James 4
Thomas 4
Peter 3
Joseph 2
Ralph 2
Thos. 2
David 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Fredrick 1
Percy 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Thirlaway surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thirlaway surname in 1881?

In 1881, 132 people were recorded with the Thirlaway surname. That placed it at #16,744 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thirlaway surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 345 in 2016. That gives Thirlaway a modern rank of #13,321.

What does the Thirlaway map show?

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