NameCensus.

UK surname

Tibbetts

Derived from a place name meaning "Tibba's or Tybba's farmstead" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 488 people recorded with the Tibbetts surname, ranking it #6,898 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 697, ranked #7,728, down from #6,898 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tipton otherwise Tibington, Rowley Regis and Dudley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dudley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tibbetts is 719 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.8%.

1881 census count

488

Ranked #6,898

Modern count

697

2016, ranked #7,728

Peak year

1999

719 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tibbetts had 488 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,898 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 697 in 2016, ranked #7,728.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 611 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tibbetts surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tibbetts surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tibbetts 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 235 #9,206
1861 historical 253 #9,764
1881 historical 488 #6,898
1891 historical 430 #8,344
1901 historical 611 #6,972
1911 historical 585 #6,965
1997 modern 668 #7,513
1998 modern 711 #7,389
1999 modern 719 #7,369
2000 modern 712 #7,401
2001 modern 693 #7,433
2002 modern 705 #7,467
2003 modern 683 #7,540
2004 modern 684 #7,544
2005 modern 666 #7,643
2006 modern 668 #7,637
2007 modern 666 #7,727
2008 modern 659 #7,830
2009 modern 676 #7,848
2010 modern 675 #7,995
2011 modern 684 #7,832
2012 modern 670 #7,877
2013 modern 695 #7,763
2014 modern 698 #7,790
2015 modern 697 #7,736
2016 modern 697 #7,728

Geography

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Where Tibbetts' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tipton otherwise Tibington, Rowley Regis, Dudley, King's Sutton, Newbottle and Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dudley. 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 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
2 Rowley Regis Staffordshire
3 Dudley Staffordshire
4 King's Sutton, Newbottle Northamptonshire
5 Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dudley 033 Dudley
2 Dudley 017 Dudley
3 Dudley 039 Dudley
4 Dudley 022 Dudley
5 Dudley 023 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tibbetts

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tibbetts

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Tibbetts is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tibbetts 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

Tibbetts 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 Tibbetts is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Tibbetts

The surname Tibbetts has its origins in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is a locational surname derived from various places named Tibbet or Tibbets, which stem from the Old English personal name Tibbet or Tybbet, a diminutive of the name Theobald.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1201, where a John Tibbets is mentioned. The surname is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it is spelled as Tybetot.

The Tibbetts name is linked to several place names in England, such as Tibberton in Gloucestershire and Tibberton in Shropshire. These place names are derived from the Old English words "tib" meaning "a little bit" and "tun" meaning "an enclosure or homestead."

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a Norman landowner named Teodbaldus is recorded as holding lands in various counties, including Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. It is possible that the Tibbetts surname may have evolved from this Norman name.

Notable individuals with the surname Tibbetts throughout history include:

1. John Tibbetts (c. 1580 – c. 1640), an English colonist who settled in what is now New Hampshire, USA, in the early 17th century. 2. Thomas Tibbetts (1777 – 1837), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from New Hampshire. 3. George Tibbetts (1763 – 1849), an American soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War and later became a prominent landowner in Ohio. 4. Sir Walter Tibbetts (1909 – 1988), a British diplomat and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Malta from 1962 to 1964. 5. John Tibbetts (1722 – 1786), an English clergyman and author who wrote several works on theology and church history.

While the surname Tibbetts has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly to the United States, Canada, and Australia, through migration and colonization.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tibbetts families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tibbetts 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. Staffordshire leads with 240 Tibbetts' recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.97x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 240 14.97x
Warwickshire 45 3.76x
Worcestershire 44 7.09x
Middlesex 35 0.74x
Oxfordshire 32 10.91x
Northamptonshire 22 4.92x
Buckinghamshire 21 7.31x
Gloucestershire 12 1.29x
Midlothian 10 1.57x
Surrey 9 0.39x
Lancashire 8 0.14x
Cornwall 3 0.56x
Yorkshire 3 0.06x
Hertfordshire 1 0.31x
Kent 1 0.06x
Shropshire 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rowley Regis in Staffordshire leads with 179 Tibbetts' recorded in 1881 and an index of 400.54x.

Place Total Index
Rowley Regis 179 400.54x
Birmingham 35 8.77x
Kings Sutton 17 854.27x
The Hill 17 427.14x
Bucknell 16 3720.93x
Kingswinford 15 25.76x
Tipton 15 30.55x
Tottenham 15 19.83x
Akeley 14 2222.22x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 10 3.91x
Wednesbury 9 22.46x
Cirencester 8 63.44x
Aston 7 2.12x
Bermondsey 7 4.95x
Charlbury 7 212.77x
Dudley 7 9.28x
Hagley 7 348.26x
Wolverhampton 7 5.68x
Kinver 6 129.87x
Shoreditch London 6 2.91x
Walsall Foreign 6 7.24x
Buckingham 5 85.62x
Kensington London 5 1.89x
Ardwick 4 7.87x
Cradley 4 71.30x
Everton 4 2.23x
Oxford St Peter Le Bailey 4 273.97x
Brackley St James 3 294.12x
Kings Norton 3 5.39x
Solihull 3 34.84x
St Blazey 3 63.56x
St Marylebone London 3 1.18x
Gloucester St Nicholas 2 46.40x
Gradley 2 66.67x
Hasbury 2 49.26x
Hunslet 2 2.72x
Islip 2 204.08x
Stony Stratford West 2 101.01x
Westminster St John 2 3.46x
Bethnal Green London 1 0.48x
Brightside Bierlow 1 1.08x
Caversfield 1 666.67x
Cheltenham 1 1.39x
Croydon 1 0.78x
Darlaston 1 4.51x
Gloucester St John Baptist 1 16.61x
Great Barr 1 54.64x
Greatworth 1 357.14x
Islington London 1 0.22x
Kidderminster Foreign 1 11.40x
Lambeth 1 0.24x
Lichfield Close 1 263.16x
Lowick 1 156.25x
Maidstone 1 2.07x
Oxford St Aldate 1 32.36x
Ryton 1 294.12x
Southleigh 1 169.49x
St George Hanover 1 1.61x
St Gregory By St Pauls 1 84.03x
Stourbridge 1 6.27x
Watford 1 3.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 28
Sarah 23
Ann 16
Elizabeth 14
Emma 10
Alice 9
Eliza 8
Fanny 7
Annie 6
Lucy 6
Martha 6
Hannah 5
Rebecca 5
Ellen 4
Jane 4
Ada 3
Clara 3
Emily 3
Louisa 3
Selina 3
Amelia 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Flora 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Josephine 2
Laura 2
Lydia 2
Marah 2
Maria 2
Matilda 2
Phoebe 2
Roseanna 2
Ruth 2
Amy 1
Belverdera 1
Bertha 1
Bessie 1
Bridget 1
Eliz. 1
Elizath. 1
Elizebeth 1
Ethel 1
Jemima 1
Joana 1
Joanna 1
Kate 1
Typhina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 29
John 28
Joseph 20
Thomas 20
James 11
Benjamin 9
Samuel 9
David 7
Edward 7
Albert 6
Edwin 6
Henry 6
Arthur 5
Frederick 5
George 5
Walter 5
Alfred 4
Charles 4
Chas. 2
Edmund 2
Enoch 2
Geo. 2
Harry 2
Jeremiah 2
Auriel 1
Christopher 1
Clement 1
Ebenezer 1
Edw. 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Heseliah 1
Isaac 1
Isaiah 1
Ismael 1
Jesse 1
Job 1
Josiah 1
Lionel 1
Louis 1
Major 1
Mathew 1
Percival 1
Persey 1
Sampson 1
Simeon 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Tibbetts surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tibbetts surname in 1881?

In 1881, 488 people were recorded with the Tibbetts surname. That placed it at #6,898 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tibbetts surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 697 in 2016. That gives Tibbetts a modern rank of #7,728.

What does the Tibbetts surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "Tibba's or Tybba's farmstead" in Old English.

What does the Tibbetts map show?

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