NameCensus.

UK surname

Tibbitts

An English habitational surname derived from a place name, likely referring to a former resident of Tibbitts, Hampshire.

In the 1881 census there were 172 people recorded with the Tibbitts surname, ranking it #14,163 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 252, ranked #16,699, down from #14,163 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, St Leonard Shoreditch and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Warwick, Uttlesford and Stroud.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tibbitts is 376 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.5%.

1881 census count

172

Ranked #14,163

Modern count

252

2016, ranked #16,699

Peak year

1911

376 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tibbitts had 172 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,163 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 252 in 2016, ranked #16,699.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 376 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Tibbitts surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tibbitts surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tibbitts 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 96 #17,594
1861 historical 98 #21,388
1881 historical 172 #14,163
1891 historical 238 #13,202
1901 historical 251 #13,102
1911 historical 376 #9,736
1997 modern 278 #14,210
1998 modern 285 #14,351
1999 modern 273 #14,875
2000 modern 280 #14,601
2001 modern 280 #14,364
2002 modern 284 #14,524
2003 modern 272 #14,746
2004 modern 280 #14,530
2005 modern 260 #15,250
2006 modern 251 #15,696
2007 modern 241 #16,341
2008 modern 253 #15,941
2009 modern 255 #16,183
2010 modern 266 #16,067
2011 modern 259 #16,237
2012 modern 252 #16,424
2013 modern 261 #16,309
2014 modern 260 #16,470
2015 modern 260 #16,361
2016 modern 252 #16,699

Geography

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Where Tibbitts' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes and Nuneaton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Warwick, Uttlesford, Stroud, Wyre Forest and Islington. 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 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Nuneaton Warwickshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Warwick 014 Warwick
2 Uttlesford 008 Uttlesford
3 Stroud 009 Stroud
4 Wyre Forest 004 Wyre Forest
5 Islington 023 Islington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tibbitts

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tibbitts

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Tibbitts surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Tibbitts household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Tibbitts is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Tibbitts 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

Tibbitts falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Tibbitts

The surname Tibbitts is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the medieval given name Tybbot, a diminutive form of the personal name Theobald, which means "bold people" in Old German. The earliest recorded spelling of the surname was Tibbotot, found in the Curia Regis Rolls of Yorkshire in 1194.

Tibbitts is a locational surname, indicating that the original bearers of the name hailed from a place called Tibbotot or Tibotot. This place name is thought to have originated from the Old English words "tibb" meaning a small piece of land and "tot" meaning a look-out place or hill. Therefore, the name likely referred to someone who lived near a small hill or elevated piece of land.

In the 13th century, the surname was recorded as Tybbotot in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. The spelling variations continued, with Tybotot appearing in the Assize Court Rolls of Staffordshire in 1324 and Tybottis in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1524.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Richard Tibotot, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1202. Another early reference is found in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1275, where a John Tybotot is listed.

In the 16th century, the surname was found in various forms, including Tibbett, Tybbit, and Tibbits. A notable figure from this period was William Tibbitts (c. 1535-1591), an English Roman Catholic martyr who was executed for his faith during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Other historical figures with the surname include Edward Tibbitts (1763-1838), an English engraver and illustrator known for his works on natural history, and Charles Tibbitts (1781-1835), an English landscape painter who exhibited at the Royal Academy.

In the 19th century, George Tibbitts (1822-1892) was a renowned English architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Congregational Memorial Hall and the Alexandra Palace. Another notable bearer of the name was James Tibbitts (1836-1912), a British Army officer who served in the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tibbitts families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tibbitts 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. Warwickshire leads with 41 Tibbitts' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.63x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 41 9.63x
Middlesex 27 1.60x
Staffordshire 27 4.74x
Surrey 13 1.58x
Gloucestershire 11 3.32x
Cambridgeshire 10 9.36x
Kent 6 1.04x
Nottinghamshire 6 2.64x
Oxfordshire 6 5.76x
Worcestershire 6 2.72x
Lancashire 4 0.20x
Suffolk 4 1.95x
Yorkshire 4 0.24x
Hertfordshire 2 1.72x
Somerset 2 0.74x
Hampshire 1 0.29x
Herefordshire 1 1.45x
Royal Navy 1 4.97x
Sussex 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 13 Tibbitts' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.17x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 13 9.17x
Camberwell 13 12.06x
Wolverhampton 13 29.68x
Aston 8 6.83x
Bedworth 7 225.08x
Hammersmith London 7 16.84x
South Hamlet 7 341.46x
Walsall Foreign 7 23.79x
Barford St Michael 6 3529.41x
Broadholme 6 12000.00x
Cradley 6 301.51x
Handsworth 6 42.74x
Plumstead 6 31.27x
Shoreditch London 6 8.20x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 5 107.30x
Fordham 5 724.64x
Islington London 5 3.06x
Shilton 5 2083.33x
St George Bloomsbury 5 51.65x
Exning 4 384.62x
Kensington London 4 4.26x
West Derby 4 6.83x
Bulkington 3 326.09x
Cheltenham 2 7.83x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 2 33.00x
Hatton 2 357.14x
Hemel Hempstead 2 38.17x
Northowram 2 17.06x
Walcot 2 13.82x
Warwick St Nicholas 2 64.10x
Barnsley 1 5.80x
Brighton 1 1.74x
Colwall 1 116.28x
Hilton 1 1250.00x
Portsea 1 1.48x
Royal Navy 1 5.82x
West Bromwich 1 3.07x
Wolfhampcote 1 526.32x

Top female names

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

Name Count
James 7
William 7
John 6
Edward 5
George 5
Joseph 5
Harry 4
Alfd. 3
Henry 3
Samuel 3
Wm. 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Charles 2
David 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Richard 2
Sydney 2
Thomas 2
Adam 1
Andrew 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Ebenezer 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Fredc. 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Isaac 1
Maurice 1
Philip 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Wheeler 1
Wm.Geo. 1

FAQ

Tibbitts surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tibbitts surname in 1881?

In 1881, 172 people were recorded with the Tibbitts surname. That placed it at #14,163 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tibbitts surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 252 in 2016. That gives Tibbitts a modern rank of #16,699.

What does the Tibbitts surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a place name, likely referring to a former resident of Tibbitts, Hampshire.

What does the Tibbitts map show?

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