NameCensus.

UK surname

Tilbury

A habitational name for someone from Tilbury, a town in Essex, England, derived from Old English "tigel" (tile) and "burgh" (fort).

In the 1881 census there were 1,146 people recorded with the Tilbury surname, ranking it #3,495 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,677, ranked #3,728, down from #3,495 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Missenden, Little, London parishes and Hitchenden or Hughenden. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Basingstoke and Deane, Wycombe and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tilbury is 1,848 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.3%.

1881 census count

1,146

Ranked #3,495

Modern count

1,677

2016, ranked #3,728

Peak year

1911

1,848 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tilbury had 1,146 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,495 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,677 in 2016, ranked #3,728.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,848 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Tilbury surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tilbury surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tilbury 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 667 #3,897
1861 historical 779 #3,531
1881 historical 1,146 #3,495
1891 historical 1,391 #3,129
1901 historical 1,646 #3,132
1911 historical 1,848 #2,672
1997 modern 1,702 #3,502
1998 modern 1,777 #3,488
1999 modern 1,773 #3,529
2000 modern 1,740 #3,572
2001 modern 1,711 #3,555
2002 modern 1,764 #3,532
2003 modern 1,735 #3,510
2004 modern 1,728 #3,519
2005 modern 1,688 #3,562
2006 modern 1,657 #3,623
2007 modern 1,653 #3,662
2008 modern 1,663 #3,667
2009 modern 1,721 #3,628
2010 modern 1,734 #3,680
2011 modern 1,679 #3,751
2012 modern 1,648 #3,742
2013 modern 1,720 #3,665
2014 modern 1,717 #3,688
2015 modern 1,686 #3,716
2016 modern 1,677 #3,728

Geography

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Where Tilburys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Missenden, Little, London parishes and Hitchenden or Hughenden. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Basingstoke and Deane, Wycombe, Cornwall, East Devon and Muirhouse. 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 Missenden, Little Buckinghamshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Hitchenden or Hughenden Buckinghamshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Basingstoke and Deane 022 Basingstoke and Deane
2 Wycombe 017 Wycombe
3 Cornwall 010 Cornwall
4 East Devon 017 East Devon
5 Muirhouse City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tilbury

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tilbury

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tilbury, 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 Tilbury surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Tilbury 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Tilbury is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tilbury is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tilbury 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 Tilbury 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 Tilbury, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Tilbury

The surname Tilbury is of English origin and is believed to have originated from the town of the same name in Essex, England. The name Tilbury itself is derived from the Old English words "tili" meaning "a plank or piece of wood" and "byrig" meaning "a fortified place or town."

The earliest recorded mention of the name Tilbury dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Tilleberie." This suggests that the name was already well-established in the area at the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the Middle Ages, Tilbury was a strategically important town due to its location on the River Thames. It was the site of a significant fort, and the town's name often appeared in historical records and documents related to military affairs and fortifications.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Tilbury was Sir John Tilbury, a knight who lived in the 13th century. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Edward I and participated in several military campaigns.

Another notable bearer of the name was William Tilbury, a 14th-century clergyman and scholar who served as the Chancellor of Oxford University from 1349 to 1350. He was renowned for his writings on logic and philosophy.

In the 16th century, Gervase Tilbury was an English writer and scholar who served as the tutor to the sons of King Henry II. His work, "Otia Imperialia," a collection of stories and anecdotes, remains an important source of information about the culture and customs of medieval Europe.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Colonel Samuel Tilbury was a Parliamentarian officer who played a significant role in the defense of London against the Royalist forces.

Another notable figure was Admiral John Tilbury, who served in the Royal Navy during the 18th century. He gained recognition for his involvement in several naval battles and campaigns, including the Seven Years' War.

Over the centuries, the Tilbury surname has been associated with various locations, including Tilbury Juxta Clare in Suffolk, Tilbury Fort in Essex, and Tilbury Docks, which were once a major port and shipbuilding center.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tilbury families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tilbury 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. Middlesex leads with 350 Tilburys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.11x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 350 3.11x
Hampshire 238 10.31x
Buckinghamshire 212 31.15x
Surrey 115 2.10x
Berkshire 41 4.85x
Lancashire 30 0.22x
Sussex 28 1.48x
Kent 25 0.65x
Essex 23 1.04x
Suffolk 23 1.68x
Hertfordshire 15 1.93x
Oxfordshire 10 1.44x
Glamorgan 9 0.46x
Royal Navy 6 4.47x
Norfolk 5 0.29x
Cornwall 3 0.24x
Northamptonshire 3 0.28x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.84x
Channel Islands 2 0.60x
Derbyshire 2 0.11x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.80x
Yorkshire 2 0.02x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.14x
Cheshire 1 0.04x
Leicestershire 1 0.08x
Northumberland 1 0.06x
Rutland 1 1.21x
Staffordshire 1 0.03x
Warwickshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wycombe in Buckinghamshire leads with 60 Tilburys recorded in 1881 and an index of 118.27x.

Place Total Index
Wycombe 60 118.27x
Portsea 43 9.51x
Chelsea London 42 12.38x
Little Missenden 39 909.09x
Hammersmith London 30 10.82x
Bishops Waltham 28 291.36x
Hughenden 25 359.71x
St Marylebone London 25 4.16x
Easton 23 1229.95x
St Pancras London 23 2.54x
Teddington London 23 90.20x
Kensington London 20 3.20x
Willesden 20 18.85x
Chilbolton 17 1287.88x
Great Missenden 17 202.86x
Lambeth 17 1.73x
Alverstoke 16 19.16x
Bethnal Green London 14 2.86x
Burnham 13 149.94x
Camberwell 13 1.81x
Edmonton 13 14.33x
Paddington London 13 3.14x
Raydon 13 634.15x
Hambledon 12 154.24x
Hayes 12 104.44x
West Ham 12 2.45x
Chorlton On Medlock 11 5.18x
Ealing 11 10.93x
Hackney London 11 1.74x
Penn 11 259.43x
Catherington 10 196.46x
Overton 10 181.16x
West Wycombe 10 108.34x
Aldeburgh 9 110.84x
Cheam 9 153.32x
Great Marlow 9 48.99x
Hillingdon 9 25.08x
Lancaster 9 11.32x
Shoreditch London 9 1.84x
Ystradyfodwg 9 5.23x
Heston 8 21.40x
Islington London 8 0.73x
Iver 8 91.22x
Newington 8 1.92x
Otterbourne 8 242.42x
Waltham St Lawrence 8 241.69x
Andover 7 32.11x
Botley 7 168.67x
Cookham 7 26.58x
Croydon 7 2.30x
Fulham London 7 4.29x
Lewisham 7 3.42x
Ore 7 49.54x
Southampton All Sts 7 17.68x
Upper Clatford 7 245.61x
West Swallowfield 7 174.56x
West Wittering 7 275.59x
Wherwell 7 336.54x
Clerkenwell London 6 2.26x
Greenwich 6 3.35x
Guildford St Nicholas 6 61.92x
Hemel Hempstead 6 17.16x
Monken Hadley 6 133.33x
Royal Navy 6 5.23x
Walthamstow 6 7.50x
Bramshott 5 87.87x
Bromley 5 8.54x
Bromley London 5 2.02x
Frensham 5 62.11x
Godalming 5 14.48x
Guildford St Mary 5 74.07x
Harefield 5 86.21x
Shalford 5 82.37x
Thetford St Cuthbert 5 79.87x
Thursley 5 126.90x
Wheathampstead 5 55.74x
Clanfield 4 370.37x
Elstead 4 151.52x
Felstead 4 52.56x
Southwark St Saviour 4 6.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 79
John 48
George 44
James 42
Charles 36
Henry 35
Thomas 25
Alfred 15
Arthur 15
Frederick 15
Joseph 15
Albert 12
Edward 11
Harry 11
Walter 10
David 8
Richard 8
Robert 8
Ernest 7
Frank 7
Francis 6
Wm. 6
Daniel 5
Herbert 5
Chas. 4
Andrew 3
Stephen 3
Willm. 3
Amos 2
Augustus 2
Bertie 2
Cornelius 2
Edwin 2
Fredrick 2
Jas. 2
Leonard 2
Levi 2
Louis 2
Percy 2
Robt. 2
Sidney 2
Tom 2
Augustine 1
Benjamin 1
Eamuel 1
Edmond 1
Edmund 1
Eldred 1
Infant 1
Jack 1

FAQ

Tilbury surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tilbury surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,146 people were recorded with the Tilbury surname. That placed it at #3,495 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tilbury surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,677 in 2016. That gives Tilbury a modern rank of #3,728.

What does the Tilbury surname mean?

A habitational name for someone from Tilbury, a town in Essex, England, derived from Old English "tigel" (tile) and "burgh" (fort).

What does the Tilbury map show?

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