NameCensus.

UK surname

Tillett

A locational surname derived from the Old English words for a place where lime trees grow.

In the 1881 census there were 641 people recorded with the Tillett surname, ranking it #5,556 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 883, ranked #6,385, down from #5,556 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Selby, Waveney and South Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tillett is 1,037 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.8%.

1881 census count

641

Ranked #5,556

Modern count

883

2016, ranked #6,385

Peak year

1911

1,037 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tillett had 641 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,556 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 883 in 2016, ranked #6,385.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,037 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tillett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tillett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tillett 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 456 #5,420
1861 historical 310 #8,175
1881 historical 641 #5,556
1891 historical 702 #5,586
1901 historical 923 #5,049
1911 historical 1,037 #4,428
1997 modern 998 #5,508
1998 modern 997 #5,687
1999 modern 993 #5,745
2000 modern 986 #5,760
2001 modern 955 #5,796
2002 modern 964 #5,846
2003 modern 955 #5,813
2004 modern 969 #5,748
2005 modern 930 #5,880
2006 modern 886 #6,111
2007 modern 882 #6,186
2008 modern 882 #6,230
2009 modern 906 #6,233
2010 modern 909 #6,343
2011 modern 902 #6,315
2012 modern 887 #6,314
2013 modern 914 #6,274
2014 modern 901 #6,369
2015 modern 892 #6,363
2016 modern 883 #6,385

Geography

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Where Tilletts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes, St Pancras, Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Selby, Waveney, South Norfolk, Isle of Wight and Bradford. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington Staffordshire
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Selby 001 Selby
2 Waveney 011 Waveney
3 South Norfolk 007 South Norfolk
4 Isle of Wight 015 Isle of Wight
5 Bradford 024 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tillett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tillett

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tillett, 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 Tillett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Tillett 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Tillett 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

Tillett is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tillett falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Tillett

The surname Tillett originated in England and dates back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words 'til,' meaning 'tilled' or cultivated land, and 'hyll,' meaning a hill or slope. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a cultivated hill or slope.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be Tilliett, found in the Hundred Rolls of Wiltshire in 1273. Other early spellings include Tylliet, Tiliet, and Tillyett, reflecting the varied pronunciations and spellings common in medieval times.

The surname is particularly associated with the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset, where it is believed to have originated. In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to settlements with similar names, such as Tilledels and Tillesdene, which may have been the birthplaces of the earliest bearers of the Tillett surname.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was John Tillett, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1307. Another early bearer of the name was William Tillett, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327.

In the 16th century, a notable figure was Benjamin Tillett (1548-1627), an English clergyman and academic who served as a Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford, and later as the Rector of Whitchurch in Dorset.

During the English Civil War, Zachary Tillett (1620-1695) was a prominent Puritan and member of the Westminster Assembly, which drafted the Westminster Confession of Faith and other doctrinal standards for the Church of England.

In the 18th century, John Tillett (1736-1826) was a renowned English engraver and sculptor, known for his works in Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral.

Another notable figure was Sir John Tillett (1845-1920), a British civil servant and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the British Virgin Islands from 1904 to 1909.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Tillett, which has its roots in the English countryside and reflects the agricultural heritage of its earliest bearers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tillett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tillett 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. Norfolk leads with 182 Tilletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.90x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 182 18.90x
Middlesex 125 2.00x
Suffolk 103 13.50x
Essex 67 5.42x
Surrey 34 1.11x
Staffordshire 17 0.80x
Kent 16 0.75x
Sussex 14 1.33x
Lincolnshire 12 1.20x
Derbyshire 10 1.02x
Durham 10 0.54x
Glamorgan 10 0.92x
Yorkshire 7 0.11x
Berkshire 6 1.28x
Lancashire 6 0.08x
Gloucestershire 4 0.33x
Hampshire 4 0.31x
Leicestershire 4 0.58x
Northamptonshire 3 0.51x
Brecknockshire 1 0.80x
Dorset 1 0.24x
Hertfordshire 1 0.23x
Lanarkshire 1 0.05x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.12x
Renfrewshire 1 0.21x
Shropshire 1 0.18x
Somerset 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Heigham in Norfolk leads with 49 Tilletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 94.81x.

Place Total Index
Heigham 49 94.81x
St Pancras London 28 5.55x
Bethnal Green London 21 7.72x
Battersea 19 8.25x
Norwich St Augustine 17 438.14x
Stafford St Mary 17 56.82x
Brightlingsea 16 226.63x
Ipswich St Clement 14 72.20x
Shoreditch London 14 5.16x
Islington London 12 1.98x
Bungay St Mary 11 291.01x
Potter Heigham 11 1235.96x
Bardwell 10 617.28x
Roath 10 20.19x
Sprowston 10 235.29x
West Ham 10 3.66x
Beaumont 9 978.26x
Catfield 9 666.67x
Isleworth 9 32.33x
Norwich St Clement 9 80.65x
St Marylebone London 9 2.69x
Stamford St Michael 9 316.90x
Beccles 8 65.15x
Litchurch 8 20.27x
Norwich St Stephen 8 90.50x
Barking 7 19.35x
Barton Mills 7 693.07x
Bosham 7 260.22x
Camberwell 7 1.75x
Hingham 7 210.21x
Beckenham 6 21.48x
Bradford 6 3.99x
Great Yarmouth 6 7.52x
Hunston 6 2068.97x
Norwich St Julian 6 147.78x
St Botolph Aldersgate 6 83.57x
St Luke London 6 5.97x
Addington 5 349.65x
Bishopwearmouth 5 3.13x
Greenham 5 212.77x
Leyton 5 23.49x
Mundham 5 793.65x
Norton 5 312.50x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 5 80.00x
Norwich St Mary At Coslany 5 181.82x
Whitton 5 370.37x
Wymondham 5 50.76x
Belgrave 4 25.53x
Bow London 4 5.02x
Brighton 4 1.88x
Colchester Holy Trinity 4 145.99x
Framlingham 4 73.94x
Ipswich St Peter 4 38.95x
Stoke Holy Cross 4 449.44x
Witham 4 62.79x
Great Glemham 3 405.41x
Letheringham 3 697.67x
Lewisham 3 2.63x
Long Buckby 3 55.05x
North Walsham 3 43.23x
Norwich St Saviour 3 88.76x
Paddington London 3 1.30x
Pendleton In Salford 3 3.39x
Seaham 3 44.18x
Swainsthorpe 3 468.75x
Wanstead 3 13.86x
Woolwich 3 3.80x
Brimington 2 26.85x
Bromley London 2 1.45x
Eastbourne 2 4.12x
Iron Acton 2 80.65x
Lowestoft 2 5.55x
Market Rasen 2 35.71x
Preston On Tees 2 571.43x
Shipmeadow 2 434.78x
Shire Hall Yard 2 307.69x
St George Hanover 2 2.45x
Swefling 2 322.58x
Weeley 2 155.04x
Westminster St James 2 3.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 44
Ellen 21
Alice 19
Elizabeth 19
Emma 16
Sarah 16
Eliza 9
Hannah 9
Charlotte 8
Anna 7
Emily 7
Kate 5
Ann 4
Esther 4
Jane 4
Maria 4
Annie 3
Caroline 3
Clara 3
Frances 3
Harriet 3
Jessie 3
Louisa 3
Lucy 3
Martha 3
Susan 3
A. 2
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Blanche 2
Bleis 2
Eleanor 2
Ethel 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Harriett 2
Henrietta 2
Laura 2
Margaret 2
Marian 2
Matilda 2
Minnie 2
Nelly 2
Rose 2
Anny 1
Bathy 1
Dorcas 1
E. 1
E.L. 1
Victoria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 44
James 33
John 30
Frederick 15
Charles 14
George 14
Samuel 14
Thomas 14
Henry 12
Robert 12
Arthur 9
Alfred 8
Harry 8
Benjamin 6
Albert 5
Edward 5
Joseph 5
Thos. 4
Walter 4
Frank 3
Leonard 3
Alexander 2
Ernest 2
Geo. 2
Jesse 2
L. 2
Nathaniel 2
Richard 2
Willie 2
Willy 2
Andrew 1
Benjn. 1
Benjn.A. 1
Bertram 1
Clement 1
Edwd.A. 1
Edwd.H. 1
Edwin 1
Eric 1
Fred 1
Fred.E. 1
Fredck.G. 1
Fredk. 1
J.Benj.M. 1
Jacob 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Jonathan 1
Louis 1
Wm.E. 1

FAQ

Tillett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tillett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 641 people were recorded with the Tillett surname. That placed it at #5,556 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tillett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 883 in 2016. That gives Tillett a modern rank of #6,385.

What does the Tillett surname mean?

A locational surname derived from the Old English words for a place where lime trees grow.

What does the Tillett map show?

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