NameCensus.

UK surname

Tilley

Derived from the Old English term for a tiler or tile maker, an occupational surname.

In the 1881 census there were 3,939 people recorded with the Tilley surname, ranking it #1,150 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,900, ranked #1,142, up from #1,150 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dudley, London parishes and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rutland, Bridgend and Taunton Deane.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tilley is 6,302 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.8%.

1881 census count

3,939

Ranked #1,150

Modern count

5,900

2016, ranked #1,142

Peak year

1999

6,302 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tilley had 3,939 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,150 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,900 in 2016, ranked #1,142.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,873 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tilley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tilley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tilley 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 2,217 #1,327
1861 historical 2,068 #1,399
1881 historical 3,939 #1,150
1891 historical 3,816 #1,262
1901 historical 5,373 #1,048
1911 historical 5,873 #881
1997 modern 6,090 #1,077
1998 modern 6,243 #1,090
1999 modern 6,302 #1,086
2000 modern 6,199 #1,093
2001 modern 6,056 #1,096
2002 modern 6,133 #1,106
2003 modern 6,006 #1,104
2004 modern 5,951 #1,115
2005 modern 5,851 #1,120
2006 modern 5,864 #1,111
2007 modern 5,879 #1,123
2008 modern 5,902 #1,126
2009 modern 6,017 #1,126
2010 modern 6,203 #1,121
2011 modern 6,070 #1,128
2012 modern 5,970 #1,119
2013 modern 6,030 #1,125
2014 modern 6,081 #1,125
2015 modern 5,999 #1,128
2016 modern 5,900 #1,142

Geography

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Where Tilleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dudley, London parishes, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory and Kettering. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rutland, Bridgend, Taunton Deane, Rugby and South Derbyshire. 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 Dudley Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
5 Kettering Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rutland 005 Rutland
2 Bridgend 004 Bridgend
3 Taunton Deane 004 Taunton Deane
4 Rugby 001 Rugby
5 South Derbyshire 007 South Derbyshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tilley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tilley

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

Tilley 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

Tilley falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Tilley

The surname Tilley is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have emerged as a locational name, derived from the Old English words 'tili' and 'leah', meaning 'fertile land' or 'meadow'. This suggests that the name may have been initially borne by individuals who resided near or owned lands with fertile soil.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1197, where it appears as 'de Tilli'. This reference indicates that the name was already established by the late 12th century and may have been associated with a particular place or location.

The Tilley surname is also mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it is spelled 'de Tylli'. This record provides evidence of the name's continued use and its potential association with the region of Bedfordshire during the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms, including 'Tyly' and 'Tylie', as seen in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1317. This variation in spelling was common during this period, reflecting the lack of standardized orthography.

Notable individuals bearing the Tilley surname throughout history include:

1. John Tilley (c. 1571-1621), an English passenger on the Mayflower who settled in Plymouth Colony. 2. Walter Tilley (c. 1600-1620), John Tilley's son, who also traveled on the Mayflower and was one of the first settlers in the Plymouth Colony. 3. Vere Tilley (1888-1964), an English actor and playwright known for his works in the early 20th century. 4. Maureen Tilley (born 1935), a British actress and singer who appeared in various television shows and films in the 1960s and 1970s. 5. Robert Tilley (1915-1987), an American politician who served as the United States Ambassador to Guyana from 1979 to 1981.

While the Tilley name has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and settlement. The name has also undergone various spelling variations over time, including Tilly, Tillie, and Tylly, reflecting the fluidity of naming practices in earlier periods.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tilley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tilley 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 521 Tilleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.36x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 521 1.36x
Surrey 332 1.78x
Northamptonshire 273 7.57x
Gloucestershire 269 3.58x
Staffordshire 245 1.89x
Lancashire 221 0.49x
Leicestershire 212 4.99x
Somerset 168 2.72x
Kent 143 1.09x
Durham 137 1.20x
Wiltshire 117 3.45x
Yorkshire 117 0.31x
Warwickshire 106 1.10x
Hampshire 103 1.31x
Lincolnshire 92 1.50x
Dorset 87 3.46x
Worcestershire 86 1.72x
Derbyshire 70 1.17x
Cheshire 68 0.80x
Glamorgan 59 0.88x
Nottinghamshire 57 1.10x
Essex 55 0.73x
Shropshire 52 1.57x
Sussex 40 0.62x
Northumberland 39 0.68x
Norfolk 35 0.59x
Monmouthshire 28 1.01x
Cornwall 26 0.60x
Berkshire 24 0.83x
Rutland 21 7.46x
Huntingdonshire 17 2.23x
Buckinghamshire 16 0.69x
Devon 15 0.19x
Hertfordshire 11 0.42x
Suffolk 11 0.24x
Lanarkshire 10 0.08x
Herefordshire 9 0.57x
Cambridgeshire 7 0.29x
Flintshire 7 0.68x
Oxfordshire 7 0.30x
Royal Navy 5 1.09x
Selkirkshire 5 1.44x
Brecknockshire 3 0.39x
Perthshire 3 0.17x
Cardiganshire 1 0.11x
Midlothian 1 0.02x
Stirlingshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dudley in Worcestershire leads with 57 Tilleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.36x.

Place Total Index
Dudley 57 9.36x
Lambeth 53 1.58x
Leicester St Margaret 53 5.11x
St Pancras London 45 1.46x
Islington London 43 1.16x
Northampton Priory St 43 19.86x
Kettering 40 27.41x
All Cannings 38 576.63x
Mile End Old Town 37 6.11x
West Ham 35 2.09x
Nantwich 34 34.56x
Tipton 33 8.32x
Wednesbury 32 9.89x
Camberwell 31 1.27x
Warrington 31 5.75x
St Marylebone London 30 1.46x
Uley 30 218.50x
Cheltenham 28 4.82x
Kingston On Thames 28 6.24x
Northampton St Sepulchre 28 15.26x
Portsea 28 1.82x
Leicester St Mary 27 7.86x
Rowley Regis 27 7.48x
Shoreditch London 27 1.62x
Wolverhampton 27 2.71x
Cottingham 26 208.84x
Ringstead 25 199.36x
Wotton Under Edge 25 56.38x
Battersea 24 1.70x
Birmingham 24 0.74x
Aston 23 0.86x
Hammersmith London 23 2.43x
Rotherhithe 23 4.85x
St George In East 23 8.82x
Bulwell 21 18.68x
Manchester 21 1.03x
Newington 21 1.48x
Parkstone 21 71.50x
Stanion 21 453.56x
Bow London 20 4.10x
Eglwysilan 20 17.26x
Ryton 20 49.88x
Everton 19 1.31x
Kensington London 19 0.89x
Poplar London 19 2.62x
Uppingham 19 56.60x
Whitstable 19 29.60x
Widnes 19 5.79x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 18 2.54x
Burton Overy 18 323.16x
Christchurch 18 10.56x
Hunslet 18 3.04x
Linton 18 114.00x
Winlaton 18 16.44x
Acton 17 7.56x
Brighton 17 1.30x
Ramsey 17 27.88x
Southwark St George Martyr 17 2.20x
Stoke Newington London 17 5.69x
Stoke Upon Trent 17 1.24x
West Bromwich 17 2.29x
Bretby 16 417.75x
Compton Bishop 16 221.30x
Great Bowden 16 41.37x
Hackney London 16 0.74x
Kingsbury Episcopi 16 80.00x
Tonbridge 16 3.39x
Amblecote 15 40.64x
Bermondsey 15 1.31x
Congleton 15 10.25x
Daventry 15 29.39x
Stamford All Sts 15 43.69x
Clerkenwell London 14 1.55x
Dursley 14 45.26x
Huntspill 14 55.40x
Penge 14 5.71x
Salford 14 1.05x
Hornsey 13 2.68x
Walton On Hill 13 5.27x
Wellingborough 13 7.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 270
Elizabeth 186
Sarah 134
Ann 85
Eliza 74
Jane 69
Emma 67
Ellen 64
Alice 49
Annie 47
Martha 39
Emily 37
Maria 31
Hannah 29
Louisa 29
Margaret 28
Edith 27
Fanny 27
Florence 26
Harriet 25
Caroline 24
Ada 23
Charlotte 23
Kate 22
Harriett 20
Clara 16
Catherine 14
Rose 14
Frances 12
Julia 12
Minnie 12
Rebecca 12
Elizth. 11
Lucy 11
Rachel 11
Esther 10
Agnes 9
Amelia 9
Amy 9
Anne 9
Laura 9
Matilda 8
Rhoda 8
Bessie 7
Jessie 7
Lydia 7
Maud 7
Ruth 7
Susan 7
Gertrude 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 239
John 219
James 142
Thomas 142
George 137
Henry 86
Charles 76
Joseph 76
Alfred 58
Edward 57
Arthur 46
Frederick 36
Robert 36
Samuel 35
Albert 34
Walter 31
Frank 29
Richard 24
Harry 22
Edwin 21
Ernest 20
Herbert 19
David 12
Benjamin 11
Stephen 11
Fred 10
Thos. 10
Fredrick 8
Tom 7
Daniel 6
Edmund 6
Francis 6
Sidney 6
Abraham 5
Augustus 5
Christopher 5
Isaac 5
Mark 5
Willm. 5
Wm. 5
Ben 4
Earnest 4
Edgar 4
Fredk. 4
Geo. 4
Harold 4
Matthew 4
Reuben 4
Saml. 4
Leonard 3

FAQ

Tilley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tilley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,939 people were recorded with the Tilley surname. That placed it at #1,150 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tilley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,900 in 2016. That gives Tilley a modern rank of #1,142.

What does the Tilley surname mean?

Derived from the Old English term for a tiler or tile maker, an occupational surname.

What does the Tilley map show?

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