NameCensus.

UK surname

Tillman

A surname of English origin referring to a farmer or plowman who tills the soil.

In the 1881 census there were 307 people recorded with the Tillman surname, ranking it #9,568 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 494, ranked #10,067, down from #9,568 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Battersea and Leeds. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire, Hastings and Malvern Hills.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tillman is 562 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 60.9%.

1881 census count

307

Ranked #9,568

Modern count

494

2016, ranked #10,067

Peak year

1999

562 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tillman had 307 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,568 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 494 in 2016, ranked #10,067.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 549 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tillman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tillman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tillman 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 193 #10,704
1861 historical 222 #10,993
1881 historical 307 #9,568
1891 historical 308 #10,886
1901 historical 466 #8,485
1911 historical 549 #7,300
1997 modern 530 #8,911
1998 modern 557 #8,837
1999 modern 562 #8,825
2000 modern 532 #9,181
2001 modern 522 #9,162
2002 modern 544 #9,049
2003 modern 520 #9,233
2004 modern 537 #9,015
2005 modern 512 #9,286
2006 modern 487 #9,664
2007 modern 487 #9,753
2008 modern 488 #9,827
2009 modern 492 #9,979
2010 modern 503 #10,017
2011 modern 499 #9,965
2012 modern 481 #10,145
2013 modern 505 #9,949
2014 modern 513 #9,899
2015 modern 504 #9,944
2016 modern 494 #10,067

Geography

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Where Tillmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Battersea, Leeds and Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carmarthenshire, Hastings, Malvern Hills, Inverness West Rural and East Lindsey. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Battersea London (South Districts)
4 Leeds Kent
5 Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carmarthenshire 012 Carmarthenshire
2 Hastings 004 Hastings
3 Malvern Hills 001 Malvern Hills
4 Inverness West Rural Highland
5 East Lindsey 016 East Lindsey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tillman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tillman

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Tillman is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tillman 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

Tillman falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Tillman

The surname Tillman is of English origin and is believed to have derived from the Old English words "tilian" meaning to till or cultivate, and "mann" meaning a man or person. It was an occupational surname given to someone who worked as a farmer or cultivator of the land.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Tilemann" and "Tilman" in various counties across England. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Tilman" and "Tyllman" in various records and manuscripts, such as the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire and the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert Tilman, a landowner in Hertfordshire, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1195. Another early bearer was John Tyllman, a resident of Norfolk, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327.

The name is also associated with several places in England, including Tilmanstone in Kent, which was formerly known as "Tilmannes-tun" in the 10th century, meaning "Tilman's farm or estate."

Notable individuals with the surname Tillman throughout history include:

1. Benjamin Tillman (1847-1918), an American politician and governor of South Carolina, known for his support of racial segregation and white supremacy. 2. Edmonia Lewis Tillman (1845-1900), an American sculptor and activist, who was one of the first African American artists to achieve national recognition. 3. Samuel Escue Tillman (1847-1942), an American minister and civil rights activist, who was a prominent leader in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. 4. Samuel E. Tillman (1876-1952), an American politician and lawyer, who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas. 5. Benjamin Ryan Tillman (1892-1965), an American lawyer and jurist, who served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

The surname Tillman has also been found with various spellings over time, such as Tilman, Tillmann, Tyllman, and Tyllmann, reflecting the evolution of language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tillman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tillman 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. Kent leads with 83 Tillmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.10x.

County Total Index
Kent 83 8.10x
Middlesex 63 2.10x
Surrey 51 3.48x
Sussex 29 5.73x
Lancashire 11 0.31x
Cheshire 10 1.51x
Cornwall 8 2.35x
Devon 8 1.28x
Durham 8 0.90x
Hampshire 8 1.30x
Staffordshire 7 0.69x
Worcestershire 6 1.53x
Berkshire 3 1.33x
Lanarkshire 3 0.31x
Inverness-shire 2 2.23x
Midlothian 2 0.50x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.55x
Dorset 1 0.51x
Essex 1 0.17x
Herefordshire 1 0.81x
Royal Navy 1 2.79x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Battersea in Surrey leads with 19 Tillmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.19x.

Place Total Index
Battersea 19 17.19x
Chatham 19 67.38x
Mile End Old Town 13 27.41x
Leeds 11 1466.67x
Little Meolse 10 1052.63x
Gillingham 9 42.59x
Linton 9 1000.00x
Shoreditch London 9 6.91x
Bromley 7 44.81x
Chalk 7 2000.00x
St Clement 7 197.18x
Toxteth Park 7 5.80x
Icklesham 6 674.16x
Kidderminster Foreign 6 108.11x
Lambeth 6 2.29x
Wandsworth 6 20.75x
Bermondsey 5 5.59x
Hastings St Clement 5 104.82x
Hastings St Leonards 5 67.11x
St Luke London 5 10.38x
St Marylebone London 5 3.12x
Staplehurst 5 297.62x
Bishopwearmouth 4 5.21x
Cuckfield 4 78.13x
Islington London 4 1.37x
Littleham 4 87.53x
Rye 4 83.16x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 6.62x
St Pancras London 4 1.65x
Wolverhampton 4 5.13x
Barnes 3 48.47x
Barony 3 1.22x
Brighton 3 2.94x
Paddington London 3 2.72x
Southwark St Saviour 3 19.43x
St George Bloomsbury 3 17.40x
St Martin In Fields 3 16.68x
Sunderland 3 19.01x
Tonbridge 3 8.11x
West Bromwich 3 5.17x
Wigan 3 6.02x
Camberwell 2 1.04x
Hollingbourn 2 169.49x
Inverness 2 8.86x
Kensington London 2 1.20x
Lewisham 2 3.66x
Marden 2 83.33x
Rolvenden 2 150.38x
Salehurst 2 91.32x
South Leith 2 4.42x
Southampton All Sts 2 18.92x
St George In East 2 9.78x
Stoke Damerel 2 4.57x
Sunninghill 2 63.90x
Westminster St 2 18.05x
Armley 1 7.62x
Bradfield 1 84.03x
Chalfont St Giles 1 76.92x
Chelsea London 1 1.10x
Christchurch 1 7.49x
Chudleigh 1 50.25x
Dockenfield 1 476.19x
Ealing 1 3.72x
East Ham 1 9.08x
Falmouth 1 8.31x
Gateshead 1 1.49x
Hereford St John 1 70.92x
Hever 1 142.86x
Newport 1 29.94x
Otford 1 69.93x
Penshurst 1 58.14x
Poplar London 1 1.76x
Portland 1 9.43x
Portsea 1 0.83x
Prestwich 1 11.25x
Royal Navy 1 3.27x
Southwark St John 1 10.88x
St George Martyr 1 19.76x
St Sepulchre London 1 22.73x
Tottenham 1 2.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Sarah 13
Elizabeth 11
Eliza 7
Annie 6
Caroline 6
Jane 6
Martha 6
Charlotte 5
Ellen 5
Margaret 5
Ann 4
Emma 4
Alice 3
Emily 3
Frances 3
Rose 3
Amy 2
Jemima 2
Kate 2
Lizzie 2
Matilda 2
Naomi 2
Selina 2
Susan 2
Adelaide 1
Amelia 1
Bartin 1
Catherine 1
E.A.P. 1
E.M. 1
Esther 1
Evaline 1
Fanny 1
Friedereicke 1
Gertrude 1
H.K. 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Julia 1
Lilly 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
M. 1
M.G. 1
Mabel 1
Maria 1
Nina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 23
John 17
William 15
Thomas 14
Charles 11
Henry 8
Edward 5
Arthur 4
Richard 4
Walter 4
Frederick 3
Isaac 3
Frank 2
Joseph 2
Robert 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Wilhelm 2
Albert 1
Antonio 1
David 1
E.A. 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
F. 1
F.John 1
Francis 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Hy. 1
James 1
Jerry 1
Louis 1
Philip 1
Phillip 1
Simon 1
W.H. 1
W.T. 1
Wallace 1

FAQ

Tillman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tillman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 307 people were recorded with the Tillman surname. That placed it at #9,568 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tillman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 494 in 2016. That gives Tillman a modern rank of #10,067.

What does the Tillman surname mean?

A surname of English origin referring to a farmer or plowman who tills the soil.

What does the Tillman map show?

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