NameCensus.

UK surname

Tills

A locational name of English origin referring to someone living near a source of fresh water or stream.

In the 1881 census there were 99 people recorded with the Tills surname, ranking it #19,877 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 110, ranked #29,225, down from #19,877 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cove, North, London parishes and Lowestoft, Kirkley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wirral, North West Leicestershire and Great Yarmouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tills is 172 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.1%.

1881 census count

99

Ranked #19,877

Modern count

110

2016, ranked #29,225

Peak year

1891

172 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tills had 99 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,877 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 110 in 2016, ranked #29,225.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 172 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tills surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tills surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tills 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 92 #18,050
1861 historical 133 #16,835
1881 historical 99 #19,877
1891 historical 172 #16,663
1901 historical 126 #19,970
1911 historical 142 #18,487
1997 modern 110 #25,529
1998 modern 113 #25,731
1999 modern 106 #26,885
2000 modern 107 #26,700
2001 modern 93 #28,382
2002 modern 103 #27,443
2003 modern 97 #28,217
2004 modern 101 #27,813
2005 modern 99 #28,177
2006 modern 105 #27,479
2007 modern 105 #27,868
2008 modern 115 #26,635
2009 modern 113 #27,520
2010 modern 108 #28,996
2011 modern 113 #27,967
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 111 #28,856
2014 modern 109 #29,452
2015 modern 110 #29,157
2016 modern 110 #29,225

Geography

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Where Tills' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cove, North, London parishes, Lowestoft, Kirkley and Rainham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wirral, North West Leicestershire, Great Yarmouth, Medway and Norwich. 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 Cove, North Suffolk
2 London parishes London 1
3 Lowestoft, Kirkley Suffolk
4 Rainham Kent
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wirral 015 Wirral
2 North West Leicestershire 012 North West Leicestershire
3 Great Yarmouth 010 Great Yarmouth
4 Medway 025 Medway
5 Norwich 007 Norwich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tills

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tills

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Tills is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Tills 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

Tills falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Tills

The surname TILLS has its origins in the English language and is believed to have originated in the county of Lincolnshire, England during the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "tyll," which referred to a tile or brick maker. It is likely that the earliest bearers of this surname were involved in the production of tiles or bricks.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname TILLS can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273. The name appears as "Tille" in this document, which suggests that the current spelling of the surname evolved over time.

In the 14th century, the TILLS surname is mentioned in the records of the city of York, where a man named John Tills is listed as a resident in 1379. This indicates that the name had spread beyond its initial geographical origins by this time.

During the 16th century, the TILLS surname gained prominence in the nearby county of Yorkshire. In 1523, a man named William Tills is recorded as the owner of land in the village of Haxby, near the city of York.

One notable bearer of the TILLS surname was Sir John Tills (1566-1629), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire. He served as the High Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1609 and was knighted by King James I in 1616.

Another prominent figure was Edward Tills (1670-1736), a successful lawyer and judge from Yorkshire. He served as the Chief Baron of the Exchequer, one of the highest judicial positions in England at the time.

In the 18th century, the TILLS surname is found in the records of the town of Grimsby, Lincolnshire. A man named Thomas Tills (1724-1798) is listed as a prominent merchant and ship owner in the town.

Moving into the 19th century, the TILLS surname continued to be prevalent in the counties of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. One notable bearer was Robert Tills (1819-1892), a renowned architect from Lincolnshire who designed several churches and public buildings in the region.

Finally, in the early 20th century, the TILLS surname gained international recognition with the birth of John Tills (1908-1984), an English cricketer who played for the Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the England national team.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tills families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tills 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 62 Tills' recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.76x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 62 41.76x
Suffolk 13 11.05x
Middlesex 9 0.93x
Yorkshire 5 0.52x
Surrey 3 0.64x
Hertfordshire 2 3.01x
Kent 2 0.61x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.64x
Durham 1 0.35x
Lincolnshire 1 0.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Acle in Norfolk leads with 15 Tills' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5000.00x.

Place Total Index
Acle 15 5000.00x
Moulton St Mary 10 12500.00x
Upton With Fishley 8 4444.44x
Hardingham 6 3529.41x
North Cove 6 7500.00x
Chelsea London 5 17.19x
Freethorpe 5 3846.15x
Carlton Colville 4 930.23x
Newington 4 152.09x
Wymondham 4 263.16x
Lambeth 3 3.56x
Norwich St John Timberhill 3 750.00x
Wells Next Sea 3 344.83x
Worlingham 3 5000.00x
Clerkenwell London 2 8.78x
Hainford 2 952.38x
Heigham 2 25.09x
Barton St Mary St Peter 1 344.83x
East Carleton 1 1000.00x
Garvestone 1 909.09x
Gillingham 1 14.73x
Great Yarmouth 1 8.13x
Headingley Cum Burley 1 16.23x
Islington London 1 1.07x
March 1 48.78x
Milton In Gravesend 1 20.24x
South Walsham St Mary 1 833.33x
Stockton On Tees 1 7.22x
Ware 1 52.36x
Watford 1 19.38x
Willesden 1 10.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 5
Alice 4
Mary 4
Emma 3
Elizth. 2
Francis 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Minnie 2
Sarah 2
Adelaide 1
Annie 1
Barbara 1
Catherine 1
Elenor 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Florence 1
Jane 1
Laura 1
Maria 1
Mariann 1
Martha 1
Maryann 1
Pricilla 1
Rebecca 1
Rosa 1
Sariann 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 10
John 5
James 4
William 4
Albert 2
Arthur 2
David 2
Edward 2
George 2
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Amos 1
Bengamen 1
Benjamin 1
Cristmas 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Lambert 1
Obadiah 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1

FAQ

Tills surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tills surname in 1881?

In 1881, 99 people were recorded with the Tills surname. That placed it at #19,877 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tills surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 110 in 2016. That gives Tills a modern rank of #29,225.

What does the Tills surname mean?

A locational name of English origin referring to someone living near a source of fresh water or stream.

What does the Tills map show?

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