NameCensus.

UK surname

Tillson

An English surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from a town with that name.

In the 1881 census there were 179 people recorded with the Tillson surname, ranking it #13,787 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 355, ranked #13,020, up from #13,787 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bennington, Witherley and Loughborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rushcliffe, Haringey and Walsall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tillson is 389 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 98.3%.

1881 census count

179

Ranked #13,787

Modern count

355

2016, ranked #13,020

Peak year

2009

389 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tillson had 179 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,787 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 355 in 2016, ranked #13,020.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 343 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Tillson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tillson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tillson 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 137 #13,812
1861 historical 113 #19,151
1881 historical 179 #13,787
1891 historical 280 #11,665
1901 historical 316 #11,242
1911 historical 343 #10,416
1997 modern 344 #12,319
1998 modern 366 #12,148
1999 modern 364 #12,267
2000 modern 367 #12,153
2001 modern 355 #12,253
2002 modern 357 #12,424
2003 modern 348 #12,452
2004 modern 353 #12,377
2005 modern 358 #12,176
2006 modern 366 #12,042
2007 modern 370 #12,073
2008 modern 380 #11,942
2009 modern 389 #11,980
2010 modern 384 #12,374
2011 modern 372 #12,519
2012 modern 366 #12,520
2013 modern 370 #12,626
2014 modern 379 #12,483
2015 modern 365 #12,743
2016 modern 355 #13,020

Geography

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Where Tillsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bennington, Witherley, Loughborough, St Werburgh and Nuneaton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rushcliffe, Haringey, Walsall, Derbyshire Dales and Huntingdonshire. 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 Bennington Lincolnshire
2 Witherley Warwickshire
3 Loughborough Leicestershire
4 St Werburgh Derbyshire
5 Nuneaton Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rushcliffe 003 Rushcliffe
2 Haringey 006 Haringey
3 Walsall 038 Walsall
4 Derbyshire Dales 007 Derbyshire Dales
5 Huntingdonshire 001 Huntingdonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tillson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tillson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tillson, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Tillson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Tillson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Tillson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Tillson is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tillson 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 Tillson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Tillson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Tillson

The surname Tillson is of English origin, derived from the occupational name for a tiller or ploughman. It likely emerged in the 12th or 13th century as a descriptive name for someone whose profession was tilling the soil or ploughing fields.

The name is believed to have originated in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in northern England, areas known for their fertile agricultural lands. It may have evolved from the Old English word "tilian," meaning "to till" or "to cultivate."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tillson can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where it appears as "Tillesoun." This suggests the name was already established in that region by the late 13th century.

In the 16th century, the Tillson surname appeared in various records, such as the Parish Registers of Yorkshire, where it was spelled in various ways, including "Tylleson" and "Tylson." The variations in spelling were common during this period due to inconsistent record-keeping practices.

Notable individuals with the surname Tillson include John Tillson (1630-1690), a colonial American settler and one of the founders of Windsor, Connecticut. He emigrated from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s and later moved to Connecticut.

Another notable figure was William Tillson (1772-1856), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He was renowned for his bravery and rose to the rank of Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy.

In the 19th century, Charles Tillson (1833-1901) was a prominent American businessman and philanthropist. He amassed a substantial fortune through his investments in the railroad industry and was known for his charitable contributions to educational institutions.

Emily Tillson (1872-1942) was a British artist and illustrator who gained recognition for her watercolor paintings and illustrations in children's books during the early 20th century.

Richard Tillson (1915-1988) was an American author and historian who wrote extensively about the colonial period in New England. His book "Chesapeake Chronicles" became a notable work on the history of the Chesapeake Bay region.

While the Tillson surname may not be among the most common in modern times, its origins can be traced back to the agricultural roots of medieval England, where it emerged as an occupational name for those who tilled the land.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tillson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tillson 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. Leicestershire leads with 52 Tillsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.86x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 52 26.86x
Lincolnshire 26 9.31x
Middlesex 25 1.43x
Derbyshire 19 6.95x
Lancashire 13 0.63x
Norfolk 11 4.10x
Staffordshire 10 1.70x
Cheshire 8 2.08x
Durham 5 0.96x
Yorkshire 3 0.17x
Surrey 2 0.24x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.90x
Hampshire 1 0.28x
Northamptonshire 1 0.61x
Warwickshire 1 0.23x
Worcestershire 1 0.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 24 Tillsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 50.84x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 24 50.84x
Derby St Alkmund 12 146.52x
Loughborough 11 125.28x
Bennington By Boston 9 2727.27x
Kensington London 9 9.27x
Chorley In Macclesfield 7 598.29x
Rusholme 7 126.58x
Wigginton 7 1400.00x
Barwell 6 588.24x
Gedney 5 438.60x
Whitworth 5 131.58x
Fakenham 4 303.03x
Great Gonerby 4 555.56x
Hackney London 4 4.09x
Long Eaton 4 110.80x
Poplar London 4 12.14x
Sibson 4 1739.13x
Wells Next Sea 4 254.78x
Islington London 3 1.77x
Manchester 3 3.22x
Normanby In 3 64.79x
Scothern 3 1000.00x
St Marylebone London 3 3.22x
Stoney Stanton 3 508.47x
Wirksworth 3 120.48x
Bisley 2 512.82x
Leicester All Sts 2 52.63x
Skirbeck 2 128.21x
Withington 2 29.99x
Barton Under Needwood 1 93.46x
Birmingham 1 0.68x
Chatteris 1 35.46x
Darlaston 1 12.27x
Frieston 1 151.52x
Godley 1 120.48x
Hackford In Aylsham 1 208.33x
Heaton Norris 1 8.48x
Hendon 1 15.92x
Horncastle 1 34.72x
Norwich St Gregory 1 212.77x
Shelsley Beauchamp 1 588.24x
Spalding 1 18.05x
St Pancras London 1 0.71x
Stafford St Mary 1 11.99x
Stockbridge 1 192.31x
Swaffham 1 45.87x
Thornton 1 384.62x
Thurlaston 1 312.50x
Tichmarsh 1 181.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 13
Thomas 9
John 7
George 6
Alfred 5
Henry 5
Joseph 5
Frederick 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
James 2
Robert 2
Abner 1
Donald 1
Earnest 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Isaac 1
Jesse 1
Moses 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Thos.Edwr.Ernest 1
Walter 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Tillson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tillson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 179 people were recorded with the Tillson surname. That placed it at #13,787 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tillson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 355 in 2016. That gives Tillson a modern rank of #13,020.

What does the Tillson surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from a town with that name.

What does the Tillson map show?

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