NameCensus.

UK surname

Tindal

A locational surname derived from the Old English words "tun" (enclosure, town) and "halh" (nook, recess).

In the 1881 census there were 448 people recorded with the Tindal surname, ranking it #7,339 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 384, ranked #12,251, down from #7,339 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fordoun, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Penrith. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree, Carnoustie West and Monikie.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tindal is 448 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 14.3%.

1881 census count

448

Ranked #7,339

Modern count

384

2016, ranked #12,251

Peak year

1881

448 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tindal had 448 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,339 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 384 in 2016, ranked #12,251.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 448 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Tindal surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tindal surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tindal 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 427 #5,726
1861 historical 360 #7,095
1881 historical 448 #7,339
1891 historical 357 #9,678
1901 historical 331 #10,884
1911 historical 149 #17,937
1997 modern 362 #11,866
1998 modern 386 #11,668
1999 modern 381 #11,873
2000 modern 388 #11,664
2001 modern 387 #11,484
2002 modern 390 #11,646
2003 modern 396 #11,346
2004 modern 385 #11,607
2005 modern 394 #11,308
2006 modern 387 #11,514
2007 modern 397 #11,433
2008 modern 387 #11,767
2009 modern 411 #11,480
2010 modern 419 #11,550
2011 modern 393 #12,017
2012 modern 381 #12,152
2013 modern 390 #12,151
2014 modern 390 #12,239
2015 modern 386 #12,237
2016 modern 384 #12,251

Geography

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Where Tindals are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Fordoun, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Penrith, Brechin and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree, Carnoustie West, Monikie, Arbroath Cliffburn and Winchester. 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 Fordoun Kincardine
2 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
3 Penrith Cumberland
4 Brechin Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree Argyll and Bute
2 Carnoustie West Angus
3 Monikie Angus
4 Arbroath Cliffburn Angus
5 Winchester 014 Winchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tindal

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tindal

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Tindal surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Tindal household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Tindal is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tindal is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tindal falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Tindal

The surname Tindal originated in England in the 12th century. It derives from the Old English word 'tindel' meaning a bundle of wood or twigs, and was likely an occupational name for someone who gathered or sold kindling wood. The name is also related to the word 'tinder' which refers to materials used for starting fires.

Early spellings of the name included Tyndall, Tyndal, Tindell, Tyndell, and Tyndyll. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a William Tindal.

The Tindal surname appears in several historical records from the 13th century onwards, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273 which list a Roger Tindal in Cambridgeshire. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 also record a John Tyndal.

In the 16th century, notable individuals with this surname include Matthew Tindal (1657-1733), an English philosopher and writer who published works on deism and free thought. Another prominent figure was Sir Nicholas Tindal (c.1687-1774), an English soldier and military writer who served as Chief Baron of the Exchequer in Ireland.

The Tindal name has also been connected to various place names in England, such as Tindale in Northumberland and Tindale Fell in Cumbria, which may have influenced some variations of the spelling.

Other historical figures include Henry Tindal (c.1695-1771), an English translator and writer, and James Tindal (c.1655-1685), an English officer in the British Army who fought in the Monmouth Rebellion.

In the 19th century, Acton Tindal (1785-1846) was a notable English judge and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, while Charles Tindal (1789-1846) was an English soldier and Lieutenant-General in the British Army who served in the Napoleonic Wars.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tindal families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tindal 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. Angus leads with 111 Tindals recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.42x.

County Total Index
Angus 111 27.42x
Yorkshire 47 1.09x
Lincolnshire 34 4.87x
Kincardineshire 33 62.01x
Cumberland 31 8.24x
Middlesex 30 0.69x
Lanarkshire 25 1.77x
Aberdeenshire 21 5.19x
Durham 20 1.54x
Lancashire 16 0.31x
Berkshire 13 3.96x
Northumberland 9 1.38x
Staffordshire 9 0.61x
Surrey 9 0.42x
Derbyshire 7 1.02x
Warwickshire 6 0.54x
Berwickshire 5 9.45x
Perthshire 4 2.04x
Banffshire 3 3.31x
Midlothian 3 0.51x
Gloucestershire 2 0.23x
Bedfordshire 1 0.44x
Channel Islands 1 0.77x
Cheshire 1 0.10x
Fife 1 0.39x
Kent 1 0.07x
Leicestershire 1 0.21x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.17x
Somerset 1 0.14x
Sussex 1 0.14x
Wiltshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brechin in Angus leads with 33 Tindals recorded in 1881 and an index of 207.42x.

Place Total Index
Brechin 33 207.42x
Montrose 21 85.57x
Penrith 18 129.50x
Fettercairn 13 575.22x
Kensington London 13 5.35x
Sunninghill 12 263.74x
Crosscanonby 11 88.42x
Dundee 11 7.28x
Fetteresso 11 131.89x
Govan 11 3.15x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 10 13.21x
Stoke Newington London 10 29.38x
Forfar 9 41.06x
Bedlington 7 32.24x
Brant Broughton 7 686.27x
Eckington 7 42.12x
Fordoun 7 234.90x
Gateshead 7 7.19x
Heckmondwike 7 50.25x
Hipperholme Cum 7 36.78x
Monifieth 7 48.95x
Stoke Upon Trent 7 4.47x
Aston Cum Aughton 6 169.49x
Birkdale 6 45.73x
Kemnay 6 244.90x
Menmuir 6 530.97x
South Elkington 6 1132.08x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 6 29.82x
Aberlemno 5 333.33x
Ayton 5 162.87x
Barony 5 1.40x
Blantyre 5 33.99x
Holy Trinity 5 4.80x
Lunan 5 1388.89x
Spridlington 5 1136.36x
Toxteth Park 5 2.85x
Arbroath 4 29.81x
Bermondsey 4 3.07x
Great Lumley 4 179.37x
Hackney London 4 1.63x
Holy Trinity St Mary 4 60.70x
Kyo 4 65.36x
Swarby 4 1538.46x
Witton Le Wear 4 108.40x
Airlie 3 230.77x
Alvah 3 147.06x
Blackford 3 125.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 1.27x
Frankton 3 909.09x
Martin In Horncastle 3 3000.00x
Monquhitter 3 71.60x
Bothwell 2 5.22x
Edzell 2 161.29x
Esher 2 67.11x
Halifax 2 3.15x
Leadenham 2 714.29x
Newcastle Under Lyme 2 7.66x
Paddington London 2 1.24x
Panbride 2 94.79x
Thurlaston 2 400.00x
Westbury On Trym 2 6.89x
Biggleswade 1 13.50x
Bothel Threapland 1 169.49x
Clayton Le Moors 1 9.94x
Covington 1 151.52x
Egham 1 7.65x
Elswick 1 1.93x
Glass Houghton 1 63.69x
Grimstn Krby Wharf N 1 263.16x
Hibaldstow 1 83.33x
Higher Bebington 1 16.18x
Kinellar 1 114.94x
Liff Benvie 1 1.63x
Linthrope 1 121.95x
Logie 1 14.20x
Sheffield 1 0.73x
Skelton In Guisbrough 1 8.54x
Tyrie 1 19.69x
Wantage 1 19.12x
York St Margaret 1 37.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Elizabeth 15
Jane 8
Maria 6
Sarah 6
Ann 5
Emily 5
Clara 4
Emma 4
Isabella 4
Caroline 3
Catherine 3
Charlotte 3
Eliza 3
Margaret 3
Agnes 2
Annie 2
Fanny 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Lizzie 2
Martha 2
Barbara 1
C.Edith 1
Carry 1
Dinah 1
Dorothy 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Ellen 1
Esther 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Georgeina 1
H.M.O.D. 1
Isabell 1
Jenny 1
Juliet 1
K.M.A. 1
Kate 1
Keziah 1
Lillian 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Margt. 1
Matilda 1
Phyllis 1
Rebecca 1
Whilmanis 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 17
George 15
John 14
Thomas 13
James 5
Charles 4
Edwin 3
Robert 3
Benjamin 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Adam 1
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Chas. 1
Chas.Grant 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Fletcher 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
J. 1
Pearson 1
Samuel 1
Tom 1
W. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Tindal surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tindal surname in 1881?

In 1881, 448 people were recorded with the Tindal surname. That placed it at #7,339 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tindal surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 384 in 2016. That gives Tindal a modern rank of #12,251.

What does the Tindal surname mean?

A locational surname derived from the Old English words "tun" (enclosure, town) and "halh" (nook, recess).

What does the Tindal map show?

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