NameCensus.

UK surname

Tipton

A habitational surname derived from any of several places in England meaning "estate associated with a man called Tippa."

In the 1881 census there were 726 people recorded with the Tipton surname, ranking it #5,026 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,286, ranked #4,660, up from #5,026 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors, Shrewsbury St Chad, Wroxeter, Atcham, Berrington and Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire and Gwynedd.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tipton is 1,424 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 77.1%.

1881 census count

726

Ranked #5,026

Modern count

1,286

2016, ranked #4,660

Peak year

1999

1,424 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tipton had 726 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,026 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,286 in 2016, ranked #4,660.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,006 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tipton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tipton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tipton 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 528 #4,753
1861 historical 460 #5,647
1881 historical 726 #5,026
1891 historical 812 #4,972
1901 historical 962 #4,885
1911 historical 1,006 #4,522
1997 modern 1,304 #4,390
1998 modern 1,391 #4,298
1999 modern 1,424 #4,239
2000 modern 1,422 #4,241
2001 modern 1,388 #4,247
2002 modern 1,391 #4,314
2003 modern 1,357 #4,325
2004 modern 1,369 #4,312
2005 modern 1,315 #4,398
2006 modern 1,316 #4,403
2007 modern 1,306 #4,467
2008 modern 1,282 #4,565
2009 modern 1,288 #4,644
2010 modern 1,312 #4,671
2011 modern 1,300 #4,642
2012 modern 1,304 #4,562
2013 modern 1,320 #4,592
2014 modern 1,335 #4,566
2015 modern 1,316 #4,580
2016 modern 1,286 #4,660

Geography

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Where Tiptons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors, Shrewsbury St Chad, Wroxeter, Atcham, Berrington, Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace, Manchester and Pontesbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire and Gwynedd. 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 Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors Shropshire
2 Shrewsbury St Chad, Wroxeter, Atcham, Berrington Shropshire
3 Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace Shropshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Pontesbury Shropshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 038 Shropshire
2 Shropshire 026 Shropshire
3 Shropshire 032 Shropshire
4 Shropshire 036 Shropshire
5 Gwynedd 002 Gwynedd

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tipton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tipton

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

Tipton 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

Tipton falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Tipton

The surname Tipton is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the town of Tipton in Staffordshire, England. The place name Tipton is thought to have come from the Old English words "tun" meaning a farm or settlement, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or fence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tipton can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199, where it appears as "de Tiptone." This indicates that the name was originally a locational surname, referring to someone who hailed from the town of Tipton.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the town of Tipton is mentioned as "Teptone," which further supports the connection between the surname and the place name.

Over the centuries, various spellings of the surname have been recorded, including Typton, Tiptone, and Typtone. These variations likely arose due to the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation during the Middle Ages.

One notable individual bearing the surname Tipton was Sir John Tipton (1629-1701), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Wenlock in Shropshire from 1679 to 1681.

Another historical figure was William Tipton (1766-1849), an American frontiersman and pioneer who played a significant role in the early settlement of Tennessee. He was known for his skills as a surveyor and explorer, and several places in Tennessee bear his name, including Tipton County and the town of Tipton.

In the 19th century, Isaac Tipton (1809-1865) was a prominent American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1859 to 1861.

John Tipton (1786-1839) was an American military officer and politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Indiana from 1832 to 1839. He was also a brigadier general during the War of 1812.

Lastly, Thomas Tipton (1760-1838) was an American soldier and pioneer who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in what is now Tennessee. He played a crucial role in the early development of the state and was involved in several treaties with Native American tribes.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tipton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tipton 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. Shropshire leads with 284 Tiptons recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.35x.

County Total Index
Shropshire 284 46.35x
Staffordshire 127 5.31x
Lancashire 64 0.76x
Herefordshire 48 16.51x
Cheshire 32 2.04x
Nottinghamshire 32 3.35x
Worcestershire 31 3.35x
Yorkshire 23 0.33x
Middlesex 19 0.27x
Warwickshire 11 0.62x
Surrey 10 0.29x
Gloucestershire 7 0.50x
Monmouthshire 7 1.37x
Somerset 6 0.53x
Glamorgan 4 0.32x
Kent 4 0.17x
Northumberland 4 0.38x
Oxfordshire 4 0.91x
Flintshire 3 1.57x
Hampshire 2 0.14x
Berkshire 1 0.19x
Cumberland 1 0.16x
Hertfordshire 1 0.20x
Royal Navy 1 1.18x
Sussex 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Pontesbury in Shropshire leads with 48 Tiptons recorded in 1881 and an index of 644.30x.

Place Total Index
Pontesbury 48 644.30x
Shrewsbury St Chad 22 102.33x
Stanton Lacy 22 415.88x
Stoke Upon Trent 21 8.27x
Ludlow St Lawrence 19 155.87x
Wellington 18 52.28x
Nottingham St Mary 16 6.47x
Rotherham 16 40.38x
Middleton On Hill 15 1578.95x
Bromfield 14 1021.90x
Walsall Foreign 14 11.32x
Leintwardine 13 439.19x
Tenbury 12 236.69x
Culmington 11 814.81x
Moss Side 11 24.84x
Pendleton In Salford 11 10.97x
Chester St Mary On Hill 9 67.01x
Kingswinford 9 10.36x
Lower Bebington 9 96.77x
Munslow 9 608.11x
Rowley Regis 9 13.49x
Shrewsbury Holy Cross 9 132.94x
Bilston 8 17.25x
Gorton 8 10.11x
Radford 8 16.47x
Shifnal 8 48.11x
Shrewsbury St Julian 8 52.77x
Aston 7 1.42x
Bradford 7 17.77x
Brimfield 7 454.55x
Cannock 7 16.76x
Dukinfield 7 9.68x
Edgmond 7 103.86x
Minsterley 7 309.73x
Shrewsbury St Mary 7 28.95x
Stafford St Mary 7 20.66x
Stapleton 7 1111.11x
Dawley 6 26.92x
Kings Norton 6 7.23x
Lambeth 6 0.97x
Prescot 6 39.42x
Taunton St Mary 6 28.64x
Tipton 6 8.19x
Wombourn 6 135.14x
Aberystruth 5 11.06x
Condover 5 116.01x
Eye 5 292.40x
Islington London 5 0.73x
Stoke Lacy 5 714.29x
West Derby 5 2.03x
Wolstanton Knutton 5 34.20x
Wrockwardine 5 37.12x
Dudley 4 3.55x
Eaton 4 366.97x
Great Wyrley 4 153.85x
Gt Hanwood 4 506.33x
Gunthorpe 4 512.82x
Handsworth 4 6.78x
Ledbury 4 40.04x
Liverpool 4 0.78x
Longbenton 4 8.95x
Wolstanton Chesterton 4 32.71x
Audley 3 12.66x
Beeston 3 27.32x
Bristol St Paul In 3 8.10x
Gloucester St John Baptist 3 33.41x
Holmer 3 57.25x
Kingston On Thames 3 3.61x
Kington 3 41.67x
Oxford All Sts 3 319.15x
Stoke Prior 3 225.56x
West Bromwich 3 2.19x
Wolverhampton 3 1.63x
Wombridge 3 39.68x
Church Stretton 2 48.66x
Hopesay 2 128.21x
Huntington 2 465.12x
Sheffield 2 0.89x
Toxteth Park 2 0.70x
Worcester St Nicholas 2 45.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 60
Elizabeth 35
Sarah 35
Ann 20
Emma 16
Annie 14
Jane 14
Martha 14
Alice 9
Caroline 8
Edith 8
Eliza 8
Emily 8
Ellen 6
Fanny 6
Harriet 6
Margaret 6
Agnes 5
Hannah 5
Anne 4
Clara 4
Louisa 4
Charlotte 3
Esther 3
Gertrude 3
Lillian 3
Lizzie 3
Lucy 3
Maria 3
Alma 2
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Catherine 2
Frances 2
Helen 2
Jenny 2
Jessie 2
Julia 2
May 2
Myra 2
Priscilla 2
Rebecca 2
Sophia 2
Susannah 2
Bettric 1
Catharine 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizett 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.A. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 62
John 36
Thomas 30
Richard 22
Edward 18
Charles 16
George 15
Henry 12
Isaac 12
James 10
Arthur 6
Edwin 6
Timothy 6
Alfred 5
Benjamin 5
Robert 5
Frederick 4
Abraham 3
David 3
Harry 3
Herbert 3
Samuel 3
Albert 2
Cornelius 2
Elisha 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Hubert 2
Infant 2
Joseph 2
Daliber 1
Earnest 1
Edgar 1
Edwd. 1
Geo. 1
Hamlet 1
Henery 1
Jesse 1
Jonathon 1
Lewis 1
Mark 1
Martin 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Newton 1
Norman 1
Obadiah 1
Percival 1
Phillip 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Tipton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tipton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 726 people were recorded with the Tipton surname. That placed it at #5,026 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tipton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,286 in 2016. That gives Tipton a modern rank of #4,660.

What does the Tipton surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from any of several places in England meaning "estate associated with a man called Tippa."

What does the Tipton map show?

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