NameCensus.

UK surname

Tod

A German surname meaning "death", likely derived from an occupation related to death.

In the 1881 census there were 264 people recorded with the Tod surname, ranking it #10,655 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 808, ranked #6,856, up from #10,655 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kinross, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Arran, Powys and Monmouthshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tod is 1,470 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 206.1%.

1881 census count

264

Ranked #10,655

Modern count

808

2016, ranked #6,856

Peak year

1851

1,470 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tod had 264 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,655 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 808 in 2016, ranked #6,856.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,470 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Tod surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tod surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tod 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 1,470 #1,954
1861 historical 2 #34,135
1881 historical 264 #10,655
1891 historical 794 #5,067
1901 historical 1,054 #4,560
1997 modern 757 #6,829
1998 modern 762 #7,016
1999 modern 748 #7,161
2000 modern 763 #7,016
2001 modern 744 #7,027
2002 modern 775 #6,952
2003 modern 778 #6,815
2004 modern 786 #6,768
2005 modern 777 #6,756
2006 modern 779 #6,780
2007 modern 771 #6,899
2008 modern 774 #6,934
2009 modern 788 #6,976
2010 modern 801 #7,018
2011 modern 790 #7,023
2012 modern 786 #6,945
2013 modern 806 #6,909
2014 modern 819 #6,844
2015 modern 810 #6,854
2016 modern 808 #6,856

Geography

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Where Tods are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kinross, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Portmoak and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Arran, Powys, Monmouthshire and Milnathort and Crook of Devon. 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 Kinross Kinross
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Portmoak Kinross
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Arran North Ayrshire
2 Powys 018 Powys
3 Monmouthshire 001 Monmouthshire
4 Milnathort and Crook of Devon Perth and Kinross
5 Monmouthshire 005 Monmouthshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tod

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tod

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tod, 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 Tod surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Tod 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Tod 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

Tod is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tod falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Tod

The surname Tod is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English word "tod", meaning a fox. It was initially used as a nickname for someone with a foxy or cunning personality.

The earliest recorded instance of the Tod surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Tod" in Yorkshire. This suggests the name was already well-established in northern England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Tod surname was prevalent in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Northumberland. Variations in spelling included Todde, Todd, and Todd, reflecting the diverse dialects and pronunciation of the time.

Notable individuals bearing the Tod surname include Sir Brian Tod, a 14th-century English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War (c. 1337-1453). Another early bearer was John Tod, a Scottish merchant and burgess of Edinburgh, recorded in 1482.

In the 16th century, the Tod surname gained prominence with James Tod (c. 1516-1591), a Scottish Protestant reformer and minister who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation. He was born in Fife and served as a minister in various parishes throughout Scotland.

During the 17th century, the Tod family established connections with the village of Tod's Hole (later renamed Todhole) in Northumberland. This place name likely derived from the surname and reflected the family's presence in the area.

One of the most famous individuals with the Tod surname was James Tod (1782-1835), a British officer of the East India Company and an influential scholar of Indian history and culture. He authored several works on the history and antiquities of Rajasthan.

In the 19th century, David Tod (1805-1868), an American politician and jurist, served as the 14th Governor of Ohio from 1862 to 1864. He played a crucial role in supporting the Union cause during the American Civil War.

As the Tod surname spread across the English-speaking world, it maintained its association with regions like Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Scotland, where it had deep historical roots.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tod families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tod 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. Midlothian leads with 368 Tods recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.15x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 368 24.15x
Fife 126 18.71x
Lanarkshire 119 3.24x
Lancashire 64 0.47x
Middlesex 52 0.46x
Kinross-shire 48 166.96x
Perthshire 43 8.42x
Roxburghshire 30 14.56x
Berwickshire 25 18.15x
Peeblesshire 24 44.86x
Surrey 18 0.32x
Durham 17 0.50x
Hertfordshire 16 2.04x
Stirlingshire 14 3.34x
Aberdeenshire 13 1.23x
Kent 12 0.31x
Clackmannanshire 11 11.71x
East Lothian 11 7.30x
Renfrewshire 11 1.25x
Cumberland 10 1.02x
West Lothian 10 5.84x
Angus 9 0.85x
Ayrshire 9 1.06x
Dumfriesshire 9 3.58x
Gloucestershire 9 0.40x
Denbighshire 8 1.86x
Dorset 8 1.07x
Buteshire 7 10.16x
Cheshire 7 0.28x
Selkirkshire 6 5.83x
Banffshire 5 2.12x
Berkshire 5 0.59x
Sussex 5 0.26x
Dunbartonshire 4 1.31x
Wigtownshire 4 2.65x
Yorkshire 4 0.04x
Norfolk 3 0.17x
Warwickshire 3 0.10x
Devon 2 0.08x
Inverness-shire 2 0.59x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 1.21x
Argyllshire 1 0.32x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.14x
Derbyshire 1 0.06x
Essex 1 0.04x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.44x
Morayshire 1 0.57x
Northumberland 1 0.06x
Royal Navy 1 0.74x
Rutland 1 1.20x
Somerset 1 0.05x
Suffolk 1 0.07x
Wiltshire 1 0.10x
Worcestershire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 165 Tods recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.92x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 165 26.92x
Barony 56 6.02x
South Leith 39 22.74x
Govan 33 3.63x
Portmoak 19 464.55x
Dalkeith 18 59.88x
Colinton 16 94.17x
Orwell 16 201.77x
Corstorphine 14 166.47x
Lasswade 14 40.18x
Shoreditch London 14 2.84x
Kettle 13 160.89x
North Leith 13 18.44x
Pittenweem 13 156.63x
Rutherglen 13 24.09x
Alyth 12 87.34x
Bishop Auckland 12 26.43x
Edinburgh St Marys 12 40.51x
Makerston 12 810.81x
Peterhead 12 21.54x
Abbotshall 11 43.72x
Kinross 11 111.56x
Perth West Church 11 45.42x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 10 27.74x
Greenlaw 10 205.34x
Kirkcaldy 10 29.95x
Kirkdale 10 4.40x
Pendleton In Salford 10 6.22x
Watford 10 16.45x
Cockpen 9 50.53x
Hornsey 9 6.26x
West Calder 9 29.97x
Arngask 8 375.59x
Ayton 8 100.13x
Chirk 8 94.56x
Dunfermline 8 7.73x
Eastwood 8 14.74x
Edinburgh New 8 67.57x
Fintry 8 496.89x
Kinghorn 8 55.98x
Maryhill 8 11.11x
Mid Calder 8 121.21x
Peebles 8 50.60x
Sprouston 8 200.00x
Tweedsmuir 8 930.23x
Bathgate 7 18.82x
Camberwell 7 0.96x
Chaldon Herring 7 538.46x
Deptford St Paul 7 2.34x
Dundee 7 1.78x
Heap 7 9.78x
Kilmory 7 69.72x
Leuchars 7 82.26x
Stainton 7 213.41x
Cheltenham 6 3.49x
Chipping Barnet 6 43.76x
Cupar 6 20.49x
Dunbar 6 28.41x
Edinburgh Canongate 6 15.47x
Edinburgh St Johns 6 62.37x
Everton 6 1.39x
Kelso 6 29.23x
Lambeth 6 0.61x
St Pancras London 6 0.66x
Wemyss 6 21.06x
Alloa 5 10.98x
Anstruther Easter 5 102.88x
Bethnal Green London 5 1.01x
Bray 5 19.93x
Carrington 5 210.08x
Ceres 5 61.80x
Dollar 5 51.39x
Innerleithen 5 35.21x
Keith 5 19.88x
Kirkmichael 5 150.60x
Much Woolton 5 27.31x
Brighton 4 1.03x
Irvine 4 16.92x
Mertoun 4 149.81x
Whitworth 4 16.15x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Tod surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tod surname in 1881?

In 1881, 264 people were recorded with the Tod surname. That placed it at #10,655 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tod surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 808 in 2016. That gives Tod a modern rank of #6,856.

What does the Tod surname mean?

A German surname meaning "death", likely derived from an occupation related to death.

What does the Tod map show?

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