NameCensus.

UK surname

Toker

A surname that may have referred to someone who grew or harvested hemp or tobacco.

In the 1881 census there were 39 people recorded with the Toker surname, ranking it #28,137 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 135, ranked #25,505, up from #28,137 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kingston upon Hull, Hackney and Kensington and Chelsea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Toker is 135 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 246.2%.

1881 census count

39

Ranked #28,137

Modern count

135

2016, ranked #25,505

Peak year

2011

135 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Toker had 39 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,137 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 135 in 2016, ranked #25,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 82 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Toker surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Toker surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Toker 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 8 #31,867
1861 historical 24 #30,922
1881 historical 39 #28,137
1891 historical 45 #30,747
1901 historical 82 #25,019
1911 historical 63 #26,537
1997 modern 116 #24,688
1998 modern 122 #24,556
1999 modern 125 #24,366
2000 modern 120 #24,950
2001 modern 118 #24,832
2002 modern 127 #24,267
2003 modern 124 #24,378
2004 modern 123 #24,679
2005 modern 123 #24,663
2006 modern 122 #25,010
2007 modern 131 #24,282
2008 modern 130 #24,695
2009 modern 131 #25,056
2010 modern 131 #25,656
2011 modern 135 #24,922
2012 modern 127 #25,992
2013 modern 133 #25,655
2014 modern 135 #25,581
2015 modern 132 #25,859
2016 modern 135 #25,505

Geography

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Where Tokers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kingston upon Hull, Hackney, Kensington and Chelsea and Sefton. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kingston upon Hull 008 Kingston upon Hull, City of
2 Kingston upon Hull 016 Kingston upon Hull, City of
3 Hackney 012 Hackney
4 Kensington and Chelsea 016 Kensington and Chelsea
5 Sefton 021 Sefton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Toker

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Toker

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Toker 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

Toker 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

Toker falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Toker is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Toker

The surname Toker has its origins in the Middle English word "toker", which was a professional name for someone who was a cloth fuller, or a worker who thickened and compacted woolen cloth by pounding it. This occupational surname emerged in England during the 13th century.

The name Toker can be traced back to the county of Somerset in southwestern England, where the earliest recorded instances of the name appear in tax rolls and parish records from the late 13th and early 14th centuries. Some of the earliest spellings include Tokere, Tookere, and Towker.

In the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror, there is no direct mention of the surname Toker. However, the book does record several places with names similar to the occupational term "toker", such as Tockinton in Gloucestershire and Tockington in Somerset.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Toker was John Toker, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327. Another early bearer of the name was William Toker, who was listed in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379.

Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the Toker surname. In the 16th century, there was Sir Thomas Toker (1515-1585), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1566. In the 17th century, Richard Toker (1628-1692) was an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

In more recent history, Charles Toker (1838-1903) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Finsbury Town Hall and the Holborn Union Offices. Another prominent figure was James Toker (1864-1942), an Australian politician who served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives for the electorate of Sydney from 1917 to 1922.

Lastly, one of the most famous individuals with the Toker surname was Sir Geoffrey Toker (1904-1987), a British journalist and author who worked for several prominent newspapers and wrote several books on history and politics, including his acclaimed biography of Winston Churchill.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Toker families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Toker 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. Lancashire leads with 13 Tokers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.88x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 13 2.88x
Durham 11 9.72x
Yorkshire 11 2.92x
Kent 3 2.31x
Middlesex 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. Sutton in Yorkshire leads with 11 Tokers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2558.14x.

Place Total Index
Sutton 11 2558.14x
Hetton Le Hole 9 629.37x
Toxteth Park 7 45.81x
Everton 4 27.80x
Folkestone 3 119.05x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 2 40.82x
Liverpool 2 7.30x
St Marylebone London 1 4.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Ellen 3
Ann 2
Catherine 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Helen 1
Indora 1
Kate 1
Lizzie 1
Margaret 1
Phillipa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
Patrick 3
William 3
Peter 2
Thomas 2
Bernard 1
Edward 1
Edwd. 1
James 1
Robert 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Toker households.

FAQ

Toker surname: questions and answers

How common was the Toker surname in 1881?

In 1881, 39 people were recorded with the Toker surname. That placed it at #28,137 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Toker surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 135 in 2016. That gives Toker a modern rank of #25,505.

What does the Toker surname mean?

A surname that may have referred to someone who grew or harvested hemp or tobacco.

What does the Toker map show?

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