NameCensus.

UK surname

Tombleson

A surname indicating a person from the French town of Tomblaine.

In the 1881 census there were 124 people recorded with the Tombleson surname, ranking it #17,429 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 116, ranked #28,197, down from #17,429 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fryern Barnet, London parishes and Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland, Southwark and King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tombleson is 152 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 6.5%.

1881 census count

124

Ranked #17,429

Modern count

116

2016, ranked #28,197

Peak year

1911

152 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tombleson had 124 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,429 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 116 in 2016, ranked #28,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 152 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tombleson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tombleson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tombleson 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 63 #22,069
1861 historical 102 #20,797
1881 historical 124 #17,429
1891 historical 147 #18,592
1901 historical 117 #20,830
1911 historical 152 #17,712
1997 modern 133 #22,705
1998 modern 140 #22,615
1999 modern 145 #22,305
2000 modern 143 #22,457
2001 modern 135 #22,945
2002 modern 147 #22,197
2003 modern 147 #21,977
2004 modern 142 #22,573
2005 modern 134 #23,406
2006 modern 137 #23,270
2007 modern 137 #23,590
2008 modern 138 #23,763
2009 modern 138 #24,276
2010 modern 136 #25,009
2011 modern 128 #25,793
2012 modern 120 #26,961
2013 modern 124 #26,842
2014 modern 124 #27,049
2015 modern 117 #27,982
2016 modern 116 #28,197

Geography

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Where Tomblesons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Fryern Barnet, London parishes, Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth, Lambeth and Barton St Peter and St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Holland, Southwark, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Daventry and Isle of Wight. 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 Fryern Barnet Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth Cambridgeshire
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Barton St Peter and St Mary Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Holland 008 South Holland
2 Southwark 022 Southwark
3 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 018 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4 Daventry 010 Daventry
5 Isle of Wight 008 Isle of Wight

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tombleson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tombleson

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Tombleson is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Tombleson is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tombleson 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 Tombleson 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 Tombleson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Tombleson

The surname TOMBLESON is thought to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational surname derived from a place name, likely a village or town where the earliest bearers of the name resided.

One possible origin of TOMBLESON is that it is a variant spelling of the place name Tombland, which was a district in the city of Norwich, Norfolk. Tombland was an area adjacent to the cathedral and derived its name from the Old English words "tun" meaning a town or enclosure, and "byland" meaning a piece of land or territory.

Another theory suggests that TOMBLESON may be a corruption of the Old English personal name "Tunbeald" or "Tunbealdus," which was composed of the elements "tun" meaning a town or village, and "beald" meaning bold or brave. Over time, this name may have evolved into the surname TOMBLESON.

The earliest known record of the TOMBLESON surname appears to be in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, dated 1195, which mention a person named Richard Tumbelande. This could be an early variation of the TOMBLESON name.

In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279 recorded a person named Simon de Tumberlond, which may also be an early spelling variation of TOMBLESON.

One notable bearer of the TOMBLESON surname was Thomas Tombleson, who was born in Yorkshire, England, around 1560. He was a prominent merchant and served as the Mayor of Leeds in 1604.

Another individual of historical significance was Sir John Tombleson (1620-1692), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in the late 17th century.

In the 18th century, Mary Tombleson (1733-1819) was a notable English diarist and author from Derbyshire, who documented her life and experiences during that era.

Moving into the 19th century, James Tombleson (1810-1892) was a British architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Mint and Holborn Viaduct.

Finally, William Tombleson (1876-1942) was a British artist and painter known for his landscape paintings and depictions of rural life in England during the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tombleson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tombleson 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. Middlesex leads with 34 Tomblesons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.81x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 34 2.81x
Lincolnshire 24 12.41x
Norfolk 15 8.07x
Cambridgeshire 12 15.66x
Surrey 12 2.04x
Lancashire 11 0.77x
Yorkshire 6 0.50x
Essex 3 1.26x
Huntingdonshire 3 12.49x
Hampshire 2 0.81x
Kent 1 0.24x
Sussex 1 0.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barton St Peter in Lincolnshire leads with 24 Tomblesons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2696.63x.

Place Total Index
Barton St Peter 24 2696.63x
Lambeth 12 11.38x
Oswaldtwistle 11 216.96x
Chelsea London 8 21.95x
Manea 8 1666.67x
St Marylebone London 8 12.39x
St Pancras London 7 7.19x
St George Hanover 6 38.00x
Sheffield 5 13.10x
Upwell 5 574.71x
Denver 3 857.14x
Houghton 3 1428.57x
Leyton Low 3 61.86x
Hackney London 2 2.95x
Holdenhurst 2 30.77x
Paddington London 2 4.50x
Upwell 2 357.14x
Walpole St Peter 2 425.53x
Walsoken 2 178.57x
West Walton 2 555.56x
All Saints Cambridge 1 185.19x
Brightside Bierlow 1 4.25x
Ealing 1 9.25x
Eastbourne 1 10.66x
Folkestone 1 12.50x
Terrington St Clement 1 119.05x
Wimblington 1 222.22x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Elizabeth 5
Alice 3
Charlotte 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Harriet 3
Ann 2
Annie 2
Emily 2
Margaret 2
Rosina 2
Ada 1
Amelia 1
Anna 1
Annah 1
Betty 1
Caroline 1
Clara 1
Eleanor 1
Elizbth. 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Faith 1
Frances 1
Harriett 1
Hephzibah 1
Hetty 1
Laura 1
Lucy 1
Madeleine 1
Margart 1
Margret 1
Martha 1
Nellie 1
Phoebe 1
Rebecca 1
Sarah 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
William 7
Thomas 5
George 4
Walter 3
Charles 2
James 2
Samuel 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Edwd. 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Howard 1
Hy. 1
Jacob 1
Joseph 1
Michael 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Saville 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1
Zacheriah 1

FAQ

Tombleson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tombleson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 124 people were recorded with the Tombleson surname. That placed it at #17,429 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tombleson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 116 in 2016. That gives Tombleson a modern rank of #28,197.

What does the Tombleson surname mean?

A surname indicating a person from the French town of Tomblaine.

What does the Tombleson map show?

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