NameCensus.

UK surname

Tomley

In the 1881 census there were 76 people recorded with the Tomley surname, ranking it #22,745 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 156, ranked #23,098, down from #22,745 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Wrexham and Sefton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Cheshire East and Sefton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tomley is 179 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 105.3%.

1881 census count

76

Ranked #22,745

Modern count

156

2016, ranked #23,098

Peak year

2004

179 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tomley had 76 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,745 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 156 in 2016, ranked #23,098.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 116 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Tomley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tomley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tomley 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 76 #20,127
1861 historical 116 #18,751
1881 historical 76 #22,745
1891 historical 116 #21,766
1901 historical 98 #23,119
1911 historical 105 #22,064
1997 modern 163 #20,038
1998 modern 157 #21,058
1999 modern 155 #21,375
2000 modern 159 #20,975
2001 modern 153 #21,197
2002 modern 164 #20,687
2003 modern 166 #20,320
2004 modern 179 #19,523
2005 modern 177 #19,598
2006 modern 170 #20,214
2007 modern 170 #20,471
2008 modern 167 #20,901
2009 modern 166 #21,469
2010 modern 163 #22,205
2011 modern 161 #22,187
2012 modern 159 #22,361
2013 modern 163 #22,342
2014 modern 160 #22,824
2015 modern 155 #23,194
2016 modern 156 #23,098

Geography

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Where Tomleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Wrexham, Sefton, Liverpool and Kerry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Cheshire East 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 London parishes London 1
2 Wrexham Denbighshire
3 Sefton Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Kerry Montgomeryshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 012 Shropshire
2 Shropshire 003 Shropshire
3 Shropshire 007 Shropshire
4 Cheshire East 049 Cheshire East
5 Sefton 031 Sefton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tomley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tomley

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Tomley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tomley is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tomley falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Tomley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tomley 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 36 Tomleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.09x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 36 4.09x
Middlesex 19 2.56x
Denbighshire 8 28.57x
Montgomeryshire 6 35.34x
Warwickshire 6 3.21x
Cheshire 1 0.61x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Botolph Aldgate in Middlesex leads with 11 Tomleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1089.11x.

Place Total Index
St Botolph Aldgate 11 1089.11x
Bootle Cum Linacre 8 114.61x
Ormskirk 8 476.19x
Ruabon 8 207.79x
Edgbaston 6 103.45x
Hammersmith London 5 27.38x
Hulme 5 27.23x
West Derby 5 19.43x
Kirkdale 4 27.05x
Montgomery 4 1333.33x
Walton On Hill 3 63.03x
Everton 1 3.57x
Forden 1 434.78x
Heswall Cum Oldfield 1 434.78x
Hornsey 1 10.67x
Liverpool 1 1.87x
Llanfyllin 1 222.22x
Maghull 1 277.78x
St George Martyr 1 80.00x
St Pancras London 1 1.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 4
Esther 3
Mary 3
Alice 2
Edith 2
Grace 2
Hannah 2
Amy 1
Ann 1
Burther 1
Catherine 1
Elizebth 1
Ellen 1
Ellin 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Jane 1
Margaret 1
Marth 1
Martha 1
Priscilla 1
Prusilla 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Tomley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tomley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 76 people were recorded with the Tomley surname. That placed it at #22,745 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tomley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 156 in 2016. That gives Tomley a modern rank of #23,098.

What does the Tomley map show?

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