NameCensus.

UK surname

Tones

A surname likely derived from a nickname for someone with a loud or distinctive voice.

In the 1881 census there were 85 people recorded with the Tones surname, ranking it #21,573 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 377, ranked #12,415, up from #21,573 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Oadby and Wigston and Harborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tones is 394 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 343.5%.

1881 census count

85

Ranked #21,573

Modern count

377

2016, ranked #12,415

Peak year

1998

394 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tones had 85 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,573 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 377 in 2016, ranked #12,415.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 328 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Tones surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tones surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tones 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 69 #21,148
1861 historical 251 #9,830
1881 historical 85 #21,573
1891 historical 328 #10,348
1901 historical 242 #13,392
1911 historical 198 #15,058
1997 modern 386 #11,295
1998 modern 394 #11,474
1999 modern 383 #11,823
2000 modern 382 #11,792
2001 modern 376 #11,753
2002 modern 394 #11,561
2003 modern 385 #11,570
2004 modern 383 #11,650
2005 modern 376 #11,730
2006 modern 369 #11,965
2007 modern 366 #12,176
2008 modern 370 #12,182
2009 modern 362 #12,637
2010 modern 381 #12,436
2011 modern 386 #12,170
2012 modern 376 #12,262
2013 modern 384 #12,295
2014 modern 392 #12,192
2015 modern 380 #12,364
2016 modern 377 #12,415

Geography

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Where Tones' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead, Auckland St Andrew and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Oadby and Wigston and Harborough. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Auckland St Andrew Durham
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 008 County Durham
2 Oadby and Wigston 006 Oadby and Wigston
3 County Durham 044 County Durham
4 County Durham 045 County Durham
5 Harborough 008 Harborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tones

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tones

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Tones surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Tones household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Tones 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

Tones 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

Tones falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tones is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Tones

The surname Tones has its origins in the British Isles, specifically England, and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "tun," which referred to an enclosed settlement or farmstead. This suggests that the name may have originally identified someone who lived in a particular village or township.

In medieval times, the spelling of surnames was often inconsistent, and various forms of the name, such as Tone, Toun, and Toune, can be found in historical records. One of the earliest known references to the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire, a census-like document compiled in 1273, which mentions a person named William Tone.

The name Tones can also be linked to certain place names in England, particularly those containing the word "town" or "tun," such as Townsend or Tunstall. It is possible that some individuals with this surname may have originally hailed from these locations.

Notable individuals with the surname Tones include Sir John Tones, a 15th-century English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Derbyshire in 1449. Another prominent figure was William Tones, a 16th-century English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Essex from 1537 to 1541.

In the 17th century, a man named Thomas Tones (1644-1695) gained recognition as a prominent English engraver and print publisher, known for his intricate works depicting landscapes and architectural subjects.

Moving into the 18th century, a Samuel Tones (1718-1792) was a respected mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of navigation and published several influential works on the subject.

In the 19th century, a notable figure with the surname Tones was Edward Tones (1828-1903), a British artist and illustrator renowned for his vivid depictions of rural life and landscapes, many of which were featured in popular magazines of the time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tones families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tones 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. Durham leads with 51 Tones' recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.68x.

County Total Index
Durham 51 20.68x
Kent 9 3.18x
Yorkshire 7 0.85x
Middlesex 6 0.72x
Worcestershire 5 4.62x
Shropshire 3 4.19x
Lincolnshire 2 1.51x
Hampshire 1 0.59x
Montgomeryshire 1 5.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brandon Byshottles in Durham leads with 19 Tones' recorded in 1881 and an index of 614.89x.

Place Total Index
Brandon Byshottles 19 614.89x
Bromley 7 162.41x
Castle Eden 6 2400.00x
Gateshead 6 32.49x
Paddington London 6 19.69x
Wilton In Guisbrough 6 1621.62x
Dudley 5 37.99x
Collierley 4 363.64x
Waldridge 4 975.61x
Elvet 3 168.54x
Astley Abbotts 2 1111.11x
Hartlepool 2 56.98x
Lewisham 2 13.26x
Pelton 2 170.94x
St Swithin Lincoln 2 96.15x
Stockton On Tees 2 16.82x
Wolsingham 2 88.89x
Farnborough 1 56.18x
Middlesbrough 1 9.35x
Newtown 1 82.64x
Stranton 1 12.05x
Wistanstow Cheney 1 2500.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 6
Jane 6
Mary 6
Ellen 4
Margaret 4
Fanny 2
Ann 1
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Eleanor 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.J. 1
Isabella 1
Lillie 1
Lizzie 1
Maud 1
Prudence 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 6
John 6
James 5
William 5
Thomas 4
Joseph 2
Robert 2
Thos. 2
Alfred 1
Charles 1
Francis 1
Harry 1
Jno. 1
Maurice 1
Nicholas 1
Patrick 1
Richard 1
Stephen 1
W.N. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Tones surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tones surname in 1881?

In 1881, 85 people were recorded with the Tones surname. That placed it at #21,573 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tones surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 377 in 2016. That gives Tones a modern rank of #12,415.

What does the Tones surname mean?

A surname likely derived from a nickname for someone with a loud or distinctive voice.

What does the Tones map show?

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