NameCensus.

UK surname

Tongs

In the 1881 census there were 70 people recorded with the Tongs surname, ranking it #23,670 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 109, ranked #29,402, down from #23,670 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Romsey Extra, Michelmersh, Sunderland and Romsey. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Test Valley, Eastleigh and Southampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tongs is 113 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.7%.

1881 census count

70

Ranked #23,670

Modern count

109

2016, ranked #29,402

Peak year

1998

113 bearers

Map years

4

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tongs had 70 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,670 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016, ranked #29,402.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 101 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Tongs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tongs surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tongs 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 49 #24,448
1861 historical 88 #22,554
1881 historical 70 #23,670
1891 historical 101 #23,870
1901 historical 65 #26,917
1911 historical 93 #23,492
1997 modern 111 #25,394
1998 modern 113 #25,731
1999 modern 112 #26,044
2000 modern 113 #25,843
2001 modern 106 #26,468
2002 modern 111 #26,291
2003 modern 105 #26,940
2004 modern 108 #26,741
2005 modern 107 #26,875
2006 modern 104 #27,646
2007 modern 107 #27,557
2008 modern 112 #27,061
2009 modern 108 #28,311
2010 modern 105 #29,453
2011 modern 105 #29,287
2012 modern 103 #29,733
2013 modern 108 #29,379
2014 modern 111 #29,113
2015 modern 109 #29,327
2016 modern 109 #29,402

Geography

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Where Tongs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Romsey Extra, Michelmersh, Sunderland, Romsey, Southampton St Mary and Penarth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Test Valley, Eastleigh, Southampton and Purbeck. 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 Romsey Extra, Michelmersh Hampshire
2 Sunderland Durham
3 Romsey Hampshire
4 Southampton St Mary Hampshire
5 Penarth Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Test Valley 009 Test Valley
2 Eastleigh 010 Eastleigh
3 Southampton 008 Southampton
4 Southampton 019 Southampton
5 Purbeck 006 Purbeck

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tongs

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tongs

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

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Tongs surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Tongs household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Challenged Inner London Communities

Within London, Tongs is most associated with areas classed as Challenged Inner London Communities, 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.

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Group profile

Resident in some of Inner London’s most over-crowded communities, many families have children and marriage/civil partnership rates are above the Supergroup average. Other adults such as students live in communal establishments. Few residents have Level 4 educational qualifications, levels of unemployment are above the Supergroup average, and employment is concentrated in service occupations such as distribution, hotels and restaurants. Relative to the Supergroup average, fewer residents identify as being of mixed/multiple ethnicities, Black or Other Asian.

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

Tongs is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tongs falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Tongs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tongs 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. Hampshire leads with 56 Tongs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.02x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 56 40.02x
Durham 8 3.94x
Lancashire 1 0.12x
Middlesex 1 0.15x
Norfolk 1 0.95x
Surrey 1 0.30x
Sussex 1 0.87x
Yorkshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Romsey Extra in Hampshire leads with 22 Tongs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2650.60x.

Place Total Index
Romsey Extra 22 2650.60x
Southampton St Mary 8 90.91x
Bishopwearmouth 7 40.16x
Michelmersh 7 2592.59x
Overton 6 1818.18x
Crawley 5 4545.45x
Twyford 2 606.06x
Weeke 2 476.19x
Aston Cum Aughton 1 181.82x
Avington 1 2000.00x
Barton Stacey 1 769.23x
Caterham 1 68.03x
Clerkenwell London 1 6.20x
Hastings All Sts 1 92.59x
Kirstead 1 2000.00x
North Stoneham 1 312.50x
Pilkington 1 32.47x
Romsey Infra 1 212.77x
Windlestone 1 1666.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 4
Jane 3
Mary 3
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Aggie 1
Ann 1
Bessi 1
Bessie 1
Charlotte 1
E.S. 1
Eliza 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Georgina 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Maryann 1
Phebe 1
Rhoda 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
Charles 5
Frank 3
George 3
James 3
Joseph 3
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Ebenezer 1
Edward 1
Frederic 1
G.L. 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Isaac 1
John 1
Percy 1
Reginald 1

FAQ

Tongs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tongs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 70 people were recorded with the Tongs surname. That placed it at #23,670 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tongs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016. That gives Tongs a modern rank of #29,402.

What does the Tongs map show?

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