NameCensus.

UK surname

Tonkiss

In the 1881 census there were 67 people recorded with the Tonkiss surname, ranking it #24,104 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 92, ranked #32,035, down from #24,104 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dudley, Plymouth and Thanet.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tonkiss is 116 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.3%.

1881 census count

67

Ranked #24,104

Modern count

92

2016, ranked #32,035

Peak year

1999

116 bearers

Map years

1

1998 to 1998

Key insights

  • Tonkiss had 67 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,104 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 92 in 2016, ranked #32,035.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 79 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Tonkiss surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tonkiss surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tonkiss 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 55 #23,413
1861 historical 36 #29,463
1881 historical 67 #24,104
1891 historical 59 #29,325
1901 historical 77 #25,627
1911 historical 79 #24,903
1997 modern 113 #25,106
1998 modern 115 #25,466
1999 modern 116 #25,487
2000 modern 116 #25,452
2001 modern 104 #26,765
2002 modern 102 #27,596
2003 modern 98 #28,046
2004 modern 94 #28,896
2005 modern 96 #28,671
2006 modern 91 #29,725
2007 modern 87 #30,666
2008 modern 88 #30,857
2009 modern 91 #30,944
2010 modern 93 #31,239
2011 modern 96 #30,721
2012 modern 91 #31,659
2013 modern 94 #31,656
2014 modern 93 #32,025
2015 modern 93 #31,972
2016 modern 92 #32,035

Geography

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Where Tonkiss' 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 Dudley, Plymouth, Thanet, Cornwall and Forest of Dean. 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 Dudley 034 Dudley
2 Plymouth 005 Plymouth
3 Thanet 002 Thanet
4 Cornwall 034 Cornwall
5 Forest of Dean 009 Forest of Dean

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tonkiss

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tonkiss

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Tonkiss is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tonkiss is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tonkiss falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tonkiss 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 - British

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

1881 census detail

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Tonkiss families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tonkiss 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. Shropshire leads with 20 Tonkiss' recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.42x.

County Total Index
Shropshire 20 35.42x
Staffordshire 16 7.25x
Worcestershire 9 10.55x
Yorkshire 8 1.24x
Cheshire 7 4.85x
Lancashire 6 0.77x
Warwickshire 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. Broseley in Shropshire leads with 16 Tonkiss' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1600.00x.

Place Total Index
Broseley 16 1600.00x
Sedgley 9 109.89x
Eskdaleside 8 2500.00x
Great Malvern 7 393.26x
Great Sutton 7 8750.00x
Barrow In Furness 6 56.87x
Wolverhampton 4 23.58x
Handsworth 2 36.76x
Stourbridge 2 90.91x
Wellington 2 63.09x
Berrington 1 454.55x
Great Barr 1 400.00x
Leamington Priors 1 24.63x
Shrewsbury St Mary 1 44.84x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

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 Tonkiss households.

FAQ

Tonkiss surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tonkiss surname in 1881?

In 1881, 67 people were recorded with the Tonkiss surname. That placed it at #24,104 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tonkiss surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 92 in 2016. That gives Tonkiss a modern rank of #32,035.

What does the Tonkiss map show?

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