NameCensus.

UK surname

Tooke

Of English origin, a locational surname derived from a place name meaning "fork of a river."

In the 1881 census there were 457 people recorded with the Tooke surname, ranking it #7,240 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,000, ranked #5,806, up from #7,240 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Wisbech St Peter and St Giles Camberwell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St Edmundsbury, Great Yarmouth and Norwich.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tooke is 1,090 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 118.8%.

1881 census count

457

Ranked #7,240

Modern count

1,000

2016, ranked #5,806

Peak year

1998

1,090 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tooke had 457 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,240 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,000 in 2016, ranked #5,806.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 863 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tooke surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tooke surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Tooke 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 272 #8,240
1861 historical 240 #10,226
1881 historical 457 #7,240
1891 historical 572 #6,649
1901 historical 759 #5,884
1911 historical 863 #5,145
1997 modern 1,059 #5,242
1998 modern 1,090 #5,301
1999 modern 1,088 #5,334
2000 modern 1,077 #5,351
2001 modern 1,067 #5,300
2002 modern 1,087 #5,322
2003 modern 1,050 #5,377
2004 modern 1,031 #5,475
2005 modern 964 #5,714
2006 modern 971 #5,686
2007 modern 994 #5,634
2008 modern 985 #5,723
2009 modern 997 #5,775
2010 modern 1,018 #5,798
2011 modern 1,024 #5,711
2012 modern 1,000 #5,731
2013 modern 1,011 #5,770
2014 modern 1,017 #5,782
2015 modern 997 #5,818
2016 modern 1,000 #5,806

Geography

Back to top

Where Tookes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Wisbech St Peter, St Giles Camberwell, Hempnall and Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St Edmundsbury, Great Yarmouth, Norwich and East Riding of Yorkshire. 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 3
2 Wisbech St Peter Cambridgeshire
3 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)
4 Hempnall Norfolk
5 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St Edmundsbury 009 St Edmundsbury
2 Great Yarmouth 002 Great Yarmouth
3 Norwich 002 Norwich
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 026 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Norwich 013 Norwich

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Tooke

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Tooke

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Tooke is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tooke 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

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

Meaning and origin of Tooke

The surname Tooke has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "toc," which means "a spindle" or "a distaff," referring to the tools used for spinning yarn or thread. This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname for someone who worked as a spinner or weaver.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Tooke can be found in various historical documents, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled as "Toc" and "Toke." The name was also present in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it appeared as "Toke."

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was John Toke, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Sussex in 1287. In the 14th century, there was a notable Tooke family from the village of Bere Regis in Dorset. Thomas Tooke, born around 1330, was a prominent member of this family.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Tooke was particularly prevalent in the counties of Middlesex, Surrey, and Essex. Some notable individuals from this period include Joane Tooke (1542-1625), who was accused of witchcraft in Bedfordshire, and Andrew Tooke (1573-1663), a clergyman and author from Kent.

In the 18th century, Thomas Tooke (1736-1810) was a notable English economist and political philosopher, best known for his work "A History of Prices, and of the State of the Circulation." Another significant figure was John Horne Tooke (1736-1812), a prominent English politician, philologist, and radical who played a significant role in the development of the English language.

The 19th century saw the emergence of several influential individuals with the surname Tooke. William Tooke (1777-1863) was a renowned English legal writer and historian, while James Tooke (1808-1867) was a respected English historian and scholar. Additionally, Thomas Tooke (1808-1881) was a notable English barrister and legal scholar.

Throughout history, the surname Tooke has been subject to various spellings, including Toke, Took, and Touque, which were common in earlier times. The name has also been linked to several place names in England, such as Toke's Green in Hertfordshire and Toke's Hill in Oxfordshire, further solidifying its English origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Tooke families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tooke 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. Norfolk leads with 193 Tookes recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.16x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 193 28.16x
Surrey 41 1.89x
Suffolk 39 7.18x
Middlesex 37 0.83x
Yorkshire 19 0.43x
Hampshire 16 1.75x
Gloucestershire 14 1.60x
Huntingdonshire 12 13.56x
Kent 12 0.79x
Cambridgeshire 10 3.54x
Northamptonshire 9 2.15x
Hertfordshire 8 2.60x
Essex 7 0.80x
Devon 6 0.65x
Durham 6 0.45x
Staffordshire 5 0.33x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.67x
Sussex 4 0.53x
Cornwall 3 0.59x
Derbyshire 3 0.43x
Lancashire 3 0.06x
Leicestershire 3 0.61x
Wiltshire 2 0.51x
Somerset 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Forncett St Peter in Norfolk leads with 21 Tookes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2234.04x.

Place Total Index
Forncett St Peter 21 2234.04x
Heigham 15 40.77x
Rollesby 14 1627.91x
Salhouse 14 1458.33x
Lambeth 12 3.09x
Hempnall 11 820.90x
Norwich St Benedict 11 360.66x
Camberwell 10 3.51x
St Pancras London 10 2.79x
Christchurch 9 45.43x
Fletton 9 318.02x
Norwich St Michael At 9 226.13x
Peterborough 9 29.64x
Richmond 9 29.57x
Southwold 9 280.37x
Hemsby 8 808.08x
North Elmham 8 481.93x
Sheringham 8 451.98x
Wisbech St Peter 8 56.50x
Headingley Cum Burley 7 24.61x
Lowestoft 7 27.29x
Stroud 7 41.15x
Halvergate 6 810.81x
Holbeck 6 20.50x
Ipswich St Margaret 6 32.57x
Norwich St Saviour 6 250.00x
Ringwood 6 102.56x
Westbury On Trym 6 20.26x
Whickham 6 49.18x
Clapham 5 8.97x
East Dereham 5 57.74x
Exeter St George The 5 490.20x
Ketteringham 5 1785.71x
Kirton 5 520.83x
Lakenham 5 51.33x
Norwich St Martin At Oak 5 119.90x
Stafford St Mary 5 23.47x
Tacolnestone 5 735.29x
Brighton 4 2.64x
Clerkenwell London 4 3.80x
Hatfield 4 64.21x
Prittlewell 4 32.81x
St George Hanover 4 6.87x
Westminster St 4 24.35x
Alfreton 3 14.15x
Annesley 3 132.74x
Brinton 3 1200.00x
Dartford 3 19.29x
Erith 3 20.03x
Everton 3 1.78x
Ilketshall St Andrew 3 416.67x
Leicester St Margaret 3 2.49x
Norwich St George Colegate 3 120.48x
Ormesby 3 25.27x
St Ives 3 65.36x
Tottenham 3 4.23x
Walmer 3 45.39x
Aldenham 2 71.43x
Caistor Next Yarmouth 2 82.99x
Calstock 2 20.20x
Great Yarmouth 2 3.52x
Holt 2 85.47x
Mendlesham 2 116.28x
Monkton Farleigh 2 312.50x
Pakefield 2 148.15x
Pinner 2 51.28x
Poplar London 2 2.38x
Shottesham All Sts 2 344.83x
South Lynn 2 25.87x
South Walsham St Mary 2 350.88x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 2.23x
St Albans 2 31.75x
St Giles Cambridge 2 54.79x
Sustead 2 1111.11x
Walsoken 2 48.54x
Lewisham 1 1.23x
North Walsham 1 20.24x
St Clement Danes 1 13.85x
Stratton St Mary 1 105.26x
Tickton Hull Bridge 1 175.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 30
Sarah 14
Martha 10
Charlotte 8
Elizabeth 8
Ellen 7
Fanny 7
Ann 6
Eliza 6
Maria 6
Alice 5
Emily 5
Emma 5
Hannah 5
Harriet 5
Jane 5
Ada 4
Annie 4
Agnes 3
Frances 3
Kate 3
Maud 3
Rachel 3
Sophia 3
Susan 3
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Bessie 2
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Ethel 2
Florence 2
Jeannette 2
Laura 2
Lucy 2
M. 2
Margaret 2
Rebecca 2
Rosetta 2
Beatrice 1
Betsy 1
Easther 1
Elezabeth 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizth. 1
Grace 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 36
John 27
James 16
George 14
Thomas 13
Henry 10
Arthur 9
Robert 8
Alfred 7
Edward 7
Albert 6
Frederick 6
Samuel 6
Walter 5
Charles 4
Harry 4
Elijah 3
Ernest 3
Archer 2
Benjamin 2
David 2
Fred 2
Herbert 2
Isaac 2
Jonathon 2
Percy 2
Richard 2
Austin 1
B. 1
Cecil 1
Ebenezer 1
Edwin 1
Frederic 1
J. 1
Jesse 1
Joseph 1
Josiah 1
Marrion 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Peter 1
Reginald 1
Sidney 1
Thos.H. 1

FAQ

Tooke surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tooke surname in 1881?

In 1881, 457 people were recorded with the Tooke surname. That placed it at #7,240 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tooke surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,000 in 2016. That gives Tooke a modern rank of #5,806.

What does the Tooke surname mean?

Of English origin, a locational surname derived from a place name meaning "fork of a river."

What does the Tooke map show?

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