NameCensus.

UK surname

Toop

A surname variant of Toop, referring to someone who lived at the top of a hill.

In the 1881 census there were 533 people recorded with the Toop surname, ranking it #6,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 591, ranked #8,825, down from #6,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Charlton Marshall, Poole St James and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wokingham, Taunton Deane and South Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Toop is 775 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10.9%.

1881 census count

533

Ranked #6,449

Modern count

591

2016, ranked #8,825

Peak year

1911

775 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Toop had 533 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 591 in 2016, ranked #8,825.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 775 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Toop surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Toop surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Toop 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 398 #6,057
1861 historical 392 #6,536
1881 historical 533 #6,449
1891 historical 571 #6,665
1901 historical 701 #6,281
1911 historical 775 #5,604
1997 modern 670 #7,495
1998 modern 694 #7,523
1999 modern 685 #7,639
2000 modern 686 #7,606
2001 modern 669 #7,626
2002 modern 705 #7,467
2003 modern 675 #7,615
2004 modern 673 #7,643
2005 modern 669 #7,613
2006 modern 662 #7,707
2007 modern 662 #7,762
2008 modern 635 #8,054
2009 modern 631 #8,265
2010 modern 632 #8,438
2011 modern 619 #8,482
2012 modern 610 #8,499
2013 modern 609 #8,636
2014 modern 612 #8,667
2015 modern 598 #8,763
2016 modern 591 #8,825

Geography

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Where Toops are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Charlton Marshall, Poole St James, London parishes, Winfrith Newburgh and Tavistock. Whitechurch, St Peter Tavy. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wokingham, Taunton Deane, South Somerset, West Devon and North Dorset. 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 Charlton Marshall Dorset
2 Poole St James Dorset
3 London parishes London 3
4 Winfrith Newburgh Dorset
5 Tavistock. Whitechurch, St Peter Tavy Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wokingham 009 Wokingham
2 Taunton Deane 008 Taunton Deane
3 South Somerset 002 South Somerset
4 West Devon 006 West Devon
5 North Dorset 007 North Dorset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Toop

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Toop

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

Toop is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Toop

The surname TOOP is of English origin and is believed to have derived from an old Anglo-Saxon word "top" meaning a hilltop or summit. It is thought to have originated as a topographic name for someone who lived on or near a hilltop or high ground.

The earliest recorded instances of the name TOOP can be traced back to the 13th century in counties such as Somerset and Dorset in southwest England. The name appeared in various spellings, including Toppe, Topp, and Tope, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in pronunciation of the time.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William Tope, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1278. Another early record is that of John Toppe, who appeared in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire in 1332.

The name TOOP is also associated with several place names in England, such as Topsham in Devon and Topcliffe in Yorkshire, which may have influenced the adoption of the surname in these areas.

Notable individuals with the surname TOOP throughout history include:

1. John Toop (c. 1560-1620), an English merchant and explorer who participated in several voyages to the East Indies and the Americas in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

2. William Toop (1786-1859), an English engraver and illustrator, known for his engravings of architectural works and landscapes.

3. Elizabeth Toop (1834-1913), a British philanthropist and social reformer, who founded several organizations to support women and children in need.

4. Arthur Malort Toop (1868-1953), a British lawyer and judge, who served as a Judge of the High Court of Justice in England from 1924 to 1943.

5. Richard Toop (1935-2022), a New Zealand-born painter and printmaker, renowned for his abstract and landscape works, and a recipient of the prestigious Order of New Zealand Merit.

While the name TOOP is not among the most common surnames in English-speaking countries, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its topographic origins in medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Toop families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Toop 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. Dorset leads with 195 Toops recorded in 1881 and an index of 57.04x.

County Total Index
Dorset 195 57.04x
Wiltshire 56 12.16x
Devon 54 4.98x
Middlesex 53 1.02x
Somerset 50 5.96x
Hampshire 42 3.93x
Kent 17 0.96x
Surrey 14 0.55x
Northamptonshire 13 2.65x
Sussex 11 1.25x
Nottinghamshire 7 1.00x
Essex 6 0.58x
Suffolk 3 0.47x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.64x
Gloucestershire 2 0.20x
Warwickshire 2 0.15x
Yorkshire 2 0.04x
Berkshire 1 0.26x
Durham 1 0.06x
Oxfordshire 1 0.31x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.60x
Royal Navy 1 1.61x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westbury in Wiltshire leads with 34 Toops recorded in 1881 and an index of 316.28x.

Place Total Index
Westbury 34 316.28x
Islington London 25 4.95x
Winfrith Newburgh 25 1461.99x
Sherborne 22 218.47x
Charlton Marshall 19 1637.93x
Lytchett Minster 19 1258.28x
Trowbridge 15 73.67x
Buckland Monachorum 14 603.45x
Corfe Mullen 14 1129.03x
Holdenhurst 14 49.98x
Wareham Lady St Mary 13 492.42x
Lewisham 12 12.66x
Hamworthy 11 924.37x
Kinson 9 134.73x
Lambeth 9 1.98x
Plymouth Charles The 9 18.84x
Broadmayne 8 879.12x
Charlton Musgrove 8 1095.89x
Mells 8 462.43x
North Cadbury 8 500.00x
Plymouth St Andrew 8 9.58x
St George Hanover 8 11.77x
Sturminster Marshall 8 559.44x
Basford 7 21.63x
Bedminster 7 8.88x
Christchurch 7 30.24x
Portsea 7 3.35x
Rogate 7 397.73x
Sampford Spiney 7 958.90x
Tormoham 7 15.26x
Wellingborough 7 28.41x
Beer Hackett 6 4000.00x
Bradford On Avon 6 40.68x
Bramshott 6 228.14x
Dingley 6 2608.70x
Parkstone 6 150.38x
Poole St James 6 46.69x
St Budeaux 6 177.51x
Road 5 490.20x
Sunbury 5 79.87x
Tuners Puddle 5 2272.73x
West Ham 5 2.20x
Aldingbourn 4 300.75x
Lillington 4 1600.00x
Alverstoke 3 7.76x
Athelhampstone 3 2307.69x
Backwell 3 174.42x
Betchworth 3 95.85x
Hadleigh 3 48.70x
Milford 3 96.15x
St Clement Danes 3 35.59x
Trent 3 361.45x
Upton Noble 3 769.23x
Wapping London 3 75.38x
Wareham St Martin 3 230.77x
Battersea 2 1.04x
Bexley 2 12.73x
Birmingham 2 0.46x
Bishopstoke 2 72.99x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 2 2.08x
Caundle Bishop 2 333.33x
Church Knowle 2 200.00x
Hammersmith London 2 1.56x
Lyncombe Widcombe 2 9.11x
Morden 2 137.93x
Ramsgate 2 6.89x
Shoreditch London 2 0.89x
Stoke Poges 2 52.08x
Whitchurch 2 104.71x
Beckington 1 60.61x
Exminster 1 25.64x
Eye Dunsden 1 64.52x
Fordington 1 13.59x
Kensington London 1 0.35x
Melcombe Regis 1 7.06x
Nunney 1 54.95x
St Botolph Aldgate 1 14.06x
St Giles Cripplegate 1 14.47x
Stockton On Tees 1 1.34x
Thornford 1 135.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 36
Elizabeth 24
Sarah 16
Emma 14
Ellen 12
Annie 11
Ann 10
Jane 10
Alice 9
Eliza 8
Ada 7
Emily 6
Anne 5
Fanny 5
Amelia 4
Hannah 4
Martha 4
Rose 4
Charlotte 3
Florence 3
Frances 3
Louisa 3
Lucy 3
Maria 3
Susan 3
Arminel 2
Bessie 2
Betsy 2
Catherine 2
Cicely 2
Clara 2
Esther 2
Ethel 2
Francis 2
Harriet 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Kezia 2
Laura 2
Mabel 2
Margaret 2
Minnie 2
Rebecca 2
Rosa 2
Winifred 2
Bessey 1
Edna 1
Elen 1
Elstra 1
Jessie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 39
James 19
John 19
George 18
Henry 17
Charles 13
Richard 9
Thomas 9
Alfred 8
Albert 7
Arthur 6
Harry 6
Robert 6
Francis 5
Walter 5
Edward 4
Edwin 4
Frank 4
Frederick 4
Daniel 2
Jeremiah 2
Job 2
Oliver 2
Philip 2
Samuel 2
Alonzo 1
Archelaus 1
Ashley 1
Augustus 1
Carl 1
Earnest 1
Elias 1
Elizabeth 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Harold 1
Herbert 1
Jacob 1
Jesse 1
Joseph 1
Luther 1
Mark 1
Max 1
Nathaniel 1
Phillip 1
Ralph 1
Saml.Francis 1
Silas 1
Simon 1
Tom. 1

FAQ

Toop surname: questions and answers

How common was the Toop surname in 1881?

In 1881, 533 people were recorded with the Toop surname. That placed it at #6,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Toop surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 591 in 2016. That gives Toop a modern rank of #8,825.

What does the Toop surname mean?

A surname variant of Toop, referring to someone who lived at the top of a hill.

What does the Toop map show?

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