NameCensus.

UK surname

Tootle

A nickname derived from the Old English word "totian" meaning to project or stick out.

In the 1881 census there were 197 people recorded with the Tootle surname, ranking it #12,955 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 263, ranked #16,210, down from #12,955 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prescot, Liverpool and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Hyndburn and West Lancashire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tootle is 263 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.5%.

1881 census count

197

Ranked #12,955

Modern count

263

2016, ranked #16,210

Peak year

2016

263 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tootle had 197 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,955 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 263 in 2016, ranked #16,210.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 211 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Tootle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tootle surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tootle 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 70 #21,020
1861 historical 96 #21,648
1881 historical 197 #12,955
1891 historical 182 #15,983
1901 historical 183 #15,996
1911 historical 211 #14,467
1997 modern 239 #15,718
1998 modern 240 #16,117
1999 modern 240 #16,226
2000 modern 241 #16,146
2001 modern 232 #16,314
2002 modern 246 #15,988
2003 modern 239 #16,093
2004 modern 250 #15,695
2005 modern 229 #16,631
2006 modern 237 #16,334
2007 modern 238 #16,505
2008 modern 241 #16,481
2009 modern 242 #16,789
2010 modern 252 #16,701
2011 modern 244 #16,922
2012 modern 245 #16,745
2013 modern 256 #16,506
2014 modern 258 #16,554
2015 modern 254 #16,608
2016 modern 263 #16,210

Geography

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Where Tootles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prescot, Liverpool, Preston, Ormskirk and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool, Hyndburn, West Lancashire and Sefton. 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 Prescot Lancashire
2 Liverpool Lancashire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Ormskirk Lancashire
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liverpool 023 Liverpool
2 Hyndburn 002 Hyndburn
3 Liverpool 015 Liverpool
4 West Lancashire 004 West Lancashire
5 Sefton 010 Sefton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tootle

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tootle

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tootle, 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 Tootle surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Tootle 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Tootle is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, 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.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

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

Tootle is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tootle falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Tootle

The surname "Tootle" is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Yorkshire, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "totian," which means "to project" or "to peep out." This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a descriptive nickname to someone who had a prominent or protruding feature, such as a large nose or chin.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, a historical document dating back to the 12th century. In these rolls, a person named "Roger Toutell" is mentioned, which is believed to be an early spelling variation of the surname.

The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, a tax record from the 14th century, where a "John Toutell" is listed. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of England by that time.

In the 16th century, the name "Tootle" can be found in various parish records across England. For instance, the baptism of a child named "Elizabeth Tootle" is recorded in the parish of St. Mary's in Beverley, Yorkshire, in 1589.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Sir John Tootle, a notable figure in the English Civil War who fought on the Parliamentarian side. He was born in 1620 and died in 1675.

Another individual of note was William Tootle, a renowned clockmaker from Lancashire who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. His intricate and ornate clocks were highly sought after by the aristocracy of the time.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure bearing the surname was Elizabeth Tootle, an English novelist and poet. Born in 1832, she published several works of fiction and poetry that gained critical acclaim during her lifetime.

The name also has connections to place names, such as Tootle Hill in Cheshire, which is thought to be derived from the Old English word "totian," further reinforcing the origins of the surname.

While the name has maintained a presence throughout history, it has never been among the most common surnames in England. However, it remains a unique and intriguing name with deep roots in the country's historical records.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tootle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tootle 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. Lancashire leads with 157 Tootles recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.92x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 157 6.92x
Yorkshire 15 0.79x
Devon 10 2.51x
Warwickshire 4 0.83x
Middlesex 2 0.10x
Cheshire 1 0.24x
Glamorgan 1 0.30x
Hampshire 1 0.26x
Hertfordshire 1 0.76x
Peeblesshire 1 11.12x
Shropshire 1 0.61x
Staffordshire 1 0.16x
Surrey 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ormskirk in Lancashire leads with 15 Tootles recorded in 1881 and an index of 345.62x.

Place Total Index
Ormskirk 15 345.62x
Liverpool 14 10.16x
Blackburn 12 19.88x
Preston 12 19.77x
Exeter St Mary Major 10 416.67x
Habergham Eaves 10 48.24x
Newton 10 57.21x
Wheelton 10 990.10x
Holbeck 8 63.75x
Kirkdale 7 18.34x
Witton 7 245.61x
Chorley 6 47.13x
Skelmersdale 6 158.73x
Accrington 5 24.25x
Ashton In Makerfield 5 77.40x
Nether Hallam 5 19.51x
Pemberton 5 55.25x
Burnley 4 20.94x
Duxbury 4 1904.76x
Hindley 4 41.37x
Rugby 4 61.35x
Walton Le Dale 4 65.57x
Adlington 2 94.34x
Doncaster 2 14.45x
Eccleston In Prescot 2 17.56x
Fulwood 2 81.63x
Lathom 2 72.99x
St Marylebone London 2 1.96x
Aldershot 1 7.62x
Broughton In Salford 1 4.82x
Cardiff St Mary 1 5.45x
Chipping Barnet 1 43.48x
Drayton In Hales 1 29.41x
Great Bolton 1 3.33x
Higher Bebington 1 37.04x
Lambeth 1 0.60x
North Meols 1 4.50x
Oswaldtwistle 1 12.47x
Spotland 1 3.97x
Toxteth Park 1 1.30x
Uttoxeter 1 30.30x
West Linton 1 136.99x
Wigan 1 3.15x
Windle 1 7.84x
Withnell 1 71.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Elizabeth 13
Ann 8
Sarah 8
Alice 5
Jane 4
Annie 3
Emma 3
Bridget 2
Elizth. 2
Ellen 2
Louisa 2
Margaret 2
Agnes 1
Amanda 1
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Easther 1
Eliza 1
Emiley 1
Esther 1
Files 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Henrietta 1
Isabella 1
Kate 1
Margary 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Maryhan 1
Rosalinda 1
Rose 1
Susanna 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 18
William 14
Thomas 12
George 9
James 7
Robert 5
Charles 4
Richard 3
Alfred 2
Christopher 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Wm. 2
Alexr. 1
Ashworth 1
Cornelius 1
Dick 1
Donald 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Josh. 1
Lai 1
Lawrance 1
Lawrence 1
Mary 1
Owen 1
Ralph 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1
Will. 1

FAQ

Tootle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tootle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 197 people were recorded with the Tootle surname. That placed it at #12,955 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tootle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 263 in 2016. That gives Tootle a modern rank of #16,210.

What does the Tootle surname mean?

A nickname derived from the Old English word "totian" meaning to project or stick out.

What does the Tootle map show?

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