NameCensus.

UK surname

Towl

In the 1881 census there were 160 people recorded with the Towl surname, ranking it #14,860 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 132, ranked #25,882, down from #14,860 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Burgh-in-the-Marsh, Ullceby and St Thomas the Apostle. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, East Lindsey and Nottingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Towl is 190 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 17.5%.

1881 census count

160

Ranked #14,860

Modern count

132

2016, ranked #25,882

Peak year

1911

190 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Towl had 160 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,860 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016, ranked #25,882.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 190 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Towl surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Towl surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Towl 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 147 #13,084
1861 historical 110 #19,562
1881 historical 160 #14,860
1891 historical 138 #19,411
1901 historical 160 #17,387
1911 historical 190 #15,438
1997 modern 160 #20,259
1998 modern 164 #20,505
1999 modern 176 #19,722
2000 modern 171 #20,044
2001 modern 160 #20,616
2002 modern 164 #20,687
2003 modern 155 #21,217
2004 modern 152 #21,628
2005 modern 151 #21,667
2006 modern 148 #22,111
2007 modern 144 #22,804
2008 modern 135 #24,123
2009 modern 132 #24,929
2010 modern 140 #24,569
2011 modern 136 #24,819
2012 modern 132 #25,289
2013 modern 131 #25,932
2014 modern 130 #26,216
2015 modern 127 #26,494
2016 modern 132 #25,882

Geography

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Where Towls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Burgh-in-the-Marsh, Ullceby, St Thomas the Apostle, Barrow-on-Humber and Holsworthy. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire, East Lindsey, Nottingham and South Hams. 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 Burgh-in-the-Marsh Lincolnshire
2 Ullceby Lincolnshire
3 St Thomas the Apostle Cornwall
4 Barrow-on-Humber Lincolnshire
5 Holsworthy Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 005 Wiltshire
2 East Lindsey 004 East Lindsey
3 Nottingham 005 Nottingham
4 South Hams 002 South Hams
5 South Hams 008 South Hams

Forenames

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First names often paired with Towl

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Towl

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Towl is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Towl is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Towl falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Towl is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Towl families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Towl 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. Lincolnshire leads with 53 Towls recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.24x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 53 21.24x
Devon 28 8.62x
Nottinghamshire 14 6.66x
Essex 12 3.90x
Cornwall 8 4.53x
Pembrokeshire 8 16.13x
Yorkshire 8 0.52x
Kent 7 1.31x
Middlesex 7 0.45x
Kirkcudbrightshire 6 26.56x
Durham 5 1.08x
Derbyshire 3 1.23x
Norfolk 1 0.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barrow On Humber in Lincolnshire leads with 19 Towls recorded in 1881 and an index of 1310.34x.

Place Total Index
Barrow On Humber 19 1310.34x
Ulceby 13 2131.15x
Plymouth Charles The 12 83.86x
West Ham 12 17.64x
Snenton 9 108.96x
Llangwm 8 1702.13x
Hawerby With Beesby 7 17500.00x
Pyworthy 6 2222.22x
St Thomas Apostle 6 1111.11x
Clee With Weelsby 5 91.58x
Nether Hallam 5 23.90x
Norton 5 292.40x
Nottingham St Mary 5 9.19x
Woolwich 5 25.42x
Barton St Mary 4 320.00x
East Stonehouse 4 62.50x
Minnigaff 4 470.59x
Shoreditch London 4 5.91x
Little Eaton 3 588.24x
Bromley London 2 5.83x
Goxhill 2 327.87x
Great Grimsby 2 12.63x
Kelton 2 107.53x
Stoke Damerel 2 8.80x
Billinghay 1 129.87x
Boyton 1 2500.00x
Bridlington 1 28.25x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 18.02x
Devonport 1 26.81x
Drypool 1 42.19x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 3.18x
Foulsham 1 196.08x
Holsworthy 1 108.70x
Maidstone 1 6.31x
St Dominick 1 227.27x
Stoke 1 75.76x
Westminster St 1 17.39x
Whitstone 1 454.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Elizabeth 6
Emma 6
Ann 3
Annie 3
Emily 3
Hannah 3
Sarah 3
Florence 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Rachel 2
Rebecca 2
Alice 1
Augusta 1
Bessie 1
Christiana 1
Clara 1
Daisy 1
Dinah 1
E. 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz. 1
Elizh.A. 1
Ellen 1
Eva 1
Fanney 1
Frances 1
Hellen 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Margret 1
Rose 1
Rosinia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 14
John 12
George 5
Thomas 5
Alfred 4
Henry 4
James 4
Charles 3
Christopher 2
Ernest 2
Fred 2
Harry 2
Jesse 2
Joseph 2
Richard 2
Andrew 1
Arther 1
Arthur 1
Clarence 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Herbert 1
J. 1
Jack 1
Laurance 1
Leslie 1
Louis 1
Philip 1
Sidney 1
Sydney 1
Thos.Spencer 1
Tom 1
Vessey 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Towl surname: questions and answers

How common was the Towl surname in 1881?

In 1881, 160 people were recorded with the Towl surname. That placed it at #14,860 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Towl surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016. That gives Towl a modern rank of #25,882.

What does the Towl map show?

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