NameCensus.

UK surname

Towns

An English locational surname referring to someone who lived near a village, hamlet, or enclosure.

In the 1881 census there were 968 people recorded with the Towns surname, ranking it #4,014 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,008, ranked #5,770, down from #4,014 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tendring, Burghead, Roseisle and Laich and Kettering.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Towns is 1,065 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.1%.

1881 census count

968

Ranked #4,014

Modern count

1,008

2016, ranked #5,770

Peak year

1901

1,065 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Towns had 968 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,014 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,008 in 2016, ranked #5,770.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,065 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Towns surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Towns surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Towns 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 732 #3,592
1861 historical 714 #3,809
1881 historical 968 #4,014
1891 historical 940 #4,404
1901 historical 1,065 #4,532
1911 historical 938 #4,786
1997 modern 976 #5,610
1998 modern 1,015 #5,614
1999 modern 1,011 #5,667
2000 modern 1,024 #5,574
2001 modern 984 #5,647
2002 modern 991 #5,738
2003 modern 957 #5,802
2004 modern 967 #5,755
2005 modern 928 #5,891
2006 modern 919 #5,945
2007 modern 937 #5,908
2008 modern 944 #5,912
2009 modern 955 #5,978
2010 modern 997 #5,893
2011 modern 990 #5,865
2012 modern 993 #5,768
2013 modern 999 #5,830
2014 modern 998 #5,867
2015 modern 1,000 #5,808
2016 modern 1,008 #5,770

Geography

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Where Towns' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Gateshead, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tendring, Burghead, Roseisle and Laich, Kettering, Carmarthenshire and Chelmsford. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tendring 008 Tendring
2 Burghead, Roseisle and Laich Moray
3 Kettering 005 Kettering
4 Carmarthenshire 004 Carmarthenshire
5 Chelmsford 003 Chelmsford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Towns

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Towns

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

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Towns surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Towns household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Towns is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Towns is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Towns falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Towns

The surname TOWNS is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "tun" meaning an enclosed area or a village. It likely emerged during the medieval period in England, with some of the earliest known recorded instances dating back to the late 12th century. The name initially referred to people who hailed from a specific town or village, often used as a descriptive term to distinguish individuals of the same given name.

TOWNS is a locational surname, and many early bearers of this name can be traced back to various towns and villages across England, such as Townson from Townsend in Derbyshire, Townrow from Townroe in Lancashire, and Townley from the township of Townley in Yorkshire. The name's spelling has varied over time, with alternative forms like Towne, Toun, and Toun appearing in historical records.

One notable historical reference to the name TOWNS can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded landowners and their properties across England. The Hundred Rolls mention individuals with the surname, such as William de la Toune and John atte Toune, further solidifying the name's early roots in medieval England.

Among the earliest recorded individuals bearing the surname TOWNS is John Towne, a merchant from London who lived in the late 14th century. Another early bearer of the name was William Towne, a landowner from Suffolk, who was mentioned in a deed dated 1428.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the surname TOWNS. One such person was Robert Towne (c. 1542-1621), an English politician and Member of Parliament who served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another was Thomas Towne (1608-1692), one of the early settlers of Salem, Massachusetts, who arrived in the New World aboard the ship Hopewell in 1635.

In the realm of literature, one cannot overlook Nathaniel Towne (1808-1857), an American writer and poet who penned works such as "The Emigrant's Farewell" and "The Backwoodsman." A more recent figure with the surname TOWNS was Charles Towne (1858-1924), an American architect renowned for his work on the campus of Yale University and other notable structures in New England.

Additionally, the name TOWNS has been associated with various place names and locations throughout England, such as Townend in Yorkshire, Townhill in Hampshire, and Towngate in Lancashire, further reinforcing its geographical origins and connections.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Towns families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Towns 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. Durham leads with 155 Towns' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.56x.

County Total Index
Durham 155 5.56x
Northumberland 153 10.98x
Angus 111 12.79x
Lancashire 81 0.73x
Lincolnshire 51 3.41x
Yorkshire 45 0.48x
Suffolk 39 3.42x
Bedfordshire 32 6.60x
Kent 31 0.97x
Aberdeenshire 30 3.46x
Surrey 27 0.59x
Middlesex 25 0.27x
Essex 24 1.30x
Kincardineshire 22 19.29x
Renfrewshire 19 2.62x
Buckinghamshire 18 3.18x
Lanarkshire 16 0.53x
Cheshire 9 0.44x
Cumberland 9 1.12x
Warwickshire 7 0.30x
Herefordshire 6 1.56x
Midlothian 6 0.48x
Morayshire 6 4.12x
Staffordshire 5 0.16x
Stirlingshire 5 1.45x
Sussex 4 0.25x
Worcestershire 4 0.33x
Hertfordshire 3 0.46x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.24x
Oxfordshire 3 0.52x
Roxburghshire 3 1.77x
Selkirkshire 3 3.54x
Cornwall 1 0.09x
Derbyshire 1 0.07x
Dorset 1 0.16x
Leicestershire 1 0.10x
Northamptonshire 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. Dundee in Angus leads with 35 Towns' recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.81x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 35 10.81x
Tynemouth 34 45.56x
Stevington 29 1450.00x
Westoe 28 17.73x
Esh 25 123.34x
Gateshead 23 11.03x
Newcastle On Tyne St 23 31.85x
Aberdeen Old Machar 22 12.15x
Montrose 22 41.84x
Paisley High Church 19 32.88x
Westgate 15 17.38x
Darlington 14 13.02x
Manchester 14 2.80x
Benwell 13 85.36x
Great Missenden 12 171.92x
Bermondsey 11 3.95x
Forfar 11 23.41x
Headingley Cum Burley 11 18.42x
Kersey 11 691.82x
Monkwearmouth 11 41.24x
Otterburn 11 1028.04x
Seghill 11 161.05x
Barton Upon Irwell 10 11.95x
Brechin 10 29.33x
Chirton 10 31.72x
Hadleigh 10 90.33x
Hindley 10 21.11x
Holbeach 10 59.95x
Logie Pert 10 312.50x
Maidstone 10 10.51x
Wigan 10 6.44x
Ancaster 9 430.62x
Benfieldside 9 49.13x
Liff Benvie 9 6.83x
Barony 8 1.04x
Elswick 8 7.19x
Spalding 8 26.93x
Asgarby 7 1014.49x
Birmingham 7 0.89x
Hexham 7 32.47x
Layham 7 406.98x
Monkwearmouth Shore 7 12.87x
Shoreditch London 7 1.72x
Walton Le Soken 7 159.45x
Conside Knitsley 6 27.70x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 1.19x
Elgin 6 21.20x
Fettercairn 6 123.71x
Govan 6 0.80x
Marykirk 6 127.66x
Pendleton In Salford 6 4.53x
Runcorn 6 12.59x
Speldhurst 6 36.88x
St Martin In Fields 6 10.70x
Beckenham 5 11.97x
Bradford 5 9.61x
Caldewgate 5 11.32x
Heworth 5 9.11x
Knottingley 5 30.66x
Leeds 5 0.95x
Little Laver 5 1428.57x
Liverpool 5 0.74x
Moss Side 5 8.55x
Nayland 5 173.01x
North Bierley 5 9.98x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 2.65x
Stoke By Nayland 5 135.50x
Whickham 5 19.51x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 4 2.47x
Aunsby 4 888.89x
Byker 4 5.81x
Failsworth 4 15.74x
Fawns 4 10000.00x
Jesmond 4 20.41x
Kidderminster Borough 4 5.59x
Lambeth 4 0.49x
Lavington 4 769.23x
Newington 4 1.16x
Sutton St Mary 4 28.25x
Teynham 4 69.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 56
William 46
Thomas 41
George 34
James 21
Joseph 17
Charles 15
Henry 14
Robert 14
Edward 13
Alfred 8
Arthur 5
Francis 5
Frederick 5
Harry 5
Walter 5
Albert 4
Benjamin 4
David 4
Jeremiah 4
Emanuel 3
Matthew 3
Richard 3
Alexander 2
Chas. 2
Jos. 2
Michael 2
Smith 2
Alexand.R. 1
Ambrose 1
Amos 1
Catherine 1
Clive 1
Edwin 1
Emily 1
Ernest 1
Fenwick 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Gibson 1
Hery 1
Jesse 1
Jobe 1
Levi 1
Mallet 1
Mark 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Ralph 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Towns surname: questions and answers

How common was the Towns surname in 1881?

In 1881, 968 people were recorded with the Towns surname. That placed it at #4,014 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Towns surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,008 in 2016. That gives Towns a modern rank of #5,770.

What does the Towns surname mean?

An English locational surname referring to someone who lived near a village, hamlet, or enclosure.

What does the Towns map show?

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