NameCensus.

UK surname

Townshend

A locational surname referring to someone from a town of that name.

In the 1881 census there were 917 people recorded with the Townshend surname, ranking it #4,177 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 919, ranked #6,208, down from #4,177 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Warwickshire, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Sunderland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Townshend is 1,056 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.2%.

1881 census count

917

Ranked #4,177

Modern count

919

2016, ranked #6,208

Peak year

1901

1,056 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Townshend had 917 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,177 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 919 in 2016, ranked #6,208.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,056 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Townshend surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Townshend surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Townshend 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 666 #3,899
1861 historical 428 #6,002
1881 historical 917 #4,177
1891 historical 702 #5,586
1901 historical 1,056 #4,551
1911 historical 822 #5,359
1997 modern 888 #6,026
1998 modern 961 #5,854
1999 modern 971 #5,840
2000 modern 967 #5,848
2001 modern 941 #5,865
2002 modern 981 #5,789
2003 modern 955 #5,813
2004 modern 928 #5,936
2005 modern 898 #6,042
2006 modern 907 #6,010
2007 modern 899 #6,091
2008 modern 879 #6,248
2009 modern 889 #6,327
2010 modern 914 #6,316
2011 modern 925 #6,194
2012 modern 905 #6,226
2013 modern 918 #6,254
2014 modern 942 #6,165
2015 modern 923 #6,210
2016 modern 919 #6,208

Geography

Back to top

Where Townshends are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Warwickshire, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Sunderland, Hilltown and Babergh. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a Norfolk
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Warwickshire 006 North Warwickshire
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 002 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 Sunderland 027 Sunderland
4 Hilltown Dundee City
5 Babergh 009 Babergh

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Townshend

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Townshend

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Townshend is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Townshend 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

Townshend falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Townshend

The surname Townshend originated in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "tun," meaning a town or village, and "shend," meaning to disgrace or bring shame upon. The name may have been given to someone who had brought disgrace upon their town or village.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Townshend can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Touneshende" in this historical record.

In the 13th century, the surname Townshend was also associated with various place names in England, such as Townshend in Devon and Townshend in Norfolk. The spelling of the name varied during this time, with variations like "Tounesend," "Tunneshende," and "Tunshende" being documented.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Townshend was Sir Roger Townshend (c. 1235-1310), who served as a knight and landowner in Norfolk, England. Another notable figure was Sir John Townshend (c. 1350-1409), a member of the English Parliament and Chief Justice of the King's Bench.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Townshend family played a significant role in English politics and society. Sir Robert Townshend (1543-1621) was a prominent Member of Parliament and landowner, while Aurelian Townshend (1583-1643) served as a Puritan clergyman and poet.

The Townshend family continued to gain prominence in the 18th century, with Charles Townshend (1725-1767) serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer and introducing the famous Townshend Acts, which imposed taxes on the American colonies and contributed to the tensions leading up to the American Revolution.

Other notable individuals with the surname Townshend include George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend (1724-1807), a British field marshal who served in the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War, and Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend (1674-1738), a British politician and Secretary of State for the Northern Department.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Townshend families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Townshend 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. Middlesex leads with 155 Townshends recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.73x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 155 1.73x
Norfolk 133 9.64x
Sussex 82 5.42x
Lancashire 77 0.72x
Surrey 54 1.23x
Gloucestershire 37 2.10x
Worcestershire 35 2.99x
Warwickshire 33 1.46x
Staffordshire 32 1.06x
Hampshire 29 1.58x
Nottinghamshire 26 2.15x
Essex 20 1.13x
Berkshire 19 2.82x
Kent 18 0.59x
Huntingdonshire 17 9.54x
Devon 15 0.80x
Leicestershire 14 1.41x
Rutland 10 15.18x
Cheshire 9 0.45x
Denbighshire 9 2.65x
Northamptonshire 9 1.07x
Herefordshire 7 1.90x
Hertfordshire 7 1.13x
Monmouthshire 7 1.08x
Northumberland 7 0.52x
Shropshire 7 0.90x
Yorkshire 7 0.08x
Channel Islands 5 1.88x
Suffolk 5 0.46x
Derbyshire 4 0.28x
Morayshire 4 2.87x
Flintshire 3 1.24x
Glamorgan 3 0.19x
Lincolnshire 3 0.21x
Somerset 3 0.21x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.55x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.83x
Lanarkshire 2 0.07x
Oxfordshire 2 0.36x
Wiltshire 2 0.25x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.12x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.18x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.18x
Durham 1 0.04x
Fife 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 17 Townshends recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.36x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 17 4.36x
St Marylebone London 17 3.55x
Brighton 16 5.24x
Ramsey 16 112.12x
Heigham 15 20.25x
Battersea 14 4.24x
Kings Norton 13 12.37x
Birmingham 12 1.59x
Charterhouse London 12 283.02x
Hastings St Leonards 12 53.96x
Hempnall 12 442.80x
Rainford 12 104.17x
Ripe 12 1000.00x
Sedgley 12 10.66x
West Derby 12 3.85x
Bow London 11 9.63x
Cheltenham 11 8.10x
Dudley 11 7.72x
Lambeth 11 1.41x
Norwich St Peter Hungate 11 924.37x
Norwich St Saviour 11 227.27x
Winchcomb 11 126.00x
Fittleworth 10 467.29x
Liverpool 10 1.55x
Uppingham 10 127.23x
Westwick 10 1785.71x
East Chiltington 9 708.66x
Islington London 9 1.03x
Newark Upon Trent 9 20.70x
Nottingham St Mary 9 2.88x
Woodcott 9 3913.04x
Fulham London 8 6.15x
Paddington London 8 2.42x
Portsea 8 2.22x
Preston 8 30.28x
St George Hanover 8 6.83x
Tottenham 8 5.60x
Warfield 8 130.72x
Westham 8 259.74x
Whatton 8 919.54x
Wonersh 8 146.52x
Aston 7 1.12x
Barton Upon Irwell 7 8.73x
Bridgnorth St Leonard 7 79.64x
Bromley London 7 3.55x
Charlton Next Woolwich 7 21.92x
Garthorpe 7 1891.89x
Great Bircham 7 492.96x
Hackney London 7 1.39x
Kirkdale 7 3.91x
Little Dewchurch 7 693.07x
Norwich St Gregory 7 289.26x
Shalbourn 7 276.68x
South Benfleet 7 334.93x
Sutton 7 22.12x
Tynemouth 7 9.79x
Yelvertoft 7 451.61x
Bromsgrove 6 15.21x
Camberwell 6 1.05x
Chorlton On Medlock 6 3.55x
East Ham 6 18.25x
Great Crosby 6 20.67x
Gresford 6 186.34x
Hampstead London 6 4.29x
Nantwich 6 26.06x
Norwich St Benedict 6 97.56x
Norwich St Martin At Oak 6 71.51x
Shoreditch London 6 1.54x
St Pancras London 6 0.83x
Stoke Damerel 6 4.59x
Berkswich 5 270.27x
Harbrough Magna 5 476.19x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 5 55.87x
St Gilesin Fields 5 95.60x
St Peter Port 5 10.16x
Upper Slaughter 5 625.00x
Walsall Foreign 5 3.20x
Churchover 4 404.04x
Hewelsfield 4 325.20x
Kilnwick Percy 4 1111.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 61
Sarah 32
Elizabeth 31
Alice 18
Eliza 17
Emily 17
Jane 16
Ann 14
Annie 14
Emma 11
Ellen 9
Louisa 9
Edith 8
Fanny 7
Harriet 7
Martha 7
Susan 7
Ada 6
Anne 6
Laura 6
Frances 5
Kate 5
Lucy 5
Bessie 4
Caroline 4
Catherine 4
Eleanor 4
Elizth. 4
Florence 4
Hannah 4
Harriett 4
Jessie 4
Margaret 4
Minnie 4
Rebecca 4
Rosa 4
Amy 3
Bertha 3
Clara 3
Maria 3
Rose 3
Sophia 3
Agnes 2
Gertrude 2
Helen 2
Henrietta 2
Margaretta 2
Maud 2
Mildred 2
Rachel 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 64
John 46
George 35
Thomas 27
Charles 22
James 21
Henry 19
Edward 15
Alfred 12
Arthur 12
Samuel 12
Walter 12
Robert 9
Harry 7
Herbert 7
Joseph 6
Wm. 6
Benjamin 5
David 5
Frank 5
Frederick 4
Richard 4
Thos. 4
Albert 3
Ambrose 3
Edwin 3
Francis 3
Amos 2
Chas. 2
Edmund 2
Elias 2
Fred 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
H. 2
Jeremiah 2
Mark 2
Percy 2
Ralph 2
Andrew 1
Anne 1
Cecil 1
Chas.Kere 1
Edgar 1
Edger 1
Eli 1
F. 1
Jas. 1
Jesse 1
Wm.Watson 1

FAQ

Townshend surname: questions and answers

How common was the Townshend surname in 1881?

In 1881, 917 people were recorded with the Townshend surname. That placed it at #4,177 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Townshend surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 919 in 2016. That gives Townshend a modern rank of #6,208.

What does the Townshend surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a town of that name.

What does the Townshend map show?

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