NameCensus.

UK surname

Toyer

A surname potentially derived from the Old French "toier" meaning to tease or toy.

In the 1881 census there were 198 people recorded with the Toyer surname, ranking it #12,922 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 217, ranked #18,535, down from #12,922 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lilley, Tormoham with Torquay and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Luton, Central Bedfordshire and Wellingborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Toyer is 478 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9.6%.

1881 census count

198

Ranked #12,922

Modern count

217

2016, ranked #18,535

Peak year

1891

478 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Toyer had 198 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,922 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 217 in 2016, ranked #18,535.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 478 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Toyer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Toyer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Toyer 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 112 #15,913
1861 historical 309 #8,207
1881 historical 198 #12,922
1891 historical 478 #7,694
1901 historical 311 #11,363
1911 historical 419 #8,985
1997 modern 246 #15,445
1998 modern 242 #16,037
1999 modern 243 #16,094
2000 modern 237 #16,331
2001 modern 231 #16,365
2002 modern 232 #16,637
2003 modern 236 #16,236
2004 modern 235 #16,379
2005 modern 229 #16,631
2006 modern 231 #16,636
2007 modern 234 #16,706
2008 modern 237 #16,688
2009 modern 242 #16,789
2010 modern 244 #17,056
2011 modern 239 #17,138
2012 modern 226 #17,679
2013 modern 230 #17,756
2014 modern 227 #18,029
2015 modern 221 #18,289
2016 modern 217 #18,535

Geography

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Where Toyers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lilley, Tormoham with Torquay, London parishes and Dunstable. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Luton, Central Bedfordshire and Wellingborough. 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 Lilley Hertfordshire
2 Tormoham with Torquay Devon
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Dunstable Bedfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Luton 008 Luton
2 Luton 006 Luton
3 Central Bedfordshire 011 Central Bedfordshire
4 Central Bedfordshire 018 Central Bedfordshire
5 Wellingborough 010 Wellingborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Toyer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Toyer

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Toyer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Toyer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Toyer 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

Toyer is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Toyer

The surname "TOYER" is of Old French origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the word "touier," which means "to twist" or "to turn." The name is thought to have originally referred to a maker or worker of rope, twine, or textiles.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname "TOYER" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where it appears as "Toier." This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms such as "Toyere," "Toyhare," and "Toyhure" in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire and the Feet of Fines of Essex. These variations indicate the name's evolution and its spread across different regions of England.

During the 14th century, the surname "TOYER" is documented in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where it is recorded as "Toyer." This suggests that the name had become more standardized by this point.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname "TOYER" was John Toyer (c. 1555-1623), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford, from 1618 until his death in 1623.

Another individual of note was Richard Toyer (c. 1590-1658), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis in the English Parliament during the 17th century.

In the 18th century, the surname "TOYER" is recorded in the parish registers of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, where a William Toyer was baptized in 1714.

During the 19th century, the name appears in various records, including the birth, marriage, and death registers of England and Wales. For example, a John Toyer was born in Walcot, Somerset, in 1813, and a Mary Toyer married William Gooch in Ipswich, Suffolk, in 1842.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "TOYER" can be found in the 1790 census, where it appears in Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Throughout history, the surname "TOYER" has been associated with various occupations, including rope-makers, textile workers, and clergymen, reflecting its origins and meaning.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Toyer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Toyer 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. Bedfordshire leads with 116 Toyers recorded in 1881 and an index of 116.00x.

County Total Index
Bedfordshire 116 116.00x
Hertfordshire 26 19.53x
Devon 13 3.23x
Middlesex 10 0.52x
Somerset 7 2.25x
Northamptonshire 5 2.75x
Staffordshire 5 0.77x
Lancashire 4 0.17x
Northumberland 2 0.70x
Sussex 2 0.61x
Yorkshire 2 0.10x
Angus 1 0.56x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.86x
Carmarthenshire 1 1.23x
Cheshire 1 0.23x
Leicestershire 1 0.47x
Midlothian 1 0.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Luton in Bedfordshire leads with 92 Toyers recorded in 1881 and an index of 531.48x.

Place Total Index
Luton 92 531.48x
Caddington 19 1301.37x
Offley 12 1379.31x
Wheathampstead 9 584.42x
Blackawton 8 1142.86x
Leighton Buzzard 5 116.28x
Taunton St James 5 110.38x
Wellingborough 5 54.76x
Bromley London 4 9.41x
High Offley 4 740.74x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 12.92x
St Albans St Peter 3 66.82x
Bedminster 2 6.85x
Harpenden 2 98.52x
Holy Trinity 2 4.35x
Manchester 2 1.94x
Broomhaugh 1 666.67x
Chelsea London 1 1.72x
Eastbourne 1 6.68x
Glenisla 1 192.31x
Hammersmith London 1 2.10x
Hastings St Mary 1 12.35x
Haydon 1 63.69x
Islington London 1 0.53x
Linslade 1 87.72x
Liverpool 1 0.72x
Llandingat 1 54.05x
Newton 1 114.94x
North Meols 1 4.46x
Paddington London 1 1.41x
Prestwold 1 1666.67x
St Faith Under St 1 909.09x
St George Bloomsbury 1 9.03x
Stone 1 11.99x
Totnes 1 42.55x
Tranmere 1 6.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Ellen 9
Sarah 8
Elizabeth 7
Annie 5
Emma 5
Eliza 4
Ann 3
Emily 3
Martha 3
Alice 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Ester 2
Frances 2
Henrietta 2
Jane 2
Minnie 2
Rose 2
Ada 1
Amelia 1
Blanche 1
Cecilia 1
Charlotte 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Hathe 1
Isabel 1
Lizzie 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
Maryann 1
Milly 1
Nellie 1
Roaseatt 1
Sophia 1
Sybella 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 14
John 9
George 7
Alfred 6
Charles 6
James 5
Joseph 5
Albert 3
Arthur 3
Edwin 3
Frederick 3
Harry 3
Samuel 3
Thomas 3
Walter 3
Amos 2
David 2
Ernest 2
Herbert 2
Matthew 2
Arther 1
Bertie 1
Cyril 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1
Elizabeth 1
Fredick. 1
Fredk. 1
Horace 1
Jonah 1
Percival 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1

FAQ

Toyer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Toyer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 198 people were recorded with the Toyer surname. That placed it at #12,922 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Toyer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 217 in 2016. That gives Toyer a modern rank of #18,535.

What does the Toyer surname mean?

A surname potentially derived from the Old French "toier" meaning to tease or toy.

What does the Toyer map show?

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