NameCensus.

UK surname

Trathen

Of Cornish origin denoting someone of Tregerthen, a place name meaning "homestead by the stream".

In the 1881 census there were 82 people recorded with the Trathen surname, ranking it #21,957 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 153, ranked #23,408, down from #21,957 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Illogan, Phillack and Morvah. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Trathen is 166 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 86.6%.

1881 census count

82

Ranked #21,957

Modern count

153

2016, ranked #23,408

Peak year

1901

166 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Trathen had 82 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,957 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 153 in 2016, ranked #23,408.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 166 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Trathen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Trathen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Trathen 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 126 #14,626
1861 historical 105 #20,298
1881 historical 82 #21,957
1891 historical 122 #21,053
1901 historical 166 #17,011
1911 historical 156 #17,421
1997 modern 125 #23,567
1998 modern 139 #22,720
1999 modern 145 #22,305
2000 modern 139 #22,855
2001 modern 143 #22,133
2002 modern 151 #21,809
2003 modern 154 #21,308
2004 modern 151 #21,720
2005 modern 163 #20,627
2006 modern 155 #21,477
2007 modern 154 #21,804
2008 modern 158 #21,690
2009 modern 159 #22,072
2010 modern 155 #22,985
2011 modern 153 #22,996
2012 modern 156 #22,645
2013 modern 164 #22,236
2014 modern 162 #22,624
2015 modern 153 #23,413
2016 modern 153 #23,408

Geography

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Where Trathens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Illogan, Phillack, Morvah, Stoke Climsland and St Blazey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall. 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 Illogan Cornwall
2 Phillack Cornwall
3 Morvah Cornwall
4 Stoke Climsland Cornwall
5 St Blazey Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 057 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 052 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 051 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 071 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 061 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Trathen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Trathen

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Trathen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Trathen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Trathen is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Trathen 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

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

Meaning and origin of Trathen

The surname Trathen is believed to have originated in Cornwall, England during the late medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Cornish place name Trathyn, which may have been derived from the Cornish words "tre" meaning homestead or settlement, and "athen" meaning gorge or ravine.

The earliest known record of the surname dates back to the late 15th century in the parish records of St. Mawgan in Pydar, Cornwall. The name appears in various spellings such as Trathyn, Trethyn, and Trathen in these early records.

In the 16th century, the Trathen surname is found in the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642, which were a series of oaths of allegiance to the Church of England taken during the English Civil War. This suggests that there were Trathen families living in various parts of Cornwall at that time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Trathen surname was John Trathen, born around 1580 in St. Mawgan in Pydar, Cornwall. He was a farmer and is recorded in the parish records as having married Margery Trenhayle in 1604.

Another notable figure with the Trathen surname was Thomas Trathen, born in 1612 in St. Columb Major, Cornwall. He was a merchant and is mentioned in various trade records from the 17th century.

In the 18th century, the Trathen surname appears in the records of the Society of Friends (Quakers) in Cornwall, suggesting that some Trathen families may have been members of this religious group.

One prominent Trathen from this period was William Trathen, born in 1745 in St. Columb Major, Cornwall. He was a respected businessman and landowner, and served as a magistrate in the county.

Another notable figure was John Trathen, born in 1782 in St. Mawgan in Pydar, Cornwall. He was a farmer and is recorded as having owned several acres of land in the parish.

Throughout its history, the Trathen surname has remained primarily concentrated in Cornwall, though some bearers of the name have migrated to other parts of England and beyond over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Trathen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Trathen 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. Cornwall leads with 52 Trathens recorded in 1881 and an index of 57.42x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 52 57.42x
Devon 19 11.41x
Middlesex 11 1.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Climsland in Cornwall leads with 11 Trathens recorded in 1881 and an index of 1896.55x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Climsland 11 1896.55x
Illogan 9 375.00x
Phillack 8 683.76x
Clovelly 7 3181.82x
Fulham London 7 60.34x
St Erth 7 1272.73x
St Blazey 6 750.00x
Redruth 5 195.31x
Buckland Brewer 4 2000.00x
Woolfardisworthy 3 1250.00x
Huntshaw 2 4000.00x
Lezant 2 1000.00x
Madron Penzance 2 60.79x
St Just In Penwith 2 113.64x
St Marylebone London 2 4.68x
Bideford 1 56.18x
Ilfracombe 1 58.48x
Limehouse London 1 11.39x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 7.79x
St Pancras London 1 1.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 9
Mary 5
Catherine 3
Ann 2
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Digory 1
Emily 1
Janie 1
Julia 1
Lina 1
Matilda 1
Rosemond 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Trathen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Trathen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 82 people were recorded with the Trathen surname. That placed it at #21,957 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Trathen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 153 in 2016. That gives Trathen a modern rank of #23,408.

What does the Trathen surname mean?

Of Cornish origin denoting someone of Tregerthen, a place name meaning "homestead by the stream".

What does the Trathen map show?

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