NameCensus.

UK surname

Tree

An English surname derived from the tree known as a lime or linden.

In the 1881 census there were 703 people recorded with the Tree surname, ranking it #5,173 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 872, ranked #6,447, down from #5,173 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Brighton and Maidstone, Linton, Loddington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mid Devon, Thurrock and Medway.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tree is 978 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.0%.

1881 census count

703

Ranked #5,173

Modern count

872

2016, ranked #6,447

Peak year

1911

978 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tree had 703 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,173 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 872 in 2016, ranked #6,447.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 978 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Tree surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tree surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Tree 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 462 #5,372
1861 historical 485 #5,385
1881 historical 703 #5,173
1891 historical 694 #5,646
1901 historical 805 #5,605
1911 historical 978 #4,624
1997 modern 858 #6,191
1998 modern 907 #6,122
1999 modern 914 #6,128
2000 modern 879 #6,283
2001 modern 858 #6,293
2002 modern 871 #6,349
2003 modern 851 #6,343
2004 modern 850 #6,353
2005 modern 844 #6,340
2006 modern 841 #6,370
2007 modern 840 #6,436
2008 modern 839 #6,501
2009 modern 875 #6,413
2010 modern 869 #6,577
2011 modern 862 #6,542
2012 modern 836 #6,613
2013 modern 859 #6,577
2014 modern 888 #6,448
2015 modern 879 #6,423
2016 modern 872 #6,447

Geography

Back to top

Where Trees are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Brighton and Maidstone, Linton, Loddington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mid Devon, Thurrock, Medway, Pembrokeshire and Maidstone. 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 Brighton Sussex
4 Maidstone, Linton, Loddington Kent
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mid Devon 008 Mid Devon
2 Thurrock 005 Thurrock
3 Medway 020 Medway
4 Pembrokeshire 001 Pembrokeshire
5 Maidstone 007 Maidstone

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Tree

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Tree

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

Baseline UK

Group

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Tree surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Tree household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Tree 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

Tree is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tree falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Tree

The surname Tree originated in England during the late Middle Ages. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "treow," which means "tree" or "wood." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent tree or in a wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tree appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mentions a John atte Tree. This early spelling, "atte Tree," suggests that the name initially referred to someone living near a specific tree or group of trees.

In the 14th century, the name also appears in various forms, such as "Attree" and "Atree," further indicating its origins as a descriptive surname based on location or proximity to a tree or wooded area.

The surname Tree can be found in several historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a landowner named Robertus de Treew in Gloucestershire. This early spelling variation, "Treew," reinforces the connection to the Old English word "treow."

Notable individuals with the surname Tree throughout history include:

1. John Tree (c. 1540-1616), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for Evesham in 1586. 2. Sir Lambert Tree (1596-1661), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Wycombe during the English Civil War. 3. Mary Tree (1768-1852), an English Quaker minister and diarist who documented her travels and religious experiences. 4. Walter Tree (1858-1931), an English actor and theatre manager who co-founded the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. 5. Michael Tree (1934-2018), an American violist and founding member of the Guarneri Quartet, one of the most acclaimed string quartets of the 20th century.

The surname Tree has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Treeton in South Yorkshire and Treehill in Staffordshire, further reinforcing its geographical and descriptive origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Tree families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tree 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. Kent leads with 159 Trees recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.83x.

County Total Index
Kent 159 6.83x
Middlesex 153 2.24x
Sussex 133 11.57x
Surrey 96 2.89x
Yorkshire 41 0.61x
Devon 34 2.40x
Derbyshire 10 0.94x
Leicestershire 10 1.32x
Warwickshire 9 0.52x
Cornwall 8 1.04x
Bedfordshire 7 1.98x
Somerset 6 0.55x
Northumberland 5 0.49x
Worcestershire 5 0.56x
Gloucestershire 4 0.30x
Hampshire 4 0.29x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.73x
Essex 3 0.22x
Dorset 2 0.45x
Royal Navy 2 2.46x
Berkshire 1 0.20x
Channel Islands 1 0.49x
Glamorgan 1 0.08x
Lancashire 1 0.01x
Norfolk 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 44 Trees recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.97x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 44 18.97x
Newington 19 7.54x
Battersea 18 7.17x
Hastings St Mary 18 62.92x
Islington London 18 2.72x
Camberwell 17 3.90x
St Pancras London 17 3.10x
Chatham 14 21.88x
East Farleigh 14 358.97x
Kensington London 14 3.69x
Minster In Sheppey 14 36.33x
Horsham 13 58.22x
Pulborough 12 284.36x
Thorverton 12 555.56x
Leicester St Margaret 10 5.42x
St George Martyr 10 87.03x
Birmingham 9 1.57x
Chart Sutton 9 559.01x
Denton In North 9 1764.71x
Frindsbury 9 102.62x
Greenwich 9 8.29x
Rotherhithe 9 10.68x
St George In East 9 19.40x
St Marylebone London 9 2.47x
Bermondsey 8 3.94x
Calstock 8 52.84x
Chesterfield 8 19.99x
Croydon 8 4.34x
Leeds 8 2.10x
Limehouse London 8 10.69x
Portslade 8 113.80x
Scarborough 8 13.03x
Sittingbourne 8 43.55x
Boughton Monchelsea 7 272.37x
Goole 7 61.84x
Hammersmith London 7 4.17x
Newhaven 7 74.95x
Shillington 7 134.62x
Thornham 7 463.58x
Clerkenwell London 6 3.73x
Fulham London 6 6.07x
Maidstone 6 8.66x
Snaith Cowick 6 148.51x
Southwark St George Martyr 6 4.37x
Ulcombe 6 392.16x
High Littleton 5 276.24x
Newenden 5 1428.57x
Ruckinge 5 543.48x
Sowton 5 526.32x
Worcester St John 5 47.04x
Aylesford 4 62.02x
Hackney London 4 1.05x
Hove 4 7.93x
Margate St John Baptist 4 9.39x
Norton Folgate London 4 179.37x
Paddington London 4 1.60x
Pegswood 4 175.44x
Southwark St John 4 19.18x
Spitalfields London 4 7.80x
Westminster St John 4 4.82x
Bearsted 3 214.29x
Borden 3 101.69x
Bow London 3 3.46x
Deptford St Paul 3 1.67x
Exeter Heavitree 3 28.36x
Exeter St David 3 24.73x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 3 12.26x
Hastings Holy Trinity 3 35.42x
Hastings St Clement 3 27.73x
Littleham 3 28.90x
Ockham 3 234.38x
Petworth 3 43.67x
Shoreditch London 3 1.02x
Southwark St Saviour 3 8.56x
St Anne Soho London 3 7.70x
Tenterden 3 36.59x
Topsham 3 44.78x
Tottenham 3 2.76x
Wapping London 3 57.58x
West Grinstead 3 86.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 40
William 36
George 30
Thomas 25
James 23
Alfred 19
Charles 14
Edward 14
Frederick 10
Richard 9
Henry 8
Albert 6
Arthur 6
Stephen 6
Harry 4
Samuel 4
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Joseph 3
Philip 3
Benjamin 2
Chas.J. 2
Christopher 2
Edwin 2
Fredk. 2
Fredrick 2
Horace 2
Robert 2
Augustus 1
Bertram 1
Ceplias 1
Chas.G. 1
Ephraim 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Gus 1
Jesse 1
Joshua 1
Josias 1
Josph.Edgar 1
Lenard 1
Louis 1
Mathew 1
Maurice 1
Moses 1
Napoleon 1
Nelson 1
Owen 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Tree surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tree surname in 1881?

In 1881, 703 people were recorded with the Tree surname. That placed it at #5,173 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tree surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 872 in 2016. That gives Tree a modern rank of #6,447.

What does the Tree surname mean?

An English surname derived from the tree known as a lime or linden.

What does the Tree map show?

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