NameCensus.

UK surname

Tress

An occupational surname derived from the Middle English "tresse," meaning a braid or tressed hair.

In the 1881 census there were 77 people recorded with the Tress surname, ranking it #22,617 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 100, ranked #31,123, down from #22,617 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Paddington, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swale, St. Helens and Elmbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tress is 122 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.9%.

1881 census count

77

Ranked #22,617

Modern count

100

2016, ranked #31,123

Peak year

1997

122 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tress had 77 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,617 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 100 in 2016, ranked #31,123.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 103 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Tress surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tress surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tress 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 78 #19,840
1861 historical 61 #26,170
1881 historical 77 #22,617
1891 historical 100 #24,045
1901 historical 95 #23,462
1911 historical 103 #22,328
1997 modern 122 #23,917
1998 modern 115 #25,466
1999 modern 115 #25,620
2000 modern 110 #26,248
2001 modern 110 #25,900
2002 modern 114 #25,886
2003 modern 113 #25,797
2004 modern 111 #26,293
2005 modern 109 #26,583
2006 modern 106 #27,332
2007 modern 102 #28,351
2008 modern 107 #27,844
2009 modern 107 #28,483
2010 modern 114 #28,017
2011 modern 113 #27,967
2012 modern 109 #28,689
2013 modern 101 #30,591
2014 modern 102 #30,714
2015 modern 105 #30,092
2016 modern 100 #31,123

Geography

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Where Tress' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Paddington, London parishes, Manchester, St Marylebone and Milton next Sittingbourne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swale, St. Helens, Elmbridge and The Shore and Constitution Street. 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 Paddington London (West Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Milton next Sittingbourne Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swale 008 Swale
2 St. Helens 004 St. Helens
3 Swale 005 Swale
4 Elmbridge 002 Elmbridge
5 The Shore and Constitution Street City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tress

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tress

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tress, 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 Tress surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Tress 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Tress 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

Tress is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tress falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tress is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Tress, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Tress

The surname Tress is believed to have originated in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "tresse," which means "a braid or plait of hair." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who worked as a hair braider or wig maker.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Tress can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, England, from 1296. This document lists a person named John Tress as a resident of the county. Additionally, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 mention a John Tresse, indicating that variations in spelling were common during that time period.

In the 14th century, the name Tress appeared in several historical records, including the Poll Tax of Yorkshire in 1379, which listed a Thomas Tress. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332 also mentioned a Robert Tresse, suggesting a possible connection to the nearby village of Tress, located in Yorkshire.

Notable individuals with the surname Tress throughout history include:

1. William Tress (1567-1638), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Rector of Bemerton, Wiltshire. 2. Arthur Tress (born 1940), an American photographer known for his surreal and dreamlike images. 3. Johann Georg Tress (1738-1810), a German painter and engraver who specialized in portraiture and religious scenes. 4. John Tress (1829-1904), a British businessman and philanthropist who established the Tress Memorial Homes for the elderly in Northamptonshire. 5. Emily Tress (1851-1923), an American author and journalist who wrote extensively about women's rights and social issues in the late 19th century.

While the surname Tress has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, with notable bearers of the name found in countries such as the United States, Germany, and Australia. However, the earliest recorded instances and historical references to the name can be traced back to its English origins in the Middle Ages.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tress families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tress 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 21 Tress' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.19x.

County Total Index
Kent 21 8.19x
Middlesex 15 2.00x
Lancashire 12 1.35x
Surrey 11 3.01x
Durham 6 2.69x
Staffordshire 4 1.58x
Essex 2 1.35x
Midlothian 2 1.99x
Yorkshire 2 0.27x
Berkshire 1 1.77x
Warwickshire 1 0.53x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lower Halstow in Kent leads with 16 Tress' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8421.05x.

Place Total Index
Lower Halstow 16 8421.05x
Islington London 8 10.99x
Manchester 8 19.96x
Clapham 7 74.55x
Westoe 6 47.36x
Oldham 4 13.90x
Wolverhampton 4 20.52x
St Marylebone London 3 7.48x
Upchurch 3 1034.48x
Edinburgh St Andrews 2 240.96x
Putney 2 58.48x
Barking 1 23.04x
Birmingham 1 1.58x
Clerkenwell London 1 5.64x
Fryerning 1 555.56x
Gillingham 1 18.94x
Ilkley 1 81.97x
Lambeth 1 1.53x
Leeds 1 2.38x
Newington 1 3.60x
Ratcliffe London 1 24.10x
Reading St Lawrence 1 82.64x
Shorne 1 434.78x
St Anne Soho London 1 23.31x
St George Hanover 1 10.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 3
Harriet 3
Sarah 3
Florence 2
Jane 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Mary 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Augusta 1
Caroline 1
Charlott 1
Clara 1
Cora 1
Edith 1
Elega 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Hannah 1
Julietta 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Marianna 1
Maud 1
Olive 1
Priscilla 1
Rosa 1
Stella 1

Top male names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Tress households.

FAQ

Tress surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tress surname in 1881?

In 1881, 77 people were recorded with the Tress surname. That placed it at #22,617 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tress surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 100 in 2016. That gives Tress a modern rank of #31,123.

What does the Tress surname mean?

An occupational surname derived from the Middle English "tresse," meaning a braid or tressed hair.

What does the Tress map show?

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