UK surname
A locational surname referring to a place pathway or roadway.
In the 1881 census there were 128 people recorded with the Tretheway surname, ranking it #17,079 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 23, ranked #36,457, down from #17,079 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Tormoham with Torquay, St Columb Minor and St Austell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tretheway is 161 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 82.0%.
1881 census count
128
Ranked #17,079
Modern count
23
2016, ranked #36,457
Peak year
1861
161 bearers
Map years
3
1861 to 1891
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Tretheway surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Tretheway surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 66 | #21,617 |
| 1861 | historical | 161 | #14,392 |
| 1881 | historical | 128 | #17,079 |
| 1891 | historical | 130 | #20,173 |
| 1901 | historical | 91 | #23,921 |
| 1911 | historical | 59 | #26,914 |
| 1997 | modern | 18 | #36,053 |
| 1998 | modern | 25 | #35,365 |
| 1999 | modern | 25 | #35,413 |
| 2000 | modern | 28 | #35,080 |
| 2001 | modern | 25 | #35,248 |
| 2002 | modern | 26 | #35,338 |
| 2003 | modern | 26 | #35,371 |
| 2004 | modern | 18 | #36,245 |
| 2005 | modern | 19 | #36,247 |
| 2006 | modern | 22 | #36,105 |
| 2007 | modern | 19 | #36,450 |
| 2008 | modern | 18 | #36,607 |
| 2009 | modern | 21 | #36,470 |
| 2010 | modern | 19 | #36,687 |
| 2011 | modern | 22 | #36,430 |
| 2012 | modern | 22 | #36,431 |
| 2013 | modern | 22 | #36,477 |
| 2014 | modern | 22 | #36,496 |
| 2015 | modern | 23 | #36,424 |
| 2016 | modern | 23 | #36,457 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Tormoham with Torquay, St Columb Minor, St Austell, Gwennap and Tavistock. Whitechurch, St Peter Tavy. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tormoham with Torquay | Devon |
| 2 | St Columb Minor | Cornwall |
| 3 | St Austell | Cornwall |
| 4 | Gwennap | Cornwall |
| 5 | Tavistock. Whitechurch, St Peter Tavy | Devon |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Tretheway surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tretheway, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Tretheway surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Tretheway household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Tretheway is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tretheway is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Tretheway, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Tretheway originates from Cornwall, a county in the south-western peninsula of England. The name dates back to the 13th century and is derived from the Cornish words "tre" meaning homestead or settlement, and "hywey" meaning road or path. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, referring to someone who lived near a particular road or path.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tretheway can be found in the Cornish Subsidy Rolls of 1327, where a certain John Tretheway is mentioned. The name also appears in various medieval records and documents from Cornwall, such as the Assize Rolls of the 13th and 14th centuries.
In the 16th century, the name Tretheway was sometimes spelled as "Trethewey" or "Trethewaye." During this period, a notable figure bearing this surname was John Tretheway (c. 1510-1582), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for Tregony, Cornwall.
In the 17th century, the Tretheway family was well-established in various parishes across Cornwall, including St. Mabyn, St. Columb Major, and St. Issey. One prominent individual from this era was Nicholas Tretheway (1638-1688), a Cornish clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
The 18th century saw the migration of some Tretheway families to other parts of Britain and beyond. In 1796, Richard Tretheway (1772-1857) was born in Cornwall and later became a prominent merchant and shipowner in Newfoundland, Canada.
As the 19th century dawned, the Tretheway name continued to be found across Cornwall, as well as in other parts of England and the British Empire. One notable figure from this period was John Tretheway (1819-1899), a Cornish artist and landscape painter who specialized in depicting scenes of rural Cornwall.
Other notable individuals with the surname Tretheway include George Tretheway (1858-1935), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, and Natasha Tretheway (born 1966), an American poet who served as the 19th Poet Laureate of the United States from 2012 to 2014.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tretheway surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Cornwall leads with 62 Tretheways recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.54x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Cornwall | 62 | 42.54x |
| Devon | 45 | 16.79x |
| Lancashire | 6 | 0.39x |
| Lincolnshire | 6 | 2.91x |
| Staffordshire | 4 | 0.92x |
| Middlesex | 3 | 0.23x |
| Royal Navy | 2 | 13.04x |
| Yorkshire | 2 | 0.16x |
| Pembrokeshire | 1 | 2.44x |
| Surrey | 1 | 0.16x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Columb Minor in Cornwall leads with 22 Tretheways recorded in 1881 and an index of 1803.28x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| St Columb Minor | 22 | 1803.28x |
| Plymouth St Andrew | 14 | 67.83x |
| Tavistock | 11 | 360.66x |
| Calstock | 10 | 349.65x |
| Stoke Climsland | 7 | 752.69x |
| Whitchurch | 7 | 1489.36x |
| Blisland | 6 | 2400.00x |
| Dalton In Furness | 6 | 101.69x |
| St Stephen | 6 | 1153.85x |
| Wroot | 6 | 3750.00x |
| St Austell | 5 | 100.40x |
| Tormoham | 5 | 44.09x |
| Gwennap | 4 | 145.45x |
| Stoke Damerel | 4 | 21.32x |
| Stoke Upon Trent | 4 | 8.68x |
| Doncaster | 2 | 21.46x |
| Royal Navy | 2 | 15.26x |
| Westminster St | 2 | 42.11x |
| Croydon | 1 | 2.87x |
| Devonport | 1 | 32.47x |
| Exeter Holy Trinity | 1 | 95.24x |
| Kensington London | 1 | 1.40x |
| Landrake | 1 | 312.50x |
| Pembroke St Mary | 1 | 18.98x |
| Stokenham | 1 | 133.33x |
| Truro St Mary | 1 | 81.97x |
| Wolborough | 1 | 29.50x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Tretheway surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 7 |
| Annie | 4 |
| Elizabeth | 4 |
| Jane | 4 |
| Emma | 3 |
| Ann | 2 |
| Clara | 2 |
| Eliza | 2 |
| Hannah | 2 |
| Maud | 2 |
| Susan | 2 |
| A.M. | 1 |
| Agnes | 1 |
| Alice | 1 |
| Anna | 1 |
| Beatrice | 1 |
| Bessey | 1 |
| Catherine | 1 |
| E. | 1 |
| Elizth.Ann | 1 |
| Ellen | 1 |
| Esther | 1 |
| Fanny | 1 |
| Hester | 1 |
| Honor | 1 |
| James | 1 |
| Janie | 1 |
| Jenefer | 1 |
| Jessie | 1 |
| Laura | 1 |
| Lillion | 1 |
| Louisa | 1 |
| Lucy | 1 |
| Maria | 1 |
| Mercy | 1 |
| Nanny | 1 |
| Nellie | 1 |
| Patience | 1 |
| Returak | 1 |
| Sarah | 1 |
| William | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Tretheway surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Tretheway households.
FAQ
In 1881, 128 people were recorded with the Tretheway surname. That placed it at #17,079 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 23 in 2016. That gives Tretheway a modern rank of #36,457.
A locational surname referring to a place pathway or roadway.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Tretheway bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.