NameCensus.

UK surname

Trevithick

A surname indicating a geographic origin in Cornwall.

In the 1881 census there were 205 people recorded with the Trevithick surname, ranking it #12,643 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 115, ranked #28,348, down from #12,643 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Callington, Illogan and Camborne. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Harborough and North Kesteven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Trevithick is 209 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 43.9%.

1881 census count

205

Ranked #12,643

Modern count

115

2016, ranked #28,348

Peak year

1901

209 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Trevithick had 205 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,643 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016, ranked #28,348.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 209 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Trevithick surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Trevithick surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Trevithick 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 155 #12,604
1861 historical 129 #17,271
1881 historical 205 #12,643
1891 historical 175 #16,467
1901 historical 209 #14,712
1911 historical 207 #14,635
1997 modern 135 #22,499
1998 modern 144 #22,221
1999 modern 146 #22,202
2000 modern 149 #21,874
2001 modern 137 #22,740
2002 modern 138 #23,094
2003 modern 147 #21,977
2004 modern 146 #22,202
2005 modern 122 #24,817
2006 modern 117 #25,695
2007 modern 119 #25,747
2008 modern 123 #25,505
2009 modern 124 #25,957
2010 modern 131 #25,656
2011 modern 124 #26,367
2012 modern 121 #26,829
2013 modern 125 #26,695
2014 modern 120 #27,646
2015 modern 117 #27,982
2016 modern 115 #28,348

Geography

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Where Trevithicks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Callington, Illogan, Camborne, Plymouth St Charles the Martyr and Sithney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Harborough and North Kesteven. 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 Callington Cornwall
2 Illogan Cornwall
3 Camborne Cornwall
4 Plymouth St Charles the Martyr Devon
5 Sithney Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 013 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 068 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 067 Cornwall
4 Harborough 002 Harborough
5 North Kesteven 009 North Kesteven

Forenames

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First names often paired with Trevithick

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Trevithick

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

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Trevithick surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Trevithick household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Trevithick is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Trevithick is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Trevithick

The surname Trevithick is of Cornish origin and derives from the Cornish place name 'Trevythick', which means a 'dwelling place of Vythick'. It is believed that the name originated in the village of Trevithick, near Hayle in Cornwall, England, during the medieval period.

The name Trevithick is thought to have first appeared in written records around the 13th century. One of the earliest documented references to the name is found in the Assize Rolls of Cornwall, dated 1284, which mentions a 'Richard de Trevythek'.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Trevithick began to spread beyond Cornwall, as individuals with this surname migrated to other parts of England. Notable individuals with the surname Trevithick from this period include John Trevithick (c. 1570-1640), a wealthy merchant from Bodmin, Cornwall, and Richard Trevithick (1590-1665), a landowner and member of the gentry from St. Erth, Cornwall.

One of the most famous bearers of the Trevithick surname was Richard Trevithick (1771-1833), a pioneering Cornish engineer and inventor. He is best known for his work on the development of high-pressure steam engines and for building the first successful steam-powered locomotive, which he unveiled in 1804.

Other notable individuals with the surname Trevithick include Francis Trevithick (1812-1877), a Cornish engineer and inventor who worked on improving steam engine technology, and John Trevithick (1815-1894), a Cornish mining engineer and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the development of the Cornish mining industry.

In more recent times, Henry Trevithick (1913-2000) was a British diplomat and author, while Michael Trevithick (born 1939) is a British actor and writer best known for his work in television and film.

The Trevithick surname remains most prevalent in Cornwall and other parts of Southwest England, reflecting its origins in this region. While the name has spread worldwide, particularly to areas with strong Cornish diaspora communities, its roots can be traced back to the medieval Cornish village that gave rise to this distinctive surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Trevithick families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Trevithick 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 144 Trevithicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 63.61x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 144 63.61x
Devon 31 7.45x
Lancashire 11 0.46x
Gloucestershire 9 2.29x
Durham 3 0.50x
Caernarfonshire 2 2.47x
Anglesey 1 2.82x
Kent 1 0.15x
Middlesex 1 0.05x
Northumberland 1 0.34x
Staffordshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sithney in Cornwall leads with 38 Trevithicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 1659.39x.

Place Total Index
Sithney 38 1659.39x
Camborne 21 225.08x
Illogan 16 267.11x
Stoke Damerel 13 44.63x
St Erth 10 729.93x
Tywardreath 10 689.66x
Plymouth Charles The 9 49.07x
Callington 8 606.06x
Lanreath 8 2051.28x
Stapleton 8 107.53x
Bodmin 7 186.67x
St Gluvias Penryn 7 386.74x
Falmouth 5 62.42x
Habergham Eaves 5 23.05x
St Ives 5 112.87x
Burnley 4 20.02x
Bideford 3 67.26x
Gateshead 3 6.74x
Madron Penzance 3 36.45x
Paignton 3 94.64x
Bangor 2 25.64x
Dalton In Furness 2 21.83x
Gerrans 2 327.87x
Helston 2 85.11x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 6.24x
Bexley 1 16.58x
Bromley London 1 2.27x
Caverswall 1 28.49x
Cheltenham 1 3.30x
Cramlington 1 25.45x
Holyhead 1 15.13x
Kenwyn 1 16.89x
St Austell 1 12.92x
St Budeaux 1 76.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 21
John 13
Richard 10
Thomas 8
Henry 6
Joseph 5
Charles 3
James 3
Frederick 2
Fredrick 2
A. 1
Alfred 1
Christopher 1
Danies 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
George 1
Nanny 1
Nehemiah 1
Phillip 1
Rd.H.. 1
Samuel 1
Stephen 1
Truscott 1
Wm.Jno. 1

FAQ

Trevithick surname: questions and answers

How common was the Trevithick surname in 1881?

In 1881, 205 people were recorded with the Trevithick surname. That placed it at #12,643 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Trevithick surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016. That gives Trevithick a modern rank of #28,348.

What does the Trevithick surname mean?

A surname indicating a geographic origin in Cornwall.

What does the Trevithick map show?

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