NameCensus.

UK surname

Tudor

A Welsh surname derived from the given name Tewdwr or Tudur, meaning "ruler of the people" or "people's king."

In the 1881 census there were 2,009 people recorded with the Tudor surname, ranking it #2,192 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,756, ranked #1,807, up from #2,192 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Wolverhampton and Tipton otherwise Tibington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Wrexham and Cardiff.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tudor is 3,765 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 87.0%.

1881 census count

2,009

Ranked #2,192

Modern count

3,756

2016, ranked #1,807

Peak year

2015

3,765 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tudor had 2,009 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,192 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,756 in 2016, ranked #1,807.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,957 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tudor surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tudor surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tudor 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 1,209 #2,361
1861 historical 1,147 #2,449
1881 historical 2,009 #2,192
1891 historical 2,161 #2,163
1901 historical 2,669 #2,070
1911 historical 2,957 #1,756
1997 modern 3,404 #1,902
1998 modern 3,539 #1,906
1999 modern 3,564 #1,906
2000 modern 3,592 #1,891
2001 modern 3,537 #1,871
2002 modern 3,593 #1,886
2003 modern 3,491 #1,897
2004 modern 3,550 #1,861
2005 modern 3,487 #1,869
2006 modern 3,451 #1,890
2007 modern 3,507 #1,878
2008 modern 3,567 #1,858
2009 modern 3,685 #1,843
2010 modern 3,759 #1,851
2011 modern 3,737 #1,840
2012 modern 3,656 #1,845
2013 modern 3,712 #1,848
2014 modern 3,750 #1,844
2015 modern 3,765 #1,810
2016 modern 3,756 #1,807

Geography

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Where Tudors are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Wolverhampton, Tipton otherwise Tibington, Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Wrexham and Cardiff. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
3 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
4 Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors Shropshire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 007 Shropshire
2 Wrexham 004 Wrexham
3 Cardiff 039 Cardiff
4 Shropshire 026 Shropshire
5 Shropshire 018 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tudor

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tudor

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Tudor 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

Tudor is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tudor falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Tudor

The surname TUDOR originated in Wales during the 15th century. It is derived from the Welsh word "tewdwr," which means "ruler of the people" or "leader." The name is closely associated with the Tudor dynasty that ruled England from 1485 to 1603.

The earliest recorded instance of the TUDOR surname dates back to the late 14th century in the form of "Theodor," which was a common spelling variation. This was during the reign of King Richard II, who was deposed by Henry Bolingbroke, later known as King Henry IV.

One of the most notable figures bearing the TUDOR name was Owen Tudor, a Welsh courtier who married Catherine of Valois, the widow of King Henry V. Their grandson, Henry Tudor, later became King Henry VII, the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty. He was born in 1457 and reigned from 1485 until his death in 1509.

Another prominent TUDOR figure was King Henry VIII, the son of Henry VII. He ruled England from 1509 to 1547 and is best known for his six marriages, the establishment of the Church of England, and his role in the English Reformation.

The TUDOR surname also appeared in historical records such as the Muster Roll of 1542, which listed several individuals with the name serving in the English army during the reign of Henry VIII.

During the Tudor period, the surname was associated with several place names in Wales, such as Tudur's Court in Pembrokeshire and Penmynydd, the ancestral home of the Tudor family on the island of Anglesey.

Other notable individuals with the TUDOR surname include Sir Owen Tudor (1400-1461), a Welsh courtier and grandfather of King Henry VII; Jasper Tudor (1431-1495), the uncle of King Henry VII and the Duke of Bedford; and Margaret Tudor (1489-1541), the sister of King Henry VIII and Queen of Scotland through her marriage to James IV.

The TUDOR surname has left a lasting legacy, not only in its association with the Tudor dynasty but also in its representation of Welsh heritage and the historical significance of the period in which it rose to prominence.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tudor families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tudor 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. Shropshire leads with 323 Tudors recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.03x.

County Total Index
Shropshire 323 19.03x
Lancashire 232 1.00x
Staffordshire 223 3.36x
Montgomeryshire 168 37.32x
Gloucestershire 152 3.94x
Cheshire 98 2.26x
Flintshire 89 16.85x
Warwickshire 84 1.70x
Denbighshire 69 9.30x
Glamorgan 60 1.75x
Yorkshire 59 0.30x
Middlesex 53 0.27x
Herefordshire 43 5.34x
Surrey 41 0.43x
Pembrokeshire 39 6.25x
Merionethshire 35 9.74x
Kent 22 0.33x
Derbyshire 20 0.65x
Durham 20 0.34x
Sussex 19 0.57x
Nottinghamshire 18 0.68x
Caernarfonshire 14 1.76x
Devon 14 0.34x
Somerset 12 0.38x
Worcestershire 12 0.47x
Monmouthshire 11 0.77x
Carmarthenshire 10 1.21x
Brecknockshire 9 2.29x
Wiltshire 8 0.46x
Dorset 7 0.54x
Essex 7 0.18x
Lincolnshire 7 0.22x
Berkshire 6 0.41x
Hertfordshire 4 0.30x
Leicestershire 4 0.18x
Lanarkshire 3 0.05x
Northumberland 3 0.10x
Oxfordshire 3 0.25x
Channel Islands 2 0.34x
Cumberland 2 0.12x
Radnorshire 2 1.26x
Royal Navy 2 0.85x
Bedfordshire 1 0.10x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.08x
Hampshire 1 0.02x
Midlothian 1 0.04x
Westmorland 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tipton in Staffordshire leads with 51 Tudors recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.11x.

Place Total Index
Tipton 51 25.11x
Liverpool 48 3.39x
Oswestry Rural 48 184.54x
Hope 40 152.26x
Aston 38 2.79x
Stoke Upon Trent 34 4.83x
Birmingham 33 2.00x
Newtown 33 114.62x
Burslem 31 16.32x
Wellington 29 30.40x
Ruabon 22 21.56x
Slimbridge 22 383.28x
Dawley 19 30.76x
Tranmere 19 11.92x
Wolverhampton 19 3.73x
Ercall Magna 18 148.15x
Weston In Runcorn 18 159.72x
Tryddyn 17 148.21x
West Derby 17 2.49x
Llanwnog Surnant 16 680.85x
Meifod 16 149.67x
Westoe 16 4.83x
Aberdare 15 6.39x
Brightside Bierlow 15 3.93x
Hawarden 15 36.15x
Kirkdale 15 3.82x
Trawsfynydd 15 115.47x
Brighton 14 2.10x
Everton 14 1.88x
Kerry 14 103.40x
Stanton Upon Hine Heath 14 312.50x
Gresford Gwersyllt 13 56.47x
Llangollen Cysyllte 13 268.60x
Wednesfield 13 13.32x
Bradford 12 11.00x
Wolstanton 12 5.96x
Almondsbury 11 74.78x
Battersea 11 1.52x
Berkeley Ham Stone 11 625.00x
Deptford St Paul 11 2.13x
Eastington 11 86.21x
Ellesmere 11 37.75x
Littleton On Severn 11 820.90x
Llanfair Caereinion 11 71.57x
Meole Brace 11 125.14x
Salford 11 1.60x
Shawbury 11 168.71x
Ystradyfodwg 11 3.67x
Alsager 10 92.68x
Broughton In Salford 10 4.69x
Ecclesall Bierlow 10 2.53x
Garston 10 14.53x
Marden 10 176.68x
Oswestry Town 10 18.40x
Tettenhall 10 24.66x
Camberwell 9 0.72x
Clun 9 74.69x
Llanglydwen 9 450.00x
Nottingham St Mary 9 1.31x
St Davids 9 63.69x
Brecknock St John 8 24.15x
Great Bolton 8 2.59x
Llanwrin 8 174.67x
Lydney 8 40.22x
Manerdivy 8 157.17x
Pickton 8 1066.67x
Tref Eglwys 8 65.15x
Wandsworth 8 4.23x
Waters Upton 8 610.69x
Basford 7 5.74x
Blackburn 7 1.13x
Great Wyrley 7 97.22x
Henbury 7 37.23x
Hereford St Owen 7 26.32x
Llanengan 7 73.30x
Manafon 7 165.88x
Middlesbrough 7 2.76x
Olveston 7 64.64x
Paddington London 7 0.97x
St George Hanover 7 2.73x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 162
Sarah 91
Elizabeth 87
Ann 52
Jane 47
Emma 34
Margaret 27
Hannah 26
Eliza 25
Annie 22
Alice 19
Catherine 19
Martha 19
Ellen 18
Harriet 17
Anne 16
Emily 13
Edith 10
Esther 9
Fanny 8
Caroline 7
Elizth. 7
Frances 7
Louisa 7
Rose 7
Ada 6
Agnes 6
Lucy 6
Susan 6
Susannah 6
Amelia 5
Anna 5
Gertrude 5
Isabella 5
Maria 5
Minnie 5
Betsy 4
Eleanor 4
Florence 4
Kate 4
Phebe 4
Phoebe 4
Ruth 4
Beatrice 3
Clara 3
Julia 3
Leah 3
Margret 3
Maud 3
Rachel 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 147
John 136
Thomas 109
Henry 57
Edward 54
George 51
James 38
Joseph 35
Samuel 32
Richard 27
David 23
Charles 21
Robert 20
Arthur 14
Frederick 13
Albert 12
Owen 12
Hugh 11
Walter 11
Alfred 9
Harry 9
Thos. 9
Edwin 8
Evan 7
Abraham 6
Humphrey 6
Francis 5
Herbert 5
Wm. 5
Benjamin 4
Daniel 4
Frank 4
Ezekiel 3
Geo. 3
Edw. 2
Griffith 2
Hartley 2
Jno. 2
Jonas 2
Lloyd 2
Mathew 2
Morris 2
Philip 2
Price 2
Richd. 2
Saml. 2
Timothy 2
Willm. 2
Cain 1
Edmund 1

FAQ

Tudor surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tudor surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,009 people were recorded with the Tudor surname. That placed it at #2,192 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tudor surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,756 in 2016. That gives Tudor a modern rank of #1,807.

What does the Tudor surname mean?

A Welsh surname derived from the given name Tewdwr or Tudur, meaning "ruler of the people" or "people's king."

What does the Tudor map show?

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