NameCensus.

UK surname

Tulley

A surname derived from an English place name containing the Middle English elements "tul" meaning tax or toll.

In the 1881 census there were 619 people recorded with the Tulley surname, ranking it #5,695 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 605, ranked #8,661, down from #5,695 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bolney, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Gateshead and Nottingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tulley is 646 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.3%.

1881 census count

619

Ranked #5,695

Modern count

605

2016, ranked #8,661

Peak year

2011

646 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tulley had 619 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,695 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 605 in 2016, ranked #8,661.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 631 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tulley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tulley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tulley 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 279 #8,067
1861 historical 358 #7,132
1881 historical 619 #5,695
1891 historical 506 #7,356
1901 historical 627 #6,833
1911 historical 631 #6,581
1997 modern 621 #7,952
1998 modern 641 #7,986
1999 modern 644 #8,021
2000 modern 644 #7,990
2001 modern 622 #8,062
2002 modern 623 #8,228
2003 modern 616 #8,159
2004 modern 616 #8,192
2005 modern 605 #8,227
2006 modern 595 #8,335
2007 modern 596 #8,397
2008 modern 618 #8,219
2009 modern 626 #8,316
2010 modern 641 #8,336
2011 modern 646 #8,196
2012 modern 603 #8,573
2013 modern 607 #8,662
2014 modern 606 #8,743
2015 modern 602 #8,712
2016 modern 605 #8,661

Geography

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Where Tulleys are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Gateshead, Nottingham and Swindon. 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 Bolney Sussex
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Brighton Sussex
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 044 Wakefield
2 Wakefield 043 Wakefield
3 Gateshead 004 Gateshead
4 Nottingham 024 Nottingham
5 Swindon 022 Swindon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tulley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tulley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tulley, 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 Tulley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Tulley 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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Tulley 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

Tulley 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

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

Meaning and origin of Tulley

The surname Tulley is believed to have originated in England, first appearing in records from the 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words 'tull' or 'toll,' meaning a tax or payment, suggesting the name may have referred to an occupation or a place associated with taxation or tolls.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which lists a Richard Tolle in Oxfordshire. The spelling 'Tulley' was commonly used in later centuries, and variants such as Tolley, Tolly, and Tullie were also found.

The surname Tulley appears to have been particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire during the medieval period. Some early bearers of the name were recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire, which date back to the 13th century.

In the 16th century, the Tulley surname can be found in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of 1524, which mention a John Tulley in Warwickshire. The Visitation of Worcestershire in 1569 also documents a family bearing the Tulley name.

One notable figure with this surname was Sir Thomas Tulley (c. 1538-1608), who served as a Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire in the late 16th century. Another was John Tulley (c. 1630-1701), a prominent English lawyer and legal writer from Worcestershire.

In the 17th century, the Tulley name was associated with several places, such as Tulley's Hill in Warwickshire and Tulley's Farm in Oxfordshire, indicating the family's long-standing presence in those areas.

Other notable individuals with the surname Tulley include Benjamin Tulley (1695-1771), an English engraver and printer, and William Tulley (1761-1834), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.

In the 19th century, the Tulley name continued to be found in various parts of England, with some bearers migrating to other parts of the British Isles and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tulley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tulley 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. Sussex leads with 131 Tulleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.91x.

County Total Index
Sussex 131 12.91x
Middlesex 89 1.48x
Yorkshire 73 1.22x
Lancashire 55 0.77x
Surrey 39 1.33x
Northumberland 34 3.80x
Staffordshire 34 1.67x
Durham 30 1.68x
Kent 24 1.17x
Berwickshire 15 20.58x
Cheshire 11 0.83x
Angus 9 1.61x
Nottinghamshire 8 0.99x
Renfrewshire 8 1.72x
Lincolnshire 7 0.73x
Devon 6 0.48x
Derbyshire 4 0.42x
Lanarkshire 4 0.21x
Midlothian 4 0.50x
Somerset 4 0.41x
Worcestershire 4 0.51x
Cumberland 3 0.58x
West Lothian 3 3.31x
Essex 2 0.17x
Gloucestershire 2 0.17x
Leicestershire 2 0.30x
Selkirkshire 2 3.67x
Warwickshire 2 0.13x
Fife 1 0.28x
Hampshire 1 0.08x
Monmouthshire 1 0.23x
Norfolk 1 0.11x
Oxfordshire 1 0.27x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.52x
Stirlingshire 1 0.45x
Suffolk 1 0.14x

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 31 Tulleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.14x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 31 15.14x
Bolney 18 1090.91x
Hackney London 14 4.15x
Hume 13 1547.62x
St Pancras London 13 2.68x
Wolverhampton 13 8.32x
Shipley 11 478.26x
Stoke Upon Trent 11 5.11x
Steyning 10 290.70x
Clerkenwell London 9 6.33x
Cowpen 9 43.65x
Croydon 9 5.53x
Holy Trinity 9 6.27x
Liff Benvie 9 10.63x
Pyecombe 9 1267.61x
Sheffield 9 4.74x
Bethnal Green London 8 3.06x
Camberwell 8 2.08x
Hastings St Mary In The 8 36.95x
Hurstpierpoint 8 141.59x
Liverpool 8 1.84x
Longhurst 8 462.43x
Middlesbrough 8 10.30x
Nottingham St Mary 8 3.81x
Sculcoates 8 8.46x
Shoreditch London 8 3.07x
Toxteth Park 8 3.31x
Capel 7 603.45x
Islington London 7 1.20x
Newcastle Under Lyme 7 19.47x
Walton On Thames 7 51.97x
West Greenock 7 8.36x
Linthorpe 6 16.86x
Seaton Carew 6 166.67x
St Marylebone London 6 1.87x
Yalding 6 115.61x
Batley 5 8.82x
Cuckfield 5 48.78x
Earsdon 5 68.68x
Great Grimsby 5 8.19x
Kimblesworth 5 208.33x
Lambeth 5 0.95x
Lower Beeding 5 185.19x
Oldham 5 2.17x
St Peters 5 52.63x
Sutton Stoneferry 5 29.31x
Upholland 5 54.64x
Whitley 5 173.01x
Wolviston 5 400.00x
Brampton Bierlow 4 52.36x
Brightside Bierlow 4 3.42x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 1.23x
Glasgow 4 1.16x
Kensington London 4 1.20x
Manchester 4 1.25x
Mexborough 4 33.78x
Monkwearmouth Shore 4 11.44x
Openshaw 4 11.96x
Preston 4 22.57x
Rotherhithe 4 5.38x
Barnsley 3 4.88x
Birkenhead 3 2.83x
Bradford 3 8.97x
Byker 3 6.78x
Chesterfield 3 8.49x
Cowfold 3 139.53x
Lewes St John Southover 3 43.99x
Martley 3 133.33x
Poynings 3 461.54x
Ratcliffe London 3 9.03x
Slaugham 3 91.46x
Spitalfields London 3 6.63x
Tunstall 3 33.67x
Walsall Foreign 3 2.86x
Westmeston 3 447.76x
Bromborough 2 72.46x
Langton 2 192.31x
Liversedge 2 7.53x
Norton 2 281.69x
Poplar London 2 1.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 36
William 33
James 30
Thomas 27
Charles 14
George 13
Henry 11
Michael 11
Edward 9
Patrick 8
Benjamin 5
Herbert 5
Robert 5
Arthur 4
Ernest 4
Francis 4
Frank 4
Joseph 4
Walter 4
Harry 3
Miles 3
Peter 3
Richard 3
Thos. 3
Alfred 2
Amos 2
Daniel 2
Hugh 2
Owen 2
Reuben 2
Alfd. 1
America 1
Andrew 1
Bristow 1
Carles 1
Cuthbert 1
Edwin 1
Forest 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Geo.Anderson 1
Leslie 1
Louis 1
Martin 1
Michal 1
P. 1
Pat 1
Philip 1
Wm.James 1

FAQ

Tulley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tulley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 619 people were recorded with the Tulley surname. That placed it at #5,695 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tulley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 605 in 2016. That gives Tulley a modern rank of #8,661.

What does the Tulley surname mean?

A surname derived from an English place name containing the Middle English elements "tul" meaning tax or toll.

What does the Tulley map show?

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