NameCensus.

UK surname

Tullis

Derived from a place name meaning "hill house" or "hill fort" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 280 people recorded with the Tullis surname, ranking it #10,202 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 240, ranked #17,278, down from #10,202 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Leuchars, Cupar and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Breckland, Wiltshire and Doon Valley North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tullis is 326 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 14.3%.

1881 census count

280

Ranked #10,202

Modern count

240

2016, ranked #17,278

Peak year

1901

326 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tullis had 280 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,202 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 240 in 2016, ranked #17,278.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 326 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Tullis surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tullis surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tullis 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 187 #10,978
1861 historical 271 #9,193
1881 historical 280 #10,202
1891 historical 272 #11,957
1901 historical 326 #10,990
1911 historical 86 #24,243
1997 modern 230 #16,109
1998 modern 238 #16,218
1999 modern 237 #16,360
2000 modern 247 #15,864
2001 modern 239 #15,963
2002 modern 247 #15,941
2003 modern 239 #16,093
2004 modern 240 #16,144
2005 modern 246 #15,802
2006 modern 238 #16,288
2007 modern 237 #16,571
2008 modern 232 #16,931
2009 modern 240 #16,896
2010 modern 254 #16,604
2011 modern 239 #17,138
2012 modern 225 #17,733
2013 modern 231 #17,703
2014 modern 239 #17,429
2015 modern 240 #17,279
2016 modern 240 #17,278

Geography

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Where Tullis' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Leuchars, Cupar, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Breckland, Wiltshire, Doon Valley North, Cardenden and Wealden. 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 Leuchars Fife
2 Cupar Fife
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Breckland 005 Breckland
2 Wiltshire 060 Wiltshire
3 Doon Valley North East Ayrshire
4 Cardenden Fife
5 Wealden 002 Wealden

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tullis

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tullis

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Tullis surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Tullis household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Tullis is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tullis is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tullis falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Tullis

The surname Tullis originated from the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the Old English word "toll", which referred to a tax or toll collector. The earliest known bearers of this surname were individuals who worked as tax collectors or operated toll booths on roads and bridges.

The name Tullis can be traced back to the 11th century and is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a record of landholders and properties in England compiled by order of William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was well-established by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, there are records of a Walter Tollis in the Curia Regis Rolls of Hertfordshire in 1221. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 also mention a John Tollis in Oxfordshire. These early records indicate the various spellings and variations of the name that existed in different regions.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Tullis was Sir John Tullis (c. 1300-1370), a prominent landowner and knight from Lincolnshire, England. He served as a member of Parliament and was involved in military campaigns during the Hundred Years' War.

In the 16th century, there was a notable Tullis family in Scotland. Robert Tullis (c. 1530-1593) was a merchant and burgess of Edinburgh, and his descendants played influential roles in Scottish trade and politics.

Another famous bearer of the surname was Samuel Tullis (1680-1753), an English clockmaker and inventor from Taunton, Somerset. He is credited with developing the first successful longcase clock with a dead-beat escapement, which significantly improved timekeeping accuracy.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Tullis name was also found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, and Staffordshire. Some notable individuals from this period include William Tullis (1670-1735), a landowner and justice of the peace in Yorkshire, and John Tullis (1723-1789), a renowned mathematician and astronomer from Nottinghamshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tullis families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tullis 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. Fife leads with 98 Tullis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 60.83x.

County Total Index
Fife 98 60.83x
Lanarkshire 49 5.57x
Midlothian 47 12.89x
Lancashire 37 1.15x
Angus 24 9.52x
Middlesex 4 0.15x
Surrey 4 0.30x
Essex 3 0.56x
Glamorgan 2 0.42x
Hampshire 2 0.36x
Perthshire 2 1.64x
West Lothian 2 4.88x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.40x
Durham 1 0.12x
East Lothian 1 2.77x
Montgomeryshire 1 1.60x
Norfolk 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leuchars in Fife leads with 20 Tullis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 980.39x.

Place Total Index
Leuchars 20 980.39x
Dundee 19 20.18x
Preston 19 21.99x
South Leith 18 43.87x
Govan 16 7.35x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 15 10.23x
Barony 11 4.94x
Rutherglen 11 85.21x
Cupar 9 128.39x
Ferry Port On Craig 9 339.62x
Kennoway 9 612.24x
Dilworth 8 404.04x
Dunfermline 8 32.30x
Edinburgh Greenside 7 145.23x
Glasgow 7 4.48x
Markinch 7 127.97x
Pittenweem 6 301.51x
Auchterderran 5 123.46x
Ceres 5 257.73x
Kemback 5 625.00x
Bermondsey 4 4.94x
Craig 4 163.93x
Crumpsall 3 39.42x
Edinburgh Newington 3 461.54x
Kilconquhar 3 156.25x
St Andrews 3 40.93x
West Ham 3 2.53x
Westminster St John 3 9.05x
Abbotshall 2 33.22x
Boness 2 35.40x
Cheetham 2 8.30x
Dysart 2 18.43x
Edinburgh High Church 2 87.34x
Edinburgh St Georges 2 26.42x
Forteviot 2 344.83x
Kettle 2 103.63x
Largo 2 95.69x
Liverpool 2 1.02x
Maryhill 2 11.61x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 2.12x
Berwick North 1 39.68x
Cardiff St John 1 6.46x
Cardiff St Mary 1 3.83x
Forgan 1 32.36x
Fulwood 1 28.65x
Gorbals 1 19.16x
Great Yarmouth 1 2.89x
Hamilton 1 4.07x
Horwich 1 28.41x
Liff Benvie 1 2.61x
Manchester 1 0.69x
Newtown 1 25.06x
Portsea 1 0.91x
Portsmouth 1 7.79x
St Pancras London 1 0.46x
Sunderland 1 6.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Jane 3
Isabella 2
Sophia 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Hannah 1
Janet 1
Jessie 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Martha 1
Nellie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 8
Alexander 4
James 4
David 2
Alexr. 1
Alexr.W. 1
Ashton 1
Christr.M. 1
Edward 1
Frederick 1
Harrold 1
Henry 1
John 1
Nicolo 1
Phillip 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1

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 Tullis households.

FAQ

Tullis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tullis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 280 people were recorded with the Tullis surname. That placed it at #10,202 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tullis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 240 in 2016. That gives Tullis a modern rank of #17,278.

What does the Tullis surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "hill house" or "hill fort" in Old English.

What does the Tullis map show?

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