NameCensus.

UK surname

Tulloch

A Scottish locational surname derived from places meaning "hillock" or "mound."

In the 1881 census there were 1,991 people recorded with the Tulloch surname, ranking it #2,210 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,436, ranked #2,703, down from #2,210 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fetlar and Yell, Kirkwall and St.Ola and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lerwick North, Isles and North and East Isles.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tulloch is 2,436 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.4%.

1881 census count

1,991

Ranked #2,210

Modern count

2,436

2016, ranked #2,703

Peak year

2016

2,436 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tulloch had 1,991 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,210 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,436 in 2016, ranked #2,703.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,216 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Tulloch surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tulloch surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tulloch 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 1,666 #1,728
1861 historical 1,614 #1,765
1881 historical 1,991 #2,210
1891 historical 1,956 #2,361
1901 historical 2,216 #2,442
1911 historical 166 #16,756
1997 modern 2,152 #2,870
1998 modern 2,222 #2,894
1999 modern 2,250 #2,878
2000 modern 2,260 #2,857
2001 modern 2,191 #2,878
2002 modern 2,242 #2,875
2003 modern 2,251 #2,800
2004 modern 2,230 #2,836
2005 modern 2,262 #2,758
2006 modern 2,249 #2,776
2007 modern 2,257 #2,787
2008 modern 2,276 #2,789
2009 modern 2,335 #2,797
2010 modern 2,376 #2,814
2011 modern 2,383 #2,775
2012 modern 2,298 #2,813
2013 modern 2,367 #2,783
2014 modern 2,407 #2,754
2015 modern 2,408 #2,742
2016 modern 2,436 #2,703

Geography

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Where Tullochs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Fetlar and Yell, Kirkwall and St.Ola, Edinburgh, Westray and Papa Westray and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lerwick North, Isles, North and East Isles, Lerwick South and Central Shetland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Fetlar and Yell Shetland
2 Kirkwall and St.Ola Orkney
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Westray and Papa Westray Orkney
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lerwick North Shetland Islands
2 Isles Orkney Islands
3 North and East Isles Shetland Islands
4 Lerwick South Shetland Islands
5 Central Shetland Shetland Islands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tulloch

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tulloch

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Tulloch surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Tulloch household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Tulloch 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

Tulloch 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

Tulloch falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Tulloch

The surname Tulloch is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic words "tulach" meaning a hill or knoll, and "oiche" meaning night or darkness. It is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands, where it referred to a specific hill or high ground, indicating that the original bearers of this name likely resided near or on a hill known as Tulloch.

The earliest recorded reference to the name Tulloch can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the late 13th century. It appears as "de Tulochus" or "de Tuloch," which suggests that it was initially a territorial or locational surname, denoting someone who hailed from a place called Tulloch.

In the 14th century, the name Tulloch can be found in various Scottish records, including the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish nobles who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Sir John Tulloch, a Scottish knight who fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence against the English.

By the 16th century, the Tulloch surname had spread across various regions of Scotland, with notable families residing in Aberdeenshire, Perthshire, and the Highlands. One prominent figure was Alexander Tulloch (1520-1589), a Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Dunkeld.

In the 17th century, the Tulloch name gained further prominence with the exploits of Sir Alexander Tulloch (1620-1687), a Scottish soldier and diplomat who served as the Governor of the Dutch East Indies and later became a member of the Scottish Parliament.

Another notable bearer of the Tulloch surname was Sir Thomas Tulloch (1776-1849), a Scottish statesman and judge who served as the Lord Provost of Edinburgh and later became a Senator of the College of Justice.

In the 19th century, Tulloch continued to be a well-established surname in Scotland, with several distinguished individuals bearing the name. One such figure was John Tulloch (1823-1886), a Scottish theologian and Principal of St. Mary's College at the University of St. Andrews.

Moreover, the name Tulloch has been associated with several place names in Scotland, including Tulloch Castle in Aberdeenshire, Tulloch Farm in Perthshire, and Tulloch Bridge in the Scottish Highlands, further reinforcing its Scottish origins and historical significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tulloch families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tulloch 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. Orkney leads with 429 Tullochs recorded in 1881 and an index of 201.17x.

County Total Index
Orkney 429 201.17x
Shetland 373 188.42x
Midlothian 175 6.74x
Lanarkshire 146 2.33x
Morayshire 117 38.85x
Inverness-shire 104 17.97x
Aberdeenshire 59 3.29x
Fife 52 4.53x
Nairnshire 52 87.90x
Middlesex 44 0.23x
Angus 42 2.34x
East Lothian 36 14.02x
Renfrewshire 34 2.26x
Ross-shire 31 5.82x
Perthshire 28 3.22x
Lancashire 26 0.11x
Durham 25 0.43x
Caithness 23 8.67x
Argyllshire 20 3.71x
Banffshire 19 4.73x
Sutherland 15 10.06x
Yorkshire 15 0.08x
Dunbartonshire 14 2.69x
Ayrshire 13 0.90x
Northumberland 12 0.42x
Stirlingshire 10 1.40x
Surrey 10 0.11x
Hampshire 7 0.18x
Kincardineshire 7 2.97x
Clackmannanshire 6 3.75x
Glamorgan 6 0.18x
West Lothian 6 2.06x
Dumfriesshire 5 1.17x
Roxburghshire 5 1.42x
Cheshire 4 0.09x
Royal Navy 3 1.30x
Warwickshire 3 0.06x
Gloucestershire 2 0.05x
Monmouthshire 2 0.14x
Derbyshire 1 0.03x
Isle of Man 1 0.28x
Kent 1 0.02x
Radnorshire 1 0.64x
Selkirkshire 1 0.57x
Wigtownshire 1 0.39x
Wiltshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cross Burness N in Orkney leads with 247 Tullochs recorded in 1881 and an index of 2219.23x.

Place Total Index
Cross Burness N 247 2219.23x
Northmavine 152 1008.63x
Stronsay Eday 76 544.80x
Govan 58 3.74x
Barony 53 3.34x
South Leith 50 17.11x
Lerwick Gulberwick 48 156.66x
North Leith 48 39.95x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 45 4.31x
Sandsting Aitsting 40 222.97x
Inverness 36 24.73x
Dunrossness 34 130.47x
Kirkwall St Ola 32 100.19x
Aberdeen Old Machar 31 8.27x
Forres 25 78.96x
Westray Papa Westray 25 147.84x
Dundee 24 3.58x
Bressay 22 707.40x
Fetlar North Yell 22 766.55x
Nairn 20 55.71x
South Ronaldshay 20 90.62x
Wick 20 23.33x
Cawdor 19 263.89x
Glasgow 18 1.62x
Haddington 18 47.49x
Kirkdale 17 4.39x
Perth West Church 17 41.18x
Kilmorack 16 91.17x
Paisley High Church 16 13.38x
Elgin 14 23.89x
Kildonan 13 100.78x
Leeds 13 1.20x
New Spynie 13 119.93x
Dunfermline 12 6.80x
Nesting Lunnas Whalsay 12 68.81x
Bressay Burra Quarff 11 127.46x
Cromdale 11 45.40x
Duffus 11 41.45x
North Yell 11 201.83x
Auldearn 10 115.61x
Bishopwearmouth 10 2.02x
East Greenock 10 7.05x
Kilmallie 10 36.04x
Kiltarlity 10 70.42x
Rothes 10 68.07x
Drainie 9 33.73x
Kilconquhar 9 65.93x
Kinloss 9 126.23x
Kirkhill 9 91.56x
Slamannan 9 22.99x
Urray 9 54.45x
Ardersier 8 57.64x
Delting 8 71.88x
Kinghorn 8 32.84x
St Andrews Deerness 8 71.36x
St Pancras London 8 0.51x
Dirleton 7 69.44x
Duthil 7 63.35x
Kirkmichael 7 98.18x
Meldrum 7 46.30x
Rafford 7 99.43x
Resolis 7 73.68x
Shapinshay 7 108.19x
St Andrews 7 13.41x
St Marylebone London 7 0.68x
Teddington London 7 15.94x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 6 1.79x
Alves 6 80.21x
Arbroath 6 10.08x
Croy Dalcross 6 52.40x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 2.40x
Inverkeithing 6 34.70x
Maryhill 6 4.89x
New Monkland 6 3.24x
Poplar London 6 1.64x
Portsea 6 0.77x
St Cyrus 6 60.79x
Tingwall 6 60.67x
West Greenock 6 2.23x
Yell South 6 124.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Margaret 10
Isabella 4
Jessie 4
Sarah 4
Christina 3
Emma 3
Helen 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Annie 2
Charlotte 2
Eliza 2
Elizabeth 2
Jane 2
Maria 2
Mgt. 2
Anne 1
Arabella 1
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Cathn. 1
Christian 1
Elisabeth 1
Ellene 1
Elspit. 1
Estelle 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Janet 1
Jannet 1
Jemima 1
Johan 1
Katherine 1
Maggie 1
Margt. 1
Matilda 1
Olivia 1
Rosa 1
Rosalinda 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 12
James 10
Thomas 7
John 6
Alexander 4
George 4
Henery 2
Laurence 2
Lawrence 2
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Charles 1
Clement 1
Cuthbert 1
D. 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Donald 1
Gilbert 1
Hugh 1
J...es 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Magnus 1
Patrick 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Will. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Tulloch surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tulloch surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,991 people were recorded with the Tulloch surname. That placed it at #2,210 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tulloch surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,436 in 2016. That gives Tulloch a modern rank of #2,703.

What does the Tulloch surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname derived from places meaning "hillock" or "mound."

What does the Tulloch map show?

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