NameCensus.

UK surname

Tumber

A surname derived from the Old French word "tumber" meaning to tumble or fall.

In the 1881 census there were 197 people recorded with the Tumber surname, ranking it #12,955 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 382, ranked #12,292, up from #12,955 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ash-near-Sandwich, Linstead and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ealing, Medway and Swale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tumber is 394 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 93.9%.

1881 census count

197

Ranked #12,955

Modern count

382

2016, ranked #12,292

Peak year

2000

394 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tumber had 197 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,955 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 382 in 2016, ranked #12,292.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 325 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tumber surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tumber surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tumber 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 118 #15,362
1861 historical 134 #16,754
1881 historical 197 #12,955
1891 historical 229 #13,539
1901 historical 274 #12,370
1911 historical 325 #10,783
1997 modern 362 #11,866
1998 modern 375 #11,939
1999 modern 388 #11,696
2000 modern 394 #11,520
2001 modern 375 #11,774
2002 modern 376 #11,989
2003 modern 373 #11,857
2004 modern 357 #12,272
2005 modern 346 #12,464
2006 modern 354 #12,339
2007 modern 348 #12,637
2008 modern 351 #12,661
2009 modern 352 #12,918
2010 modern 373 #12,628
2011 modern 372 #12,519
2012 modern 377 #12,238
2013 modern 379 #12,399
2014 modern 383 #12,390
2015 modern 384 #12,276
2016 modern 382 #12,292

Geography

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Where Tumbers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ash-near-Sandwich, Linstead, London parishes and Hawkinge, Folkestone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ealing, Medway and Swale. 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 Ash-near-Sandwich Kent
2 Linstead Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 Hawkinge, Folkestone Kent
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ealing 037 Ealing
2 Medway 001 Medway
3 Swale 009 Swale
4 Swale 012 Swale
5 Swale 002 Swale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tumber

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tumber

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Tumber is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tumber is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tumber falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tumber 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
Asian - Indian

This describes the area pattern most associated with Tumber, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Tumber

The surname Tumber is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. The name is thought to derive from the Old English word "tumbere," which referred to a performer or acrobat who would tumble or somersault for entertainment.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tumber can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and wealth in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry in the Domesday Book suggests that the name was present in the county of Norfolk during the 11th century.

In the centuries following the Norman Conquest, the name Tumber appeared in various historical records and manuscripts across different regions of England. Some notable examples include William Tumber, a landowner in Gloucestershire mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1195, and Robert Tumber, a merchant from York who was recorded in the city's guild records in the late 13th century.

The surname Tumber can also be traced back to several place names in England, such as Tumber's Green in Oxfordshire and Tumber's Field in Warwickshire. These locations likely derived their names from individuals bearing the Tumber surname who owned or resided in those areas.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Tumber was Sir John Tumber (c. 1320 - 1390), a knight and landowner from Hertfordshire. Another notable figure was Thomas Tumber (1475 - 1537), a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the reign of King Henry VIII.

Other prominent individuals with the Tumber surname include:

1. Richard Tumber (1550 - 1617), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Horndon-on-the-Hill, Essex.

2. Elizabeth Tumber (1615 - 1683), a Puritan writer and diarist from Hertfordshire, known for her detailed accounts of daily life during the English Civil War.

3. Henry Tumber (1670 - 1738), a successful merchant and ship owner from Bristol, who played a significant role in the city's maritime trade during the early 18th century.

4. William Tumber (1720 - 1795), a renowned landscape gardener and botanist from Gloucestershire, who designed several notable gardens for aristocratic estates in the region.

5. Mary Tumber (1810 - 1892), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded one of the first girls' schools in London during the Victorian era.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tumber families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tumber 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. Kent leads with 163 Tumbers recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.86x.

County Total Index
Kent 163 24.86x
Yorkshire 10 0.53x
Middlesex 9 0.47x
Sussex 6 1.85x
Surrey 4 0.43x
Lancashire 3 0.13x
Gloucestershire 1 0.27x
Somerset 1 0.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lynsted in Kent leads with 22 Tumbers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2588.24x.

Place Total Index
Lynsted 22 2588.24x
Margate St John Baptist 14 116.57x
Charlton 13 298.85x
Wingham 12 1578.95x
Sittingbourne 11 212.36x
Teynham 11 932.20x
Selling 10 1851.85x
Chartham 9 552.15x
Wouldham 9 1084.34x
New Romney 7 1044.78x
Bridge 6 1071.43x
Brighton 6 9.18x
St Marylebone London 6 5.85x
Holy Trinity 5 10.92x
Nether Hallam 5 19.41x
Ash Next Sandwich 4 275.86x
Battersea 4 5.66x
Doddington 4 1052.63x
Harbledown 4 851.06x
Tunstall 4 2222.22x
Bow London 3 12.26x
Faversham 3 48.00x
Minster In Sheppey 3 27.62x
Moss Side 3 25.00x
Chatham 2 11.09x
Eastling 2 625.00x
Norton 2 1666.67x
Rainham 2 111.11x
Bredgar 1 243.90x
Canterbury St Paul 1 84.75x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 14.62x
Chislet 1 135.14x
Clifton 1 5.25x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.98x
Dunkirk 1 204.08x
East Malling 1 63.69x
Rochester St Margaret 1 14.47x
Shepton Mallet 1 28.82x
Stelling 1 526.32x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Sarah 8
Alice 6
Emma 6
Eliza 5
Emily 5
Jane 5
Annie 4
Charlotte 4
Elizabeth 4
Ellen 3
Maria 3
Ann 2
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Ethel 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Matilda 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Beatrice 1
Edith 1
Elizebeth 1
Eltrel 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Harriett 1
Helener 1
Katherine 1
Lavinia 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Millicent 1
Minnie 1
Nelly 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Tumber surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tumber surname in 1881?

In 1881, 197 people were recorded with the Tumber surname. That placed it at #12,955 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tumber surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 382 in 2016. That gives Tumber a modern rank of #12,292.

What does the Tumber surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French word "tumber" meaning to tumble or fall.

What does the Tumber map show?

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