NameCensus.

UK surname

Tunnicliffe

A locational surname derived from a place in Cheshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 987 people recorded with the Tunnicliffe surname, ranking it #3,951 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,986, ranked #3,241, up from #3,951 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Calverley, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Burslem. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Derbyshire, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Moorlands.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tunnicliffe is 2,185 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 101.2%.

1881 census count

987

Ranked #3,951

Modern count

1,986

2016, ranked #3,241

Peak year

1998

2,185 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tunnicliffe had 987 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,951 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,986 in 2016, ranked #3,241.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,754 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tunnicliffe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tunnicliffe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tunnicliffe 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 293 #7,783
1861 historical 317 #8,031
1881 historical 987 #3,951
1891 historical 1,154 #3,699
1901 historical 1,683 #3,066
1911 historical 1,754 #2,801
1997 modern 1,859 #3,243
1998 modern 2,185 #2,934
1999 modern 2,180 #2,957
2000 modern 2,173 #2,951
2001 modern 2,141 #2,935
2002 modern 2,175 #2,950
2003 modern 2,126 #2,950
2004 modern 2,101 #2,978
2005 modern 2,065 #2,991
2006 modern 2,067 #2,997
2007 modern 2,080 #3,008
2008 modern 2,083 #3,030
2009 modern 2,114 #3,055
2010 modern 2,120 #3,125
2011 modern 2,081 #3,136
2012 modern 2,022 #3,168
2013 modern 2,052 #3,177
2014 modern 2,062 #3,180
2015 modern 2,037 #3,181
2016 modern 1,986 #3,241

Geography

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Where Tunnicliffes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Calverley, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Burslem, London parishes and St Werburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Derbyshire, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Moorlands. 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 Calverley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Burslem Staffordshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Werburgh Derbyshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Derbyshire 002 South Derbyshire
2 Stoke-on-Trent 019 Stoke-on-Trent
3 Staffordshire Moorlands 012 Staffordshire Moorlands
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 006 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 Stoke-on-Trent 013 Stoke-on-Trent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tunnicliffe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tunnicliffe

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

Tunnicliffe is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Tunnicliffe

The surname Tunnicliffe is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from either of two places named Tunnicliffe in Cheshire or Derbyshire. The name is composed of the Old English elements "tunna" meaning a tun or enclosure, and "clif" meaning a cliff or slope.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tunnicliffe appears in the Cheshire Assize Rolls of 1286, where a Richard de Tunnikliue is mentioned. The Derbyshire variant of the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, referring to a place called Tunniclive.

In the 14th century, the Tunnicliffe surname appeared in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where a John Tunnyclyff is listed. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its original locales by this time.

The Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Tunnicliffe name or its variants. However, it does record the existence of the village of Tunnicliffe in Cheshire, which was likely the source of the surname's origins.

Notable individuals with the surname Tunnicliffe include:

1. John Tunnicliffe (1901-1979), a renowned British wildlife artist and illustrator. 2. Sir Neville Tunnicliffe (1867-1939), a British naval officer who served in World War I. 3. William Tunnicliffe (1804-1876), an English Wesleyan minister and author. 4. George Tunnicliffe (1780-1818), an English painter known for his landscapes and marine scenes. 5. Thomas Tunnicliffe (1834-1916), a British businessman and philanthropist who founded the Tunnicliffe Trust in Manchester.

The Tunnicliffe surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Tunnicliffe Lane in Cheshire and Tunnicliffe Farm in Derbyshire, further reinforcing its locational origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tunnicliffe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tunnicliffe 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. Staffordshire leads with 338 Tunnicliffes recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.40x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 338 10.40x
Yorkshire 146 1.53x
Derbyshire 143 9.49x
Lancashire 125 1.09x
Leicestershire 72 6.74x
Cheshire 57 2.68x
Warwickshire 34 1.40x
Nottinghamshire 21 1.62x
Essex 12 0.63x
Kent 8 0.24x
Middlesex 7 0.07x
Surrey 6 0.13x
Northamptonshire 4 0.44x
Rutland 4 5.66x
Worcestershire 3 0.24x
Durham 2 0.07x
Gloucestershire 2 0.11x
Hampshire 1 0.05x
Hertfordshire 1 0.15x
Northumberland 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 123 Tunnicliffes recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.69x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 123 35.69x
Burslem 31 33.30x
Pudsey 25 49.02x
Derby St Werburgh 21 24.13x
Yoxall 20 466.20x
Melbourne 18 174.76x
Ilkeston 17 40.23x
Stone 16 38.49x
Church Gresley 15 62.55x
Salford 15 4.46x
Leek Lowe 14 32.38x
Great Crosby 13 41.73x
Castle Donnington 12 135.59x
Coventry St Michael 12 15.38x
Macclesfield 12 12.70x
Handforth 11 452.67x
Longnor 11 625.00x
Nottingham St Mary 11 3.28x
Derby St Alkmund 10 22.14x
Flamborough 10 216.45x
Heap 10 16.50x
Oldham 10 2.71x
Wakefield 10 13.65x
Brailsford 9 418.60x
Burton Upon Trent 9 11.84x
Everton 9 2.47x
Hollinsclough 9 782.61x
Horton In Bradford 9 6.04x
Kildwick 9 103.57x
Norton In Moors 9 52.33x
Skelmanthorpe 9 87.38x
Burbage 8 143.63x
Castle Church 8 40.96x
Deptford St Nicholas 8 30.69x
Hungarton 8 551.72x
Leicester St Margaret 8 3.07x
Mirfield 8 15.27x
Rocester 8 198.51x
Stapenhill 8 35.65x
Thurlaston 8 454.55x
Wolstanton 8 8.10x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 7 20.20x
Ashby De La Zouch 7 28.29x
Ashton Under Lyne 7 2.80x
Burley In Wharfdale 7 83.14x
Chester St Oswald 7 18.19x
Codnor Loscoe 7 58.63x
Fairfield 7 69.44x
Leamington 7 43.51x
Litchurch 7 11.54x
West Ham 7 1.67x
Brampton Bierlow 6 49.10x
Dewsbury 6 6.13x
Enderby 6 108.50x
Liverpool 6 0.86x
Radford 6 9.10x
Saddleworth 6 8.15x
Soothill 6 17.41x
Sutton In Macclesfield 6 27.21x
Trentham 6 21.71x
Uttoxeter 6 36.06x
Wandsworth 6 6.47x
Wavertree 6 16.41x
Caverswall 5 29.60x
Cheetham 5 5.87x
Chellaston 5 304.88x
Chingford 5 109.17x
Darlaston 5 11.13x
Haydock 5 25.39x
Leicester St Mary 5 5.80x
Manchester 5 0.97x
Marchington 5 335.57x
Mile End Old Town 5 3.29x
Rushall 5 26.15x
Seckington 5 1515.15x
Braunston 4 312.50x
Stafford St Mary 4 8.70x
Tintwistle 4 35.21x
Wardleworth 4 6.13x
Westleigh 4 15.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 62
William 56
George 38
Thomas 35
James 33
Joseph 31
Charles 26
Henry 14
Alfred 12
Arthur 11
Edward 8
Frederick 8
Tom 8
Edwin 7
Richard 7
Albert 6
Isaac 6
Samuel 6
Ernest 5
Francis 5
Frank 5
Abraham 4
Earnest 4
Matthew 4
Michael 4
Walter 4
Fred 3
Harry 3
Herbert 3
Moses 3
Percy 3
Wm. 3
Benjamin 2
Bernard 2
Chas. 2
Clement 2
Daniel 2
David 2
Elijah 2
Enoch 2
Geo. 2
Joe 2
Levi 2
Nathan 2
Peter 2
Willie 2
Chares 1
Emily 1
Job 1
Wm.Thos. 1

FAQ

Tunnicliffe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tunnicliffe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 987 people were recorded with the Tunnicliffe surname. That placed it at #3,951 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tunnicliffe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,986 in 2016. That gives Tunnicliffe a modern rank of #3,241.

What does the Tunnicliffe surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place in Cheshire, England.

What does the Tunnicliffe map show?

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