NameCensus.

UK surname

Twamley

From a place name referring to a dwelling or clearing near a brushy area.

In the 1881 census there were 78 people recorded with the Twamley surname, ranking it #22,500 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 246, ranked #16,993, up from #22,500 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hornsea with Burton, Llandaff (incl. Canton), Leckwith and Cardiff St John and St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ryedale, The Vale of Glamorgan and Salford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Twamley is 256 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 215.4%.

1881 census count

78

Ranked #22,500

Modern count

246

2016, ranked #16,993

Peak year

2014

256 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Twamley had 78 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,500 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 246 in 2016, ranked #16,993.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 165 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Twamley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Twamley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Twamley 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 49 #24,448
1861 historical 45 #28,296
1881 historical 78 #22,500
1891 historical 114 #22,006
1901 historical 165 #17,085
1911 historical 152 #17,712
1997 modern 249 #15,319
1998 modern 247 #15,813
1999 modern 239 #16,268
2000 modern 251 #15,692
2001 modern 246 #15,684
2002 modern 254 #15,641
2003 modern 238 #16,144
2004 modern 233 #16,471
2005 modern 233 #16,434
2006 modern 227 #16,842
2007 modern 221 #17,343
2008 modern 224 #17,337
2009 modern 239 #16,951
2010 modern 242 #17,138
2011 modern 245 #16,874
2012 modern 240 #16,979
2013 modern 246 #16,979
2014 modern 256 #16,643
2015 modern 246 #16,994
2016 modern 246 #16,993

Geography

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Where Twamleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hornsea with Burton, Llandaff (incl. Canton), Leckwith, Cardiff St John and St Mary, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ryedale, The Vale of Glamorgan, Salford, Denbighshire and Cardiff. 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 Hornsea with Burton Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Llandaff (incl. Canton), Leckwith Glamorganshire
3 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
4 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ryedale 008 Ryedale
2 The Vale of Glamorgan 005 Vale of Glamorgan
3 Salford 021 Salford
4 Denbighshire 010 Denbighshire
5 Cardiff 006 Cardiff

Forenames

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First names often paired with Twamley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Twamley

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Twamley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Twamley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Twamley 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

Twamley is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Twamley falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Twamley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Twamley

The surname Twamley is believed to have originated in England, particularly in the northern counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "twam" or "twa" meaning two and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing, suggesting that it may have referred to a place where two meadows or clearings met.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Twamley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. However, the spelling in this document is slightly different, appearing as "Twamleia" or a similar variation.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name appeared in various forms in historical records, such as "Twamligh," "Twamlaye," and "Twamley." These variations likely reflect regional dialects and differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions at the time.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Twamley was John Twamley, who was born in Lancashire in the late 15th century. He was a landowner and is mentioned in several local records of that period.

In the 16th century, the name Twamley was also found in the nearby county of Cheshire, where a family of that name owned land and property. One notable member of this family was William Twamley, who lived from 1542 to 1612 and served as a magistrate and local official.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Twamley surname spread to other parts of England, with families bearing the name documented in counties such as Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Warwickshire. One prominent individual from this period was Robert Twamley (1674-1746), a successful merchant and landowner in Staffordshire.

In the 19th century, a notable figure was John Twamley (1805-1888), a prominent industrialist and entrepreneur from Manchester. He founded a successful textile manufacturing business and was involved in various philanthropic initiatives in the city.

Another individual of note was Elizabeth Twamley (1847-1923), a writer and educator from Yorkshire. She authored several books on literature and history and was actively involved in educational reform movements of her time.

While the surname Twamley is not as common today as it once was, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to its origins in the northern counties of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Twamley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Twamley 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. Warwickshire leads with 22 Twamleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.47x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 22 11.47x
Yorkshire 14 1.86x
Staffordshire 10 3.89x
Surrey 7 1.89x
Glamorgan 6 4.53x
Gloucestershire 6 4.02x
Derbyshire 5 4.20x
Somerset 3 2.45x
Lancashire 2 0.22x
Middlesex 2 0.26x
Kent 1 0.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 16 Twamleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.29x.

Place Total Index
Aston 16 30.29x
Hornsea 8 1666.67x
Yoxall 7 2058.82x
Cheltenham 6 52.13x
Llandaff 6 136.05x
Birmingham 4 6.26x
Horsley 4 555.56x
Lambeth 4 6.03x
Leeds 4 9.40x
Bathwick 3 220.59x
Curborough Elmhurst 3 6000.00x
Camberwell 2 4.12x
Patrington 2 555.56x
Ryton On Dunsmore 2 1666.67x
St George Hanover 2 20.14x
Crumpsall 1 46.95x
Herne 1 86.96x
Reigate Foreign 1 24.94x
Smalley 1 476.19x
Thornton In Fylde 1 50.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 6
James 5
Thomas 4
John 3
Charles 2
Ferdinand 2
Henry 2
J. 2
Joseph 2
Geo. 1
George 1
Herbert 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Thos. 1
Zachariah 1

FAQ

Twamley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Twamley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 78 people were recorded with the Twamley surname. That placed it at #22,500 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Twamley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 246 in 2016. That gives Twamley a modern rank of #16,993.

What does the Twamley surname mean?

From a place name referring to a dwelling or clearing near a brushy area.

What does the Twamley map show?

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