NameCensus.

UK surname

Tweedie

A Scottish surname derived from the place name Tweeddale, referring to someone from that region.

In the 1881 census there were 1,191 people recorded with the Tweedie surname, ranking it #3,384 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,676, ranked #3,729, down from #3,384 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, West Calder and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Biggar, Symington, Thankerton and Dolphinton, New Town West and Possil Park.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tweedie is 1,711 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.7%.

1881 census count

1,191

Ranked #3,384

Modern count

1,676

2016, ranked #3,729

Peak year

2010

1,711 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tweedie had 1,191 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,384 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,676 in 2016, ranked #3,729.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,412 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Tweedie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tweedie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tweedie 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 704 #3,710
1861 historical 754 #3,625
1881 historical 1,191 #3,384
1891 historical 1,243 #3,472
1901 historical 1,412 #3,580
1911 historical 395 #9,373
1997 modern 1,577 #3,740
1998 modern 1,626 #3,781
1999 modern 1,619 #3,827
2000 modern 1,687 #3,665
2001 modern 1,642 #3,686
2002 modern 1,662 #3,714
2003 modern 1,609 #3,740
2004 modern 1,623 #3,727
2005 modern 1,655 #3,626
2006 modern 1,628 #3,692
2007 modern 1,641 #3,692
2008 modern 1,668 #3,652
2009 modern 1,681 #3,719
2010 modern 1,711 #3,734
2011 modern 1,696 #3,709
2012 modern 1,667 #3,712
2013 modern 1,663 #3,777
2014 modern 1,695 #3,730
2015 modern 1,677 #3,732
2016 modern 1,676 #3,729

Geography

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Where Tweedies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, West Calder, Edinburgh, Annan and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Biggar, Symington, Thankerton and Dolphinton, New Town West, Possil Park, Maybole and Nairn East. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 West Calder Edinburgh
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Annan Dumfries
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Biggar, Symington, Thankerton and Dolphinton South Lanarkshire
2 New Town West City of Edinburgh
3 Possil Park Glasgow City
4 Maybole South Ayrshire
5 Nairn East Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tweedie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tweedie

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tweedie, 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 Tweedie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Tweedie 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Tweedie 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

Tweedie 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

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

Meaning and origin of Tweedie

The surname Tweedie is of Scottish origin, tracing its roots back to the region of Borders and the Scottish Lowlands. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "twiccian," which means "to pull or pluck." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who plucked plants or herbs for a living.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Tweedie surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls from Scotland during the Wars of Scottish Independence. In these rolls, a certain "William de Tuyedi" is listed as having sworn fealty to King Edward I of England.

The name also appears in various forms in historical documents from the 14th and 15th centuries, such as "Twedy," "Tuedie," and "Tuedy." These variations likely reflect the different spellings and pronunciations used in different regions or by different scribes.

Notable individuals with the Tweedie surname include John Tweedie (1775-1862), a Scottish minister and author who published works on Scottish history and literature. Another significant figure was James Tweedie (1799-1880), a Scottish physician and writer who made contributions to the field of medical literature.

In the 16th century, the Tweedies were closely associated with the town of Drumelzier in Peeblesshire, Scotland. The Tweedie family held lands and properties in this area, and some members of the family were prominent figures in the local community.

Other notable individuals with the Tweedie surname include Sir William Tweedie (1836-1906), a Scottish businessman and politician who served as Lord Provost of Glasgow, and Sir John Tweedie (1856-1924), a Scottish architect and designer who contributed to the development of the Arts and Crafts movement in Britain.

While the Tweedie surname originated in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Scottish migration and diaspora communities. However, its roots and historical significance remain firmly tied to the Scottish Borders and Lowlands regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tweedie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tweedie 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. Lanarkshire leads with 217 Tweedies recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.96x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 217 5.96x
Midlothian 201 13.32x
Dumfriesshire 130 52.23x
Ayrshire 60 7.12x
West Lothian 53 31.24x
Cumberland 42 4.33x
Kirkcudbrightshire 37 22.69x
Lancashire 29 0.22x
Selkirkshire 28 27.47x
Wigtownshire 28 18.72x
Renfrewshire 27 3.09x
Cheshire 26 1.05x
Durham 26 0.78x
Peeblesshire 24 45.29x
Yorkshire 24 0.22x
Kent 23 0.60x
Middlesex 22 0.20x
Berwickshire 21 15.39x
East Lothian 21 14.07x
Roxburghshire 14 6.86x
Argyllshire 13 4.14x
Surrey 12 0.22x
Northumberland 11 0.66x
Kinross-shire 8 28.09x
Perthshire 7 1.38x
Nairnshire 6 17.45x
Berkshire 5 0.59x
Worcestershire 5 0.34x
Dunbartonshire 4 1.32x
Gloucestershire 4 0.18x
Staffordshire 4 0.11x
Fife 3 0.45x
Sussex 3 0.16x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.28x
Cornwall 2 0.16x
Essex 2 0.09x
Flintshire 2 0.66x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.10x
Angus 1 0.10x
Buteshire 1 1.46x
Derbyshire 1 0.06x
Devon 1 0.04x
Hampshire 1 0.04x
Herefordshire 1 0.22x
Ross-shire 1 0.32x
Stirlingshire 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. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 99 Tweedies recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.30x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 99 16.30x
Govan 62 6.88x
Carnwath 32 142.03x
Barony 30 3.25x
Lochmaben 29 265.81x
Annan 28 130.96x
West Calder 27 90.76x
Mouswald 21 972.22x
Whitburn 20 81.60x
Crosscanonby 17 52.99x
Biggar 16 194.17x
Dalton 16 717.49x
Moffat 16 140.85x
Galashiels 15 39.81x
Girvan 15 70.86x
Kelton 15 111.94x
Colinton 13 77.24x
Douglas 13 123.69x
Crawfordjohn 11 337.42x
Kirkcolm 11 153.42x
Whitehaven 11 21.28x
Southend 10 271.74x
Wilton 10 44.66x
Bothwell 9 9.11x
Carriden 9 117.04x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 9 25.20x
Edinburgh Canongate 9 23.43x
Gladsmuir 9 135.34x
Glasgow 9 1.39x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 9 6.20x
Lambeth 9 0.92x
Liverpool 9 1.11x
Melrose 9 35.09x
Tweedsmuir 9 1058.82x
Bathgate 8 21.72x
Boness 8 34.20x
Cleish 8 416.67x
Cummertrees 8 189.57x
Inveresk 8 19.57x
Kensington London 8 1.28x
Kirkliston 8 80.81x
Oxton 8 56.86x
Rerrick 8 114.29x
Rutherglen 8 14.96x
Bromley 7 11.95x
Eastwood 7 13.02x
Edmonton 7 7.71x
Lesmahagow 7 18.16x
New Luce 7 252.71x
Swinton 7 187.67x
Abbey 6 4.50x
Bishopwearmouth 6 2.09x
Bootle Cum Linacre 6 5.65x
Bramley In Bramley 6 14.04x
Chirnside 6 102.56x
Disley Stanley 6 46.88x
Duddingston 6 19.80x
Edinburgh Old 6 65.50x
Hamilton 6 5.90x
Kilbarchan 6 22.62x
Little Harle 6 3157.89x
Muirkirk 6 30.30x
Nairn 6 28.75x
New Cumnock 6 41.04x
Newton On Ayr 6 23.76x
Plumstead 6 4.68x
Stoneykirk 6 56.07x
Tong 6 27.82x
Toxteth Park 6 1.33x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 6 27.10x
Abernyte 5 471.70x
Cookham 5 18.97x
Earlston 5 73.21x
Innerleithen 5 35.54x
Kirkcudbright 5 37.04x
Knottingley 5 25.48x
St Cuthbert W O 5 10.58x
St Quivox 5 17.54x
Stenton 5 218.34x
Torthorwald 5 130.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Sarah 12
Elizabeth 8
Jane 7
Annie 6
Ellen 6
Catherine 4
Hannah 4
Isabella 4
Emily 3
Frances 3
Margaret 3
Ada 2
Edith 2
Emma 2
Harriet 2
Janet 2
Benjamina 1
Charlotte 1
Christiana 1
Dorothy 1
Ebelyn 1
Eleanor 1
Estella 1
Ethel 1
Evelyn 1
Fanny 1
Felicia 1
Flora 1
Georgina 1
Henrietta 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Kathleen 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Louisa 1
M. 1
M.C. 1
M.L. 1
Maggie 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Maud 1
Mina 1
Minnie 1
Pheobe 1
Phobe 1
W.H. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 20
James 16
William 15
George 8
Thomas 6
Alexander 5
Archibald 4
David 4
Alfred 3
Gilbert 3
Samuel 3
Andrew 2
Charles 2
Henry 2
Herbert 2
Hugh 2
Maurice 2
Michael 2
Albert 1
Alec 1
C.W. 1
Cleland 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Geo. 1
Jas. 1
Jonathan 1
Joseph 1
Kewesth 1
Launcy 1
Laurence 1
Liddell 1
Matthew 1
R. 1
R.C. 1
R.W. 1
Ralph 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Sydney 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Tweedie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tweedie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,191 people were recorded with the Tweedie surname. That placed it at #3,384 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tweedie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,676 in 2016. That gives Tweedie a modern rank of #3,729.

What does the Tweedie surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the place name Tweeddale, referring to someone from that region.

What does the Tweedie map show?

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