NameCensus.

UK surname

Tweedle

A surname possibly derived from the Middle English word "twydyll" meaning "fork" or "twine."

In the 1881 census there were 137 people recorded with the Tweedle surname, ranking it #16,358 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 187, ranked #20,488, down from #16,358 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Glasgow and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Penilee, Wirral and Sevenoaks.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tweedle is 235 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.5%.

1881 census count

137

Ranked #16,358

Modern count

187

2016, ranked #20,488

Peak year

2000

235 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tweedle had 137 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,358 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 187 in 2016, ranked #20,488.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 185 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tweedle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tweedle surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tweedle 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 168 #11,873
1861 historical 102 #20,797
1881 historical 137 #16,358
1891 historical 180 #16,143
1901 historical 185 #15,892
1911 historical 170 #16,510
1997 modern 225 #16,352
1998 modern 231 #16,555
1999 modern 227 #16,834
2000 modern 235 #16,423
2001 modern 221 #16,848
2002 modern 217 #17,388
2003 modern 213 #17,395
2004 modern 201 #18,168
2005 modern 207 #17,731
2006 modern 204 #18,051
2007 modern 214 #17,688
2008 modern 211 #17,997
2009 modern 220 #17,911
2010 modern 214 #18,601
2011 modern 198 #19,410
2012 modern 184 #20,291
2013 modern 188 #20,352
2014 modern 187 #20,570
2015 modern 186 #20,576
2016 modern 187 #20,488

Geography

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Where Tweedles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool, Frodsham and Weaverham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Penilee, Wirral, Sevenoaks, Northumberland and Liverpool. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 Glasgow Lanark
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Frodsham Cheshire
5 Weaverham Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Penilee Glasgow City
2 Wirral 042 Wirral
3 Sevenoaks 012 Sevenoaks
4 Northumberland 037 Northumberland
5 Liverpool 019 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tweedle

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tweedle

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

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Tweedle is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

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

Tweedle is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tweedle 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 Tweedle is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Tweedle

The surname Tweedle originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from an old English word "twydlen" which referred to a fork in a road or a river. This suggests the name may have described someone who lived near such a natural feature.

Tweedle is believed to have first appeared in written records in the county of Lancashire in northern England, around the 13th century. The earliest known bearer was Walter ate Twydlen, recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of 1332. Similar early spellings included Twydelane, Twidlane, and Twydleyn.

No references to the name Tweedle appear in the renowned Domesday Book from 1086, indicating it emerged later during the Middle Ages. However, it is found in manorial records from the 14th and 15th centuries in areas around Manchester and Bolton in Lancashire.

Notable early figures with this surname include John Twedyll, born around 1490 in Sowerby, Yorkshire. He served as a church warden in his local parish. Another was Thomas Twydelyne, a landowner from Blackburn, Lancashire mentioned in tax records from 1524.

Moving into the 16th century, one Richard Tweedell achieved minor fame as the keeper of the royal forest of Rowland in Yorkshire, appointed in 1559 under Queen Elizabeth I's reign. Later came William Twydell (1607-1677), a respected merchant and alderman in London.

Over subsequent centuries, the Tweedle name spread gradually across England, though remaining most prevalent in the northern counties. By the 1800s, documented examples can be found of the family scattered across industrial towns and cities like Manchester, Leeds, and Sheffield. One Henry Tweedle (1809-1878) rose to become an esteemed mathematics teacher in Manchester.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tweedle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tweedle 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. Cheshire leads with 47 Tweedles recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.93x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 47 15.93x
Middlesex 17 1.27x
Cumberland 15 13.04x
Lancashire 15 0.95x
Lanarkshire 13 3.01x
Yorkshire 12 0.91x
Northumberland 4 2.01x
Ayrshire 3 3.00x
Midlothian 3 1.68x
Hampshire 2 0.73x
Devon 1 0.36x
Dumfriesshire 1 3.39x
Dunbartonshire 1 2.78x
Kent 1 0.22x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.56x
Surrey 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Acton In Northwich in Cheshire leads with 18 Tweedles recorded in 1881 and an index of 6666.67x.

Place Total Index
Acton In Northwich 18 6666.67x
St Pancras London 15 13.95x
Tranmere 14 129.15x
Rickergate 9 370.37x
Barony 5 4.57x
Birkenhead 5 21.27x
Govan 5 4.68x
Helsby 5 1351.35x
Moresby 5 1136.36x
Hulme 4 12.08x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 4 119.76x
Lower Booths 4 140.85x
Glasgow 3 3.91x
Kilmarnock 3 25.21x
Lockwood 3 63.03x
Thornhill 3 77.72x
Bradford 2 6.24x
Brading 2 54.95x
Dilston 2 2222.22x
Dutton 2 952.38x
Lasswade 2 48.90x
Oldham 2 3.91x
Salford 2 4.29x
Alvanley 1 666.67x
Crediton 1 37.88x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.39x
Egremont 1 36.50x
Farnworth 1 10.53x
Hatton In Runcorn 1 588.24x
Heston 1 22.52x
Hexham 1 32.47x
Islington London 1 0.77x
Kirkintilloch 1 20.49x
Liverpool 1 1.04x
Longbenton 1 11.88x
Margate St John Baptist 1 11.98x
Nottingham St Mary 1 2.15x
Rotherhithe 1 6.06x
Runcorn 1 14.71x
Wamphray 1 476.19x
Worsley 1 10.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Sarah 7
Elizabeth 6
Alice 3
Ann 3
Hannah 3
Jane 3
Margaret 3
Annie 2
Emily 2
Julia 2
Lucy 2
Ada 1
Adelaide 1
Agnes 1
Betsy 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Eliza 1
Frances 1
Jeannie 1
Maggie 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Nancy 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Tweedle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tweedle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 137 people were recorded with the Tweedle surname. That placed it at #16,358 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tweedle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 187 in 2016. That gives Tweedle a modern rank of #20,488.

What does the Tweedle surname mean?

A surname possibly derived from the Middle English word "twydyll" meaning "fork" or "twine."

What does the Tweedle map show?

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