NameCensus.

UK surname

Twining

A surname derived from the occupation of a rope or string maker.

In the 1881 census there were 244 people recorded with the Twining surname, ranking it #11,258 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 291, ranked #15,062, down from #11,258 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Cheltenham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Central Bedfordshire, Camden and Peterborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Twining is 318 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.3%.

1881 census count

244

Ranked #11,258

Modern count

291

2016, ranked #15,062

Peak year

1999

318 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Twining had 244 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,258 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 291 in 2016, ranked #15,062.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 288 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Twining surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Twining surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Twining 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 182 #11,209
1861 historical 149 #15,373
1881 historical 244 #11,258
1891 historical 226 #13,668
1901 historical 260 #12,817
1911 historical 288 #11,757
1997 modern 297 #13,623
1998 modern 306 #13,720
1999 modern 318 #13,444
2000 modern 309 #13,651
2001 modern 301 #13,700
2002 modern 309 #13,733
2003 modern 295 #13,964
2004 modern 288 #14,254
2005 modern 269 #14,869
2006 modern 275 #14,732
2007 modern 283 #14,579
2008 modern 270 #15,219
2009 modern 282 #15,059
2010 modern 282 #15,410
2011 modern 277 #15,433
2012 modern 277 #15,375
2013 modern 297 #14,844
2014 modern 293 #15,095
2015 modern 294 #14,971
2016 modern 291 #15,062

Geography

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Where Twinings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Cheltenham, Painswick and Bath St Michael. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Central Bedfordshire, Camden, Peterborough, Waveney and Carmarthenshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Cheltenham Gloucestershire
4 Painswick Gloucestershire
5 Bath St Michael Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Central Bedfordshire 026 Central Bedfordshire
2 Camden 008 Camden
3 Peterborough 021 Peterborough
4 Waveney 004 Waveney
5 Carmarthenshire 026 Carmarthenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Twining

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Twining

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Twining, 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 Twining surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Twining 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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Twining is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Twining is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Twining falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Twining 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 Twining, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Twining

The surname Twining has its origins in England, originating sometime in the early medieval period around the 12th or 13th century. It is thought to be an occupational name derived from the Old English word "twinan," meaning "to twist" or "to twine," and likely referred to someone who worked as a rope-maker or twiner of thread.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a William le Twyner. The surname is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire from 1332, listing a Robert le Twynere.

The Twining surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. Richard Twining (1749-1824) was an English tea merchant and founder of the famous Twining's Tea Company, which has been in operation since 1706. Another prominent figure was Thomas Twining (1806-1895), an English industrialist and member of Parliament.

In the realm of literature, Mary Arnold Twining (1865-1927) was a British writer and translator, best known for her English translation of the ancient Hindu text, the Bhagavad Gita. Additionally, Edward Francis Twining (1799-1857) was a British naval officer and hydrographer who published several works on navigation and surveying.

The name has also been linked to various places, such as Twining in Gloucestershire, England, which is believed to have derived its name from the Old English words "twin" and "ing," meaning "the place of the two streams."

Other notable individuals bearing the Twining surname include William Twining (1632-1700), an English merchant and Quaker, and John Twining (1824-1904), an English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Twining families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Twining 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. Gloucestershire leads with 52 Twinings recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.09x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 52 11.09x
Middlesex 43 1.80x
Warwickshire 35 5.81x
Worcestershire 20 6.41x
Somerset 13 3.38x
Lancashire 12 0.42x
Pembrokeshire 11 14.48x
Oxfordshire 8 5.42x
Glamorgan 7 1.68x
Kent 7 0.86x
Surrey 6 0.52x
Carmarthenshire 5 4.96x
Roxburghshire 4 9.24x
Cumberland 3 1.46x
Hertfordshire 3 1.82x
Devon 2 0.40x
Essex 2 0.42x
Wiltshire 2 0.95x
Yorkshire 2 0.08x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.45x
Berkshire 1 0.56x
Cardiganshire 1 1.72x
Channel Islands 1 1.41x
Cheshire 1 0.19x
Monmouthshire 1 0.58x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.31x
Sussex 1 0.25x

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 17 Twinings recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.24x.

Place Total Index
Aston 17 10.24x
Birmingham 16 7.97x
Painswick 14 422.96x
St Pancras London 11 5.72x
Kilgerran 8 869.57x
Lyncombe Widcombe 8 79.44x
Worcester St Nicholas 8 540.54x
Barrow In Furness 7 18.15x
Islington London 7 3.02x
Llanwonno 7 46.82x
Oxford St Ebbe 7 161.29x
Cheltenham 6 16.59x
Clifton 6 25.33x
Paddington London 6 6.83x
Stapleton 6 67.49x
Stonehouse 6 225.56x
Bristol St George 5 23.06x
Llanelly 5 22.05x
Penge 5 32.77x
Worcester Blockhouse 5 292.40x
Worcester St Peter 5 84.60x
Castleton 4 215.05x
Clerkenwell London 4 7.09x
Liverpool 4 2.32x
Mile End Old Town 4 10.60x
Twickenham 4 39.02x
Badgeworth 3 365.85x
Bath St Peter St Paul 3 176.47x
Canterbury St Mary 3 54.84x
Chatham 3 13.37x
St Albans St Stephen 3 208.33x
Westbury On Trym 3 18.89x
Bedminster 2 5.53x
Bromley London 2 3.80x
Llanfallteg 2 625.00x
St Cuthbert W O 2 19.94x
Stratton St Margaret 2 61.73x
Walthamstow 2 11.78x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 2.41x
Birkdale 1 13.95x
Brighton 1 1.23x
Caldewgate 1 8.87x
Cardigan St Mary 1 44.84x
Church Lawford 1 454.55x
Cirencester 1 15.75x
Conisbrough 1 45.05x
Dinnington 1 476.19x
Fulham London 1 2.89x
Gloucester St Michael 1 93.46x
Gradley 1 66.23x
Grouville 1 50.76x
Hackney London 1 0.75x
Lambeth 1 0.48x
Liscard 1 10.53x
Littleham 1 27.47x
Llantillio Pertholey 1 99.01x
Malborough 1 50.51x
Nottingham St Nicholas 1 22.78x
Oxford St Clement 1 26.88x
Pembroke St Mary 1 10.22x
Rugby 1 12.27x
St Clement Danes 1 25.84x
St George Martyr 1 24.81x
Swanscombe 1 27.32x
Warfield 1 61.35x
Westminster St John 1 3.44x
Woodchester 1 135.14x
Worcester All Sts 1 55.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 10
William 10
Thomas 8
Alfred 7
Edward 6
Albert 5
Samuel 4
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Frederick 3
George 3
Harry 3
Henry 3
James 3
Benjamin 2
Charles 2
Chas. 2
Ezra 2
Frank 2
Fredk. 2
Isaac 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Arthur 1
Athur 1
Dan 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Emanuel 1
Geo. 1
Gilbert 1
Harvey 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
J. 1
Joseph 1
Leonnard 1
Llewellyn 1
Maurice 1
Morries 1
Owen 1
Robert 1
Simon 1
Sydney 1
T.I. 1
Theophilus 1

FAQ

Twining surname: questions and answers

How common was the Twining surname in 1881?

In 1881, 244 people were recorded with the Twining surname. That placed it at #11,258 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Twining surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 291 in 2016. That gives Twining a modern rank of #15,062.

What does the Twining surname mean?

A surname derived from the occupation of a rope or string maker.

What does the Twining map show?

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