NameCensus.

UK surname

Twite

An English surname derived from the small finch bird of the same name.

In the 1881 census there were 120 people recorded with the Twite surname, ranking it #17,756 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 180, ranked #21,022, down from #17,756 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Grimstone, London parishes and Mileham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, North Norfolk and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Twite is 230 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.0%.

1881 census count

120

Ranked #17,756

Modern count

180

2016, ranked #21,022

Peak year

1911

230 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Twite had 120 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,756 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 180 in 2016, ranked #21,022.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 230 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Twite surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Twite surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Twite 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 52 #23,915
1861 historical 61 #26,170
1881 historical 120 #17,756
1891 historical 149 #18,420
1901 historical 226 #14,006
1911 historical 230 #13,686
1997 modern 216 #16,802
1998 modern 229 #16,657
1999 modern 229 #16,744
2000 modern 223 #16,978
2001 modern 211 #17,376
2002 modern 217 #17,388
2003 modern 205 #17,851
2004 modern 201 #18,168
2005 modern 192 #18,640
2006 modern 186 #19,140
2007 modern 182 #19,618
2008 modern 189 #19,315
2009 modern 189 #19,727
2010 modern 190 #20,087
2011 modern 195 #19,610
2012 modern 170 #21,379
2013 modern 179 #21,028
2014 modern 185 #20,739
2015 modern 185 #20,641
2016 modern 180 #21,022

Geography

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Where Twites are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Grimstone, London parishes, Mileham and Tittleshall with Godwick. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk, North Norfolk, Bradford and Dover. 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 Grimstone Norfolk
2 London parishes London 3
3 Mileham Norfolk
4 Tittleshall with Godwick Norfolk
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 012 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 North Norfolk 011 North Norfolk
3 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 006 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4 Bradford 059 Bradford
5 Dover 013 Dover

Forenames

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First names often paired with Twite

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Twite

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Twite surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Twite household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Twite is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Twite is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Twite 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 Twite is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 20-25 mbit/s.

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

4
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Twite

The surname TWITE originated in England, specifically in the Midlands region, during the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to be an occupational name derived from the Old English word "twitu" or "twite," which referred to a type of small songbird known as the linnet or twite.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various tax rolls and legal documents from that time period. For example, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275 mention a John le Twite, while the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1292 include a Robert le Twite.

It is possible that the name may have originated as a nickname or a descriptive name for someone who was associated with or had a particular affinity for these small birds. Alternatively, it could have been an occupational name for someone who caught or traded in these birds.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Twite, a landowner from Warwickshire who was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332. Another notable figure was William Twite, a merchant from Coventry who lived in the late 14th century.

During the 16th century, the name began to spread beyond the Midlands region, with records showing variations such as Twyte and Twytt. One prominent individual from this period was Sir John Twite (1520-1588), a member of the gentry from Derbyshire and a notable supporter of the Protestant Reformation.

In the 17th century, the spelling TWITE became more common, and several bearers of the name played significant roles in local affairs. For instance, Thomas Twite (1601-1672) was a wealthy landowner and magistrate from Staffordshire, while Robert Twite (1635-1698) was a Puritan minister and author from Leicestershire.

Other notable individuals with the surname TWITE include Richard Twite (1745-1821), a military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War, and John Twite (1801-1876), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Yorkshire.

Throughout its history, the surname TWITE has remained relatively uncommon, with pockets of concentration in the Midlands and surrounding areas. However, its unique origins and connection to the natural world have contributed to its enduring presence in English nomenclature.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Twite families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Twite 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. Norfolk leads with 71 Twites recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.46x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 71 39.46x
Middlesex 30 2.56x
Kent 8 2.00x
Yorkshire 7 0.60x
Surrey 4 0.70x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Grimston in Norfolk leads with 25 Twites recorded in 1881 and an index of 5555.56x.

Place Total Index
Grimston 25 5555.56x
Tittleshall 24 11428.57x
Gooderstone 9 4500.00x
St Andrew Holborn 9 226.70x
Lewisham 8 37.58x
Shottesham St Mary 7 5384.62x
Normanby In 6 193.55x
St Anne Soho London 6 89.82x
Bromley London 5 19.42x
Finchley 5 111.36x
Chelsea London 4 11.34x
Camberwell 2 2.68x
Welney 2 487.80x
Whissonsett 2 833.33x
Castle Rising 1 714.29x
Clerkenwell London 1 3.62x
Lambeth 1 0.98x
Sculcoates 1 5.44x
West Winch 1 625.00x
Woking 1 29.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 9
William 8
James 6
Charles 5
Alfred 3
Henry 3
John 3
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Fredk. 2
Thomas 2
Wm. 2
Augustine 1
Cecil 1
Edward 1
Edwards 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Jonathan 1
Joseph 1
Lindsay 1
Lindsey 1
Robert 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Twite households.

FAQ

Twite surname: questions and answers

How common was the Twite surname in 1881?

In 1881, 120 people were recorded with the Twite surname. That placed it at #17,756 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Twite surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 180 in 2016. That gives Twite a modern rank of #21,022.

What does the Twite surname mean?

An English surname derived from the small finch bird of the same name.

What does the Twite map show?

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