NameCensus.

UK surname

Tyer

A surname referring to an occupational trade involving tying or binding.

In the 1881 census there were 132 people recorded with the Tyer surname, ranking it #16,744 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 119, ranked #27,704, down from #16,744 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ashen, London parishes and Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale, Calderdale and Copeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tyer is 202 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.8%.

1881 census count

132

Ranked #16,744

Modern count

119

2016, ranked #27,704

Peak year

1891

202 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tyer had 132 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,744 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016, ranked #27,704.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 202 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Tyer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tyer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tyer 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 122 #14,966
1861 historical 188 #12,628
1881 historical 132 #16,744
1891 historical 202 #14,808
1901 historical 122 #20,344
1911 historical 165 #16,808
1997 modern 126 #23,461
1998 modern 135 #23,118
1999 modern 133 #23,487
2000 modern 121 #24,824
2001 modern 112 #25,644
2002 modern 127 #24,267
2003 modern 115 #25,538
2004 modern 114 #25,870
2005 modern 120 #25,066
2006 modern 123 #24,873
2007 modern 119 #25,747
2008 modern 118 #26,212
2009 modern 127 #25,564
2010 modern 139 #24,688
2011 modern 127 #25,926
2012 modern 116 #27,550
2013 modern 116 #27,992
2014 modern 116 #28,253
2015 modern 118 #27,833
2016 modern 119 #27,704

Geography

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Where Tyers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ashen, London parishes, Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner, Workington (Workington), Clossocks and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale, Calderdale and Copeland. 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 Ashen Suffolk
2 London parishes London 3
3 Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner Hampshire
4 Workington (Workington), Clossocks Cumberland
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 008 Allerdale
2 Calderdale 027 Calderdale
3 Calderdale 001 Calderdale
4 Allerdale 009 Allerdale
5 Copeland 008 Copeland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tyer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tyer

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Tyer is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tyer 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

Tyer falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tyer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Tyer

The surname TYER is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the medieval period, likely around the 13th or 14th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "tyer," which referred to a person who made or repaired tiles, particularly roof tiles.

The TYER name was primarily concentrated in the southeastern regions of England, particularly in counties like Kent, Surrey, and Sussex, where the tile-making industry was prominent. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various medieval records, such as the Pipe Rolls, which were administrative records of the English Exchequer.

One notable reference to the TYER surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, where a person named John le Tyer was listed. This early record suggests that the name had already been established by that time and was likely associated with the tile-making trade.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Tier, Tyor, and Tyre, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common during that period. One early bearer of the name was William Tyer, who was recorded in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire in 1473.

As the name spread across England, it became associated with various places, giving rise to locational surnames like Tyers Green in Buckinghamshire and Tyers Hill in Surrey. These place names further reinforce the connection between the TYER surname and tile-making, as they likely referred to areas where tile-makers or their workshops were situated.

Notable individuals with the TYER surname throughout history include:

1. Jonathan Tyers (1702-1767), an English entrepreneur and pioneering pleasure garden proprietor who established the famous Vauxhall Gardens in London. 2. Samuel Tyer (1619-1700), an English clergyman and author who wrote on religious topics. 3. Robert Tyer (1635-1701), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Shoreham in the late 17th century. 4. William Tyers (1768-1829), a British artist and engraver known for his landscape paintings and etchings. 5. John Tyers (1753-1820), an English actor and theatre manager who managed various theatres in London and Bath.

The TYER surname has a rich history rooted in the tile-making trade of medieval England, with its origins closely linked to the southeastern regions of the country. Over time, it has become associated with various places and has been carried by notable individuals in various fields, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who bear this occupational surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tyer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tyer 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. Middlesex leads with 34 Tyers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.60x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 34 2.60x
Lancashire 16 1.03x
Surrey 13 2.04x
Staffordshire 12 2.72x
Essex 10 3.88x
Norfolk 8 3.98x
Kent 7 1.57x
Gloucestershire 5 1.95x
Leicestershire 4 2.76x
Oxfordshire 4 4.96x
Yorkshire 4 0.31x
Derbyshire 3 1.47x
Hampshire 3 1.12x
Sussex 3 1.36x
Royal Navy 2 12.84x
Worcestershire 2 1.17x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.21x
Glamorgan 1 0.44x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.57x
Shropshire 1 0.89x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 11 Tyers recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.18x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 11 13.18x
Limehouse London 8 55.75x
Sheringham 8 1538.46x
Walsall Foreign 7 30.72x
Mile End Old Town 6 29.08x
Bristol St James St Paul 5 58.48x
Manchester 5 7.17x
Sedgley 5 30.51x
Goring 4 869.57x
Hackney London 4 5.46x
Leicester St Margaret 4 11.32x
West Ham 4 7.02x
Alverstoke 3 30.93x
Ashen 3 3000.00x
Bradford 3 41.32x
Deptford St Paul 3 8.72x
Hayfield 3 238.10x
Paddington London 3 6.24x
Ardwick 2 14.30x
Bethnal Green London 2 3.52x
Colne 2 43.29x
Eastbourne 2 19.72x
Ormesby 2 57.47x
Prittlewell 2 55.87x
Royal Navy 2 15.03x
St George In East 2 22.50x
St Pancras London 2 1.90x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 2.95x
Burpham 1 555.56x
Chelsea London 1 2.54x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 4.06x
Clifton With Glapton 1 588.24x
Colchester St Giles 1 39.22x
Dartford 1 21.93x
Erith 1 22.78x
Frimley 1 55.25x
Hammersmith London 1 3.11x
Islington London 1 0.79x
Kensington London 1 1.38x
Kidderminster Foreign 1 41.49x
Llanfair Waterdine 1 400.00x
Llantwit Vairdre 1 39.06x
Newington 1 2.07x
Rawmarsh 1 21.83x
Scarborough 1 8.50x
Sittingbourne 1 28.41x
St Lawrence Jewry 1 2500.00x
St Marylebone London 1 1.43x
St Marythe Less 1 200.00x
Ulverston 1 22.12x
Wavertree 1 20.16x
Whitechapel London 1 7.76x
Woolwich 1 6.07x
Yardley 1 22.88x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Tyer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tyer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 132 people were recorded with the Tyer surname. That placed it at #16,744 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tyer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016. That gives Tyer a modern rank of #27,704.

What does the Tyer surname mean?

A surname referring to an occupational trade involving tying or binding.

What does the Tyer map show?

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