NameCensus.

UK surname

Tyler

An occupational surname referring to someone who lays tiles or roofs with tiles.

In the 1881 census there were 8,830 people recorded with the Tyler surname, ranking it #476 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 12,497, ranked #518, down from #476 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Monmouthshire, Malvern Hills and Powys.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tyler is 13,068 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.5%.

1881 census count

8,830

Ranked #476

Modern count

12,497

2016, ranked #518

Peak year

1999

13,068 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tyler had 8,830 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #476 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 12,497 in 2016, ranked #518.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 12,705 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tyler surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tyler surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tyler 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 5,390 #510
1861 historical 5,004 #565
1881 historical 8,830 #476
1891 historical 9,320 #472
1901 historical 11,516 #455
1911 historical 12,705 #384
1997 modern 12,525 #485
1998 modern 13,045 #486
1999 modern 13,068 #491
2000 modern 12,970 #488
2001 modern 12,662 #490
2002 modern 12,874 #491
2003 modern 12,490 #501
2004 modern 12,369 #505
2005 modern 12,019 #515
2006 modern 11,924 #521
2007 modern 12,034 #521
2008 modern 12,092 #522
2009 modern 12,419 #520
2010 modern 12,639 #519
2011 modern 12,355 #529
2012 modern 12,167 #530
2013 modern 12,467 #526
2014 modern 12,600 #521
2015 modern 12,522 #521
2016 modern 12,497 #518

Geography

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Where Tylers are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Monmouthshire, Malvern Hills, Powys, Rutland and Herefordshire. 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 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Monmouthshire 004 Monmouthshire
2 Malvern Hills 003 Malvern Hills
3 Powys 011 Powys
4 Rutland 004 Rutland
5 Herefordshire 015 Herefordshire, County of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tyler

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tyler

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Tyler is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tyler is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tyler falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Tyler

The surname Tyler originated in England during the medieval period. It derives from the occupational term 'tiler', referring to someone who made or laid tiles, usually on roofs. The name comes from the Old English word 'tigele', meaning tile, combined with the agent suffix '-er'.

The earliest known record of the Tyler surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Tighelare'. This indicates that the name was well-established in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the surname was often spelled 'Tyghelere' or 'Tygheler'. By the 14th century, the modern spelling 'Tyler' had emerged, and it became more widespread across various regions of England.

One notable historical figure bearing the Tyler surname was Wat Tyler (c. 1341 – 1381), a leader of the Peasants' Revolt in 1381. He was born in Essex and played a pivotal role in the uprising against the oppressive poll tax imposed by King Richard II.

Another early reference to the name can be found in the 14th-century poem "Piers Plowman" by William Langland, where a character named Tiler is mentioned.

In the 15th century, John Tyler (c. 1430 – 1505) was a prominent English scholar and translator who produced the first English translation of Aristotle's "Nicomachean Ethics".

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Sir John Tyler (1609 – 1672) was a prominent Parliamentary officer who served under Oliver Cromwell.

One of the most famous Tylers in American history was John Tyler (1790 – 1862), who served as the 10th President of the United States from 1841 to 1845 after the death of William Henry Harrison.

Another notable American with the surname was Moses Coit Tyler (1835 – 1900), a literary historian and writer who authored several books on American literature and history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tyler families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tyler 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 1,619 Tylers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.88x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,619 1.88x
Surrey 846 2.01x
Essex 737 4.33x
Kent 626 2.13x
Worcestershire 490 4.35x
Gloucestershire 415 2.45x
Leicestershire 342 3.58x
Warwickshire 287 1.32x
Yorkshire 284 0.33x
Lincolnshire 270 1.96x
Hertfordshire 261 4.39x
Staffordshire 260 0.89x
Herefordshire 193 5.46x
Sussex 164 1.13x
Wiltshire 162 2.12x
Lancashire 157 0.15x
Nottinghamshire 157 1.35x
Hampshire 148 0.84x
Somerset 143 1.03x
Northamptonshire 137 1.69x
Suffolk 112 1.07x
Berkshire 98 1.51x
Glamorgan 94 0.63x
Rutland 87 13.74x
Shropshire 86 1.15x
Monmouthshire 85 1.36x
Derbyshire 73 0.54x
Norfolk 65 0.49x
Cambridgeshire 61 1.12x
Oxfordshire 53 1.00x
Devon 50 0.28x
Bedfordshire 49 1.10x
Cheshire 39 0.20x
Buckinghamshire 37 0.71x
Northumberland 19 0.15x
Cornwall 17 0.17x
Durham 15 0.06x
Cardiganshire 14 0.67x
Dorset 11 0.19x
Carmarthenshire 10 0.28x
Flintshire 9 0.39x
Midlothian 9 0.08x
Pembrokeshire 9 0.33x
Royal Navy 8 0.78x
Denbighshire 7 0.21x
Lanarkshire 5 0.02x
Perthshire 5 0.13x
Caernarfonshire 4 0.11x
Anglesey 2 0.13x
Brecknockshire 2 0.12x
Cumberland 2 0.03x
Radnorshire 2 0.29x
Angus 1 0.01x
Isle of Man 1 0.06x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.05x
Stirlingshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 177 Tylers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.12x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 177 2.12x
Lambeth 175 2.33x
Bethnal Green London 135 3.60x
Birmingham 128 1.77x
Hackney London 127 2.63x
West Ham 119 3.17x
Camberwell 113 2.05x
St Pancras London 98 1.41x
Aston 92 1.54x
Kensington London 88 1.84x
Mile End Old Town 82 6.02x
Battersea 75 2.36x
Leicester St Margaret 62 2.66x
Newington 60 1.88x
St Marylebone London 60 1.30x
Clerkenwell London 59 2.90x
Kidderminster Borough 54 8.19x
Paddington London 52 1.64x
Bristol St George 51 6.52x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 49 3.08x
Deptford St Paul 48 2.11x
Great Dunmow 47 52.98x
Chelsea London 45 1.73x
Croydon 45 1.93x
Melton Mowbray 44 25.59x
Edmonton 40 5.76x
Grays Thurrock 40 25.28x
Loughborough 40 9.22x
Lewisham 39 2.49x
Shoreditch London 39 1.04x
Southwark St George Martyr 39 2.25x
Bermondsey 38 1.48x
Billingborough 38 108.26x
Gillingham 37 6.10x
Halstead 36 18.13x
St George Hanover 36 3.20x
Bromley London 35 1.84x
Greenwich 35 2.55x
Worcester St John 35 26.02x
Bisley 34 22.18x
Portsea 34 0.98x
Wolverhampton 33 1.47x
Tottenham 32 2.33x
Bedminster 30 2.30x
Lee 30 7.02x
Hampstead London 29 2.16x
Limehouse London 29 3.06x
Nottingham St Mary 29 0.96x
Worcester St Peter 29 13.60x
Hatfield 28 23.23x
Rotherhithe 28 2.63x
Wymeswold 28 101.34x
Barking 27 5.42x
Chatham 27 3.34x
Ecclesall Bierlow 27 1.55x
Hammersmith London 27 1.27x
Poplar London 27 1.66x
Leicester St Mary 26 3.37x
St Luke London 26 1.88x
Woolwich 26 2.39x
Hallow 25 45.33x
Sedgley 25 2.31x
Stoke Damerel 25 1.99x
Bedworth 24 15.12x
Seagry 24 538.12x
Stoke Newington London 24 3.57x
Braintree 23 15.05x
Heston 23 8.03x
Maidstone 23 2.62x
Putney 23 5.85x
Wellingborough 23 5.64x
Westbury On Trym 23 4.01x
Westminster St John 23 2.19x
Clapham 22 2.04x
Darlaston 22 5.47x
Earl Stoke 22 273.97x
Lower Mitton 22 22.17x
Peterborough 22 3.75x
Skillington 22 189.66x
Wednesbury 22 3.02x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 522
Elizabeth 323
Sarah 306
Emma 175
Eliza 172
Ann 155
Alice 150
Jane 146
Emily 132
Annie 128
Ellen 119
Caroline 86
Florence 76
Charlotte 74
Martha 65
Louisa 64
Hannah 62
Ada 58
Fanny 57
Harriet 56
Maria 54
Edith 50
Susan 49
Anne 43
Margaret 40
Clara 39
Catherine 36
Frances 36
Kate 35
Lucy 33
Sophia 32
Susannah 32
Agnes 29
Lydia 29
Rose 28
Harriett 27
Amelia 26
Esther 25
Rebecca 25
Jessie 23
Matilda 23
Julia 21
Bertha 19
Amy 16
Ethel 16
Helen 16
Minnie 16
Eleanor 15
Isabella 14
Lizzie 14

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 578
John 441
George 398
Thomas 252
James 249
Charles 218
Henry 213
Joseph 135
Alfred 131
Edward 125
Frederick 124
Arthur 94
Walter 89
Robert 87
Albert 85
Samuel 77
Richard 64
Harry 55
Frank 46
Ernest 42
Herbert 38
Edwin 35
Benjamin 32
Francis 26
David 21
Thos. 19
Wm. 18
Daniel 16
Fredrick 15
Peter 15
Stephen 14
Fred 13
Geo. 11
Isaac 10
Mark 10
Fredk. 9
Percy 9
Tom 9
Jonathan 8
Robt. 8
Willm. 8
Abraham 7
Enoch 7
Lewis 7
Reuben 7
Sidney 7
Sydney 7
Eli 6
Frederic 6
Matthew 6

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 Tyler households.

FAQ

Tyler surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tyler surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8,830 people were recorded with the Tyler surname. That placed it at #476 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tyler surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 12,497 in 2016. That gives Tyler a modern rank of #518.

What does the Tyler surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who lays tiles or roofs with tiles.

What does the Tyler map show?

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