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Tilby Family History

Tilby Surname Meaning

Possibly a variant of Tailby which derives from Tealby (Lincs), but this place-name usually appears in forms like Tevelby and Teleby in the medieval period and seems unlikely to have given rise to the early Tilby spellings cited below.

A reference to Michael Johnson of London sawyer born at Tylby in the parts of Brabant 1436 in Patent Rolls suggests that the name may be an English rendering of Tilburg.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Where is the Tilby family from?

You can see how Tilby families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tilby family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Tilby families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 32 Tilby families living in London. This was about 37% of all the recorded Tilby's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Tilby families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tilby surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Tilby ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Motor Driver and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Tilby. 34% of Tilby men worked as a Motor Driver and 92% of Tilby women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Tilby were General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Tilby | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Motor Driver
    34%
  • Laundry Packer (h W)
    23%
  • Bus Conductor
    23%
  • General Labourer
    23%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    92%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    9%

What Tilby family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Tilby. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tilby census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Tilby

Passenger Lists

There are 350 immigration records available for the last name Tilby. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Tilby immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 359 military records available for the last name Tilby. For the veterans among your Tilby ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Tilby military records

You've only scratched the surface of Tilby family history

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What is the average Tilby lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2004, in the United States, Tilby life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2004, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Tilby in 1964 was 82, and 46 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Tilby

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Tilby ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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