Distribution in the UK
This map was created from birth data recorded by FreeBMD 1837 – 1900. It shows the total number of births registered in the main variants Tickle, Tickell, and Tickel. The size of the dots represents the number of births in each area.
This clearly shows the ‘Tickle heartland’ of South West Lancashire, with over 500 in Prescot and over 400 in Wigan. There are very few births in Yorkshire, which throws doubt on the generally accepted claim that the name originated in that county.
There are some differences in the areas where the different names are prevalent. The map below is based on data from FreeBMD for births registered between 1837 – 1850. Each dot represents a place where at least one birth was registered. Red dots are for Tickles. blue for Tickells, and green for Tickels. However, in many areas there are births registered with more than one spelling.
Distribution in the World
There are now Tickles in many areas of the world, especially in the English-speaking New World countries, as the map below indicates.