NameCensus.

UK surname

Baffour

A surname meaning "Advisor to the King" among the Akan people of Ghana.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Brent, Merton and Bromley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Baffour is 134 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

125

2016, ranked #26,827

Peak year

2010

134 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 125 in 2016, ranked #26,827.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Baffour surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Baffour surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Baffour 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
1861 historical 7 #33,053
1901 historical 1 #34,548
1997 modern 31 #34,582
1998 modern 36 #34,246
1999 modern 37 #34,248
2000 modern 42 #33,791
2001 modern 42 #33,658
2002 modern 55 #32,831
2003 modern 63 #32,152
2004 modern 72 #31,488
2005 modern 77 #31,156
2006 modern 94 #29,264
2007 modern 107 #27,557
2008 modern 118 #26,212
2009 modern 121 #26,373
2010 modern 134 #25,263
2011 modern 120 #26,930
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 119 #27,541
2014 modern 120 #27,646
2015 modern 113 #28,645
2016 modern 125 #26,827

Geography

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Where Baffours are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Brent, Merton, Bromley, Enfield and Hackney. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Brent 034 Brent
2 Merton 018 Merton
3 Bromley 012 Bromley
4 Enfield 018 Enfield
5 Hackney 013 Hackney

Forenames

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First names often paired with Baffour

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Baffour

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Baffour surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Baffour 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Baffour is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Baffour is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Baffour falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Baffour is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Black - African

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

Meaning and origin of Baffour

The surname Baffour has its origins in Ghana, West Africa. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Akan language and is thought to be a combination of the words "ba" meaning child or son, and "fofour" meaning first-born or eldest. Thus, Baffour likely referred to the eldest son or firstborn child in a family.

The Akan people, who bear this surname, are an ethnic group native to the southern regions of Ghana and parts of Ivory Coast. The Baffour name was particularly prevalent among the Asante and Fante subgroups of the Akan people. It is possible that the name was initially used as a title or honorific for firstborn sons before becoming a hereditary surname.

One of the earliest recorded references to the Baffour name can be found in the oral histories and traditions of the Akan people. These oral accounts, passed down through generations, often mention individuals bearing the Baffour name in positions of authority or leadership within their respective communities.

Historically, the Baffour surname has been associated with royalty and nobility among the Akan people. In the 17th century, there are records of a prominent figure named Baffour Akoto, who was a chief and military leader in the Asante Kingdom. Another notable individual was Baffour Osei Akoto, who served as the King of Asante from 1701 to 1717.

During the 19th century, the Baffour name gained wider recognition beyond Ghana's borders. In 1865, a man named Baffour Osei Bonsu was born in the Asante Kingdom. He later became a prominent figure in the Gold Coast (present-day Ghana) and played a significant role in the colony's early political and administrative affairs.

Other notable individuals with the Baffour surname include Baffour Amissah, a Ghanaian politician and economist who served as the Vice President of Ghana from 2009 to 2017, and Baffour Ankomah, a renowned Ghanaian journalist and author born in 1953.

Throughout its history, the Baffour name has remained deeply rooted in the cultural traditions and heritage of the Akan people in Ghana. While it has been adopted by individuals of various backgrounds within the country, its origins and significance can be traced back to the ancient customs and practices of this prominent West African ethnic group.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Baffour surname: questions and answers

How common is the Baffour surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 125 in 2016. That gives Baffour a modern rank of #26,827.

What does the Baffour surname mean?

A surname meaning "Advisor to the King" among the Akan people of Ghana.

What does the Baffour map show?

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