NameCensus.

UK surname

Benfold

In the 1881 census there were 54 people recorded with the Benfold surname, ranking it #26,009 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 132, ranked #25,882, up from #26,009 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Stockport and Greenwich. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Stockport and Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Benfold is 158 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 144.4%.

1881 census count

54

Ranked #26,009

Modern count

132

2016, ranked #25,882

Peak year

1997

158 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Benfold had 54 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,009 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016, ranked #25,882.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 114 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Benfold surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Benfold surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Benfold 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 12 #31,134
1861 historical 74 #24,370
1881 historical 54 #26,009
1891 historical 70 #28,073
1901 historical 78 #25,500
1911 historical 114 #21,064
1997 modern 158 #20,422
1998 modern 150 #21,665
1999 modern 156 #21,290
2000 modern 149 #21,874
2001 modern 148 #21,664
2002 modern 151 #21,809
2003 modern 158 #20,952
2004 modern 149 #21,905
2005 modern 140 #22,774
2006 modern 134 #23,590
2007 modern 134 #23,931
2008 modern 137 #23,883
2009 modern 137 #24,371
2010 modern 136 #25,009
2011 modern 140 #24,395
2012 modern 139 #24,485
2013 modern 145 #24,207
2014 modern 140 #24,977
2015 modern 139 #24,956
2016 modern 132 #25,882

Geography

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Where Benfolds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Stockport, Greenwich, London parishes and Wigan. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, Stockport and Wigan. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 Greenwich London (South Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 Wigan Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 034 Doncaster
2 Doncaster 035 Doncaster
3 Doncaster 030 Doncaster
4 Stockport 004 Stockport
5 Wigan 014 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Benfold

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Benfold

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Benfold surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Benfold household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Benfold is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Benfold is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Benfold falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Benfold 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
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Benfold families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Benfold 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. Lancashire leads with 19 Benfolds recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.04x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 19 3.04x
Durham 12 7.66x
Kent 10 5.56x
Warwickshire 6 4.52x
Cheshire 5 4.30x
Middlesex 1 0.19x
Surrey 1 0.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tanfield in Durham leads with 12 Benfolds recorded in 1881 and an index of 645.16x.

Place Total Index
Tanfield 12 645.16x
Plumstead 9 150.25x
Orrell 8 1025.64x
Heaton Norris 7 196.63x
Aston 6 16.40x
Hulme 3 22.99x
Stockport 3 50.17x
Castleton 1 16.03x
Clapham 1 15.20x
Fulshaw 1 476.19x
Hackney London 1 3.39x
Herne 1 125.00x
Macclesfield 1 19.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 6
Hannah 3
Lucy 3
Esther 2
Mary 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Henrietta 1
Myria 1
Rebecca 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Thomas 4
James 3
William 3
George 2
Henry 2
Charles 1
Edwin 1
Fred 1
Samuel 1
Walter 1

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 Benfold households.

FAQ

Benfold surname: questions and answers

How common was the Benfold surname in 1881?

In 1881, 54 people were recorded with the Benfold surname. That placed it at #26,009 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Benfold surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016. That gives Benfold a modern rank of #25,882.

What does the Benfold map show?

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