NameCensus.

UK surname

Cafferty

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O'Gadfraidh" meaning "descendant of Godfrey".

In the 1881 census there were 174 people recorded with the Cafferty surname, ranking it #14,042 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 386, ranked #12,202, up from #14,042 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Wigan and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Derbyshire Dales, St. Helens and Halton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cafferty is 507 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 121.8%.

1881 census count

174

Ranked #14,042

Modern count

386

2016, ranked #12,202

Peak year

2010

507 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cafferty had 174 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,042 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 386 in 2016, ranked #12,202.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 249 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Cafferty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cafferty surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Cafferty 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 48 #24,615
1861 historical 107 #20,008
1881 historical 174 #14,042
1891 historical 188 #15,609
1901 historical 249 #13,172
1911 historical 192 #15,342
1997 modern 415 #10,709
1998 modern 416 #11,037
1999 modern 417 #11,091
2000 modern 397 #11,463
2001 modern 396 #11,307
2002 modern 413 #11,170
2003 modern 419 #10,875
2004 modern 415 #10,989
2005 modern 409 #10,999
2006 modern 400 #11,257
2007 modern 403 #11,315
2008 modern 413 #11,185
2009 modern 424 #11,179
2010 modern 507 #9,947
2011 modern 423 #11,333
2012 modern 389 #11,963
2013 modern 384 #12,295
2014 modern 388 #12,280
2015 modern 392 #12,092
2016 modern 386 #12,202

Geography

Back to top

Where Caffertys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Wigan, Manchester, Batley and Oldswinford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Derbyshire Dales, St. Helens, Halton, Nuneaton and Bedworth and South Thornliebank and Woodfarm. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Wigan Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Oldswinford Worcestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Derbyshire Dales 005 Derbyshire Dales
2 St. Helens 020 St. Helens
3 Halton 005 Halton
4 Nuneaton and Bedworth 004 Nuneaton and Bedworth
5 South Thornliebank and Woodfarm East Renfrewshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Cafferty

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Cafferty

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Cafferty is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Cafferty is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cafferty falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cafferty is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Cafferty

The surname Cafferty is believed to have originated in Ireland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Cathmharthaigh," which means "wealthy battle." This name was initially found in Counties Cork and Kerry, located in the southwestern region of Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cafferty surname can be traced back to the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In this text, the name is spelled "Cathubharthaigh" and appears in reference to a chieftain from the 12th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Cafferty name was also found in various Gaelic manuscripts and records, often associated with prominent families and landowners in the regions of Munster and Leinster.

The Caffertys were among the many Irish families who were dispossessed of their lands during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in the 17th century. Some Caffertys remained in Ireland, while others emigrated to other parts of the world, particularly to the Americas and Australia.

Notable individuals with the surname Cafferty include:

1. Michael Cafferty (1856-1918), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.

2. John Cafferty (born 1942), an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band.

3. Benjamin Cafferty (1754-1834), an American lawyer and politician who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress from Pennsylvania.

4. Patrick Cafferty (1809-1874), an Irish-born American Catholic priest and educator who founded several schools and colleges in New York.

5. James Cafferty (1759-1848), an Irish-born American soldier who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

While the Cafferty surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries, due to the Irish diaspora.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Cafferty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cafferty 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 64 Caffertys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.18x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 64 3.18x
Durham 20 3.96x
Worcestershire 17 7.67x
Yorkshire 15 0.89x
West Lothian 8 31.30x
Dunbartonshire 7 15.35x
Cheshire 5 1.33x
Denbighshire 5 7.80x
Midlothian 5 2.20x
Renfrewshire 5 3.80x
Roxburghshire 5 16.27x
Wigtownshire 4 17.75x
Middlesex 3 0.18x
Hampshire 2 0.57x
Lanarkshire 2 0.36x
Northumberland 2 0.79x
Berwickshire 1 4.87x
Flintshire 1 2.19x
Lincolnshire 1 0.37x
Staffordshire 1 0.17x
Warwickshire 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 25 Caffertys recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.65x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 25 46.65x
Stourbridge 16 280.70x
Boness 8 227.27x
Habergham Eaves 8 43.45x
Leeds 8 8.42x
Manchester 8 8.83x
Crook Billy Row 7 108.19x
Dumbarton 7 110.24x
Gateshead 6 15.87x
Bradford 5 12.28x
Cramond 5 290.70x
Morebattle 5 847.46x
Spotland 4 17.87x
Wrexham Abbot 4 248.45x
Abbey 3 14.95x
Esh 3 81.74x
Great Lumley 3 348.84x
St George Hanover 3 13.54x
Warrington 3 12.56x
Acton In Northwich 2 571.43x
Batley 2 12.52x
Chester St John Baptist 2 29.72x
Liverpool 2 1.64x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 2 13.26x
Portsmouth 2 24.97x
Preston 2 3.71x
Widnes 2 13.76x
Barrow In Furness 1 3.65x
Birkdale 1 19.61x
Crumpsall 1 21.05x
Eastham 1 200.00x
Farnworth 1 8.29x
Fulwood 1 45.87x
Glasgow 1 1.03x
Gordon 1 204.08x
Govan 1 0.74x
Hawarden 1 27.93x
Kidderminster Borough 1 7.71x
Long Itchington 1 149.25x
Lostock 1 222.22x
Marton 1 74.63x
Paisley High Church 1 9.55x
Penninghame 1 43.48x
Port Glasgow 1 15.72x
Rowley Regis 1 6.26x
Ruabon 1 11.34x
Sorbie 1 101.01x
Stockton On Tees 1 4.11x
Toxteth Park 1 1.47x
West Rasen 1 666.67x
Whithorn 1 58.14x
Wigtown 1 77.52x
Windle 1 8.83x
Withnell 1 80.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 22
Bridget 10
Catherine 7
Ann 5
Ellen 5
Margaret 4
Eliza 2
Anne 1
Cicely 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Margrate 1
Margret 1
Marie 1
Nancy 1
Winifride 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
James 10
Michael 9
Patrick 8
Thomas 8
Anthony 3
Luke 3
Charles 2
Edward 2
Hugh 2
William 2
Barthw. 1
Cornelious 1
Francis 1
Henry 1
Joseph 1
Martin 1
Michel 1
Owen 1
Pat. 1
Paterick 1
Patk. 1
Richard 1

FAQ

Cafferty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cafferty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 174 people were recorded with the Cafferty surname. That placed it at #14,042 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cafferty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 386 in 2016. That gives Cafferty a modern rank of #12,202.

What does the Cafferty surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O'Gadfraidh" meaning "descendant of Godfrey".

What does the Cafferty map show?

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