NameCensus.

UK surname

Clafton

In the 1881 census there were 71 people recorded with the Clafton surname, ranking it #23,517 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 90, ranked #32,202, down from #23,517 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Leeds, Batley and Wakefield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Charnwood and North Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clafton is 135 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.8%.

1881 census count

71

Ranked #23,517

Modern count

90

2016, ranked #32,202

Peak year

1861

135 bearers

Map years

3

1861 to 1911

Key insights

  • Clafton had 71 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,517 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 90 in 2016, ranked #32,202.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 135 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Clafton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Clafton surname density by area, 1911 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clafton 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 91 #18,187
1861 historical 135 #16,651
1881 historical 71 #23,517
1891 historical 102 #23,719
1901 historical 91 #23,921
1911 historical 113 #21,168
1997 modern 98 #27,179
1998 modern 97 #28,054
1999 modern 93 #28,711
2000 modern 90 #29,068
2001 modern 90 #28,793
2002 modern 101 #27,766
2003 modern 89 #29,380
2004 modern 87 #29,897
2005 modern 80 #30,842
2006 modern 82 #30,933
2007 modern 85 #30,954
2008 modern 84 #31,370
2009 modern 88 #31,352
2010 modern 90 #31,621
2011 modern 91 #31,442
2012 modern 89 #31,934
2013 modern 88 #32,349
2014 modern 90 #32,309
2015 modern 92 #32,075
2016 modern 90 #32,202

Geography

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Where Claftons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Leeds, Batley, Wakefield, Dewsbury and Gedney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Charnwood, North Lincolnshire, Cromar and Kildrummy and Barrow-in-Furness. 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 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Dewsbury Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Gedney Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 036 Wakefield
2 Charnwood 019 Charnwood
3 North Lincolnshire 001 North Lincolnshire
4 Cromar and Kildrummy Aberdeenshire
5 Barrow-in-Furness 001 Barrow-in-Furness

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clafton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clafton

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Clafton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Clafton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Clafton is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Clafton is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Clafton falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Clafton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Clafton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clafton 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. Yorkshire leads with 64 Claftons recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.33x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 64 9.33x
Cheshire 5 3.27x
Lancashire 2 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ossett Cum Gawthorpe in Yorkshire leads with 20 Claftons recorded in 1881 and an index of 816.33x.

Place Total Index
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 20 816.33x
Soothill 11 443.55x
Bramley In Bramley 7 266.16x
Dewsbury 7 99.43x
Horbury 7 583.33x
Handforth 5 2941.18x
Pudsey 5 136.24x
Batley 4 61.35x
Drighlington 1 100.00x
Liverpool 1 2.00x
Normanby In 1 54.64x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 1 31.35x
Toxteth Park 1 3.59x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 9
Mary 5
Elizabeth 4
Martha 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Elizh. 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Isabella 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Nancy 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 4
John 4
Charles 3
William 3
Albert 2
James 2
Joseph 2
Walter 2
Edwin 1
Fred 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Jason 1
Jno. 1
Luther 1
Mark 1
Oliver 1
Thomas 1
Wilfred 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Clafton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clafton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 71 people were recorded with the Clafton surname. That placed it at #23,517 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clafton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 90 in 2016. That gives Clafton a modern rank of #32,202.

What does the Clafton map show?

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