NameCensus.

UK surname

Clifford

Derived from a place name meaning "ford by a cliff" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 6,147 people recorded with the Clifford surname, ranking it #709 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 10,920, ranked #590, up from #709 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cotswold, IZ12 and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clifford is 11,409 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 77.6%.

1881 census count

6,147

Ranked #709

Modern count

10,920

2016, ranked #590

Peak year

1999

11,409 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clifford had 6,147 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #709 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 10,920 in 2016, ranked #590.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,534 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Clifford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Clifford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clifford 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 3,795 #751
1861 historical 4,158 #674
1881 historical 6,147 #709
1891 historical 6,886 #656
1901 historical 7,949 #673
1911 historical 8,534 #576
1997 modern 10,917 #565
1998 modern 11,300 #566
1999 modern 11,409 #568
2000 modern 11,272 #568
2001 modern 11,019 #568
2002 modern 11,263 #568
2003 modern 10,925 #573
2004 modern 10,986 #570
2005 modern 10,769 #577
2006 modern 10,687 #582
2007 modern 10,752 #585
2008 modern 10,766 #589
2009 modern 11,031 #587
2010 modern 11,307 #583
2011 modern 11,134 #586
2012 modern 10,846 #589
2013 modern 11,063 #590
2014 modern 11,141 #589
2015 modern 10,986 #591
2016 modern 10,920 #590

Geography

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Where Cliffords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Lambeth and Calne, Bowood, Blackland, Calstone Withington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cotswold, IZ12, Wiltshire and Camden. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Calne, Bowood, Blackland, Calstone Withington Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cotswold 002 Cotswold
2 IZ12 West Dunbartonshire
3 Wiltshire 015 Wiltshire
4 Camden 018 Camden
5 Cotswold 001 Cotswold

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clifford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clifford

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Clifford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Clifford 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Clifford is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Clifford 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

Clifford falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Clifford is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Clifford

The surname Clifford originated in England, with its roots dating back to the early medieval period. The name derives from the Old English words "clif," meaning a cliff or slope, and "ford," referring to a shallow river crossing. Thus, Clifford likely denoted someone who lived near a cliff or steep slope by a river ford.

Clifford first appeared in written records during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century. It is believed that the name was introduced to Britain by Norman nobility who adopted the moniker after settling in areas with such geographical features. The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, mentions several individuals with the surname Clifford or similar spellings like Clifford or Clyfford.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Clifford name is Walter de Clifford, who lived in the late 11th and early 12th centuries. He was a Norman landowner who held estates in Herefordshire and other parts of the Welsh Marches. The Clifford family later became prominent Marcher Lords, playing a significant role in the conflicts between England and Wales during the Middle Ages.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Clifford surname. One of the most renowned was Roger de Clifford (c. 1330-1389), a prominent military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He served as a Marshal of England and fought in numerous battles, including the Battle of Poitiers in 1356.

Another prominent Clifford was Anne Clifford (1590-1676), a wealthy heiress and landowner who fought legal battles to claim her inheritance. She is remembered for her extensive renovations of several castles and her patronage of the arts and literature.

In the realm of literature, the Clifford name gained prominence through the work of Martin Clifford (c. 1624-1677), an English poet and translator who was part of the literary circle around John Dryden.

The Clifford surname also has ties to the scientific community. William Kingdon Clifford (1845-1879) was a renowned English mathematician and philosopher who made significant contributions to the fields of geometry and physics.

Finally, the Clifford family has left its mark on the United States as well. Nathan Clifford (1803-1881) was a prominent American jurist who served as a Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States from 1858 to 1881.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clifford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clifford 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. Middlesex leads with 826 Cliffords recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.38x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 826 1.38x
Gloucestershire 570 4.84x
Yorkshire 528 0.89x
Surrey 495 1.69x
Warwickshire 407 2.69x
Kent 384 1.87x
Lancashire 294 0.41x
Wiltshire 283 5.33x
Nottinghamshire 215 2.66x
Derbyshire 191 2.03x
Durham 168 0.94x
Oxfordshire 153 4.13x
Sussex 135 1.33x
Worcestershire 135 1.72x
Berkshire 126 2.79x
Staffordshire 116 0.57x
Leicestershire 115 1.73x
Somerset 114 1.18x
Hampshire 95 0.77x
Lanarkshire 86 0.44x
Glamorgan 84 0.80x
Northamptonshire 61 1.08x
Devon 56 0.45x
Ayrshire 49 1.09x
Essex 47 0.40x
Suffolk 44 0.60x
Buckinghamshire 42 1.16x
Midlothian 39 0.48x
Monmouthshire 37 0.85x
Northumberland 32 0.36x
Cheshire 30 0.23x
Westmorland 26 1.97x
Renfrewshire 23 0.49x
Herefordshire 22 0.89x
Cumberland 17 0.33x
Hertfordshire 12 0.29x
Cornwall 11 0.16x
Lincolnshire 10 0.10x
Carmarthenshire 8 0.32x
Dumfriesshire 8 0.60x
Royal Navy 8 1.12x
Shropshire 8 0.15x
Brecknockshire 7 0.58x
Norfolk 7 0.08x
Dunbartonshire 6 0.37x
Angus 5 0.09x
Denbighshire 4 0.18x
Bedfordshire 3 0.10x
Channel Islands 3 0.17x
Dorset 3 0.08x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.16x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.04x
Isle of Man 1 0.09x
Perthshire 1 0.04x
Radnorshire 1 0.21x
Stirlingshire 1 0.05x
West Lothian 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 129 Cliffords recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.09x.

Place Total Index
Aston 129 3.09x
Birmingham 114 2.26x
Lambeth 114 2.18x
Cheltenham 78 8.58x
Camberwell 76 1.98x
Calne 71 64.93x
Brighton 69 3.38x
Islington London 69 1.19x
St Pancras London 66 1.37x
Hackney London 64 1.90x
Deptford St Paul 49 3.10x
St Marylebone London 46 1.43x
Radford 45 10.94x
Bethnal Green London 43 1.65x
Shoreditch London 43 1.65x
Stow On The Wold 43 164.31x
Paddington London 42 1.90x
Kensington London 41 1.23x
Ilkeston 39 14.79x
Croydon 38 2.34x
Huddersfield 37 4.27x
Mile End Old Town London 37 2.89x
Leicester St Margaret 32 1.97x
Newington 32 1.44x
Battersea 31 1.40x
Bermondsey 30 1.68x
Eastwood 30 41.44x
Maidstone 30 4.91x
Stapleford 29 44.11x
Wednesbury 29 5.72x
Leeds 28 0.83x
Merthyr Tydfil 28 2.79x
Barony 27 0.55x
Beeston 27 29.03x
Cricklade St Sampson 27 109.18x
Finmere 26 434.78x
West Ham 26 0.99x
Bowling 25 4.24x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 25 2.25x
Chester Le Street 24 17.49x
Sawley 24 84.66x
Southwark St George Martyr 24 1.99x
Bedminster 23 2.53x
Bourton On The Water 23 95.95x
Chippenham 23 20.65x
Westminster St John 23 3.14x
Maugersbury 22 194.52x
Milton In Gravesend 22 7.16x
Coventry Holy Trinity 21 4.64x
Holy Trinity 21 1.47x
St George Hanover Square 21 1.98x
Bradford 20 1.39x
Charlbury 20 48.04x
Lindsey 20 433.84x
Nottingham St Mary 20 0.96x
St Giles In Fields London 20 6.79x
Barnes 19 15.35x
Droylsden 19 8.17x
Liverpool 19 0.44x
Wouldham 19 72.88x
Avening 18 43.26x
Bolehall Glascote 18 28.05x
Bromley London 18 1.36x
Chelsea London 18 0.99x
Hungerford 18 29.52x
Mortlake 18 13.80x
Aldershot 17 4.12x
Bradford 17 5.10x
Clerkenwell London 17 1.20x
Eccleshill 17 11.74x
Hartpury 17 102.84x
Oxford St Thomas 17 9.82x
St George Bloomsbury 17 4.93x
Tredington 17 79.29x
West Bromwich 17 1.46x
Appleby St Lawrence 16 53.23x
Frampton On Severn 16 80.65x
Govan 16 0.33x
Hammersmith London 16 1.08x
Little Somerford 16 204.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 379
Elizabeth 230
Sarah 215
Jane 103
Emily 97
Eliza 90
Ann 86
Ellen 86
Emma 85
Alice 73
Annie 73
Hannah 62
Louisa 61
Margaret 49
Edith 45
Caroline 42
Florence 41
Kate 41
Catherine 38
Harriet 37
Ada 36
Charlotte 36
Clara 31
Fanny 30
Martha 30
Maria 29
Harriett 27
Anne 26
Lucy 23
Susan 23
Frances 21
Rose 20
Isabella 19
Julia 17
Agnes 16
Amy 15
Matilda 15
Amelia 13
Gertrude 13
Jessie 12
Laura 12
Bridget 11
Sophia 11
Maud 10
Minnie 10
Rebecca 10
Rosa 10
Selina 10
Mabel 9
Phoebe 9

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 377
John 351
George 200
James 197
Thomas 184
Henry 146
Charles 134
Joseph 95
Edward 72
Arthur 60
Alfred 54
Frederick 54
Walter 53
Harry 47
Robert 47
Richard 46
Albert 43
Francis 34
Samuel 33
Frank 30
Ernest 25
Patrick 24
David 23
Daniel 17
Fredrick 17
Herbert 17
Wm. 16
Edwin 13
Mark 12
Michael 11
Stephen 11
Benjamin 10
Fred 9
Sidney 9
Thos. 9
Chas. 8
Geo. 8
Timothy 8
Tom 8
Edgar 7
Elijah 7
Jeremiah 7
Christopher 6
Fredk. 6
Hugh 6
Isaac 6
Leonard 6
Percy 6
Willm. 6
Silas 5

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 Clifford households.

FAQ

Clifford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clifford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,147 people were recorded with the Clifford surname. That placed it at #709 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clifford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 10,920 in 2016. That gives Clifford a modern rank of #590.

What does the Clifford surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "ford by a cliff" in Old English.

What does the Clifford map show?

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