NameCensus.

UK surname

Clifft

An English place name derived from the Old English word "clif" meaning cliff or rock.

In the 1881 census there were 51 people recorded with the Clifft surname, ranking it #26,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 159, ranked #22,798, up from #26,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cannock, Westbury-on-Trym, Henbury, Compton Greenfield and St Mary Islington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Walsall and Southampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clifft is 187 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 211.8%.

1881 census count

51

Ranked #26,428

Modern count

159

2016, ranked #22,798

Peak year

2011

187 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clifft had 51 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 159 in 2016, ranked #22,798.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 132 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Clifft surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Clifft surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Clifft 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 32 #27,570
1861 historical 38 #29,216
1881 historical 51 #26,428
1891 historical 79 #26,897
1901 historical 110 #21,604
1911 historical 132 #19,313
1997 modern 162 #20,107
1998 modern 158 #20,992
1999 modern 154 #21,455
2000 modern 169 #20,199
2001 modern 168 #19,986
2002 modern 185 #19,212
2003 modern 169 #20,092
2004 modern 165 #20,530
2005 modern 163 #20,627
2006 modern 163 #20,789
2007 modern 170 #20,471
2008 modern 179 #20,015
2009 modern 183 #20,135
2010 modern 183 #20,586
2011 modern 187 #20,132
2012 modern 175 #20,984
2013 modern 169 #21,826
2014 modern 166 #22,277
2015 modern 156 #23,106
2016 modern 159 #22,798

Geography

Back to top

Where Cliffts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cannock, Westbury-on-Trym, Henbury, Compton Greenfield, St Mary Islington, Cheslyn Hay and Bushbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Walsall and Southampton. 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 Cannock Staffordshire
2 Westbury-on-Trym, Henbury, Compton Greenfield Gloucestershire
3 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
4 Cheslyn Hay Staffordshire
5 Bushbury Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Walsall 009 Walsall
2 Walsall 012 Walsall
3 Walsall 011 Walsall
4 Walsall 021 Walsall
5 Southampton 025 Southampton

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Clifft

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Clifft

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Clifft surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Clifft household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Clifft is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Clifft 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

Clifft 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 Clifft is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Clifft

The surname Clifft is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "clif," meaning a steep slope or cliff. It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, given to someone who lived near a prominent cliff or steep hill.

The name Clifft can be traced back to the 12th century in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Gloucestershire, where the landscape is characterized by rolling hills and cliffs.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Clifft appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a person named Robert de Clift is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already been established as a surname by the late 12th century.

Another early reference to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1279, which lists a person named William atte Clyft. The use of the preposition "atte" before the surname indicates that it was originally a descriptive term referring to someone's dwelling place near a cliff.

In the 14th century, various spellings of the name appeared in different regions of England, including Clift, Clyft, and Clyffe. These variations reflect the regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling at the time.

One notable figure bearing the surname Clifft was John Clifft, a Puritan minister born in Leicestershire in 1592. He was a prominent figure in the early days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and served as the minister of the First Church in Charlestown, Massachusetts.

Another individual of note was Richard Clifft, born in Somerset in 1620. He was a skilled silversmith and engraver who worked in London during the 17th century, producing intricate and highly regarded works of art.

In the 18th century, the name Clifft appeared in various parish records across England, including those of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, where several Clifft families were recorded as members of the congregation.

One notable bearer of the surname was Samuel Clifft, born in Derbyshire in 1745. He was a respected physician and author who wrote several medical treatises, including "Observations on the Nature and Cure of Fevers" (1780).

In the 19th century, the name Clifft was carried by individuals such as Edward Clifft, a renowned architect from Gloucestershire born in 1815. He designed several notable buildings in Bristol and the surrounding areas, including the Bristol Trade Hall and the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Clifft families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clifft 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. Staffordshire leads with 20 Cliffts recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.92x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 20 11.92x
Gloucestershire 15 15.38x
Middlesex 8 1.61x
Lancashire 4 0.68x
Somerset 2 2.50x
Cornwall 1 1.78x
Shropshire 1 2.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westbury On Trym in Gloucestershire leads with 10 Cliffts recorded in 1881 and an index of 303.03x.

Place Total Index
Westbury On Trym 10 303.03x
Wolverhampton 8 61.97x
Islington London 7 14.53x
Bristol St Augustine 5 318.47x
Bushbury 5 1666.67x
Cheslyn Hay 3 967.74x
Broughton In Salford 2 37.11x
Norton Canes 2 327.87x
Accrington 1 18.66x
Bilston 1 30.77x
Great Stanmore 1 454.55x
Hadnall 1 1111.11x
Little Hulton 1 102.04x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 47.62x
St Austell 1 52.08x
Tettenhall 1 97.09x
Weston Super Mare 1 49.51x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
John 5
Charles 4
Frederick 2
Benjn. 1
George 1
Henry 1
James 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 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 Clifft households.

FAQ

Clifft surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clifft surname in 1881?

In 1881, 51 people were recorded with the Clifft surname. That placed it at #26,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clifft surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 159 in 2016. That gives Clifft a modern rank of #22,798.

What does the Clifft surname mean?

An English place name derived from the Old English word "clif" meaning cliff or rock.

What does the Clifft map show?

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