NameCensus.

UK surname

Colfer

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name "colbhthach" meaning yellow-haired or dun-colored.

In the 1881 census there were 7 people recorded with the Colfer surname, ranking it #32,765 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 202, ranked #19,475, up from #32,765 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pembrokeshire, Camden and Swansea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Colfer is 206 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 2785.7%.

1881 census count

7

Ranked #32,765

Modern count

202

2016, ranked #19,475

Peak year

2000

206 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Colfer had 7 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,765 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 202 in 2016, ranked #19,475.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 31 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Colfer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Colfer surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Colfer 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 #32,890
1861 historical 13 #32,208
1881 historical 7 #32,765
1891 historical 31 #31,820
1901 historical 27 #31,057
1911 historical 17 #31,675
1997 modern 165 #19,861
1998 modern 180 #19,298
1999 modern 194 #18,579
2000 modern 206 #17,880
2001 modern 196 #18,146
2002 modern 197 #18,474
2003 modern 185 #18,999
2004 modern 183 #19,251
2005 modern 181 #19,334
2006 modern 195 #18,564
2007 modern 193 #18,923
2008 modern 197 #18,818
2009 modern 195 #19,329
2010 modern 200 #19,457
2011 modern 206 #18,907
2012 modern 201 #19,147
2013 modern 203 #19,327
2014 modern 202 #19,575
2015 modern 202 #19,433
2016 modern 202 #19,475

Geography

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Where Colfers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pembrokeshire, Camden, Swansea and South Gloucestershire. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pembrokeshire 003 Pembrokeshire
2 Camden 020 Camden
3 Swansea 008 Swansea
4 South Gloucestershire 004 South Gloucestershire
5 Swansea 003 Swansea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Colfer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Colfer

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

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Colfer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Colfer 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 many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Colfer is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Colfer 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

Colfer falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Colfer 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Colfer

The surname Colfer is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to the Gaelic Ó Colbhair or Ó Colbháin, meaning "descendant of Colbán." Colbán was an ancient Irish personal name derived from the word "colpa," meaning "calf" or "horse."

This surname first emerged in County Sligo, located in the northwest of Ireland, where a family bearing this name held lands and influence from an early period. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Irish Annals, which chronicle historical events and genealogies.

In the 14th century, the Colfer name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a renowned collection of medieval Irish chronicles compiled by Franciscan monks. This suggests the Colfers had achieved a level of prominence by that time.

The Colfer surname has also been documented in various Irish records and manuscripts throughout the centuries, including the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns and the Census of Ireland from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Notable individuals with the surname Colfer include Brian Colfer, an Irish civil servant and writer from the 19th century, who served as the Assistant Commissioner of National Education in Ireland. Another prominent figure is Chris Colfer, the American actor and author born in 1990, best known for his role as Kurt Hummel on the television series "Glee."

In the 18th century, a branch of the Colfer family settled in County Kilkenny, where they established themselves as landowners and prominent members of the community. One notable individual from this line was Michael Colfer, born in 1768, who served as a member of the Irish Parliament in the late 18th century.

The Colfer surname has also been found in various spellings over the centuries, including Coulter, Colbert, and Culbert, reflecting the fluidity of name spellings in earlier times. Despite the variations, the surname's essence remains rooted in its Gaelic origins and the rich history of the Colfer clan in Ireland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Colfer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Colfer 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 5 Colfers recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.19x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 5 6.19x
Cheshire 1 6.65x
Yorkshire 1 1.48x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 4 Colfers recorded in 1881 and an index of 81.47x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 4 81.47x
Birkenhead 1 83.33x
Crumpsall 1 526.32x
Richmond 1 909.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alice 1
Annie 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Michael 1
William 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 Colfer households.

FAQ

Colfer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Colfer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7 people were recorded with the Colfer surname. That placed it at #32,765 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Colfer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 202 in 2016. That gives Colfer a modern rank of #19,475.

What does the Colfer surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name "colbhthach" meaning yellow-haired or dun-colored.

What does the Colfer map show?

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