NameCensus.

UK surname

Colford

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "cold ford" or "coal ford."

In the 1881 census there were 18 people recorded with the Colford surname, ranking it #31,019 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 104, ranked #30,317, up from #31,019 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Halton, Charnwood and Leicester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Colford is 121 in 2008. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 477.8%.

1881 census count

18

Ranked #31,019

Modern count

104

2016, ranked #30,317

Peak year

2008

121 bearers

Map years

2

2006 to 2016

Key insights

  • Colford had 18 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,019 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016, ranked #30,317.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 48 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Colford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Colford surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Colford 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 48 #27,896
1881 historical 18 #31,019
1891 historical 24 #32,320
1901 historical 35 #30,194
1911 historical 28 #30,296
1997 modern 90 #28,360
1998 modern 90 #28,920
1999 modern 90 #29,056
2000 modern 99 #27,845
2001 modern 100 #27,402
2002 modern 108 #26,698
2003 modern 111 #26,091
2004 modern 112 #26,159
2005 modern 111 #26,260
2006 modern 115 #25,969
2007 modern 116 #26,209
2008 modern 121 #25,785
2009 modern 116 #27,062
2010 modern 120 #27,124
2011 modern 107 #28,979
2012 modern 106 #29,187
2013 modern 107 #29,561
2014 modern 106 #30,030
2015 modern 102 #30,624
2016 modern 104 #30,317

Geography

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Where Colfords 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 Halton, Charnwood, Leicester and Sefton. 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 Halton 007 Halton
2 Charnwood 015 Charnwood
3 Leicester 007 Leicester
4 Sefton 018 Sefton
5 Charnwood 017 Charnwood

Forenames

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First names often paired with Colford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Colford

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Colford, 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 Colford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Colford 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Colford 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

Colford 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

Colford 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 Colford 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 Colford, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Colford

The surname Colford is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from an Old English place name, with the prefix 'col' meaning charcoal or coal, and 'ford' referring to a shallow river crossing. This suggests the name may have been associated with an area where charcoal burning or coal mining activities took place near a ford or river crossing.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Colford can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the 13th century, referring to a family residing in the village of Colford near the Forest of Dean. This region was known for its coal mining and charcoal production, lending credence to the name's origins.

During the 14th century, the surname appeared in various records across southern England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. This suggests the name may have spread from its original location as families migrated or established new branches.

Notable individuals bearing the Colford surname include Richard Colford, a merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire who lived in the late 15th century. His name appears in various property records and legal documents from that time.

In the 16th century, John Colford, a clergyman and scholar, served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Cheltenham from 1542 until his death in 1578. He is mentioned in ecclesiastical records and local histories of the area.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Captain Thomas Colford is recorded as having served in the Parliamentarian army under Oliver Cromwell. His name appears in military records and accounts of the conflict.

In the 18th century, the Colford family had established a presence in the town of Cirencester, Gloucestershire. William Colford, born in 1732, was a prominent merchant and landowner in the area, and his name is found in various property deeds and local records from that period.

Another notable figure was Elizabeth Colford, born in 1796, who was a pioneer in the field of education. She founded one of the first schools for girls in the city of Bath, and her work in promoting women's education was widely recognized during her lifetime.

While the Colford surname has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, its origins can be traced back to the coal-mining and charcoal-producing regions of southern England, where it first emerged as a distinctive surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Colford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Colford 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 8 Colfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.84x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 8 3.84x
Yorkshire 4 2.30x
Glamorgan 2 6.54x
Wiltshire 2 12.88x
Middlesex 1 0.57x
Surrey 1 1.17x

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 6 Colfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.43x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 6 47.43x
Middlesbrough 4 176.21x
Cowbridge 2 2857.14x
Market Lavington 2 2500.00x
Camberwell 1 8.91x
Kirkdale 1 28.57x
Salford 1 16.31x
St Marylebone London 1 10.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Anne 1
Eleanor 1
Florence 1
Julia 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Patrick 2
William 2
Christ. 1
D. 1
Edward 1
George 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 Colford households.

FAQ

Colford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Colford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 18 people were recorded with the Colford surname. That placed it at #31,019 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Colford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016. That gives Colford a modern rank of #30,317.

What does the Colford surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "cold ford" or "coal ford."

What does the Colford map show?

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