NameCensus.

UK surname

Comerford

From a place name meaning "confluence ford," referring to a river crossing near the joining of two streams.

In the 1881 census there were 229 people recorded with the Comerford surname, ranking it #11,784 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,388, ranked #4,364, up from #11,784 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Eccles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Sandwell and Kensington and Chelsea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Comerford is 1,406 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 506.1%.

1881 census count

229

Ranked #11,784

Modern count

1,388

2016, ranked #4,364

Peak year

2002

1,406 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Comerford had 229 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,784 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,388 in 2016, ranked #4,364.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 474 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Comerford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Comerford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Comerford 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 99 #17,294
1861 historical 141 #16,072
1881 historical 229 #11,784
1891 historical 349 #9,857
1901 historical 421 #9,141
1911 historical 474 #8,162
1997 modern 1,303 #4,393
1998 modern 1,340 #4,435
1999 modern 1,357 #4,423
2000 modern 1,347 #4,433
2001 modern 1,344 #4,351
2002 modern 1,406 #4,281
2003 modern 1,358 #4,321
2004 modern 1,354 #4,341
2005 modern 1,323 #4,375
2006 modern 1,346 #4,324
2007 modern 1,338 #4,385
2008 modern 1,359 #4,352
2009 modern 1,364 #4,417
2010 modern 1,391 #4,424
2011 modern 1,357 #4,475
2012 modern 1,332 #4,475
2013 modern 1,391 #4,399
2014 modern 1,396 #4,404
2015 modern 1,391 #4,375
2016 modern 1,388 #4,364

Geography

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Where Comerfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Eccles, Lambeth and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Sandwell, Kensington and Chelsea and Craigmillar. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Eccles Lancashire
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 059 County Durham
2 Sandwell 030 Sandwell
3 Kensington and Chelsea 021 Kensington and Chelsea
4 County Durham 031 County Durham
5 Craigmillar City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Comerford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Comerford

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Comerford, 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 Comerford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Comerford 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Comerford 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

Comerford 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

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

Meaning and origin of Comerford

The surname Comerford originates from England and Ireland, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "cumera" meaning newcomer or stranger, and "ford", referring to a shallow crossing point over a river or stream.

In England, the name is found in records from the county of Staffordshire, where it appears as early as 1275 in the Hundred Rolls of that county. This suggests that the name may have originated in that region. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I.

In Ireland, the name is associated with County Kilkenny, where it is believed to have been introduced by English settlers during the Norman invasion of the 12th century. The earliest recorded instance of the name in Ireland dates back to 1318, when a Radulphus de Comerford is mentioned in the Plea Rolls of County Kilkenny.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Comerford, who lived in the 15th century and served as Sheriff of County Kilkenny in 1483. Another was James Comerford, a Catholic priest and historian who was born in Waterford, Ireland, in 1659 and died in 1702. He wrote a history of Ireland titled "Historiae Hibernicae Compendium".

In the 16th century, the Comerfords were among the leading families of County Kilkenny, with branches also established in Counties Waterford and Wexford. The name is associated with several place names in Ireland, including Comerford's Court and Comerford's Glen in County Kilkenny.

In England, the name is found in various spellings, such as Comerford, Cummerford, and Comberford. One notable bearer was Robert Comerford, an English clergyman who was born in Staffordshire in 1608 and died in 1675. He served as the Dean of Carlisle Cathedral.

Another notable figure was Michael Comerford, an Irish-born Australian pioneer and landowner who lived from 1773 to 1857. He settled in New South Wales and acquired extensive land holdings in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Comerford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Comerford 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 68 Comerfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.57x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 68 2.57x
Middlesex 40 1.79x
Surrey 24 2.21x
Warwickshire 13 2.31x
Somerset 12 3.34x
Yorkshire 11 0.50x
Essex 7 1.59x
Monmouthshire 7 4.33x
Angus 6 2.90x
Cornwall 6 2.37x
Dunbartonshire 5 8.33x
Kent 4 0.52x
West Lothian 4 11.89x
Berkshire 3 1.79x
Devon 3 0.65x
Dorset 2 1.36x
Durham 2 0.30x
Hampshire 2 0.44x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.66x
Pembrokeshire 2 2.82x
Cheshire 1 0.20x
Glamorgan 1 0.26x
Gloucestershire 1 0.23x
Lanarkshire 1 0.14x
Renfrewshire 1 0.58x
Royal Navy 1 3.76x

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 15 Comerfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.32x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 15 9.32x
Newington 14 16.97x
Birmingham 11 5.86x
Islington London 10 4.62x
Oldham 10 11.69x
Hammersmith London 9 16.36x
Leeds 8 6.40x
Pendleton In Salford 8 25.33x
Salford 8 10.26x
St Pancras London 8 4.45x
St Woollos 7 38.85x
Dundee 6 7.77x
Easton In Gordano 6 413.79x
Hulme 6 10.84x
Portbury 6 1000.00x
Toxteth Park 6 6.69x
West Ham 6 6.16x
Everton 5 5.92x
Madron Penzance 5 54.35x
New Kilpatrick 5 87.57x
Wandsworth 5 23.26x
West Derby 5 6.45x
Westminster St Margaret 5 46.43x
Bathgate 4 54.79x
Camberwell 4 2.80x
East Stonehouse 3 32.75x
Manchester 3 2.52x
St George Hanover Square 3 7.62x
Stone In Dartford 3 153.06x
Aston 2 1.29x
Chelsea London 2 2.97x
Reading St Lawrence 2 55.71x
Sherborne 2 46.30x
St Dogwells 2 833.33x
Stockton On Tees 2 6.24x
Abbey 1 3.79x
Aldershot 1 6.52x
Bradfield 1 11.72x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 2.37x
Clifton 1 4.51x
Colchester St Botolph 1 26.67x
Farnborough 1 20.79x
Greenwich 1 2.81x
Kensington London 1 0.81x
Lower Booths 1 21.05x
Maryhill 1 7.07x
Middlesbrough 1 3.47x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.28x
Reading St Giles 1 6.08x
Roath 1 5.66x
Rotherhithe 1 3.62x
Royal Navy 1 4.40x
Ruddington 1 49.51x
Scilly Islands 1 222.22x
St Botolph Aldersgate 1 39.06x
Thornaby 1 12.09x
Tranmere 1 5.52x
Westminster St James 1 4.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Ellen 6
Jane 6
Elizabeth 5
Agnes 4
Ann 4
Annie 4
Bridget 4
Catherine 4
Emma 4
Kate 4
Alice 3
Martha 3
Susan 3
Blanche 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Florence 2
Margaret 2
Adeline 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
C.Ann 1
Claria 1
Constance 1
Esther 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Honorah 1
Joan 1
Kathleen 1
Laura 1
M.Ellen 1
Mabel 1
Maria 1
Maude 1
May 1
Noami 1
Rosana 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Susannah 1
Thomas 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Comerford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Comerford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 229 people were recorded with the Comerford surname. That placed it at #11,784 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Comerford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,388 in 2016. That gives Comerford a modern rank of #4,364.

What does the Comerford surname mean?

From a place name meaning "confluence ford," referring to a river crossing near the joining of two streams.

What does the Comerford map show?

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