NameCensus.

UK surname

Cuff

A metonymic occupational surname for a maker or seller of gloves, mittens, or other hand coverings.

In the 1881 census there were 1,165 people recorded with the Cuff surname, ranking it #3,453 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,232, ranked #4,842, down from #3,453 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Dorset, West Dorset and East Hampshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cuff is 1,434 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.8%.

1881 census count

1,165

Ranked #3,453

Modern count

1,232

2016, ranked #4,842

Peak year

1901

1,434 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cuff had 1,165 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,453 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,232 in 2016, ranked #4,842.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,434 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cuff surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cuff surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cuff 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 719 #3,640
1861 historical 687 #3,920
1881 historical 1,165 #3,453
1891 historical 1,157 #3,695
1901 historical 1,434 #3,542
1911 historical 1,432 #3,377
1997 modern 1,270 #4,487
1998 modern 1,312 #4,529
1999 modern 1,290 #4,627
2000 modern 1,288 #4,619
2001 modern 1,246 #4,656
2002 modern 1,265 #4,693
2003 modern 1,229 #4,714
2004 modern 1,218 #4,754
2005 modern 1,208 #4,733
2006 modern 1,188 #4,814
2007 modern 1,200 #4,813
2008 modern 1,187 #4,879
2009 modern 1,233 #4,835
2010 modern 1,249 #4,875
2011 modern 1,260 #4,788
2012 modern 1,263 #4,685
2013 modern 1,271 #4,751
2014 modern 1,286 #4,724
2015 modern 1,256 #4,779
2016 modern 1,232 #4,842

Geography

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Where Cuffs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes, St Philip and Jacob and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Dorset, West Dorset and East Hampshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Philip and Jacob Gloucestershire
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Dorset 008 North Dorset
2 North Dorset 003 North Dorset
3 West Dorset 004 West Dorset
4 East Hampshire 003 East Hampshire
5 West Dorset 012 West Dorset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cuff

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cuff

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cuff, 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 Cuff surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cuff 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, Cuff 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

Cuff is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Cuff

The surname Cuff is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "cuffe" or "cyffe," which means a fist or a handcuff. It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.

The name Cuff was initially used as a descriptive surname, referring to a person's physical characteristic or occupation. It was likely given to someone with a strong, clenched fist or potentially to a maker or seller of handcuffs or similar restraints.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cuff can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire from 1195, where a person named Hugh Cuff is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various historical records, such as the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1279, which mention a Thomas Cuff. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 also list a John Cuff.

A notable early bearer of the surname Cuff was William Cuff, a member of the Parliament of England who represented the borough of Southwark in 1381. He played a role during the Peasants' Revolt of that year.

Another significant figure was Sir John Cuff, a prominent English merchant and politician who lived from 1579 to 1629. He served as the Sheriff of London in 1617 and was knighted by King James I in 1619.

In the 17th century, the name Cuff appeared in various place names, such as Cuff's Corner in Gloucestershire and Cuff's Green in Kent, indicating the presence of families bearing this surname in those areas.

A notable bearer of the name in the 18th century was Maurice Cuff, an Irish politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Kilkenny City from 1761 to 1768.

In the 19th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname Cuff was Archibald Cuff, a fictional detective character created by Wilkie Collins in his 1868 novel "The Moonstone." Cuff was one of the earliest examples of a professional detective in English literature.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cuff families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cuff 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. Dorset leads with 163 Cuffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.80x.

County Total Index
Dorset 163 21.80x
Lancashire 130 0.96x
Gloucestershire 127 5.68x
Middlesex 119 1.04x
Somerset 117 6.38x
Surrey 91 1.64x
Hampshire 63 2.70x
Yorkshire 54 0.48x
Wiltshire 30 2.98x
Essex 27 1.20x
Sussex 25 1.30x
Devon 23 0.97x
Nottinghamshire 23 1.50x
Warwickshire 23 0.80x
Glamorgan 22 1.11x
Kent 21 0.54x
Cheshire 19 0.76x
Leicestershire 15 1.19x
Monmouthshire 14 1.70x
Roxburghshire 12 5.81x
Staffordshire 11 0.29x
Derbyshire 10 0.56x
Worcestershire 7 0.47x
Durham 3 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.83x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.19x
Berkshire 2 0.23x
Channel Islands 2 0.59x
Cumberland 2 0.20x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.15x
Cornwall 1 0.08x
Hertfordshire 1 0.13x
Lanarkshire 1 0.03x
Norfolk 1 0.06x
Northamptonshire 1 0.09x
Northumberland 1 0.06x
Royal Navy 1 0.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bristol St Philip Jacob in Gloucestershire leads with 36 Cuffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.11x.

Place Total Index
Bristol St Philip Jacob 36 17.11x
Winterborne Whitechurch 29 1757.58x
Shapwick 23 1337.21x
Lambeth 21 2.11x
Minchinhampton 20 112.36x
Batcombe 18 743.80x
Heap 17 23.71x
Holdenhurst 17 27.76x
Paddington London 17 4.06x
Chard 16 72.04x
Hampstead London 16 9.02x
Sutton 16 39.83x
Toxteth Park 16 3.49x
Christchurch 15 29.62x
Folke 15 1428.57x
Hilton 15 579.15x
Liverpool 14 1.71x
Battersea 13 3.10x
Bethnal Green London 12 2.42x
St Marylebone London 12 1.97x
Wotton St Mary 12 103.54x
Aston 11 1.39x
Birmingham 11 1.15x
Sprouston 11 274.31x
Bedminster 10 5.80x
Hasfield 10 1041.67x
Kirkdale 10 4.40x
Otterford 10 632.91x
Avington 9 1125.00x
Camberwell 9 1.24x
Cheetham 9 8.93x
Islington London 9 0.82x
Charlton 8 30.98x
Combe St Nicholas 8 180.59x
Frome 8 18.24x
Mansfield 8 15.05x
Milton Abbas 8 217.98x
Nottingham St Mary 8 2.01x
Puddletrenthide 8 273.97x
Salford 8 2.01x
Accrington 7 5.69x
Ashchurch 7 268.20x
Batheaston 7 111.47x
Batsford 7 1627.91x
Clifton 7 6.20x
Dundry 7 318.18x
East Tisbury 7 201.73x
Glossop Dale 7 8.38x
Harting 7 140.28x
Millington 7 673.08x
St Pancras London 7 0.76x
Stoke Upon Trent 7 1.72x
Weare 7 275.59x
Wimbledon 7 11.23x
Aberystruth 6 8.26x
Andover 6 27.20x
Chorlton On Medlock 6 2.79x
Corsley 6 151.13x
Crediton 6 26.70x
Cwmdu 6 24.82x
Haselbury Bryan 6 214.29x
Heckmondwike 6 16.52x
Leicester St Margaret 6 1.95x
Lewisham 6 2.89x
Leyton Low 6 13.12x
Middlesbrough 6 4.08x
Ormesby 6 19.78x
Slimbridge 6 180.18x
St Osyth 6 109.69x
Tawstock 6 142.52x
Trevethin 6 7.71x
Trowbridge 6 13.47x
Wandsworth 6 5.47x
Westminster St James 6 5.12x
Affpuddle 5 263.16x
Chelsea London 5 1.46x
Manchester 5 0.82x
Portsea 5 1.09x
South Mimms 5 32.01x
Tarporley 5 94.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 76
Elizabeth 44
Sarah 37
Eliza 29
Ann 22
Jane 21
Annie 18
Ellen 15
Emily 15
Emma 15
Charlotte 14
Alice 12
Louisa 12
Catherine 11
Edith 10
Martha 10
Kate 9
Fanny 8
Florence 8
Caroline 7
Margaret 7
Maria 7
Bridget 6
Hannah 6
Phoebe 6
Susan 6
Clara 5
Harriet 5
Agnes 4
Anne 4
Bessie 4
Frances 4
Julia 4
Amelia 3
Lucy 3
Maud 3
Minnie 3
Edna 2
Florance 2
Isabella 2
Janet 2
Katherine 2
Lilly 2
Mabel 2
Rose 2
Susannah 2
Bertha 1
Drucilla 1
Drusilla 1
Winnyfred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 66
George 61
John 61
James 49
Thomas 33
Henry 32
Charles 31
Frederick 14
Walter 14
Arthur 12
Edward 12
Albert 11
Robert 11
Alfred 10
Patrick 10
Frank 8
Samuel 8
Harry 7
Joseph 7
Richard 7
Herbert 6
Michael 5
Ernest 4
Martin 4
Alexander 3
Christopher 3
Edwin 3
Francis 3
Fredrick 3
Willie 3
Archibald 2
Benjamin 2
Frederic 2
Fredk. 2
Jacob 2
Jesse 2
Joshua 2
Levi 2
Matthew 2
Nathaniel 2
Phillip 2
Stephen 2
Tom 2
Wallace 2
Cornelius 1
Ernst 1
F. 1
Fred 1
Jno. 1
Wm.Jas. 1

FAQ

Cuff surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cuff surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,165 people were recorded with the Cuff surname. That placed it at #3,453 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cuff surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,232 in 2016. That gives Cuff a modern rank of #4,842.

What does the Cuff surname mean?

A metonymic occupational surname for a maker or seller of gloves, mittens, or other hand coverings.

What does the Cuff map show?

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