NameCensus.

UK surname

Cuffe

A surname derived from the Irish word "cufa" meaning a pit or mound.

In the 1881 census there were 83 people recorded with the Cuffe surname, ranking it #21,808 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 515, ranked #9,793, up from #21,808 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Glossop and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Greenock West and Central, Middlesbrough and Pembrokeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cuffe is 546 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 520.5%.

1881 census count

83

Ranked #21,808

Modern count

515

2016, ranked #9,793

Peak year

2010

546 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cuffe had 83 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,808 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 515 in 2016, ranked #9,793.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 153 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Cuffe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cuffe surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cuffe 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 30 #27,891
1861 historical 50 #27,636
1881 historical 83 #21,808
1891 historical 153 #18,078
1901 historical 142 #18,633
1911 historical 149 #17,937
1997 modern 484 #9,531
1998 modern 470 #10,066
1999 modern 488 #9,846
2000 modern 499 #9,653
2001 modern 495 #9,544
2002 modern 503 #9,591
2003 modern 482 #9,755
2004 modern 504 #9,468
2005 modern 511 #9,297
2006 modern 507 #9,386
2007 modern 514 #9,376
2008 modern 524 #9,299
2009 modern 535 #9,366
2010 modern 546 #9,408
2011 modern 544 #9,358
2012 modern 531 #9,431
2013 modern 541 #9,459
2014 modern 541 #9,517
2015 modern 536 #9,517
2016 modern 515 #9,793

Geography

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Where Cuffes are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Greenock West and Central, Middlesbrough, Pembrokeshire, Wirral and Leeds. 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 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 Glossop Derbyshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Greenock West and Central Inverclyde
2 Middlesbrough 018 Middlesbrough
3 Pembrokeshire 005 Pembrokeshire
4 Wirral 020 Wirral
5 Leeds 070 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cuffe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cuffe

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

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial 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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Cuffe is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Cuffe 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

Cuffe 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 Cuffe is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Cuffe

The surname Cuffe is of Irish origin and is derived from the Gaelic word 'Cubath', which means 'a bark' or 'a vessel'. This suggests that the name may have been associated with someone who worked with boats or ships, perhaps as a boat builder or sailor.

Cuffe is an anglicized version of the Gaelic surname 'O'Cubhath', which was found in County Mayo, Ireland, as early as the 12th century. The earliest recorded spelling of the name is believed to be 'Cubaith', which was found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, in the year 1153.

The name was also found in the Annals of Connacht, another important medieval Irish chronicle, where it was written as 'O'Cubatha' in the year 1235. This suggests that the name was well-established in the west of Ireland by the 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cuffe in England is from the year 1273, when a Richard Cuffe was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. This indicates that the name had begun to spread beyond Ireland by the late 13th century.

In the 16th century, the name Cuffe was associated with the town of Cuffe's Wood, which was located in County Westmeath, Ireland. This place name may have been derived from the surname, or the surname may have originated from the place name.

Notable individuals with the surname Cuffe include Michael Cuffe (1572-1644), an Irish politician and landowner who served as Secretary of State for Ireland in the early 17th century. Another was John Cuffe (1766-1828), an Irish-born merchant and abolitionist who helped establish the colony of Sierra Leone as a haven for freed slaves.

Sir Charles Cuffe (1743-1816) was an Irish-born naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. He was knighted in 1794 for his military service.

Maurice Cuffe (1657-1696) was an Irish-born soldier and writer who served in the army of King James II and later wrote about his experiences in the Williamite War in Ireland.

James Cuffe (1710-1762) was an Irish-born playwright and poet who wrote several plays and poems in the mid-18th century, including the tragedy "The Haunted Priory".

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cuffe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cuffe 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. Gloucestershire leads with 18 Cuffes recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.34x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 18 11.34x
Middlesex 15 1.85x
Kent 12 4.34x
Derbyshire 7 5.52x
Durham 7 2.91x
Lincolnshire 5 3.86x
Surrey 5 1.27x
Cheshire 3 1.68x
Hampshire 3 1.81x
Buckinghamshire 1 2.04x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.95x
Herefordshire 1 3.01x
Lancashire 1 0.10x
Northamptonshire 1 1.31x
Somerset 1 0.77x
Staffordshire 1 0.37x
Warwickshire 1 0.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lassington in Gloucestershire leads with 13 Cuffes recorded in 1881 and an index of 11818.18x.

Place Total Index
Lassington 13 11818.18x
Deptford St Paul 10 46.95x
Houghton Le Spring 7 421.69x
Woodhall 5 6250.00x
Bristol St Augustine 4 156.25x
Glossop Dale 4 67.34x
Westminster St Margaret 4 102.56x
Hayfield 3 384.62x
Stoke Newington London 3 47.54x
Aldershot 2 35.97x
Chester St John Baptist 2 62.31x
Kensington London 2 4.44x
Richmond 2 36.17x
Camberwell 1 1.93x
Caterham 1 57.47x
Chatham 1 13.16x
Clapham 1 9.88x
Edgbaston 1 15.80x
Feltham 1 123.46x
Hackney London 1 2.20x
Hereford St Owen 1 90.91x
Heston 1 37.17x
Islington London 1 1.27x
Little Missenden 1 322.58x
Manchester 1 2.31x
Northampton St Sepulchre 1 25.84x
Owslebury 1 416.67x
St Andrewthe Less 1 17.06x
St Marylebone London 1 2.31x
St Pancras London 1 1.53x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 3.45x
Tarporley 1 270.27x
Tonbridge 1 10.04x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 1 95.24x
Westbury On Trym 1 18.59x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Anna 1
Augusta 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
E. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Joan 1
Kathleen 1
Leila 1
Lilla 1
Lucy 1
M. 1
Margrete 1
Marion 1
Maryann 1
O.F.L.W. 1
Pane 1
Polly 1
Sybil 1
Teresa 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 5
Robert 4
William 4
Edward 2
Frederick 2
James 2
John 2
A. 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Bernard 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Ernest 1
Eugene 1
H. 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Joseph 1
Michael 1
Oscar 1
Patrick 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Sherrard 1
Thomas 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Cuffe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cuffe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 83 people were recorded with the Cuffe surname. That placed it at #21,808 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cuffe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 515 in 2016. That gives Cuffe a modern rank of #9,793.

What does the Cuffe surname mean?

A surname derived from the Irish word "cufa" meaning a pit or mound.

What does the Cuffe map show?

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