UK surname
In the 1881 census there were 106 people recorded with the Cunliff surname, ranking it #19,083 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4, ranked #38,419, down from #19,083 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Rochdale and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cunliff is 260 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 96.2%.
1881 census count
106
Ranked #19,083
Modern count
4
2016, ranked #38,419
Peak year
1851
260 bearers
Map years
3
1851 to 1881
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Cunliff surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Cunliff surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 260 | #8,512 |
| 1861 | historical | 201 | #11,949 |
| 1881 | historical | 106 | #19,083 |
| 1891 | historical | 90 | #25,399 |
| 1901 | historical | 58 | #27,724 |
| 1911 | historical | 57 | #27,099 |
| 1997 | modern | 3 | #38,317 |
| 1998 | modern | 4 | #38,082 |
| 1999 | modern | 5 | #37,872 |
| 2000 | modern | 6 | #37,624 |
| 2001 | modern | 4 | #37,862 |
| 2002 | modern | 5 | #37,723 |
| 2003 | modern | 5 | #37,750 |
| 2004 | modern | 4 | #38,013 |
| 2005 | modern | 3 | #38,312 |
| 2006 | modern | 7 | #37,634 |
| 2007 | modern | 7 | #37,687 |
| 2008 | modern | 7 | #37,735 |
| 2009 | modern | 8 | #37,689 |
| 2010 | modern | 7 | #37,904 |
| 2011 | modern | 8 | #37,737 |
| 2012 | modern | 2 | #38,754 |
| 2013 | modern | 3 | #38,526 |
| 2014 | modern | 4 | #38,376 |
| 2015 | modern | 4 | #38,392 |
| 2016 | modern | 4 | #38,419 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Rochdale, Manchester, Liverpool and Preston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prestbury | Cheshire |
| 2 | Rochdale | Lancashire |
| 3 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 4 | Liverpool | Lancashire |
| 5 | Preston | Lancashire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Cunliff surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cunliff, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Cunliff surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Cunliff household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Cunliff is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cunliff is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Cunliff, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cunliff surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 56 Cunliffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.61x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 56 | 4.61x |
| Yorkshire | 15 | 1.48x |
| Kent | 8 | 2.29x |
| Stirlingshire | 7 | 18.53x |
| Cheshire | 5 | 2.21x |
| Derbyshire | 3 | 1.87x |
| Durham | 3 | 0.98x |
| Hampshire | 2 | 0.95x |
| Kinross-shire | 1 | 38.61x |
| Lanarkshire | 1 | 0.30x |
| Lincolnshire | 1 | 0.61x |
| Middlesex | 1 | 0.10x |
| Staffordshire | 1 | 0.29x |
| Surrey | 1 | 0.20x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Walton On Hill in Lancashire leads with 9 Cunliffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 136.78x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Walton On Hill | 9 | 136.78x |
| Rishton | 8 | 559.44x |
| Wortley In Bramley | 8 | 99.50x |
| Newchurch | 7 | 70.42x |
| Stirling | 7 | 147.06x |
| Hipperholme Cum | 6 | 134.53x |
| Preston | 6 | 18.45x |
| Tonbridge | 5 | 39.68x |
| Castle Northwich | 4 | 533.33x |
| Farnworth | 4 | 54.95x |
| Ashton Under Lyne | 3 | 11.30x |
| Eccleston In Prescot | 3 | 49.18x |
| Liverpool | 3 | 4.06x |
| Speldhurst | 3 | 168.54x |
| Windle | 3 | 43.86x |
| Beard Ollerset Whitle | 2 | 190.48x |
| Esh | 2 | 90.09x |
| Hulme | 2 | 7.88x |
| Oldham | 2 | 5.10x |
| Burnley | 1 | 9.77x |
| East Horsley | 1 | 1000.00x |
| Govan | 1 | 1.22x |
| Grappenhall | 1 | 357.14x |
| Hammerwich | 1 | 204.08x |
| Kinross | 1 | 112.36x |
| Musbury | 1 | 277.78x |
| Salford | 1 | 2.80x |
| Southampton St Mary | 1 | 7.58x |
| Spitalfields London | 1 | 12.99x |
| St Martin Lincoln | 1 | 65.79x |
| Standish With Langtree | 1 | 66.67x |
| Stansfield | 1 | 26.81x |
| Taddington | 1 | 714.29x |
| Thurnham | 1 | 526.32x |
| Ventnor | 1 | 50.00x |
| West Rainton | 1 | 106.38x |
| Wigan | 1 | 5.89x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Cunliff surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Cunliff surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Cunliff households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 10 |
| Cotton Weaver | 3 |
| Cotton Op Card Room | 2 |
| Dressmaker | 2 |
| Farm Lab | 2 |
| Gen Serv | 2 |
| Grocer | 2 |
| (Domestic) | 1 |
| (Lodging House Keeper) | 1 |
| Annuitent | 1 |
| Banker | 1 |
| Banker & Magistrate | 1 |
| Bricklayers Laborer | 1 |
| Butcher | 1 |
| Clerk Book Stall | 1 |
| Coachman | 1 |
| Coal Miner | 1 |
| Cook Serv (Dom) | 1 |
| Cut Looker Cotton | 1 |
| Dockyard Laborer | 1 |
| Domestic Servant | 1 |
| Earrand Boy | 1 |
| Errand Boy | 1 |
| Farm Labourer | 1 |
| Flag Facer (Stone Dresser) | 1 |
| General Lab | 1 |
| Grocer Assistant | 1 |
| Grocer Daughter | 1 |
| Groom Domestic Serv | 1 |
| House Duty | 1 |
| House Keeper | 1 |
| House Painter | 1 |
| House Wife | 1 |
| Housekeeper | 1 |
| Housekeeper (Dom) | 1 |
| Housemaid Dom | 1 |
| Labourer | 1 |
| Labourer Wife | 1 |
| Plumbers Assis | 1 |
| Printers Apprentice | 1 |
| Pupil Teacher | 1 |
| Railway Guard | 1 |
| Railway Lab | 1 |
| Roller Coverer | 1 |
| Servant Indoor (Farm) | 1 |
| Twine Skimmer | 1 |
| Warehouseman | 1 |
| Weaver | 1 |
| Wife To Warehouseman | 1 |
| Wireworker | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 106 people were recorded with the Cunliff surname. That placed it at #19,083 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 4 in 2016. That gives Cunliff a modern rank of #38,419.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cunliff bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.