NameCensus.

UK surname

Cunniff

A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name "O'Conaing" meaning "descendant of Conang".

In the 1881 census there were 93 people recorded with the Cunniff surname, ranking it #20,593 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 220, ranked #18,376, up from #20,593 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Rochdale and Stockport. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Gwynedd and Bolton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cunniff is 235 in 2008. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 136.6%.

1881 census count

93

Ranked #20,593

Modern count

220

2016, ranked #18,376

Peak year

2008

235 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cunniff had 93 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,593 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 220 in 2016, ranked #18,376.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 118 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Cunniff surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cunniff surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cunniff 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 52 #23,915
1861 historical 69 #25,057
1881 historical 93 #20,593
1891 historical 88 #25,677
1901 historical 75 #25,852
1911 historical 118 #20,649
1997 modern 194 #17,978
1998 modern 202 #17,991
1999 modern 224 #16,984
2000 modern 218 #17,246
2001 modern 217 #17,059
2002 modern 227 #16,877
2003 modern 227 #16,718
2004 modern 220 #17,129
2005 modern 225 #16,831
2006 modern 218 #17,297
2007 modern 223 #17,248
2008 modern 235 #16,777
2009 modern 226 #17,587
2010 modern 229 #17,805
2011 modern 221 #18,039
2012 modern 221 #17,979
2013 modern 216 #18,543
2014 modern 215 #18,764
2015 modern 222 #18,225
2016 modern 220 #18,376

Geography

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Where Cunniffs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Rochdale, Stockport, Gateshead and Wigan. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Gwynedd and Bolton. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Rochdale Lancashire
3 Stockport Cheshire
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Wigan Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 016 Wakefield
2 Gwynedd 002 Gwynedd
3 Bolton 017 Bolton
4 Bolton 021 Bolton
5 Wakefield 020 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cunniff

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cunniff

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Cunniff surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Cunniff household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Cunniff is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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

These residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cunniff is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Cunniff

The surname Cunniff is of Irish origin and is believed to have originated in County Sligo, located in the northwest region of Ireland. The name is a variant of the Gaelic surname Ó Conaing, which is derived from the personal name Conang, meaning "high" or "valiant."

Records indicate that the Cunniff family was among the prominent clans in County Sligo during the medieval period. The earliest known reference to the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a chieftain named Conang Ua Conaing in the year 1261.

In the 16th century, the Cunniff family was among the Irish clans that resisted the English conquest of Ireland. During this period, the name was often anglicized to various spellings, including Conneff, Conniff, and Cunniff, reflecting the difficulties in transliterating Gaelic names into English.

One notable individual bearing the Cunniff surname was Terence Cunniff, a 17th-century Irish soldier who fought for the Catholic Confederacy during the Irish Confederate Wars (1641-1653). He was later exiled to Spain following the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.

In the 18th century, the Cunniff family spread across Ireland, with many members settling in Counties Sligo, Mayo, and Galway. During this time, a branch of the family adopted the anglicized spelling "Conniff," which became more prevalent in certain regions.

A prominent figure from this era was Sir John Cunniff (1692-1768), a wealthy landowner and member of the Irish Parliament, who represented County Sligo in the Irish House of Commons.

In the 19th century, many Cunniffs and Conniffs emigrated from Ireland to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, often due to the Great Famine and other economic hardships.

One notable figure from this period was Michael Cunniff (1820-1901), an Irish immigrant to the United States who became a successful businessman and philanthropist in Boston, Massachusetts.

Another important figure was Francis Cunniff (1840-1921), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and played a significant role in the development of Manitoba's legal and educational systems.

Throughout its history, the Cunniff surname has been associated with various places in Ireland, including the townlands of Cunniffe and Conniffe in County Sligo, as well as the village of Conniff in County Mayo.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cunniff families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cunniff 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 36 Cunniffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.34x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 36 3.34x
Cheshire 27 13.48x
Staffordshire 11 3.59x
Middlesex 7 0.77x
Durham 5 1.85x
Warwickshire 3 1.31x
Derbyshire 1 0.70x
Glamorgan 1 0.63x
Leicestershire 1 0.99x
Northumberland 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. Cowpe Lench Newhall Hey in Lancashire leads with 9 Cunniffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 782.61x.

Place Total Index
Cowpe Lench Newhall Hey 9 782.61x
Haslingden 9 201.79x
Macclesfield 8 89.89x
Wolverhampton 8 33.98x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 7 393.26x
Chester St John Baptist 6 166.67x
Runcorn 6 129.87x
Spotland 5 41.77x
Westminster St James 5 53.65x
Westoe 4 26.14x
Ashton In Makerfield 3 98.04x
Wardleworth 3 48.78x
Birmingham 2 2.62x
Bushbury 2 363.64x
Liverpool 2 3.06x
Westminster St John 2 18.10x
Wigan 2 13.30x
Chesterfield 1 18.80x
Gorton 1 9.88x
Leamington Priors 1 17.76x
Longbenton 1 17.48x
Reynoldston 1 1000.00x
Stafford St Mary 1 23.09x
Sunderland 1 20.96x
Walmersley Cum 1 58.14x
Whitwick 1 78.13x
Wuerdle Wardle 1 30.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Ann 5
Catherine 4
Bridget 3
Elizabeth 3
Jane 3
Margaret 3
Ellen 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Anne 1
Bertha 1
Bridgett 1
James 1
Kate 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
Maria 1
Sisely 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Cunniff surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cunniff surname in 1881?

In 1881, 93 people were recorded with the Cunniff surname. That placed it at #20,593 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cunniff surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 220 in 2016. That gives Cunniff a modern rank of #18,376.

What does the Cunniff surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name "O'Conaing" meaning "descendant of Conang".

What does the Cunniff map show?

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