NameCensus.

UK surname

Cutcliffe

A habitational surname derived from a location name containing the elements "cut" and "cliffe".

In the 1881 census there were 180 people recorded with the Cutcliffe surname, ranking it #13,735 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 155, ranked #23,197, down from #13,735 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton, Ilfracombe and Bideford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Hams, Fareham and Barrow-in-Furness.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cutcliffe is 246 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 13.9%.

1881 census count

180

Ranked #13,735

Modern count

155

2016, ranked #23,197

Peak year

1891

246 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cutcliffe had 180 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,735 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 155 in 2016, ranked #23,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 246 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Cutcliffe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cutcliffe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cutcliffe 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 111 #16,006
1861 historical 113 #19,151
1881 historical 180 #13,735
1891 historical 246 #12,912
1901 historical 228 #13,929
1911 historical 234 #13,526
1997 modern 139 #22,132
1998 modern 154 #21,316
1999 modern 145 #22,305
2000 modern 158 #21,055
2001 modern 155 #21,047
2002 modern 165 #20,619
2003 modern 163 #20,554
2004 modern 170 #20,146
2005 modern 176 #19,667
2006 modern 171 #20,131
2007 modern 167 #20,719
2008 modern 167 #20,901
2009 modern 172 #20,950
2010 modern 177 #21,034
2011 modern 179 #20,732
2012 modern 169 #21,437
2013 modern 169 #21,826
2014 modern 161 #22,728
2015 modern 161 #22,599
2016 modern 155 #23,197

Geography

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Where Cutcliffes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton, Ilfracombe, Bideford, Combmartin and Swansea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Hams, Fareham, Barrow-in-Furness and Wyre Forest. 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 Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton Devon
2 Ilfracombe Devon
3 Bideford Devon
4 Combmartin Devon
5 Swansea Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Hams 006 South Hams
2 Fareham 001 Fareham
3 Barrow-in-Furness 006 Barrow-in-Furness
4 Wyre Forest 002 Wyre Forest
5 Barrow-in-Furness 008 Barrow-in-Furness

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cutcliffe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cutcliffe

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Cutcliffe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Cutcliffe household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Cutcliffe 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

Cutcliffe is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cutcliffe falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cutcliffe 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 Cutcliffe, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cutcliffe

The surname CUTCLIFFE originated in England in the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "cud" meaning "famous" and "clif" meaning "cliff" or "steep slope". Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived near a well-known cliff or steep hill.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cudeclif". This entry suggests that the name was already established in parts of England by the late 11th century.

Over time, the spelling evolved to its current form of CUTCLIFFE. Variations such as Cutcliff, Cuttcliffe, and Cuddecliffe were also common in historical records.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Cutcliffe, a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, England, who lived in the 15th century. He was mentioned in several municipal records and documents from that period.

Another significant figure was Sir Thomas Cutcliffe (1539-1608), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, William Cutcliffe (1623-1694) was a renowned clergyman and scholar who served as the Archdeacon of Bath and Wells in Somerset, England.

During the 18th century, the name appeared in various parts of England, including Devon, where Captain Richard Cutcliffe (1733-1795) was a noted naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, Charles Cutcliffe Hyne (1866-1944) was a prominent English novelist and playwright, best known for his adventure stories set in the South Seas.

While the name CUTCLIFFE has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, as a result of migration and settlement patterns.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cutcliffe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cutcliffe 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. Devon leads with 105 Cutcliffes recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.73x.

County Total Index
Devon 105 28.73x
Glamorgan 29 9.49x
Middlesex 13 0.74x
Oxfordshire 7 6.46x
Wiltshire 7 4.51x
Yorkshire 6 0.34x
Surrey 5 0.58x
Midlothian 3 1.28x
Bedfordshire 2 2.20x
Berkshire 1 0.76x
Gloucestershire 1 0.29x
Kent 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Combmartin in Devon leads with 21 Cutcliffes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2658.23x.

Place Total Index
Combmartin 21 2658.23x
Plymouth St Andrew 14 49.73x
Swansea St Thomas 14 456.03x
Barnstaple 12 209.06x
Bideford 8 204.60x
Dawlish 8 293.04x
Marwood 8 1632.65x
Swansea Town 8 31.92x
Ashford 7 7000.00x
Swansea Lower 7 448.72x
Banbury 6 276.50x
Horningsham 6 1224.49x
Ilfracombe 6 159.57x
Pilton 6 495.87x
St Anne Soho London 6 59.82x
Berrynarbor 5 1190.48x
Leeds 5 5.09x
St Marylebone London 4 4.27x
Stoke 4 270.27x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 3.17x
Hendon 3 47.47x
Lambeth 3 1.96x
Stonehouse East 3 162.16x
Bedford St Peter 2 84.75x
Highbray 2 1666.67x
Bishops Tawton 1 87.72x
Bray 1 25.84x
Clifton 1 5.74x
Croydon 1 2.11x
Horton In Bradford 1 3.68x
Kingston On Thames 1 4.87x
Lewisham 1 3.13x
Oxford St Ebbe 1 31.35x
Warminster 1 29.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Ann 7
Eliza 4
Elizabeth 4
Louisa 4
Edith 3
Ellen 3
Florence 3
Jane 3
Sarah 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Annie 2
Emily 2
Harriet 2
Selina 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Blanch 1
Christiana 1
Crthn. 1
Elizabth. 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Florrie 1
Gertrude 1
Helena 1
Henrettia 1
Henrietta 1
Irving 1
Johanna 1
Julia 1
Kitty 1
Laura 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Minne 1
Nellie 1
Polly 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Sophia 1
Susanna 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 13
George 10
William 10
Charles 7
Richard 6
Edward 5
Nicholas 4
Thomas 3
Edwin 2
Frederick 2
Isaac 2
Joseph 2
Samuel 2
Alfred 1
Barnet 1
Digby 1
Edgar 1
Ernest 1
Ethelbert 1
Frances 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Henry 1
Horace 1
Jacob 1
Jno.Edw. 1
Mark 1
Montague 1
Richd. 1
Sydney 1
Willm.J. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Cutcliffe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cutcliffe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 180 people were recorded with the Cutcliffe surname. That placed it at #13,735 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cutcliffe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 155 in 2016. That gives Cutcliffe a modern rank of #23,197.

What does the Cutcliffe surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a location name containing the elements "cut" and "cliffe".

What does the Cutcliffe map show?

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