NameCensus.

UK surname

Daff

A surname derived from the Welsh word for "deaf" or possibly from a place name.

In the 1881 census there were 118 people recorded with the Daff surname, ranking it #17,935 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 181, ranked #20,955, down from #17,935 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Bourn and Bytham, Little. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chesterfield, Tewkesbury and South Kesteven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Daff is 185 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.4%.

1881 census count

118

Ranked #17,935

Modern count

181

2016, ranked #20,955

Peak year

2015

185 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Daff had 118 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,935 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 181 in 2016, ranked #20,955.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 165 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Daff surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Daff surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Daff 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 55 #23,413
1861 historical 152 #15,126
1881 historical 118 #17,935
1891 historical 165 #17,143
1901 historical 107 #21,955
1911 historical 130 #19,504
1997 modern 164 #19,944
1998 modern 166 #20,329
1999 modern 165 #20,535
2000 modern 163 #20,657
2001 modern 162 #20,460
2002 modern 166 #20,532
2003 modern 163 #20,554
2004 modern 171 #20,079
2005 modern 168 #20,227
2006 modern 169 #20,294
2007 modern 181 #19,680
2008 modern 177 #20,169
2009 modern 168 #21,290
2010 modern 173 #21,327
2011 modern 167 #21,642
2012 modern 178 #20,758
2013 modern 179 #21,028
2014 modern 184 #20,809
2015 modern 185 #20,641
2016 modern 181 #20,955

Geography

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Where Daffs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Bourn, Bytham, Little, Nottingham St Mary and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chesterfield, Tewkesbury, South Kesteven and Rutland. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 Bourn Lincolnshire
3 Bytham, Little Lincolnshire
4 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chesterfield 002 Chesterfield
2 Tewkesbury 002 Tewkesbury
3 South Kesteven 003 South Kesteven
4 Rutland 004 Rutland
5 South Kesteven 006 South Kesteven

Forenames

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First names often paired with Daff

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Daff

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Daff, 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 Daff surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Daff 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Daff 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

Daff is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Daff falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Daff

The surname Daff is of Anglo-Saxon origin, tracing its roots back to the regions of ancient England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "dæff," which translates to "deaf" or "dull of hearing." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone who was hard of hearing.

During the Middle Ages, the use of surnames became more widespread, and Daff likely emerged as a hereditary surname in various parts of England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where a certain Roger Daf is mentioned.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Dauffe and Daf, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era. The Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273 document a Ralph Daf, while the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 list a John Dauf.

The Daff surname has a strong association with several place names in England, including Daff House in Yorkshire and Daff Dale in Derbyshire. These locations may have influenced the surname's evolution or served as areas where early bearers of the name resided.

One notable individual bearing the Daff surname was John Daff, a renowned clockmaker from London who lived between 1590 and 1658. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after among the nobility and gentry of the time.

Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Daff (1673-1738), a successful merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1728. He was known for his philanthropy and contributed significantly to the development of the city.

In the realm of literature, Mary Daff (1805-1882) was a celebrated poet and author from Yorkshire. Her works, which often explored themes of nature and rural life, were widely acclaimed during the Victorian era.

The Daff surname also found its way into the military annals with General William Daff (1830-1905), a decorated British Army officer who served in numerous campaigns, including the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Lastly, one cannot overlook the contributions of Sir Arthur Daff (1875-1952), a pioneering engineer and inventor who played a crucial role in the development of early aviation technologies, contributing significantly to the advancement of aircraft design.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Daff families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Daff 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. Lincolnshire leads with 44 Daffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.71x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 44 23.71x
Yorkshire 27 2.35x
Nottinghamshire 16 10.23x
Middlesex 9 0.78x
Lancashire 4 0.29x
Surrey 4 0.71x
Derbyshire 3 1.65x
Dunbartonshire 2 6.41x
Lanarkshire 2 0.53x
Northumberland 2 1.16x
Durham 1 0.29x
Kent 1 0.25x
Leicestershire 1 0.78x
Rutland 1 11.74x
Staffordshire 1 0.26x
Warwickshire 1 0.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Little Bytham in Lincolnshire leads with 20 Daffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 16666.67x.

Place Total Index
Little Bytham 20 16666.67x
Nether Hallam 15 96.40x
Stanghow 9 1956.52x
Limehouse London 8 62.79x
Bourn 6 400.00x
Nottingham St Mary 6 14.83x
Radcliffe On Trent 5 2272.73x
Careby 4 5714.29x
Newark Upon Trent 4 71.17x
Eckington 3 68.03x
Kirkdale 3 12.95x
Thurlby Obthorpe 3 1200.00x
Binbrooke 2 434.78x
Cardross 2 53.48x
Govan 2 2.15x
Lambeth 2 1.98x
Louth 2 47.06x
Marske In Guisbrough 2 98.04x
North Ormsby 2 2857.14x
Birmingham 1 1.03x
Cannock 1 14.62x
Castle Bytham 1 384.62x
Creeton 1 5000.00x
Ewell 1 84.03x
Keelby 1 344.83x
Little Carlton 1 1428.57x
Lutterworth 1 128.21x
Newburn 1 204.08x
Radford 1 12.58x
Sheffield 1 2.73x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 4.28x
St Mary Somerset London 1 5000.00x
Stamford All Sts 1 96.15x
Tanfield 1 24.33x
Tickencote 1 2500.00x
Toxteth Park 1 2.14x
Westgate 1 9.35x
Woolwich 1 6.84x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 9
Mary 6
Lucy 3
Jane 2
Maria 2
Priscilla 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Alethea 1
Amy 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Betsy 1
Christiana 1
Christina 1
Clara 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
F. 1
Florence 1
H. 1
Hilda 1
Jemima 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
M.A. 1
Margret 1
Martha 1
Rhoda 1
Sophia 1
Susannah 1
Theodosiaa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 9
George 7
John 7
William 7
Robert 3
Thomas 3
Edward 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Alfred 1
Amos 1
Arthur 1
Bryan 1
Charles 1
Edwin 1
Emery 1
Jno. 1
Jos. 1
M. 1
Mathew 1
Moses 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Daff surname: questions and answers

How common was the Daff surname in 1881?

In 1881, 118 people were recorded with the Daff surname. That placed it at #17,935 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Daff surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 181 in 2016. That gives Daff a modern rank of #20,955.

What does the Daff surname mean?

A surname derived from the Welsh word for "deaf" or possibly from a place name.

What does the Daff map show?

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