NameCensus.

UK surname

Daffern

An English surname derived from a place name.

In the 1881 census there were 244 people recorded with the Daffern surname, ranking it #11,258 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 447, ranked #10,857, up from #11,258 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bedworth, Hinckley (incl. Hydes Pastures) and St Werburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Nuneaton and Bedworth, Ryedale and North Warwickshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Daffern is 454 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 83.2%.

1881 census count

244

Ranked #11,258

Modern count

447

2016, ranked #10,857

Peak year

1997

454 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Daffern had 244 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,258 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 447 in 2016, ranked #10,857.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 419 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Daffern surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Daffern surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Daffern 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 124 #14,792
1861 historical 143 #15,906
1881 historical 244 #11,258
1891 historical 298 #11,167
1901 historical 340 #10,647
1911 historical 419 #8,985
1997 modern 454 #10,004
1998 modern 449 #10,428
1999 modern 444 #10,555
2000 modern 429 #10,834
2001 modern 419 #10,835
2002 modern 427 #10,900
2003 modern 418 #10,896
2004 modern 413 #11,021
2005 modern 394 #11,308
2006 modern 382 #11,626
2007 modern 380 #11,820
2008 modern 383 #11,876
2009 modern 395 #11,838
2010 modern 406 #11,847
2011 modern 410 #11,644
2012 modern 417 #11,346
2013 modern 445 #10,928
2014 modern 447 #10,969
2015 modern 443 #10,957
2016 modern 447 #10,857

Geography

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Where Dafferns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bedworth, Hinckley (incl. Hydes Pastures), St Werburgh, Nuneaton and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Nuneaton and Bedworth, Ryedale and North Warwickshire. 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 Bedworth Warwickshire
2 Hinckley (incl. Hydes Pastures) Leicestershire
3 St Werburgh Derbyshire
4 Nuneaton Warwickshire
5 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Nuneaton and Bedworth 006 Nuneaton and Bedworth
2 Ryedale 008 Ryedale
3 Nuneaton and Bedworth 005 Nuneaton and Bedworth
4 North Warwickshire 005 North Warwickshire
5 Nuneaton and Bedworth 009 Nuneaton and Bedworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Daffern

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Daffern

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Daffern surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Daffern household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Daffern 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

Daffern is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Daffern falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Daffern

The surname Daffern is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from a place name, possibly a combination of the Old English words "dæfer" meaning "doe" and "dene" meaning "valley" or "hollow." This suggests the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in a valley where deer were found.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled "de Dafforne." This suggests the name was already well-established in England by the 13th century. It is also found in various spellings in other medieval records, such as "Dafforne," "Daffarn," and "Daffern."

The Daffern surname is associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was John Daffern, a merchant and alderman in the city of London, who was born around 1480 and died in 1558. Another early figure was William Daffern, a member of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers in London, who lived in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, Thomas Daffern was a prominent figure in the English Civil War, serving as a captain in the Parliamentarian army. He was born in 1620 and died in 1678. Later, in the 18th century, there was Richard Daffern, a successful businessman and landowner in Gloucestershire, who was born in 1725 and died in 1798.

One of the most notable individuals with the Daffern surname was Sir William Daffern, a British naval officer and explorer who lived from 1825 to 1905. He is best known for his expeditions to the Arctic and his contributions to the mapping of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

While the Daffern surname is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history dating back to medieval England. The name's origins can be traced to a specific geographical area, and it has been borne by various individuals of note throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Daffern families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Daffern 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. Warwickshire leads with 148 Dafferns recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.66x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 148 24.66x
Worcestershire 21 6.76x
Leicestershire 19 7.20x
Staffordshire 15 1.87x
Middlesex 11 0.46x
Lancashire 8 0.28x
Derbyshire 7 1.88x
Nottinghamshire 7 2.18x
Cheshire 4 0.76x
Surrey 3 0.26x
Anglesey 1 2.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nuneaton in Warwickshire leads with 42 Dafferns recorded in 1881 and an index of 604.32x.

Place Total Index
Nuneaton 42 604.32x
Bedworth 26 593.61x
Birmingham 13 6.50x
Hinckley 13 207.67x
Foleshill 10 158.48x
Acton 9 64.52x
Berkswell 9 756.30x
Bredon 9 849.06x
Coventry St Michael 9 46.68x
Broadway 8 597.01x
Wolverhampton 7 11.33x
Ashton Under Lyne 6 9.72x
Ockbrook 6 379.75x
Selston 6 167.60x
Chilvers Coton 5 202.43x
Claybrook 5 10000.00x
Old Stratford 5 147.06x
Coleshill 4 208.33x
Kings Norton 4 14.35x
Monks Coppenhall 4 20.18x
Aston 3 1.82x
Budbrooke 3 491.80x
Tamworth 3 69.77x
Bolehall Glascote 2 78.74x
Coventry Holy Trinity 2 11.16x
Edgbaston 2 10.75x
Packwood 2 833.33x
Rowington 2 294.12x
Ryton On Dunsmore 2 540.54x
Tipton 2 8.13x
Balsall 1 106.38x
Bermondsey 1 1.41x
Bulkington 1 76.92x
Burton Upon Trent 1 5.32x
Bury 1 3.10x
Cannock 1 7.13x
Carlton 1 27.32x
Clapham 1 3.36x
Great Claybrooke 1 285.71x
Hatton 1 126.58x
Holyhead 1 12.72x
Langley 1 833.33x
Litchurch 1 6.67x
Middleton In Oldham 1 11.81x
Paddington London 1 1.14x
Solihull 1 23.20x
St Marylebone London 1 0.79x
Streatham 1 5.66x
Sutton Coldfield 1 15.85x
Tanworth 1 62.89x
Trysull 1 212.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Elizabeth 14
Sarah 10
Eliza 7
Ann 6
Emma 6
Maria 6
Martha 6
Hannah 5
Harriett 5
Emily 4
Ada 3
Charlotte 3
Jane 3
Alice 2
Anne 2
Caroline 2
Fanny 2
Louisa 2
Aljat 1
Amelia 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Blanch 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Ellen 1
Esther 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Kate 1
Lavineh 1
Lillian 1
Lizzie 1
May 1
Miriam 1
Phillis 1
Susanna 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 15
William 15
George 10
John 10
Joseph 10
Charles 8
Samuel 7
Arthur 5
James 4
Albert 3
Henry 3
Edward 2
Eustace 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Walter 2
Bertie 1
Berty 1
Chas.Hy. 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Geo. 1
Geo.O. 1
Hubert 1
Job 1
Moses 1
Noah 1
Randolph 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Saml. 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Daffern surname: questions and answers

How common was the Daffern surname in 1881?

In 1881, 244 people were recorded with the Daffern surname. That placed it at #11,258 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Daffern surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 447 in 2016. That gives Daffern a modern rank of #10,857.

What does the Daffern surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name.

What does the Daffern map show?

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