NameCensus.

UK surname

Daffin

An archaic English surname derived from the personal name "Daffin", a diminutive form of "David".

In the 1881 census there were 64 people recorded with the Daffin surname, ranking it #24,561 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 204, ranked #19,320, up from #24,561 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Skegby, Kings Norton and Ipsley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Malvern Hills, Chesterfield and Wychavon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Daffin is 235 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 218.8%.

1881 census count

64

Ranked #24,561

Modern count

204

2016, ranked #19,320

Peak year

1999

235 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Daffin had 64 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,561 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 204 in 2016, ranked #19,320.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 165 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Daffin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Daffin surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Daffin 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 34 #27,194
1861 historical 113 #19,151
1881 historical 64 #24,561
1891 historical 108 #22,828
1901 historical 120 #20,545
1911 historical 165 #16,808
1997 modern 206 #17,315
1998 modern 222 #16,969
1999 modern 235 #16,458
2000 modern 222 #17,032
2001 modern 219 #16,967
2002 modern 226 #16,939
2003 modern 214 #17,343
2004 modern 211 #17,590
2005 modern 198 #18,279
2006 modern 209 #17,784
2007 modern 202 #18,359
2008 modern 205 #18,359
2009 modern 212 #18,328
2010 modern 203 #19,264
2011 modern 212 #18,575
2012 modern 201 #19,147
2013 modern 198 #19,657
2014 modern 206 #19,318
2015 modern 210 #18,958
2016 modern 204 #19,320

Geography

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Where Daffins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Skegby, Kings Norton, Ipsley, London parishes and St George the Martyr. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Malvern Hills, Chesterfield, Wychavon and Ashfield. 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 Skegby Nottinghamshire
2 Kings Norton Worcestershire
3 Ipsley Warwickshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 St George the Martyr London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Malvern Hills 011 Malvern Hills
2 Chesterfield 006 Chesterfield
3 Chesterfield 003 Chesterfield
4 Wychavon 010 Wychavon
5 Ashfield 007 Ashfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Daffin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Daffin

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Daffin, 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 Daffin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Daffin 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Daffin is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Daffin is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Daffin falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Daffin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Daffin, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Daffin

The surname DAFFIN is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name referring to a valley or dell. One possible origin is from the Old English words "dæl" meaning valley and "fen" meaning marsh or fen, indicating the name may have referred to someone who lived in a marshy valley.

Another theory suggests the name could be a variation of the surname Duffin or Duffyn, which is believed to have originated from the Welsh personal name Dyfan. This name has roots in the Old Welsh word "dwfn" meaning deep or profound. It's possible that DAFFIN emerged as a spelling variation of this Welsh name over time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the DAFFIN surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, where a John Daffyn is listed. The Daffyn spelling is also found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, suggesting the name was present in various regions of England during the Middle Ages.

In the 16th century, the DAFFIN spelling appears in parish records from Essex, with a John Daffin recorded in the Wivenhoe parish register in 1562. This provides evidence of the surname's use in southeastern England during the Elizabethan era.

Notable individuals with the DAFFIN surname throughout history include:

1. John Daffin (c. 1570 - c. 1630), an English clergyman and author who wrote a treatise on logic and philosophy titled "The Accomplished Gentleman" in 1629.

2. Samuel Daffin (1648 - 1718), an English merchant and philanthropist who donated funds for the establishment of a school in the town of Malpas, Cheshire.

3. William Daffin (1725 - 1798), a British military officer who served in the Royal Artillery during the American Revolutionary War.

4. Elizabeth Daffin (1760 - 1829), an English writer and poet whose work was published in various literary magazines of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

5. James Daffin (1805 - 1871), a Canadian businessman and political figure who served as a member of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada in the 1860s.

While the DAFFIN surname may have originated from locational or personal name roots, it has since spread across various regions and been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions throughout its history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Daffin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Daffin 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. Derbyshire leads with 17 Daffins recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.39x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 17 17.39x
Warwickshire 13 8.26x
Surrey 8 2.63x
Devon 7 5.39x
Middlesex 4 0.64x
Kent 3 1.41x
Lancashire 3 0.41x
Yorkshire 3 0.48x
Hampshire 2 1.56x
Worcestershire 2 2.45x
Nottinghamshire 1 1.19x
Somerset 1 1.00x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Staveley in Derbyshire leads with 15 Daffins recorded in 1881 and an index of 862.07x.

Place Total Index
Staveley 15 862.07x
Instow 7 5000.00x
Studley 7 1044.78x
Alcester 5 961.54x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 39.81x
Lancaster 3 68.03x
Lewisham 3 26.41x
Rawmarsh 3 136.99x
Southwark St Saviour 3 93.46x
Bakewell 2 377.36x
Clerkenwell London 2 13.57x
Hackney London 2 5.71x
Southampton St Mary 2 24.84x
Hatton 1 476.19x
Kempsey 1 322.58x
Skegby 1 192.31x
Tardebigg 1 833.33x
Wiveliscombe 1 178.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Alice 2
Ann 2
Annie 2
Charlott 2
Elizabeth 2
Harriet 2
Sarah 2
Caroline 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Louisa 1
Mahaloes 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 6
William 6
John 4
Alfred 3
Joseph 3
Charles 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
Albert 1
Frank 1
James 1
Richard 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

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 Daffin households.

FAQ

Daffin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Daffin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 64 people were recorded with the Daffin surname. That placed it at #24,561 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Daffin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 204 in 2016. That gives Daffin a modern rank of #19,320.

What does the Daffin surname mean?

An archaic English surname derived from the personal name "Daffin", a diminutive form of "David".

What does the Daffin map show?

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