NameCensus.

UK surname

Driffill

A variant of Dryfield, referring to someone from a dry field.

In the 1881 census there were 144 people recorded with the Driffill surname, ranking it #15,891 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 171, ranked #21,726, down from #15,891 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to West Halton, Burton-on-Stather, Flixborough (Crosby), Bottesford and Wadingham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Lindsey, North Lincolnshire and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Driffill is 242 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.8%.

1881 census count

144

Ranked #15,891

Modern count

171

2016, ranked #21,726

Peak year

1911

242 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Driffill had 144 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,891 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 171 in 2016, ranked #21,726.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 242 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Driffill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Driffill surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Driffill 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 136 #13,892
1861 historical 114 #19,011
1881 historical 144 #15,891
1891 historical 163 #17,300
1901 historical 213 #14,563
1911 historical 242 #13,193
1997 modern 204 #17,409
1998 modern 214 #17,366
1999 modern 214 #17,494
2000 modern 211 #17,603
2001 modern 202 #17,834
2002 modern 205 #18,009
2003 modern 196 #18,358
2004 modern 181 #19,363
2005 modern 169 #20,153
2006 modern 182 #19,402
2007 modern 184 #19,485
2008 modern 180 #19,946
2009 modern 179 #20,418
2010 modern 182 #20,662
2011 modern 174 #21,096
2012 modern 163 #21,989
2013 modern 170 #21,726
2014 modern 173 #21,639
2015 modern 170 #21,800
2016 modern 171 #21,726

Geography

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Where Driffills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around West Halton, Burton-on-Stather, Flixborough (Crosby), Bottesford, Wadingham, London parishes and Middlesborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Lindsey, North Lincolnshire and East Riding of Yorkshire. 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 West Halton, Burton-on-Stather, Flixborough (Crosby) Lincolnshire
2 Bottesford Lincolnshire
3 Wadingham Lincolnshire
4 London parishes London 2
5 Middlesborough Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Lindsey 003 West Lindsey
2 North Lincolnshire 005 North Lincolnshire
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 040 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 North Lincolnshire 008 North Lincolnshire
5 North Lincolnshire 011 North Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Driffill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Driffill

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Driffill, 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 Driffill surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Driffill 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Driffill is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Driffill 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

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

Meaning and origin of Driffill

The surname DRIFFILL originates from England, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from an old English word "drifill," which means a wanderer or a drifter. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who traveled frequently or had a nomadic lifestyle.

The earliest recorded instances of the DRIFFILL surname can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable reference is in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, where a William Drifyll is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Driffeld.

During the 16th century, the DRIFFILL name appeared in several parish records across northern England. One prominent individual was John Driffill, born in 1532 in Beverley, Yorkshire. He was a successful merchant and served as a city alderman.

In the 17th century, the DRIFFILL family emerged as landowners in the East Riding of Yorkshire, with several members holding significant estates. Thomas Driffill (1620-1692) was a respected magistrate and justice of the peace in the region.

As the name spread across England, different spelling variations emerged, such as Driffeild, Driffeld, and Dryffill. Some of these variations were influenced by the place names where the DRIFFILL families settled.

In the 18th century, a notable figure was Sir William Driffill (1738-1812), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Yorkshire. He made substantial contributions to the development of education and healthcare in his local community.

Another prominent individual was Captain James Driffill (1765-1834), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. He participated in several major battles and was awarded several honors for his bravery and leadership.

The 19th century saw the DRIFFILL name spread further across the British Isles and beyond, with some members emigrating to other parts of the world, including the Americas and Australia.

Throughout its history, the DRIFFILL surname has been associated with various professions, including merchants, landowners, military personnel, and professionals in various fields. While not an aristocratic name, it has maintained a respectable presence in various communities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Driffill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Driffill 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 95 Driffills recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.01x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 95 42.01x
Yorkshire 32 2.28x
Middlesex 5 0.35x
Bedfordshire 4 5.46x
Lancashire 3 0.18x
Surrey 3 0.44x
Hertfordshire 2 2.05x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Burton Upon Stather in Lincolnshire leads with 20 Driffills recorded in 1881 and an index of 6896.55x.

Place Total Index
Burton Upon Stather 20 6896.55x
Sculcoates 14 63.01x
Ashby 10 1408.45x
Spalding 10 222.72x
Crosby Gunness West 9 7500.00x
Bagmore Burton By 8 5333.33x
Thornton Le Moor 6 12000.00x
Gainsborough 5 93.81x
Holme On Spalding Moor 5 543.48x
Islington London 5 3.65x
Cadney 4 1818.18x
Dunstable 4 177.78x
Goole 4 170.21x
Hemswell 4 2222.22x
Waddingham 4 1142.86x
Worlaby 4 1428.57x
Eastrington 3 1666.67x
Frodingham 3 370.37x
Heaton Norris 3 31.41x
Horkstow 3 2307.69x
Linthorpe 3 35.89x
Putney 3 46.51x
Brightside Bierlow 2 7.28x
Scunthorpe 2 196.08x
Stevenage 2 132.45x
West Butterwick With 2 571.43x
Greetwell 1 2500.00x
Holy Trinity 1 2.97x
Ibstone Stokenchurch 1 625.00x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 13
William 13
George 10
Thomas 6
Fred 5
Charles 4
James 3
Edward 2
Henry 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Benjamin 1
Harry 1
Herol 1
Jackson 1
Ralf 1
Scholey 1
Sydney 1

FAQ

Driffill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Driffill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 144 people were recorded with the Driffill surname. That placed it at #15,891 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Driffill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 171 in 2016. That gives Driffill a modern rank of #21,726.

What does the Driffill surname mean?

A variant of Dryfield, referring to someone from a dry field.

What does the Driffill map show?

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