NameCensus.

UK surname

Giff

A variant spelling of the English surname Gibb, derived from a medieval nickname for someone with a protruding jaw or underbite.

In the 1881 census there were 3 people recorded with the Giff surname, ranking it #33,498 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 111, ranked #29,049, up from #33,498 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Greenock Town Centre and East Central, Braeside, Branchton, Lower Larkfield and Ravenscraig and Greenock West and Central.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Giff is 111 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 3600.0%.

1881 census count

3

Ranked #33,498

Modern count

111

2016, ranked #29,049

Peak year

2015

111 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Giff had 3 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,498 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 111 in 2016, ranked #29,049.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 85 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Giff surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Giff surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Giff 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 10 #31,497
1861 historical 85 #22,922
1881 historical 3 #33,498
1891 historical 66 #28,541
1901 historical 14 #32,506
1911 historical 16 #31,804
1997 modern 93 #27,932
1998 modern 94 #28,435
1999 modern 104 #27,164
2000 modern 95 #28,441
2001 modern 90 #28,793
2002 modern 94 #28,797
2003 modern 85 #29,877
2004 modern 86 #30,019
2005 modern 86 #30,094
2006 modern 93 #29,411
2007 modern 92 #29,929
2008 modern 91 #30,431
2009 modern 97 #30,076
2010 modern 106 #29,305
2011 modern 104 #29,424
2012 modern 105 #29,362
2013 modern 109 #29,209
2014 modern 109 #29,452
2015 modern 111 #28,986
2016 modern 111 #29,049

Geography

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Where Giffs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Greenock Town Centre and East Central, Braeside, Branchton, Lower Larkfield and Ravenscraig, Greenock West and Central, Lower Bow and Larkfield, Fancy Farm, Mallard Bowl and Islington. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Greenock Town Centre and East Central Inverclyde
2 Braeside, Branchton, Lower Larkfield and Ravenscraig Inverclyde
3 Greenock West and Central Inverclyde
4 Lower Bow and Larkfield, Fancy Farm, Mallard Bowl Inverclyde
5 Islington 014 Islington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Giff

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Giff

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

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Giff surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Giff household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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, Giff 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

Giff is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Giff 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 Giff is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Giff

The surname GIFF is of English origin, first appearing in the 14th century. It is derived from the Old English word "gifu" meaning "gift" or "present". The name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who was generous or a gift-giver.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several entries for people with the surname GIFF or similar spellings like Giffe and Giffard. These early records indicate the name was present in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Essex, and Gloucestershire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname GIFF is found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, which mentions a John Giff. Another early example is from the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379, listing a Thomas Gyffe.

The name GIFF is also linked to several place names in England, such as Giffard's Cross in Gloucestershire and Giffhorn in Yorkshire. These place names likely derived from early landowners or residents with the surname GIFF.

Notable individuals with the surname GIFF throughout history include:

1. William Giff (1554-1629), an English churchman and theologian who served as the Dean of Lichfield Cathedral. 2. John Giff (1598-1672), an English clergyman and author of several religious works. 3. Robert Giff (1837-1920), a Scottish painter known for his landscape and genre paintings. 4. George Giff (1914-1999), an American actor who appeared in various films and television shows in the mid-20th century. 5. Michael Giff (born 1955), a British artist and sculptor known for his public art installations.

While the surname GIFF is not as common today as some other English surnames, it has a long and interesting history dating back to the Middle Ages, with connections to both linguistic roots and geographical locations across England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Giff families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Giff 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. Somerset leads with 2 Giffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.55x.

County Total Index
Somerset 2 42.55x
Lancashire 1 2.88x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Clevedon in Somerset leads with 2 Giffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 4000.00x.

Place Total Index
Clevedon 2 4000.00x
Widnes 1 400.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
Patrick 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 Giff households.

FAQ

Giff surname: questions and answers

How common was the Giff surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3 people were recorded with the Giff surname. That placed it at #33,498 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Giff surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 111 in 2016. That gives Giff a modern rank of #29,049.

What does the Giff surname mean?

A variant spelling of the English surname Gibb, derived from a medieval nickname for someone with a protruding jaw or underbite.

What does the Giff map show?

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