NameCensus.

UK surname

Hafford

A locational surname derived from a place name in England.

In the 1881 census there were 56 people recorded with the Hafford surname, ranking it #25,733 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 89, ranked #32,297, down from #25,733 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Harrow-on-the-Hill and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sevenoaks, Tower Hamlets and Tameside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hafford is 228 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 58.9%.

1881 census count

56

Ranked #25,733

Modern count

89

2016, ranked #32,297

Peak year

1861

228 bearers

Map years

3

1851 to 1891

Key insights

  • Hafford had 56 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,733 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 89 in 2016, ranked #32,297.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 228 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Hafford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hafford surname density by area, 1891 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hafford 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 100 #17,164
1861 historical 228 #10,703
1881 historical 56 #25,733
1891 historical 127 #20,496
1901 historical 86 #24,508
1911 historical 98 #22,959
1997 modern 95 #27,638
1998 modern 96 #28,188
1999 modern 98 #28,050
2000 modern 101 #27,555
2001 modern 94 #28,246
2002 modern 91 #29,181
2003 modern 90 #29,260
2004 modern 86 #30,019
2005 modern 92 #29,271
2006 modern 89 #30,027
2007 modern 91 #30,061
2008 modern 99 #29,181
2009 modern 100 #29,597
2010 modern 102 #29,930
2011 modern 96 #30,721
2012 modern 96 #30,949
2013 modern 94 #31,656
2014 modern 95 #31,792
2015 modern 95 #31,749
2016 modern 89 #32,297

Geography

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Where Haffords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Stockport. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sevenoaks, Tower Hamlets and Tameside. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Harrow-on-the-Hill Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 Stockport Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sevenoaks 009 Sevenoaks
2 Tower Hamlets 001 Tower Hamlets
3 Tameside 008 Tameside
4 Tameside 003 Tameside
5 Tameside 005 Tameside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hafford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hafford

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Hafford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Hafford 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Challenged Inner London Communities

Within London, Hafford is most associated with areas classed as Challenged Inner London Communities, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Resident in some of Inner London’s most over-crowded communities, many families have children and marriage/civil partnership rates are above the Supergroup average. Other adults such as students live in communal establishments. Few residents have Level 4 educational qualifications, levels of unemployment are above the Supergroup average, and employment is concentrated in service occupations such as distribution, hotels and restaurants. Relative to the Supergroup average, fewer residents identify as being of mixed/multiple ethnicities, Black or Other Asian.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hafford is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hafford falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hafford

The surname Hafford is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late 12th century. It is thought to be derived from a place name, possibly derived from the Old English words "hæfer" (meaning goat) and "ford" (a shallow river crossing), suggesting a connection to a location where goats were known to cross a river or stream.

One of the earliest documented instances of the name Hafford can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1198, which mention a person named William de Hafford. This record suggests that the name was already in use as a hereditary surname by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the Hafford surname appears in various records from counties such as Warwickshire and Worcestershire, indicating that the name was well-established in the Midlands region of England during this period.

The Hundred Rolls of 1273 contain references to individuals with the surname Hafford, including Robert de Hafford and John de Hafford, both listed as landowners in Warwickshire.

During the 14th century, the Hafford surname continued to be recorded in various historical documents. In the Poll Tax returns of 1379, a William Hafford is listed as a taxpayer in the village of Rowington, Warwickshire.

Notable individuals bearing the Hafford surname throughout history include:

1. Sir Thomas Hafford (c. 1450 - 1520), a member of the English gentry and landowner in Worcestershire. 2. John Hafford (c. 1520 - 1586), an English clergyman who served as the Rector of Lapworth in Warwickshire. 3. William Hafford (c. 1560 - 1635), a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, known for his philanthropic contributions to the city. 4. Elizabeth Hafford (c. 1620 - 1690), a prominent Quaker activist and writer from Warwickshire, known for her religious works. 5. Richard Hafford (c. 1675 - 1745), a renowned architect and surveyor who worked on several notable buildings in London during the early 18th century.

While the Hafford surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hafford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hafford 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. Middlesex leads with 17 Haffords recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.11x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 17 3.11x
Lancashire 12 1.85x
Northamptonshire 10 19.47x
Kent 6 3.22x
Worcestershire 4 5.61x
Cheshire 2 1.66x
Northumberland 2 2.46x
Huntingdonshire 1 9.23x
Leicestershire 1 1.65x
Roxburghshire 1 10.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rothwell in Northamptonshire leads with 10 Haffords recorded in 1881 and an index of 1923.08x.

Place Total Index
Rothwell 10 1923.08x
Hampstead London 6 70.59x
Mile End Old Town London 6 51.64x
Woolwich 6 87.21x
Toxteth Park 5 22.79x
Whistones 4 769.23x
Liverpool 3 7.62x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 14.12x
Dukinfield 2 35.91x
St George Hanover Square 2 20.79x
Chiswick 1 33.56x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 9.72x
Hawick 1 45.25x
Huntingdon St John 1 322.58x
Leicester St Mary 1 20.45x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 1 93.46x
St George Bloomsbury 1 31.95x
St Marylebone London 1 3.43x
Tynemouth 1 22.99x
Withington 1 47.85x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 3
Fanny 2
Maria 2
Mary 2
Sarah 2
Anna 1
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Bridget 1
Caterine 1
Charlotte 1
Ellen 1
Ethel 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Lettie 1
Maggie 1
Martha 1
Rebecca 1
Selia 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
William 5
George 3
Charles 2
Alfred 1
Enoch 1
Henry 1
James 1
Patrick 1
Reghenal 1
Samuel 1
Shaun 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 Hafford households.

FAQ

Hafford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hafford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 56 people were recorded with the Hafford surname. That placed it at #25,733 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hafford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 89 in 2016. That gives Hafford a modern rank of #32,297.

What does the Hafford surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in England.

What does the Hafford map show?

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