NameCensus.

UK surname

Huff

A surname of German origin, derived from a nickname for a person with puffed-out cheeks or who was quick-tempered.

In the 1881 census there were 286 people recorded with the Huff surname, ranking it #10,036 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 331, ranked #13,735, down from #10,036 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Paddington and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shepway, Hammersmith and Fulham and Huntingdonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Huff is 344 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.7%.

1881 census count

286

Ranked #10,036

Modern count

331

2016, ranked #13,735

Peak year

2014

344 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Huff had 286 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,036 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 331 in 2016, ranked #13,735.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 325 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Huff surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Huff surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Huff 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 325 #7,157
1861 historical 264 #9,385
1881 historical 286 #10,036
1891 historical 255 #12,552
1901 historical 295 #11,783
1911 historical 321 #10,902
1997 modern 319 #13,000
1998 modern 323 #13,211
1999 modern 326 #13,238
2000 modern 319 #13,391
2001 modern 316 #13,258
2002 modern 326 #13,241
2003 modern 314 #13,419
2004 modern 319 #13,342
2005 modern 321 #13,195
2006 modern 322 #13,234
2007 modern 327 #13,229
2008 modern 309 #13,860
2009 modern 316 #13,933
2010 modern 328 #13,856
2011 modern 320 #13,976
2012 modern 325 #13,720
2013 modern 333 #13,682
2014 modern 344 #13,426
2015 modern 336 #13,593
2016 modern 331 #13,735

Geography

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Where Huffs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Paddington, Manchester and Tormarton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shepway, Hammersmith and Fulham, Huntingdonshire, Peterborough and Central Bedfordshire. 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 1
2 Paddington London (West Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Tormarton Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shepway 011 Shepway
2 Hammersmith and Fulham 017 Hammersmith and Fulham
3 Huntingdonshire 015 Huntingdonshire
4 Peterborough 018 Peterborough
5 Central Bedfordshire 001 Central Bedfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Huff

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Huff

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

Huff 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

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

Meaning and origin of Huff

The surname HUFF is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "hoff" or "hof," which referred to a small hill or promontory. It likely emerged as a toponymic surname, given to individuals who lived near or on such a geographic feature.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. It was often spelled as "Hoff" or "Hoffe" in its early forms.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Roger Huff, mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1273. The Hundred Rolls were a census-like record kept by the English government during the reign of King Edward I.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various legal documents and records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Nottinghamshire and the Court Rolls of Sussex, where individuals like John Hoff and William Huff were mentioned.

The name HUFF can also be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive land survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name's origins may predate the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

Notable individuals bearing the HUFF surname throughout history include:

1. William Huff (c. 1630-1706), an English settler in colonial Virginia and a member of the House of Burgesses. 2. Balthasar Huff (1658-1729), a German Pietist theologian and author who served as a pastor in Frankfurt. 3. Joshua Huff (1754-1832), an American Revolutionary War soldier and early settler in Kentucky. 4. John Huff (1801-1856), an English architect known for his work on the Anglican Cathedral in Cape Town, South Africa. 5. Anna Huff (1905-1995), an American artist and painter known for her landscape and still life works.

The name HUFF has also been associated with various place names, such as Huff's Church in Virginia, named after the early settler William Huff, and Huff's Hill in Kentucky, named after Joshua Huff.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Huff families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Huff 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 60 Huffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.14x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 60 2.14x
Lancashire 33 0.99x
Gloucestershire 30 5.46x
Surrey 29 2.13x
Yorkshire 16 0.58x
Essex 14 2.53x
Herefordshire 14 12.20x
Nottinghamshire 11 2.92x
Somerset 11 2.44x
Staffordshire 11 1.16x
Suffolk 11 3.23x
Cheshire 7 1.13x
Lanarkshire 7 0.77x
Wiltshire 6 2.42x
Cambridgeshire 4 2.26x
Hertfordshire 4 2.07x
Monmouthshire 4 1.98x
Derbyshire 3 0.68x
Kent 3 0.31x
Shropshire 3 1.24x
Buckinghamshire 2 1.18x
Lincolnshire 2 0.45x
Warwickshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Paddington London in Middlesex leads with 17 Huffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.51x.

Place Total Index
Paddington London 17 16.51x
Islington London 11 4.05x
Tormarton 11 2682.93x
St Marylebone London 10 6.69x
Ipswich St Mary At Elms 9 833.33x
Camberwell 7 3.91x
Chorlton On Medlock 7 13.27x
Rotherhithe 7 20.24x
Runcorn 7 49.12x
Southwark Christchurch 7 53.35x
Bermondsey 6 7.20x
Bootle Cum Linacre 6 22.74x
Halifax 6 14.73x
Lugwardine 6 821.92x
Nottingham St Mary 6 6.15x
Oldbury On Hill 6 1621.62x
Tipton 6 20.73x
Barony 5 2.18x
Bartestree 5 2631.58x
Clevedon 5 106.61x
Newent 5 179.21x
Reddish 5 109.17x
Snenton 5 33.72x
St George Hanover Square 5 10.14x
Westport St Mary 5 279.33x
Acton 4 24.38x
Bathwick 4 80.16x
Bristol St James St Paul 4 21.85x
Christchurch 4 63.90x
Eccleshill 4 59.26x
Harwich St Nicholas 4 93.68x
St Pancras London 4 1.78x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 3 11.61x
Chelmsford 3 31.65x
Hitchin 3 34.44x
Lower Darwen 3 68.81x
Preston 3 3.38x
Royton 3 29.53x
Sedgley 3 8.55x
St George Martyr London 3 52.91x
Stanton Lacy 3 143.54x
Whittington 3 49.51x
Cheetham 2 8.07x
Colchester St Martin 2 198.02x
Fulmer 2 487.80x
Govan 2 0.89x
Lambeth 2 0.82x
Marshfield 2 136.05x
Mordiford 2 363.64x
Newmarket All Sts 2 152.67x
Pendleton In Salford 2 5.05x
West Ham 2 1.64x
All Saints Cambridge 1 80.00x
Ardwick 1 3.34x
Aston 1 0.51x
Bexley 1 11.85x
Boothby Pagnell 1 833.33x
Boxwell With Leighterton 1 416.67x
Brightside Bierlow 1 1.84x
Broughton In Salford 1 3.29x
Chesterton 1 18.28x
East Ham 1 9.75x
Edmonton 1 4.43x
Gloucester St Michael 1 79.37x
Gomersal 1 7.72x
Great Waltham 1 44.44x
Hereford St Peter 1 32.57x
Hornsey 1 2.82x
Ipswich St Mathew 1 10.46x
Ipswich St Peter 1 21.79x
Kensington London 1 0.64x
Leigh 1 52.08x
Lewisham 1 1.96x
Little Cawthorpe 1 625.00x
Plumstead 1 3.14x
Rushall 1 17.99x
St Luke London 1 2.23x
Staplegrove 1 181.82x
Walcot 1 4.17x
Westminster St John 1 2.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 22
Sarah 10
Elizabeth 8
Alice 7
Annie 5
Ellen 5
Emily 5
Emma 5
Jane 5
Frances 4
Harriet 4
Martha 4
Amelia 3
Ann 3
Elizebeth 3
Fanny 3
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Eliza 2
Kate 2
Lizzie 2
Louisa 2
Margaret 2
Rosetta 2
Augusta 1
Bertha 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Elizbth. 1
Elizth. 1
Florence 1
Grace 1
Harrieta 1
Henrietta 1
Janet 1
Jemmia 1
Leah 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Madeline 1
Maria 1
Maud 1
Maude 1
Octavia 1
Phebe 1
Phillis 1
Priscilla 1
Robert 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 19
John 16
Henry 13
Charles 11
George 11
James 7
Arthur 5
Edward 5
Thomas 5
Richard 4
Alfred 3
David 3
Edwin 3
Joseph 3
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Samuel 2
Simon 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Benjamin 1
Christopher 1
Edmand 1
Edwd 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Henery 1
Isac 1
Lewin 1
Lewis 1
Louis 1
Milton 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1
Willie 1
Willm.F. 1

FAQ

Huff surname: questions and answers

How common was the Huff surname in 1881?

In 1881, 286 people were recorded with the Huff surname. That placed it at #10,036 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Huff surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 331 in 2016. That gives Huff a modern rank of #13,735.

What does the Huff surname mean?

A surname of German origin, derived from a nickname for a person with puffed-out cheeks or who was quick-tempered.

What does the Huff map show?

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