NameCensus.

UK surname

Huffer

An occupational surname for one who puffs or blows, likely referring to a glass blower or pipe smoker.

In the 1881 census there were 215 people recorded with the Huffer surname, ranking it #12,249 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 340, ranked #13,456, down from #12,249 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Condover, Ashwell and Deeping St James, Deeping St Nicholas, Deeping Fen. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth and South Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Huffer is 342 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 58.1%.

1881 census count

215

Ranked #12,249

Modern count

340

2016, ranked #13,456

Peak year

2015

342 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Huffer had 215 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,249 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 340 in 2016, ranked #13,456.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 300 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Huffer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Huffer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Huffer 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 160 #12,347
1861 historical 120 #18,255
1881 historical 215 #12,249
1891 historical 229 #13,539
1901 historical 255 #12,965
1911 historical 300 #11,441
1997 modern 309 #13,268
1998 modern 314 #13,483
1999 modern 304 #13,843
2000 modern 305 #13,769
2001 modern 314 #13,318
2002 modern 303 #13,909
2003 modern 294 #14,002
2004 modern 299 #13,904
2005 modern 295 #13,972
2006 modern 293 #14,116
2007 modern 288 #14,428
2008 modern 288 #14,537
2009 modern 294 #14,628
2010 modern 302 #14,661
2011 modern 300 #14,591
2012 modern 323 #13,780
2013 modern 331 #13,748
2014 modern 340 #13,554
2015 modern 342 #13,396
2016 modern 340 #13,456

Geography

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Where Huffers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Condover, Ashwell, Deeping St James, Deeping St Nicholas, Deeping Fen, Maxey and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth and South Cambridgeshire. 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 Condover Shropshire
2 Ashwell Hertfordshire
3 Deeping St James, Deeping St Nicholas, Deeping Fen Lincolnshire
4 Maxey Northamptonshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 037 Shropshire
2 Nuneaton and Bedworth 013 Nuneaton and Bedworth
3 Shropshire 036 Shropshire
4 South Cambridgeshire 019 South Cambridgeshire
5 Nuneaton and Bedworth 015 Nuneaton and Bedworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Huffer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Huffer

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

Huffer 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

Huffer falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Huffer

The surname HUFFER originated in Germany in the 14th century. It is believed to be an occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "huofer," meaning a hoof maker or farrier. The name was likely first adopted by individuals who worked as blacksmiths or farriers, responsible for shoeing horses and caring for their hooves.

The earliest recorded instance of the HUFFER surname can be traced back to a document from the city of Nuremberg, dated 1368. This document mentions a certain "Hans Huffer," who was a blacksmith by trade. The name also appears in various other medieval records and manuscripts from the regions of Bavaria and Franconia in southern Germany.

In the 16th century, the name HUFFER began to spread beyond Germany as people migrated to other parts of Europe. One notable example is Jan Huffer, a Dutch merchant born in Amsterdam in 1542, who established a successful trading company that exported goods to various parts of the world.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the HUFFER surname can be found in various records from different regions of Germany, including Saxony, Hesse, and Westphalia. One prominent figure from this period was Johann Huffer, a renowned clockmaker born in Nuremberg in 1687, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by nobility and wealthy patrons.

As people with the HUFFER surname migrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas, the spelling of the name evolved slightly. In some regions, it was spelled as "Hoeffer" or "Hoffer," reflecting the local dialect and pronunciation.

Other notable individuals with the HUFFER surname include Friedrich Huffer, a German philosopher and author born in 1792, who wrote extensively on ethics and moral philosophy. Another was Karl Huffer, a 19th-century German painter known for his landscape and genre scenes, born in 1824 in Düsseldorf.

Throughout its history, the HUFFER surname has been associated with various trades and professions, ranging from blacksmiths and farriers to merchants, clockmakers, and intellectuals. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, the name has since spread across the world, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural influences of those who bore it.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Huffer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Huffer 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. Shropshire leads with 46 Huffers recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.39x.

County Total Index
Shropshire 46 25.39x
Hertfordshire 36 24.90x
Middlesex 16 0.76x
Leicestershire 14 6.02x
Northamptonshire 14 7.10x
Bedfordshire 13 11.97x
Cambridgeshire 13 9.79x
Lincolnshire 10 2.98x
Essex 9 2.17x
Kent 7 0.98x
Suffolk 6 2.35x
Derbyshire 4 1.22x
Durham 4 0.64x
Sussex 4 1.13x
Yorkshire 4 0.19x
Surrey 3 0.29x
Herefordshire 2 2.33x
Lancashire 2 0.08x
Montgomeryshire 2 4.16x
Staffordshire 2 0.28x
Pembrokeshire 1 1.50x
Radnorshire 1 5.91x
Renfrewshire 1 0.62x
Warwickshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ashwell in Hertfordshire leads with 36 Huffers recorded in 1881 and an index of 3185.84x.

Place Total Index
Ashwell 36 3185.84x
Condover 14 1093.75x
Steeple Morden 12 1690.14x
Deeping St James 10 840.34x
Maxey 10 2272.73x
Great Bowden 8 379.15x
Clunbury 7 985.92x
Dover St Mary Virgin 7 101.01x
Little Chishall 7 7777.78x
Stotfold 7 336.54x
Mainstone 6 4615.38x
Norton 6 1111.11x
St George Hanover Square 6 16.24x
Kensington London 5 4.29x
Stapleton 5 2631.58x
Cransley 4 1739.13x
Gateshead 4 8.56x
Leicester St Margaret 4 7.05x
Litchurch 4 30.28x
Wootton 4 425.53x
Wortley In Bramley 4 24.30x
Clun Eddycliff 3 882.35x
Westbury 3 319.15x
Worthen 3 156.25x
Biggleswade 2 56.18x
Broseley 2 62.11x
Castlewright 2 1666.67x
Hereford St Nicholas 2 170.94x
Sedgley 2 7.61x
Storrington 2 206.19x
Walton On Hill 2 14.84x
Abbey 1 4.03x
Birmingham 1 0.57x
Bishops Castle In 1 94.34x
Clun 1 77.52x
Croydon 1 1.76x
Godalming 1 15.55x
Guilden Morden 1 140.85x
Hatfield Peverel 1 112.36x
Hopton Castle 1 1250.00x
Hornsey 1 3.77x
Islington London 1 0.49x
Knighton 1 72.99x
Lambeth 1 0.55x
Leicester St Mary 1 5.32x
New Shoreham 1 47.17x
Pinner 1 54.35x
Shoreditch London 1 1.10x
Tenby St Mary In 1 29.50x
Twycross 1 384.62x
Wanstead 1 13.79x
Westminster St Margaret 1 9.88x
Willingdon 1 111.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 17
William 17
James 9
Thomas 8
George 7
Charles 5
Arthur 4
Henry 3
Samuel 3
Edward 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Joseph 2
Tanesly 2
Thos. 2
Albert 1
Allen 1
Authur 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Ellis 1
Ford 1
Francis 1
Herb. 1
Herbert 1
Jacob 1
Jno.Thos. 1
Joesph 1
Matthew 1
Oliver 1
Tansley 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Huffer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Huffer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 215 people were recorded with the Huffer surname. That placed it at #12,249 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Huffer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 340 in 2016. That gives Huffer a modern rank of #13,456.

What does the Huffer surname mean?

An occupational surname for one who puffs or blows, likely referring to a glass blower or pipe smoker.

What does the Huffer map show?

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