UK surname
Derived from a place name meaning "ford by a hill" in Old English.
In the 1881 census there were 36 people recorded with the Hufford surname, ranking it #28,559 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 87, ranked #32,476, down from #28,559 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to St Mildred, Old Castle Precincts, Glossop and Bowden Magna. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hufford is 106 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 141.7%.
1881 census count
36
Ranked #28,559
Modern count
87
2016, ranked #32,476
Peak year
1861
106 bearers
Map years
1
1861 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Hufford surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Hufford surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 44 | #25,328 |
| 1861 | historical | 106 | #20,147 |
| 1881 | historical | 36 | #28,559 |
| 1891 | historical | 56 | #29,638 |
| 1901 | historical | 60 | #27,502 |
| 1911 | historical | 70 | #25,853 |
| 1997 | modern | 98 | #27,179 |
| 1998 | modern | 95 | #28,303 |
| 1999 | modern | 90 | #29,056 |
| 2000 | modern | 86 | #29,484 |
| 2001 | modern | 88 | #29,056 |
| 2002 | modern | 82 | #30,181 |
| 2003 | modern | 83 | #30,088 |
| 2004 | modern | 83 | #30,352 |
| 2005 | modern | 81 | #30,740 |
| 2006 | modern | 84 | #30,665 |
| 2007 | modern | 79 | #31,628 |
| 2008 | modern | 76 | #32,279 |
| 2009 | modern | 78 | #32,471 |
| 2010 | modern | 88 | #31,875 |
| 2011 | modern | 77 | #32,909 |
| 2012 | modern | 79 | #32,966 |
| 2013 | modern | 87 | #32,472 |
| 2014 | modern | 86 | #32,663 |
| 2015 | modern | 88 | #32,421 |
| 2016 | modern | 87 | #32,476 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around St Mildred, Old Castle Precincts, Glossop, Bowden Magna, Sawtry St Andrew, Sawtry All Saints, Sawtry St Judith, Conington and Hamerton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Mildred, Old Castle Precincts | Kent |
| 2 | Glossop | Derbyshire |
| 3 | Bowden Magna | Leicestershire |
| 4 | Sawtry St Andrew, Sawtry All Saints, Sawtry St Judith, Conington | Huntingdonshire |
| 5 | Hamerton | Huntingdonshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Hufford surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hufford, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Hufford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Hufford household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Hufford is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hufford is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Hufford, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname HUFFORD originated in England, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "hoh" meaning a heel or ridge, and "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing, suggesting that the name was originally a place name referring to a settlement near a shallow river crossing on a ridge or heel-shaped hill.
Records from the 13th century show variations of the name, including Hufford, Hofford, and Huffert, appearing in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. One of the earliest documented instances is in the Hundred Rolls of 1275, which list a John de Hufford in Norfolk.
The HUFFORD name is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror. Although the spelling is slightly different, it is believed to be related to the modern HUFFORD name.
In the 14th century, the name appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a Richard Hufford is mentioned as a tenant in 1327. This suggests that the name was well-established in the area at the time.
Notable individuals with the HUFFORD surname include:
1. William Hufford (c. 1520 - 1590), a wealthy landowner and merchant from Lincolnshire. 2. Edward Hufford (1603 - 1678), a Puritan minister and author from Norfolk. 3. John Hufford (1665 - 1732), a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and prominent figure in colonial Virginia. 4. Mary Hufford (1785 - 1863), an early pioneer and settler in the Ohio Territory. 5. Samuel Hufford (1818 - 1892), a Union soldier who fought in the American Civil War and received the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Gettysburg.
The name HUFFORD has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Hufford Hill in Yorkshire and Hufford Green in Lincolnshire, further reinforcing its connection to geographical features and settlements.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hufford surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Huntingdonshire leads with 26 Huffords recorded in 1881 and an index of 373.03x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Huntingdonshire | 26 | 373.03x |
| Devon | 3 | 4.10x |
| Leicestershire | 2 | 5.14x |
| Berkshire | 1 | 3.79x |
| Durham | 1 | 0.96x |
| Kent | 1 | 0.83x |
| Monmouthshire | 1 | 3.94x |
| Yorkshire | 1 | 0.29x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hamerton in Huntingdonshire leads with 10 Huffords recorded in 1881 and an index of 50000.00x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Hamerton | 10 | 50000.00x |
| Sawtry All Sts | 8 | 10000.00x |
| Barham | 6 | 60000.00x |
| Dartington | 2 | 2500.00x |
| Leicester St Margaret | 2 | 21.07x |
| Chelsfield | 1 | 909.09x |
| Chepstow | 1 | 232.56x |
| Great Gidding | 1 | 1666.67x |
| Huntingdon St John | 1 | 500.00x |
| Leeds | 1 | 5.09x |
| Stockton On Tees | 1 | 19.84x |
| Streatley | 1 | 1250.00x |
| Totnes | 1 | 232.56x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Hufford surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Hufford surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
FAQ
In 1881, 36 people were recorded with the Hufford surname. That placed it at #28,559 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 87 in 2016. That gives Hufford a modern rank of #32,476.
Derived from a place name meaning "ford by a hill" in Old English.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Hufford bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.