NameCensus.

UK surname

Ife

In the 1881 census there were 202 people recorded with the Ife surname, ranking it #12,753 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 196, ranked #19,848, down from #12,753 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Ashfield with Thorpe. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Wyre Forest and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ife is 285 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.0%.

1881 census count

202

Ranked #12,753

Modern count

196

2016, ranked #19,848

Peak year

1901

285 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ife had 202 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,753 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 196 in 2016, ranked #19,848.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 285 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ife surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ife surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ife 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 106 #16,512
1881 historical 202 #12,753
1901 historical 285 #12,063
1997 modern 195 #17,912
1998 modern 201 #18,047
1999 modern 202 #18,127
2000 modern 206 #17,880
2001 modern 202 #17,834
2002 modern 212 #17,651
2003 modern 203 #17,967
2004 modern 202 #18,110
2005 modern 197 #18,339
2006 modern 190 #18,898
2007 modern 188 #19,204
2008 modern 198 #18,753
2009 modern 203 #18,840
2010 modern 207 #19,007
2011 modern 214 #18,436
2012 modern 207 #18,777
2013 modern 208 #19,041
2014 modern 204 #19,439
2015 modern 201 #19,494
2016 modern 196 #19,848

Geography

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Where Ifes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Ashfield with Thorpe and Stapenhill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Wyre Forest, Leeds and Waveney. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Ashfield with Thorpe Suffolk
5 Stapenhill Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 054 Cornwall
2 Wyre Forest 005 Wyre Forest
3 Leeds 003 Leeds
4 Waveney 012 Waveney
5 Waveney 014 Waveney

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ife

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ife

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

Ife 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

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

1881 census detail

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Ife families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ife 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. Suffolk leads with 56 Ifes recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.45x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 56 23.45x
Middlesex 41 2.09x
Derbyshire 24 7.82x
Surrey 16 1.67x
Warwickshire 15 3.03x
Worcestershire 12 4.69x
Kent 8 1.20x
Hampshire 6 1.49x
Gloucestershire 5 1.30x
Nottinghamshire 3 1.14x
Yorkshire 3 0.15x
Essex 2 0.52x
Leicestershire 2 0.92x
Norfolk 2 0.66x
Northamptonshire 2 1.08x
Sussex 2 0.61x
Monmouthshire 1 0.71x
Staffordshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chelsea London in Middlesex leads with 22 Ifes recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.24x.

Place Total Index
Chelsea London 22 37.24x
Birmingham 14 8.50x
Stapenhill 14 306.35x
Ashfield 13 8666.67x
Wangford 12 2666.67x
Stanton Newhall 10 1020.41x
Battersea 8 11.09x
Ribbesford 7 328.64x
Westminster St John 7 29.31x
South Hayling 6 833.33x
Charlton Kings 5 187.97x
Dudley 5 16.07x
Hanwell 5 143.68x
Plumstead 5 22.42x
Wickham Market 5 505.05x
Clapham 4 16.32x
Dunwich 4 2352.94x
Somersham 4 1481.48x
Worlingworth 4 930.23x
Bungay Holy Trinity 3 243.90x
Ealing 3 17.12x
Lambeth 3 1.75x
Nottingham St Mary 3 4.39x
Southwold 3 212.77x
Thornaby 3 41.32x
Aldringham 2 588.24x
Attlebridge 2 5000.00x
Duston 2 119.76x
Framsden 2 377.36x
Kelsale 2 303.03x
Lewisham 2 5.61x
St George Hanover Square 2 5.79x
Burton Lazars 1 625.00x
Camberwell 1 0.80x
Colchester St Runwald 1 476.19x
Crawley 1 333.33x
Earl Soham 1 243.90x
Erith 1 15.17x
Hatton 1 153.85x
Horsham 1 15.58x
Melton 1 106.38x
Melton Mowbray 1 25.58x
St Marylebone London 1 0.96x
St Pancras London 1 0.63x
St Woollos 1 6.32x
Upper Arley 1 204.08x
West Ham 1 1.17x

FAQ

Ife surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ife surname in 1881?

In 1881, 202 people were recorded with the Ife surname. That placed it at #12,753 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ife surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 196 in 2016. That gives Ife a modern rank of #19,848.

What does the Ife map show?

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