NameCensus.

UK surname

Jaff

A variant spelling of the Arabic surname meaning "dry".

In the 1881 census there were 15 people recorded with the Jaff surname, ranking it #31,451 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 113, ranked #28,691, up from #31,451 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Westminster, Barnet and Bristol.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jaff is 116 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 653.3%.

1881 census count

15

Ranked #31,451

Modern count

113

2016, ranked #28,691

Peak year

2014

116 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jaff had 15 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,451 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 113 in 2016, ranked #28,691.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 41 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Jaff surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jaff surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jaff 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 4 #32,658
1861 historical 41 #28,839
1881 historical 15 #31,451
1891 historical 15 #32,956
1901 historical 6 #33,591
1911 historical 8 #32,903
1997 modern 9 #37,214
1998 modern 10 #37,048
1999 modern 13 #36,693
2000 modern 14 #36,522
2001 modern 10 #36,852
2002 modern 20 #35,894
2003 modern 19 #36,011
2004 modern 24 #35,697
2005 modern 33 #35,119
2006 modern 46 #34,415
2007 modern 49 #34,422
2008 modern 57 #34,015
2009 modern 72 #33,021
2010 modern 87 #31,990
2011 modern 93 #31,169
2012 modern 104 #29,543
2013 modern 113 #28,502
2014 modern 116 #28,253
2015 modern 108 #29,512
2016 modern 113 #28,691

Geography

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Where Jaffs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Westminster, Barnet and Bristol. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Westminster 010 Westminster
2 Barnet 026 Barnet
3 Barnet 011 Barnet
4 Westminster 015 Westminster
5 Bristol 036 Bristol, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jaff

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jaff

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Jaff surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Jaff 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 includes many younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Jaff is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

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

Jaff 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

Jaff falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Jaff is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Jaff, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Jaff

The surname JAFF is believed to have originated in the Middle Ages in the region of Normandy, France. It is thought to be a variant spelling of the French surname Jaffé, which itself is derived from the Old French personal name Jaffred or Geffrei, meaning "peaceful traveler" or "pilgrim."

In the 11th century, records show the name appearing in various forms such as Jaffé, Jaffi, and Jaffe in Normandy. It is possible that the surname was brought to England by Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholders in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name is recorded as Jaffé, belonging to a landowner in the county of Suffolk.

By the 13th century, the surname had spread across England, and variations like Jaff and Jaffe began to appear in historical records. In 1273, a Robert Jaffe is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire.

Notable individuals with the surname JAFF throughout history include Sir William Jaff (1520-1597), an English politician and member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Samuel Jaff (1680-1742), a merchant and philanthropist in Colonial America who helped establish the first public library in Philadelphia.

In the 19th century, James Jaff (1812-1884) was a Scottish inventor credited with developing an early form of the typewriter. Across the Atlantic, Elizabeth Jaff (1826-1901) was a notable American educator and advocate for women's rights.

One of the most famous bearers of the surname was the British author and playwright Somerset Jaff (1875-1965), whose works include the novels "The Unbearable Bassington" and "Decline and Fall."

While the surname JAFF has undergone various spellings over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the Normandy region of France, where it emerged as a derivative of an Old French personal name signifying a peaceful traveler or pilgrim.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jaff families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jaff 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. Durham leads with 12 Jaffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.61x.

County Total Index
Durham 12 27.61x
Berkshire 1 9.12x
Middlesex 1 0.68x
Warwickshire 1 2.71x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Coundon in Durham leads with 10 Jaffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 5555.56x.

Place Total Index
Coundon 10 5555.56x
Bishopwearmouth 2 53.62x
Chelsea London 1 22.73x
Clewer 1 222.22x
Leamington Priors 1 109.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Elisabeth 1
Maria 1
Mary 1
Rennie 1
Rosa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Ambrose 2
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Christopher 1
John 1
Robt. 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 Jaff households.

FAQ

Jaff surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jaff surname in 1881?

In 1881, 15 people were recorded with the Jaff surname. That placed it at #31,451 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jaff surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 113 in 2016. That gives Jaff a modern rank of #28,691.

What does the Jaff surname mean?

A variant spelling of the Arabic surname meaning "dry".

What does the Jaff map show?

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