NameCensus.

UK surname

Jaffery

Derived from the Arabic personal name Ja'far, meaning "stream" or "rivulet".

In the 1881 census there were 75 people recorded with the Jaffery surname, ranking it #22,893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 175, ranked #21,383, up from #22,893 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Poole St James and Bonhill. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Manchester, Croydon and Redbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jaffery is 208 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 133.3%.

1881 census count

75

Ranked #22,893

Modern count

175

2016, ranked #21,383

Peak year

1861

208 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jaffery had 75 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,893 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 175 in 2016, ranked #21,383.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 208 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Multicultural Communities and Students.

Jaffery surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jaffery surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jaffery 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 80 #19,558
1861 historical 208 #11,642
1881 historical 75 #22,893
1891 historical 113 #22,162
1901 historical 41 #29,602
1911 historical 12 #32,302
1997 modern 68 #30,810
1998 modern 74 #30,562
1999 modern 82 #29,933
2000 modern 87 #29,377
2001 modern 85 #29,396
2002 modern 89 #29,428
2003 modern 113 #25,797
2004 modern 121 #24,939
2005 modern 128 #24,076
2006 modern 129 #24,165
2007 modern 132 #24,166
2008 modern 144 #23,037
2009 modern 155 #22,438
2010 modern 157 #22,800
2011 modern 159 #22,382
2012 modern 161 #22,157
2013 modern 174 #21,401
2014 modern 175 #21,477
2015 modern 171 #21,729
2016 modern 175 #21,383

Geography

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Where Jafferys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Poole St James, Bonhill, Glasgow and Paisley Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Manchester, Croydon, Redbridge, Trafford and Bradford. 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 New Monkland Lanark
2 Poole St James Dorset
3 Bonhill Dunbarton
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Manchester 008 Manchester
2 Croydon 006 Croydon
3 Redbridge 031 Redbridge
4 Trafford 014 Trafford
5 Bradford 049 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jaffery

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jaffery

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Challenged Multicultural Communities and Students

Nationally, the Jaffery surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Multicultural Communities and Students, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Jaffery household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Married couples with dependent children are common in this Group, with many parents born in Africa or the EU. The representation of residents amongst different ethnic minority groups is high, particularly for individuals of Pakistani ethnic group. For many residents, English is not their main language, and affiliation to Christian religions is less common. Privately rented terrace properties predominate and levels of overcrowding are high. Part time work is common, with many employed in elementary occupations and sales and customer services. There are also many students living within these areas, and overall unemployment levels are high.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Jaffery is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Jaffery 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

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

Meaning and origin of Jaffery

The surname JAFFERY is believed to have originated in India, derived from the Arabic name "Jafar" which means "stream" or "river." It's thought to have emerged sometime during the medieval period when Arabic and Islamic influences were prevalent in parts of the subcontinent.

The name JAFFERY is an anglicized version of the Arabic name "Jafar," which was commonly used among Muslims in India. The earliest recorded examples of the name date back to the 13th century, where it appears in various historical documents and manuscripts from the region.

One notable historical reference to the name JAFFERY can be found in the Akbarnama, a 16th-century biographical account of the life and reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The text mentions a courtier named Jaffery Khan, who served as a military commander under the emperor.

Another early mention of the name JAFFERY is found in the 18th-century Persian manuscript, the Nadir Namah, which chronicles the life and conquests of Nader Shah, the ruler of the Afsharid dynasty in Persia. The text refers to a nobleman named Jaffery Beg, who held a prominent position in Nader Shah's court.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname JAFFERY was Mir Jaffery Ali Khan, an 18th-century nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the establishment of British rule in Bengal. He was born in 1691 and served as the Nawab of Bengal from 1757 to 1765.

Another notable figure with the surname JAFFERY was Sir Syed Ahmed Jaffery, a renowned educator and social reformer in British India. Born in 1817, he founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College, which later became the Aligarh Muslim University, and played a pivotal role in promoting modern education among Muslims in India.

In the 20th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname JAFFERY was Asghar Ali Jaffery, an Indian politician and freedom fighter. Born in 1892, he was a member of the Indian National Congress and played an active role in the Indian independence movement against British rule.

Throughout history, the surname JAFFERY has been associated with various place names and older spellings, including Jafferabad, Jafferpur, and Jaffergarh, which were towns or villages in parts of the Indian subcontinent where individuals with this surname may have originated or resided.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jaffery families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jaffery 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 12 Jafferys recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.71x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 12 17.71x
Renfrewshire 12 21.17x
Dunbartonshire 10 50.86x
Northumberland 9 8.27x
Angus 7 10.33x
Warwickshire 7 3.79x
Lanarkshire 5 2.11x
Roxburghshire 3 22.64x
Devon 2 1.31x
East Lothian 2 20.64x
Stirlingshire 2 7.41x
Dorset 1 2.08x
Kincardineshire 1 11.22x
Middlesex 1 0.14x
Midlothian 1 1.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bonhill in Dunbartonshire leads with 10 Jafferys recorded in 1881 and an index of 316.46x.

Place Total Index
Bonhill 10 316.46x
Newstead 9 30000.00x
Abbey 8 92.49x
Aberdeen Old Machar 8 56.58x
Edgbaston 7 122.38x
Hamilton 4 60.61x
Careston 3 6000.00x
Liff Benvie 3 29.15x
Stitchel 3 3333.33x
Dunbar 2 147.06x
Kilmalcolm 2 294.12x
St Ninians 2 74.91x
Tarves 2 312.50x
West Greenock 2 19.65x
Benholm 1 263.16x
East Stonehouse 1 33.33x
Fyvie 1 90.09x
Glasgow 1 2.38x
Longside 1 123.46x
Rescobie 1 588.24x
Sherborne 1 70.92x
South Leith 1 9.07x
St George Hanover Square 1 7.76x
Tavistock 1 57.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Eliza 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Catherine 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Harriet 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Lucy 1
Nancy 1
Susan 1
Thomason 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Arthur 1
David 1
Frank 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Norman 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 Jaffery households.

FAQ

Jaffery surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jaffery surname in 1881?

In 1881, 75 people were recorded with the Jaffery surname. That placed it at #22,893 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jaffery surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 175 in 2016. That gives Jaffery a modern rank of #21,383.

What does the Jaffery surname mean?

Derived from the Arabic personal name Ja'far, meaning "stream" or "rivulet".

What does the Jaffery map show?

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