NameCensus.

UK surname

Kelf

In the 1881 census there were 130 people recorded with the Kelf surname, ranking it #16,911 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 196, ranked #19,848, down from #16,911 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Minster, London parishes and Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Great Yarmouth and Norwich.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kelf is 224 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.8%.

1881 census count

130

Ranked #16,911

Modern count

196

2016, ranked #19,848

Peak year

1911

224 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kelf had 130 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,911 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 224 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Kelf surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kelf surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kelf 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 49 #24,448
1861 historical 106 #20,147
1881 historical 130 #16,911
1891 historical 147 #18,592
1901 historical 185 #15,892
1911 historical 224 #13,914
1997 modern 202 #17,514
1998 modern 205 #17,850
1999 modern 201 #18,179
2000 modern 195 #18,494
2001 modern 191 #18,453
2002 modern 199 #18,350
2003 modern 185 #18,999
2004 modern 194 #18,566
2005 modern 192 #18,640
2006 modern 183 #19,326
2007 modern 178 #19,887
2008 modern 176 #20,224
2009 modern 190 #19,656
2010 modern 201 #19,387
2011 modern 197 #19,483
2012 modern 197 #19,408
2013 modern 204 #19,276
2014 modern 198 #19,841
2015 modern 199 #19,640
2016 modern 196 #19,848

Geography

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Where Kelfs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Minster, London parishes, Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington, St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a and Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Great Yarmouth and Norwich. 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 Minster Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington Staffordshire
4 St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a Norfolk
5 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Great Yarmouth 004 Great Yarmouth
2 Great Yarmouth 007 Great Yarmouth
3 Norwich 013 Norwich
4 Norwich 004 Norwich
5 Norwich 007 Norwich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kelf

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kelf

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Kelf surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Kelf household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Kelf is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

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

Kelf is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kelf 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 Kelf 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
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Kelf families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kelf 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. Norfolk leads with 75 Kelfs recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.77x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 75 38.77x
Middlesex 13 1.03x
Kent 12 2.80x
Staffordshire 8 1.88x
Surrey 7 1.14x
Berkshire 6 6.35x
Worcestershire 6 3.65x
Monmouthshire 2 2.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Yarmouth in Norfolk leads with 32 Kelfs recorded in 1881 and an index of 199.63x.

Place Total Index
Great Yarmouth 32 199.63x
Heigham 22 211.95x
Bromley London 8 28.90x
Stafford St Mary 8 133.11x
Minster In Sheppey 7 98.45x
Norwich St Paul 7 603.45x
Reading St Giles 6 64.72x
Battersea 5 10.80x
Claines 5 110.86x
Norwich St Stephen 4 224.72x
St Giles In Fields London 4 64.83x
Lakenham 3 109.09x
Norwich St Gregory 3 882.35x
Bromley 2 30.58x
Deptford St Paul 2 6.04x
Lambeth 2 1.82x
Newport 2 46.08x
Northwold 2 384.62x
Hindlip 1 909.09x
Northfleet 1 26.46x
Norwich St Benedict 1 116.28x
Norwich St Giles 1 161.29x
St Luke London 1 4.96x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Charles 9
William 7
Joseph 6
Robert 5
John 4
Samuel 4
Frederick 3
Thomas 3
Frank 2
Henry 2
James 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Ernest 1
Fredk.John 1
George 1
Herbert 1
Job 1
Josh. 1
Robt. 1
Sidney 1
Simon 1
Stephen 1

FAQ

Kelf surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kelf surname in 1881?

In 1881, 130 people were recorded with the Kelf surname. That placed it at #16,911 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kelf surname today?

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

What does the Kelf map show?

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