NameCensus.

UK surname

Kerfoot

An English locational surname derived from an area with a foot path or ford in the vicinity.

In the 1881 census there were 594 people recorded with the Kerfoot surname, ranking it #5,887 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 686, ranked #7,823, down from #5,887 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkham, Eccles and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hambleton, Oldham and Chorley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kerfoot is 854 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.5%.

1881 census count

594

Ranked #5,887

Modern count

686

2016, ranked #7,823

Peak year

1911

854 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kerfoot had 594 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,887 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 686 in 2016, ranked #7,823.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 854 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Kerfoot surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kerfoot surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kerfoot 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 412 #5,889
1861 historical 247 #9,977
1881 historical 594 #5,887
1891 historical 609 #6,307
1901 historical 791 #5,692
1911 historical 854 #5,191
1997 modern 693 #7,306
1998 modern 721 #7,307
1999 modern 728 #7,302
2000 modern 739 #7,190
2001 modern 715 #7,242
2002 modern 732 #7,240
2003 modern 712 #7,279
2004 modern 721 #7,224
2005 modern 715 #7,202
2006 modern 696 #7,386
2007 modern 696 #7,455
2008 modern 702 #7,463
2009 modern 713 #7,533
2010 modern 729 #7,541
2011 modern 715 #7,570
2012 modern 689 #7,692
2013 modern 707 #7,673
2014 modern 691 #7,860
2015 modern 686 #7,846
2016 modern 686 #7,823

Geography

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Where Kerfoots are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkham, Eccles, Preston, Leigh and Ormskirk. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hambleton, Oldham, Chorley and South Holland. 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 Kirkham Lancashire
2 Eccles Lancashire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Leigh Lancashire
5 Ormskirk Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hambleton 005 Hambleton
2 Oldham 030 Oldham
3 Chorley 004 Chorley
4 Chorley 014 Chorley
5 South Holland 001 South Holland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kerfoot

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kerfoot

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

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Kerfoot surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Kerfoot 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Kerfoot is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kerfoot 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

Kerfoot falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kerfoot 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 Kerfoot, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Kerfoot

The surname Kerfoot has its origins in the Scottish Borders region, along the boundary between Scotland and England. It is believed to have emerged during the 12th or 13th century, derived from the Old English words "cær" meaning marsh or fen, and "fot" meaning foot. This suggests the name may have referred to someone who lived near a marshy area or whose land was prone to flooding.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical record of Scottish nobles and landowners who were forced to swear fealty to King Edward I of England. The entry "Willelmus de Kerfut" is listed, indicating the presence of the Kerfoot name in the Scottish Borders region during the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, a variant spelling of the name, "Keirfut," appeared in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which were financial records maintained by the royal treasury. This further solidifies the name's Scottish origins and its early use in the medieval period.

During the 16th century, the Kerfoot name was associated with the village of Ecclefechan in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. Historical records from this time mention individuals such as John Kerfoot, who was born in Ecclefechan around 1550, and his son, also named John Kerfoot, born in the same village in 1580.

In the 17th century, the Kerfoot family gained prominence in the nearby town of Annan, also in Dumfriesshire. Notable figures from this era include William Kerfoot (1614-1689), a prominent merchant and landowner, and his son, John Kerfoot (1646-1721), who served as the Provost (Mayor) of Annan.

As the name spread across the Scottish Borders and beyond, it produced several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Sir John Kerfoot (1789-1868), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament. Another was William Kerfoot (1837-1908), a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Other individuals bearing the Kerfoot surname include Thomas Kerfoot (1790-1857), an English Unitarian minister and author; John Barrett Kerfoot (1816-1886), an American Episcopal bishop; and Samuel Kerfoot (1876-1946), an English footballer who played for several clubs in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kerfoot families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kerfoot 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. Lancashire leads with 409 Kerfoots recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.98x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 409 5.98x
Cheshire 68 5.34x
Denbighshire 26 11.94x
Northamptonshire 24 4.43x
Yorkshire 14 0.25x
Staffordshire 13 0.67x
Lincolnshire 8 0.87x
Leicestershire 6 0.94x
Flintshire 5 3.23x
Merionethshire 5 4.74x
Middlesex 5 0.09x
Warwickshire 2 0.14x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.43x
Glamorgan 1 0.10x
Hampshire 1 0.08x
Shropshire 1 0.20x
Surrey 1 0.04x
Sussex 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 34 Kerfoots recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.58x.

Place Total Index
Preston 34 18.58x
Skelmersdale 34 298.25x
Bedford 32 223.62x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 32 162.52x
Chorley 31 80.75x
Whittle Le Woods 25 1101.32x
Hyde 17 45.27x
Dukinfield 15 25.51x
Hulme 15 10.50x
Abergele 13 207.67x
St Asaph 12 542.99x
Leyland 11 92.44x
Salford 11 5.47x
Wolverhampton 11 7.35x
Godley 10 363.64x
Goosnargh 10 452.49x
Kings Cliffe 10 395.26x
Pennington In Leigh 10 76.16x
Warrington 10 12.33x
Westleigh 10 64.39x
Wigan 10 10.46x
Worsley 10 23.71x
Ashton Under Lyne 9 6.02x
Great Sankey 9 714.29x
Manchester 8 2.60x
Marston 8 412.37x
Newton 8 15.17x
Pendlebury 8 55.40x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 7 102.64x
Blackburn 7 3.85x
Bulwick 7 1093.75x
Halifax 7 8.35x
Southwick 7 1346.15x
Astley 6 113.64x
Loughborough 6 20.68x
Orrell 6 70.51x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 6 46.26x
Winwick With Hulme 6 625.00x
Bredbury 5 67.93x
Festiniog 5 22.46x
Great Bolton 5 5.52x
Oldham 5 2.26x
Rainford 5 67.57x
Stoke Newington London 5 11.14x
Livesey 4 33.31x
St Asaph 4 130.29x
Wardleworth 4 10.23x
Adlington 3 176.47x
Lymm 3 32.43x
Parr 3 12.26x
Pendleton In Salford 3 3.68x
Rufford 3 167.60x
Birmingham 2 0.41x
Chester St Oswald 2 8.68x
Frodsham 2 40.57x
Kenyon 2 434.78x
Liverpool 2 0.48x
Moulton 2 45.05x
Northwich 2 99.01x
Rusholme 2 10.96x
West Derby 2 1.00x
Widnes 2 4.05x
Witton 2 23.23x
Briton Ferry 1 8.35x
Denbigh 1 11.44x
Fulwood 1 13.53x
Great Budworth 1 44.25x
Great Harwood 1 8.08x
Holywell 1 5.14x
Horwich 1 13.40x
Lambeth 1 0.20x
Lewes St John Southover 1 15.31x
Little Harwood 1 80.65x
Llandudno 1 12.03x
Madeley 1 20.62x
North Meols 1 1.49x
Out Rawcliffe 1 61.35x
Portsea 1 0.43x
Southworth With Croft 1 49.02x
Walsall Foreign 1 0.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 41
Elizabeth 37
Sarah 22
Alice 19
Ann 17
Jane 16
Annie 12
Margaret 12
Ellen 10
Hannah 9
Esther 7
Fanny 7
Catherine 6
Eliza 6
Anne 5
Martha 5
Betty 3
Ada 2
Caroline 2
Eliz. 2
Elizth. 2
Florence 2
Francess 2
Harriet 2
Isabella 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Annas 1
Betsey 1
Betsy 1
Cathine 1
Dorothy 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elinor 1
Elizth.Ann 1
Ellin 1
Emma 1
Evelyn 1
Francis 1
Grace 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Lilly 1
Lily 1
Lydea 1
M.A. 1
M.J. 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 49
James 42
William 31
Thomas 28
Joseph 14
Henry 11
Robert 11
George 10
Edward 9
Richard 8
Peter 7
Albert 5
Alfred 5
Charles 5
Wm. 4
Ernest 3
Herbert 3
Thos. 3
Adam 2
Benjamin 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Mathias 2
Ralph 2
Samuel 2
Septimus 2
Walter 2
Bates 1
Edwd. 1
Ellis 1
Elvin 1
Francis 1
Gwilym 1
Isaac 1
Jane 1
Jas. 1
Jesse 1
Jno. 1
Laban 1
Lee 1
Levi 1
Lewis 1
Matthew 1
Matthias 1
Richd. 1
Sam 1
Stanley 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Kerfoot surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kerfoot surname in 1881?

In 1881, 594 people were recorded with the Kerfoot surname. That placed it at #5,887 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kerfoot surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 686 in 2016. That gives Kerfoot a modern rank of #7,823.

What does the Kerfoot surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from an area with a foot path or ford in the vicinity.

What does the Kerfoot map show?

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