NameCensus.

UK surname

Kift

In the 1881 census there were 147 people recorded with the Kift surname, ranking it #15,674 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 251, ranked #16,744, down from #15,674 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Middlezoy, Weston Zoyland, Woolavington and Down, West. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Devon, Bristol and Swansea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kift is 308 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 70.7%.

1881 census count

147

Ranked #15,674

Modern count

251

2016, ranked #16,744

Peak year

1999

308 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kift had 147 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,674 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 251 in 2016, ranked #16,744.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 229 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Kift surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kift surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kift 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 85 #18,940
1861 historical 95 #21,768
1881 historical 147 #15,674
1891 historical 184 #15,869
1901 historical 223 #14,134
1911 historical 229 #13,712
1997 modern 287 #13,912
1998 modern 294 #14,060
1999 modern 308 #13,722
2000 modern 304 #13,791
2001 modern 299 #13,758
2002 modern 307 #13,805
2003 modern 294 #14,002
2004 modern 293 #14,082
2005 modern 284 #14,306
2006 modern 274 #14,769
2007 modern 276 #14,855
2008 modern 278 #14,901
2009 modern 285 #14,944
2010 modern 270 #15,896
2011 modern 264 #16,016
2012 modern 253 #16,377
2013 modern 256 #16,506
2014 modern 264 #16,288
2015 modern 257 #16,475
2016 modern 251 #16,744

Geography

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Where Kifts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Middlezoy, Weston Zoyland, Woolavington, Down, West, Ilfracombe and Braunton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Devon, Bristol and Swansea. 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 3
2 Middlezoy, Weston Zoyland, Woolavington Somerset
3 Down, West Devon
4 Ilfracombe Devon
5 Braunton Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Devon 006 North Devon
2 North Devon 003 North Devon
3 Bristol 049 Bristol, City of
4 Swansea 013 Swansea
5 Swansea 029 Swansea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kift

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kift

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kift, 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 Kift surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Kift 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Kift is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Kift is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kift falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Kift families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kift 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. Glamorgan leads with 48 Kifts recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.10x.

County Total Index
Glamorgan 48 19.10x
Somerset 32 13.77x
Devon 20 6.66x
Middlesex 9 0.62x
Monmouthshire 9 8.62x
Berkshire 8 7.38x
Gloucestershire 6 2.12x
Kent 5 1.02x
Essex 4 1.40x
Sussex 4 1.64x
Brecknockshire 1 3.46x
Lanarkshire 1 0.21x
Royal Navy 1 5.81x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Llansamlet Lower in Glamorgan leads with 16 Kifts recorded in 1881 and an index of 701.75x.

Place Total Index
Llansamlet Lower 16 701.75x
Middlezoy 16 5714.29x
Oystermouth 12 618.56x
West Down 9 3461.54x
Christchurch 8 247.68x
Weston Super Mare 8 136.29x
Islington London 7 5.00x
Reading St Mary 6 69.12x
Roath 6 52.54x
Ilfracombe 5 161.81x
Llantwit Lower 5 226.24x
Aberdare 4 23.19x
Brighton 4 8.15x
Bristol St George 4 30.56x
Cardiff St Mary 4 28.90x
Folkestone 4 41.88x
West Ham 4 6.36x
Woolavington 4 2352.94x
Northmolton 3 1666.67x
Wookey 3 588.24x
Barnstaple 2 42.37x
Reading St Lawrence 2 86.21x
Braunton 1 98.04x
Brecknock St John 1 41.15x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 1 38.76x
Bristol St Nicholas 1 196.08x
Briton Ferry 1 33.33x
Cambuslang 1 21.23x
Chatham 1 7.38x
Newport 1 20.08x
North Petherton 1 53.48x
Royal Navy 1 6.80x
St George Hanover Square 1 3.93x
St Pancras London 1 0.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Sarah 7
Elizabeth 6
Jane 6
Emma 5
Catherine 4
Ann 3
Annie 3
Clara 3
Ellen 2
Harriet 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Martha 2
Anna 1
Bessie 1
Carolin 1
Caroline 1
Daisy 1
Eleanor 1
Elizebeth 1
Emilia 1
Florence 1
Hanah 1
Hannah 1
Latty 1
Lydia 1
M.Eth. 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Marion 1
Matild 1
Minnie 1
Phoebe 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 10
John 9
George 6
James 5
Thomas 4
Charles 3
Joseph 3
Richard 3
Wm. 2
Arthur 1
C.J. 1
Chas. 1
Donald 1
Edmond 1
Edmund 1
Emmuel 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Oliver 1
Paul 1
Phillip 1
Rees 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Solomon 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Kift surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kift surname in 1881?

In 1881, 147 people were recorded with the Kift surname. That placed it at #15,674 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kift surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 251 in 2016. That gives Kift a modern rank of #16,744.

What does the Kift map show?

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