NameCensus.

UK surname

Kilfoyle

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic phrase "coill fodhail," meaning "wood of plunder."

In the 1881 census there were 73 people recorded with the Kilfoyle surname, ranking it #23,220 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 110, ranked #29,225, down from #23,220 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Willesden, Eastham and Glossop. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire West and Chester, Sefton and Bolton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kilfoyle is 129 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.7%.

1881 census count

73

Ranked #23,220

Modern count

110

2016, ranked #29,225

Peak year

1999

129 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kilfoyle had 73 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,220 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 110 in 2016, ranked #29,225.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 101 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Kilfoyle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kilfoyle surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kilfoyle 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 19 #29,904
1861 historical 35 #29,571
1881 historical 73 #23,220
1891 historical 90 #25,399
1901 historical 85 #24,636
1911 historical 101 #22,589
1997 modern 115 #24,834
1998 modern 118 #25,041
1999 modern 129 #23,907
2000 modern 124 #24,469
2001 modern 121 #24,493
2002 modern 121 #24,984
2003 modern 124 #24,378
2004 modern 117 #25,448
2005 modern 115 #25,702
2006 modern 122 #25,010
2007 modern 125 #24,987
2008 modern 123 #25,505
2009 modern 119 #26,637
2010 modern 124 #26,582
2011 modern 113 #27,967
2012 modern 116 #27,550
2013 modern 113 #28,502
2014 modern 114 #28,608
2015 modern 108 #29,512
2016 modern 110 #29,225

Geography

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Where Kilfoyles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Willesden, Eastham, Glossop, West Derby and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire West and Chester, Sefton, Bolton, South Cambridgeshire and Aylesbury Vale. 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 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 Eastham Cheshire
3 Glossop Derbyshire
4 West Derby Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire West and Chester 032 Cheshire West and Chester
2 Sefton 034 Sefton
3 Bolton 010 Bolton
4 South Cambridgeshire 011 South Cambridgeshire
5 Aylesbury Vale 009 Aylesbury Vale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kilfoyle

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kilfoyle

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Kilfoyle surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Kilfoyle 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kilfoyle is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Kilfoyle 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

Kilfoyle 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 Kilfoyle is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Kilfoyle

The surname Kilfoyle is of Irish origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ó Cillbhaoil, which means "descendant of Cillbhaol." The name Cillbhaol is derived from the Irish words "cill," meaning church, and "bhaol," meaning peril or danger.

The Kilfoyle family is believed to have originated in County Mayo, Ireland, specifically in the region of Erris. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Fiants of the 16th century, which were official records of the English administration in Ireland.

One of the earliest documented references to the name is found in the Annals of Loch Cé, a chronicle of Irish events from the 12th to the 17th century. In this record, a member of the Kilfoyle family is mentioned as having been involved in a battle in the year 1586.

Notable individuals with the surname Kilfoyle include John Kilfoyle (1849-1924), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Waterbury, Connecticut, from 1897 to 1899. Another prominent figure was James Kilfoyle (1887-1968), an American prelate who served as the Bishop of Cleveland from 1948 to 1966.

In the 19th century, the name Kilfoyle appeared in the birth and death records of counties such as Mayo, Sligo, and Galway in Ireland. Some variations of the spelling include Kilfoile, Kilfoil, and Kilfoyle.

Among the historical figures bearing this surname is Patrick Kilfoyle (1873-1942), an Irish-born American labor leader who played a significant role in organizing workers in the coal mining industry in the early 20th century. Bridget Kilfoyle (1856-1941) was an Irish immigrant to the United States who became a prominent philanthropist and advocate for women's rights in New York City.

Another notable individual was Michael Kilfoyle (1916-1995), an American academic and author who specialized in Irish literature and served as a professor at Fordham University for many years.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kilfoyle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kilfoyle 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 29 Kilfoyles recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.39x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 29 3.39x
Durham 8 3.73x
Cheshire 6 3.77x
Derbyshire 5 4.43x
Essex 5 3.51x
Middlesex 5 0.69x
Surrey 4 1.14x
Yorkshire 4 0.56x
Buckinghamshire 2 4.59x
Kent 2 0.81x
Berkshire 1 1.85x
Midlothian 1 1.03x
Oxfordshire 1 2.24x
Royal Navy 1 11.63x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Derby in Lancashire leads with 18 Kilfoyles recorded in 1881 and an index of 71.86x.

Place Total Index
West Derby 18 71.86x
Monkwearmouth 8 390.24x
East Ham 5 189.39x
Glossop Dale 5 94.52x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 4 153.85x
East Molesey 4 487.80x
Edgeworth 4 869.57x
Little Bolton 4 36.33x
Chester St John Baptist 3 104.90x
St Marylebone London 3 7.79x
Lee 2 56.02x
Little Marlow 2 833.33x
Liverpool 2 3.85x
Moore 2 2000.00x
Chelsea London 1 4.60x
Chester St Bridget 1 370.37x
Kensington London 1 2.49x
Pendleton In Salford 1 9.80x
Royal Navy 1 13.61x
Shorthampton 1 2000.00x
Sunninghill 1 133.33x
West Calder 1 52.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 7
James 6
Thomas 3
Henry 2
Patrick 2
Peter 2
William 2
(Mr) 1
Christopher 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
George 1
Micheal 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Wilmer 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 Kilfoyle households.

FAQ

Kilfoyle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kilfoyle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 73 people were recorded with the Kilfoyle surname. That placed it at #23,220 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kilfoyle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 110 in 2016. That gives Kilfoyle a modern rank of #29,225.

What does the Kilfoyle surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic phrase "coill fodhail," meaning "wood of plunder."

What does the Kilfoyle map show?

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