NameCensus.

UK surname

Kingsford

An English surname referring to someone who lived near or worked at the royal ford.

In the 1881 census there were 411 people recorded with the Kingsford surname, ranking it #7,826 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 268, ranked #16,003, down from #7,826 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lewisham and Rochester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swale, Tonbridge and Malling and Daventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kingsford is 450 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 34.8%.

1881 census count

411

Ranked #7,826

Modern count

268

2016, ranked #16,003

Peak year

1911

450 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kingsford had 411 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,826 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 268 in 2016, ranked #16,003.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 450 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Kingsford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kingsford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kingsford 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 355 #6,654
1861 historical 311 #8,151
1881 historical 411 #7,826
1891 historical 398 #8,910
1901 historical 434 #8,940
1911 historical 450 #8,507
1997 modern 341 #12,407
1998 modern 343 #12,707
1999 modern 351 #12,582
2000 modern 341 #12,801
2001 modern 327 #12,970
2002 modern 323 #13,325
2003 modern 325 #13,104
2004 modern 323 #13,230
2005 modern 300 #13,837
2006 modern 297 #14,004
2007 modern 297 #14,135
2008 modern 289 #14,502
2009 modern 281 #15,098
2010 modern 272 #15,811
2011 modern 273 #15,606
2012 modern 259 #16,126
2013 modern 259 #16,392
2014 modern 266 #16,213
2015 modern 266 #16,105
2016 modern 268 #16,003

Geography

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Where Kingsfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lewisham, Rochester and Buckland-near-Dover. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swale, Tonbridge and Malling, Daventry, Bromley and Southwark. 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 1
2 Lewisham London (South Districts)
3 Rochester Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 Buckland-near-Dover Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swale 009 Swale
2 Tonbridge and Malling 002 Tonbridge and Malling
3 Daventry 008 Daventry
4 Bromley 008 Bromley
5 Southwark 026 Southwark

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kingsford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kingsford

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kingsford, 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 Kingsford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Kingsford 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, Kingsford 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

Kingsford 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

Kingsford falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Kingsford

The surname KINGSFORD is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the place name Kingsford, a parish in the county of Shropshire. The name is composed of the Old English words 'cyning' meaning king and 'ford' meaning a shallow river crossing.

One of the earliest records of the name KINGSFORD is found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199, where a Robert de Kingesford is mentioned. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, the name appears as Kyngesford, referring to a place in Berkshire.

The KINGSFORD name is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as Chingesford, a manor in the county of Somerset. This suggests that the name was already established in various parts of England by the 11th century.

Notable individuals with the surname KINGSFORD include William KINGSFORD (1819-1898), a Canadian historian and writer who authored the multi-volume work 'The History of Canada'. Another prominent figure was Edward KINGSFORD (1848-1924), a British civil engineer and surveyor who worked on railway projects in South Africa and Australia.

In the literary world, Walter KINGSFORD (1881-1958) was a British author and poet, best known for his works on rural life and nature. Reverend Charles Lethbridge KINGSFORD (1862-1926) was an English clergyman and historian who wrote extensively on the history of the Christian church.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname KINGSFORD dates back to the 13th century, when a Robert de KINGSFORD is mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1242. This suggests that the name had spread to various counties by the medieval period.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kingsford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kingsford 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. Kent leads with 183 Kingsfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.28x.

County Total Index
Kent 183 13.28x
Middlesex 114 2.82x
Surrey 40 2.03x
Essex 14 1.76x
Hampshire 13 1.57x
Sussex 11 1.62x
Worcestershire 11 2.09x
Warwickshire 8 0.79x
Cornwall 5 1.09x
Lancashire 4 0.08x
Suffolk 3 0.61x
Channel Islands 2 1.67x
Devon 2 0.24x
Hertfordshire 1 0.36x
Royal Navy 1 2.08x
Shropshire 1 0.29x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 26 Kingsfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.48x.

Place Total Index
Hackney London 26 11.48x
Deptford St Paul 20 18.82x
Rochester St Margaret 19 130.76x
Lambeth 18 5.11x
Kensington London 16 7.13x
Nonington 14 1272.73x
Charlton 13 142.08x
Portsea 12 7.40x
Lewisham 11 14.97x
Ramsgate 11 48.91x
Hougham 10 122.10x
Clerkenwell London 9 9.44x
Croydon 9 8.24x
Bermondsey 8 6.65x
Lee 8 39.98x
Lower Shuckburgh 8 5714.29x
Maidstone 8 19.49x
Ringwould 8 677.97x
Shadwell London 8 70.80x
Buckland In Dover 7 153.17x
Littlebourne 7 666.67x
Stoulton 7 1372.55x
Wingham 7 440.25x
Barking 6 25.72x
Chelsea London 6 4.93x
Deal 6 51.06x
Hastings St Mary 6 35.40x
Mile End Old Town London 6 6.98x
Paddington London 6 4.04x
St Pancras London 6 1.85x
Hammersmith London 5 5.03x
Harwich St Nicholas 5 81.17x
St Hilary 5 375.94x
Teddington London 5 54.64x
Kings Norton 4 8.46x
Sandwich St Clement 4 344.83x
St Marylebone London 4 1.86x
Thornton In Fylde 4 38.17x
Acton 3 12.67x
Brighton 3 2.18x
Canterbury St Mary 3 32.43x
Chartham 3 87.46x
East Ham 3 20.28x
Ipswich St Margaret 3 17.97x
Sunbury 3 61.86x
Canterbury St George 2 121.21x
Cheriton 2 35.59x
Dover St Mary Virgin 2 14.99x
Elham 2 121.21x
Esher 2 72.46x
Greenwich 2 3.11x
Islington London 2 0.51x
Newnham 2 465.12x
St Lawrence 2 21.12x
St Peter Port 2 9.03x
Battersea 1 0.67x
Bideford 1 11.11x
Chatham 1 2.64x
Crundale 1 263.16x
Farningham 1 81.30x
Finchley 1 6.46x
Great Amwell 1 35.84x
Hastings All Sts 1 15.58x
Hastings St Leonards 1 9.99x
Hipperholme Cum 1 5.69x
Merton 1 29.07x
Milton In Gravesend 1 4.84x
Northbourne 1 76.34x
Pontesbury 1 23.58x
Poplar London 1 1.31x
Portsmouth 1 5.25x
Ratcliffe London 1 4.48x
Royal Navy 1 2.43x
Sandwich St Peter 1 68.97x
Shoreditch London 1 0.57x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.41x
Strood 1 12.72x
Tudeley 1 131.58x
Walmer 1 16.69x
Wonersh 1 40.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 25
Charles 13
John 13
Thomas 9
George 8
Frederick 7
Henry 7
James 7
Arthur 6
Edward 6
Alfred 5
Samuel 4
Albert 3
Ernest 3
Percy 3
Philip 3
Robert 3
Walter 3
Algernon 2
Brenchley 2
Daniel 2
Frank 2
Fred. 2
Harry 2
Richard 2
Spencer 2
Bertram 1
Christopher 1
Cottenham 1
Courtenay 1
Dodwell 1
Dudley 1
Flavius 1
Fourteney 1
Fredrick 1
Hamilton 1
Harold 1
Heny. 1
Herbert 1
Jno. 1
Julius 1
Kenneth 1
Kennett 1
Percival 1
Reginald 1
S. 1
Sampson 1
Septimus 1
Sophia 1
Wm.T. 1

FAQ

Kingsford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kingsford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 411 people were recorded with the Kingsford surname. That placed it at #7,826 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kingsford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 268 in 2016. That gives Kingsford a modern rank of #16,003.

What does the Kingsford surname mean?

An English surname referring to someone who lived near or worked at the royal ford.

What does the Kingsford map show?

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