NameCensus.

UK surname

Leefe

In the 1881 census there were 87 people recorded with the Leefe surname, ranking it #21,334 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 97, ranked #31,585, down from #21,334 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Widdrington, Woodhorn (Ellington), Norton and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire, East Hampshire and Stratford-on-Avon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Leefe is 123 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.5%.

1881 census count

87

Ranked #21,334

Modern count

97

2016, ranked #31,585

Peak year

1911

123 bearers

Map years

2

1891 to 1911

Key insights

  • Leefe had 87 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,334 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016, ranked #31,585.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 123 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Leefe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Leefe surname density by area, 1911 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Leefe 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 67 #21,440
1861 historical 66 #25,487
1881 historical 87 #21,334
1891 historical 105 #23,241
1901 historical 97 #23,227
1911 historical 123 #20,128
1997 modern 89 #28,490
1998 modern 98 #27,923
1999 modern 96 #28,326
2000 modern 91 #28,952
2001 modern 90 #28,793
2002 modern 94 #28,797
2003 modern 99 #27,871
2004 modern 99 #28,136
2005 modern 98 #28,325
2006 modern 93 #29,411
2007 modern 96 #29,339
2008 modern 100 #29,001
2009 modern 101 #29,445
2010 modern 100 #30,225
2011 modern 102 #29,759
2012 modern 95 #31,107
2013 modern 102 #30,415
2014 modern 101 #30,855
2015 modern 99 #31,168
2016 modern 97 #31,585

Geography

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Where Leefes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Widdrington, Woodhorn (Ellington), Norton, London parishes, Malton, Old and St John Hampstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carmarthenshire, East Hampshire and Stratford-on-Avon. 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 Widdrington, Woodhorn (Ellington) Northumberland
2 Norton Yorkshire, North Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Malton, Old Yorkshire, North Riding
5 St John Hampstead London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carmarthenshire 027 Carmarthenshire
2 Carmarthenshire 006 Carmarthenshire
3 East Hampshire 007 East Hampshire
4 Stratford-on-Avon 009 Stratford-on-Avon
5 Stratford-on-Avon 007 Stratford-on-Avon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Leefe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Leefe

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Leefe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Leefe household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Leefe 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

Leefe is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Leefe falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Leefe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Leefe 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. Yorkshire leads with 41 Leefes recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.88x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 41 4.88x
Middlesex 14 1.65x
Lancashire 6 0.60x
Sussex 6 4.19x
Hertfordshire 5 8.55x
Renfrewshire 4 6.08x
Essex 3 1.79x
Surrey 3 0.73x
Kent 2 0.69x
Northumberland 2 1.58x
Berkshire 1 1.57x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. New Malton in Yorkshire leads with 9 Leefes recorded in 1881 and an index of 891.09x.

Place Total Index
New Malton 9 891.09x
Old Malton 9 1698.11x
Hampstead London 7 52.95x
Norton In Malton 7 686.27x
Brighton 6 20.78x
Clerkenwell London 5 24.96x
Fryton 5 16666.67x
Pickering 5 471.70x
Cathcart 4 112.36x
Didsbury 4 298.51x
Ware 4 238.10x
Hutton Cranswick 3 857.14x
West Ham 3 8.11x
Ellington 2 2857.14x
Frimley 2 169.49x
Lewisham 2 12.95x
Liverpool 2 3.27x
Scarborough 2 26.18x
Bradfield 1 294.12x
Filey 1 147.06x
Hackney London 1 2.10x
St Marylebone London 1 2.21x
Wandsworth 1 12.24x
Watford 1 22.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Jane 3
Maria 3
Louisa 2
Sarah 2
Addie 1
Anna 1
Catherine 1
Cecilia 1
Diana 1
E. 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1
F. 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Frances. 1
Frans.L. 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Margaret 1
Reine 1
Sophronia 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
Benjamin 3
Thomas 3
Walter 3
Edwd. 2
George 2
James 2
William 2
A. 1
Ambrose 1
Basil 1
Bernard 1
David 1
Drury 1
E. 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
F.E. 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
Jno. 1
Jonathon 1
Lawrence 1
Lionel 1
Octavius 1
Oswald 1
Samuel 1

FAQ

Leefe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Leefe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 87 people were recorded with the Leefe surname. That placed it at #21,334 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Leefe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016. That gives Leefe a modern rank of #31,585.

What does the Leefe map show?

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