NameCensus.

UK surname

Liffen

In the 1881 census there were 117 people recorded with the Liffen surname, ranking it #18,026 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 187, ranked #20,488, down from #18,026 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford and St Mary Islington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolsover, Great Yarmouth and Mansfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Liffen is 203 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 59.8%.

1881 census count

117

Ranked #18,026

Modern count

187

2016, ranked #20,488

Peak year

2002

203 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Liffen had 117 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,026 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 187 in 2016, ranked #20,488.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 161 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Liffen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Liffen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Liffen 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 55 #23,413
1861 historical 110 #19,562
1881 historical 117 #18,026
1891 historical 89 #25,542
1901 historical 117 #20,830
1911 historical 161 #17,072
1997 modern 194 #17,978
1998 modern 191 #18,624
1999 modern 196 #18,464
2000 modern 201 #18,152
2001 modern 193 #18,334
2002 modern 203 #18,115
2003 modern 179 #19,416
2004 modern 179 #19,523
2005 modern 183 #19,194
2006 modern 191 #18,825
2007 modern 183 #19,553
2008 modern 174 #20,385
2009 modern 181 #20,277
2010 modern 184 #20,521
2011 modern 185 #20,288
2012 modern 190 #19,864
2013 modern 190 #20,201
2014 modern 193 #20,159
2015 modern 191 #20,205
2016 modern 187 #20,488

Geography

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Where Liffens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolsover, Great Yarmouth and Mansfield. 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 London parishes London 3
3 St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford London (South Districts)
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolsover 007 Bolsover
2 Great Yarmouth 003 Great Yarmouth
3 Great Yarmouth 012 Great Yarmouth
4 Mansfield 007 Mansfield
5 Great Yarmouth 005 Great Yarmouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Liffen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Liffen

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Liffen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Liffen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Liffen 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

Liffen 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

Liffen falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Liffen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Liffen 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. Suffolk leads with 46 Liffens recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.81x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 46 32.81x
Kent 23 5.86x
Norfolk 21 11.87x
Middlesex 11 0.96x
Northumberland 6 3.50x
Surrey 6 1.07x
Essex 3 1.32x
Cornwall 1 0.77x
Wiltshire 1 0.98x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Yarmouth in Norfolk leads with 21 Liffens recorded in 1881 and an index of 143.25x.

Place Total Index
Great Yarmouth 21 143.25x
Lowestoft 19 287.01x
Redisham 10 14285.71x
Erith 7 180.88x
Islington London 7 6.27x
North Seaton 6 833.33x
Battersea 5 11.81x
Deptford St Paul 5 16.51x
Lewisham 5 23.88x
Woodbridge 5 279.33x
Ipswich St Peter 4 211.64x
Westhall 4 2352.94x
Deptford St Nicholas 3 96.15x
Ringsfield 3 2727.27x
West Ham 3 5.98x
Chatham 2 18.52x
Shadwell London 2 62.11x
St Marylebone London 2 3.25x
Beccles 1 44.25x
Earl Stoke 1 909.09x
Falmouth 1 21.69x
Wimbledon 1 15.87x
Woolwich 1 6.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 6
Eliza 5
Ann 4
Ellen 4
Emma 4
Maria 4
Mary 3
Susan 3
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Fanny 2
Jane 2
Louisa 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Allice 1
Beatrice 1
Belander 1
Bertha 1
Eliz. 1
Elsie 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Hephzibah 1
Isabella 1
Laura 1
Lilly 1
Margeret 1
Martha 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 8
Charles 4
James 4
Robert 4
George 3
John 3
Thomas 3
Benjamin 2
Edgar 2
Elijah 2
Emmanuel 2
Henry 2
Walter 2
Willm. 2
Benjm. 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Joseph 1
Joshua 1
Leonard 1
Mary 1
Samuel 1
Spencer 1

FAQ

Liffen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Liffen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 117 people were recorded with the Liffen surname. That placed it at #18,026 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Liffen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 187 in 2016. That gives Liffen a modern rank of #20,488.

What does the Liffen map show?

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