NameCensus.

UK surname

Longfellow

An English surname referring to a tall person or an ancestor with the nickname "long fellow."

In the 1881 census there were 204 people recorded with the Longfellow surname, ranking it #12,682 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 185, ranked #20,652, down from #12,682 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bradford, Sculcoates and Guiseley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds and Harrogate.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Longfellow is 248 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.3%.

1881 census count

204

Ranked #12,682

Modern count

185

2016, ranked #20,652

Peak year

1901

248 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Longfellow had 204 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,682 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 185 in 2016, ranked #20,652.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 248 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Longfellow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Longfellow surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Longfellow 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 110 #16,093
1861 historical 145 #15,715
1881 historical 204 #12,682
1891 historical 226 #13,668
1901 historical 248 #13,204
1911 historical 238 #13,356
1997 modern 179 #18,889
1998 modern 185 #18,973
1999 modern 187 #18,999
2000 modern 185 #19,118
2001 modern 181 #19,106
2002 modern 185 #19,212
2003 modern 178 #19,489
2004 modern 175 #19,805
2005 modern 176 #19,667
2006 modern 183 #19,326
2007 modern 176 #20,028
2008 modern 184 #19,666
2009 modern 201 #18,965
2010 modern 208 #18,956
2011 modern 207 #18,841
2012 modern 186 #20,141
2013 modern 194 #19,932
2014 modern 185 #20,739
2015 modern 181 #20,934
2016 modern 185 #20,652

Geography

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Where Longfellows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bradford, Sculcoates, Guiseley, Bramham and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds and Harrogate. 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 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Sculcoates Yorkshire, East Riding
3 Guiseley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Bramham Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 057 Leeds
2 Leeds 108 Leeds
3 Leeds 105 Leeds
4 Leeds 008 Leeds
5 Harrogate 018 Harrogate

Forenames

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First names often paired with Longfellow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Longfellow

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Longfellow is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Longfellow is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Longfellow 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 Longfellow 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 Longfellow, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Longfellow

The surname Longfellow originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational surname, derived from the Old English words "lang" meaning long and "felough" meaning fellow or companion. The name likely referred to a tall or lanky individual, perhaps a member of a medieval guild or fellowship.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Longfellow surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1208, where a person named William Longfellow is mentioned. The surname is also found in various other medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Richard Longfelowe in Oxfordshire.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Longfellow surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Northumberland, and Oxfordshire. Variations in spelling included Longfellowe, Longfelow, and Longfelloe, reflecting the inconsistencies in written records of that era.

A notable early bearer of the Longfellow name was John Longfellow (c. 1350-1420), a wealthy merchant and landowner from York. He is mentioned in several historical documents, including the York Civic Records of the late 14th century.

Another prominent figure was Sir William Longfellow (1474-1548), a member of the English gentry and a High Sheriff of Northumberland during the reign of Henry VIII. He was involved in several military campaigns against Scotland and is mentioned in the State Papers of the time.

In the 17th century, the Longfellow family had established a presence in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Nathaniel Longfellow (1610-1675), who settled in Newbury, Massachusetts in the 1630s and became a prominent figure in the local community.

Perhaps the most famous bearer of the Longfellow surname was the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882). Born in Portland, Maine, he is considered one of the greatest poets of the 19th century and is renowned for works such as "The Song of Hiawatha" and "Evangeline."

Other notable individuals with the Longfellow surname include William Pitt Preble Longfellow (1836-1909), an American naval officer and historian; and Ernest Wadsworth Longfellow (1845-1925), a lawyer and philanthropist who served as a trustee of Harvard University.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Longfellow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Longfellow 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 182 Longfellows recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.23x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 182 9.23x
Middlesex 18 0.90x
Surrey 2 0.21x
Lancashire 1 0.04x
Lincolnshire 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 27 Longfellows recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.25x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 27 24.25x
Hunslet 25 81.30x
Horsforth 23 532.41x
Shoreditch London 16 18.55x
Bradford 13 27.24x
Clifford Cum Boston 13 734.46x
Sculcoates 11 35.19x
Manningham 10 41.17x
Shipley 8 78.20x
Elland Cum Greetland 7 78.83x
Batley 6 32.02x
Wortley In Bramley 6 38.41x
Horton In Bradford 5 16.24x
Cottingham 4 94.12x
East Keswick 4 1333.33x
Wetherby 3 234.38x
Arthington 2 645.16x
Bowling 2 10.24x
Doncaster 2 13.88x
Headingley Cum Burley 2 15.76x
Lambeth 2 1.15x
Adel Cum Eccup 1 123.46x
Bramham Cum Oglethorpe 1 126.58x
Bubwith 1 285.71x
Glanford Brigg 1 87.72x
Hackney London 1 0.90x
Halifax 1 3.45x
Holbeck 1 7.66x
Huddersfield 1 3.48x
Knottingley 1 28.82x
Manchester 1 0.94x
Otley 1 20.88x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.85x
York All Sts North 1 102.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Sarah 9
Elizabeth 8
Jane 7
Alice 6
Ann 6
Annie 5
Eliza 5
Emma 5
Hannah 4
Ada 3
Ellen 3
Rebecca 3
Elizth. 2
Emily 2
Harriet 2
Maggie 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Abiah 1
Addiline 1
Anne 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Delsie 1
Emmeline 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Grace 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Louise 1
Margaret 1
Margt. 1
Minnie 1
Sophie 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Samuel 11
William 11
Thomas 9
John 8
Wm. 7
Joseph 6
George 5
Alfred 4
Edward 4
Jno. 3
Benjm. 2
Francis 2
Geo. 2
Henry 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
Fergus 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Hutchinson 1
Nathan 1
Snowden 1
Thompson 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Longfellow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Longfellow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 204 people were recorded with the Longfellow surname. That placed it at #12,682 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Longfellow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 185 in 2016. That gives Longfellow a modern rank of #20,652.

What does the Longfellow surname mean?

An English surname referring to a tall person or an ancestor with the nickname "long fellow."

What does the Longfellow map show?

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