NameCensus.

UK surname

Meffen

In the 1881 census there were 21 people recorded with the Meffen surname, ranking it #30,609 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 115, ranked #28,348, up from #30,609 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and Wandsworth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Meffen is 134 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 447.6%.

1881 census count

21

Ranked #30,609

Modern count

115

2016, ranked #28,348

Peak year

1999

134 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Meffen had 21 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,609 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016, ranked #28,348.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 51 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Meffen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Meffen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Meffen 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 17 #30,267
1861 historical 35 #29,571
1881 historical 21 #30,609
1891 historical 40 #31,174
1901 historical 51 #28,492
1911 historical 39 #29,025
1997 modern 121 #24,019
1998 modern 127 #23,940
1999 modern 134 #23,378
2000 modern 123 #24,585
2001 modern 117 #24,974
2002 modern 123 #24,735
2003 modern 126 #24,146
2004 modern 116 #25,580
2005 modern 119 #25,193
2006 modern 125 #24,611
2007 modern 124 #25,086
2008 modern 122 #25,638
2009 modern 123 #26,098
2010 modern 125 #26,448
2011 modern 114 #27,784
2012 modern 121 #26,829
2013 modern 121 #27,255
2014 modern 128 #26,490
2015 modern 120 #27,561
2016 modern 115 #28,348

Geography

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Where Meffens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire, Wandsworth and Test Valley. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 039 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 North Lincolnshire 001 North Lincolnshire
3 Wandsworth 028 Wandsworth
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 024 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Test Valley 012 Test Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Meffen

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Meffen

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Meffen, 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 Meffen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Meffen 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Meffen is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Meffen 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

Meffen 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 Meffen 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 - British

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

1881 census detail

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Meffen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Meffen 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. Hampshire leads with 7 Meffens recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.67x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 7 16.67x
Norfolk 6 19.05x
Stirlingshire 6 79.47x
Angus 1 5.27x
Dunbartonshire 1 18.18x

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 6 Meffens recorded in 1881 and an index of 229.89x.

Place Total Index
Great Yarmouth 6 229.89x
Milford 6 5000.00x
Balfron 3 3333.33x
Campsie 3 731.71x
Kirkintilloch 1 133.33x
Portsmouth 1 103.09x
St Vigeans 1 98.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Edith 1
Emma 1
Georgiana 1
Mahala 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 3
Edward 2
Alfred 1
Frederick 1
James 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 Meffen households.

FAQ

Meffen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Meffen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 21 people were recorded with the Meffen surname. That placed it at #30,609 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Meffen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016. That gives Meffen a modern rank of #28,348.

What does the Meffen map show?

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