NameCensus.

UK surname

Mensforth

In the 1881 census there were 69 people recorded with the Mensforth surname, ranking it #23,816 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 104, ranked #30,317, down from #23,816 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Gateshead, Auckland St Andrew and Durham St Oswald. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Burnley, South Tyneside and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mensforth is 121 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.7%.

1881 census count

69

Ranked #23,816

Modern count

104

2016, ranked #30,317

Peak year

1911

121 bearers

Map years

2

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mensforth had 69 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,816 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016, ranked #30,317.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 121 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Mensforth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mensforth surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mensforth 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 39 #26,319
1861 historical 69 #25,057
1881 historical 69 #23,816
1891 historical 81 #26,632
1901 historical 98 #23,119
1911 historical 121 #20,336
1997 modern 90 #28,360
1998 modern 89 #29,026
1999 modern 83 #29,823
2000 modern 82 #29,922
2001 modern 80 #29,945
2002 modern 78 #30,601
2003 modern 86 #29,752
2004 modern 83 #30,352
2005 modern 87 #29,966
2006 modern 86 #30,425
2007 modern 87 #30,666
2008 modern 89 #30,713
2009 modern 86 #31,612
2010 modern 84 #32,289
2011 modern 87 #31,905
2012 modern 88 #32,064
2013 modern 93 #31,785
2014 modern 97 #31,518
2015 modern 102 #30,624
2016 modern 104 #30,317

Geography

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Where Mensforths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Gateshead, Auckland St Andrew, Durham St Oswald, Merrington and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Burnley, South Tyneside, County Durham, Copeland and Hinckley and Bosworth. 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 Gateshead Durham
2 Auckland St Andrew Durham
3 Durham St Oswald Durham
4 Merrington Durham
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Burnley 004 Burnley
2 South Tyneside 001 South Tyneside
3 County Durham 059 County Durham
4 Copeland 008 Copeland
5 Hinckley and Bosworth 013 Hinckley and Bosworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mensforth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mensforth

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Mensforth is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mensforth is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mensforth falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mensforth is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Mensforth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mensforth 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. Durham leads with 39 Mensforths recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.48x.

County Total Index
Durham 39 19.48x
Yorkshire 15 2.25x
Lancashire 6 0.75x
Northumberland 4 3.99x
Kent 2 0.87x
Middlesex 2 0.30x
Surrey 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westoe in Durham leads with 14 Mensforths recorded in 1881 and an index of 123.35x.

Place Total Index
Westoe 14 123.35x
Bradford 8 49.54x
Batley 5 78.86x
East Thickley 5 1219.51x
Harton 5 632.91x
Newchurch 5 76.57x
Southwick 5 263.16x
Middridge 4 2000.00x
Shildon 4 248.45x
Westgate 3 48.39x
Holy Trinity 2 12.47x
St Luke London 2 18.52x
St Peters 2 188.68x
Godalming 1 48.54x
North Shields 1 50.00x
South Shields 1 56.18x
Sunderland 1 28.25x
Wardleworth 1 21.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Margaret 4
Ellen 3
Jane 3
Ann 2
Catherine 2
Eleoner 2
Elizabeth 2
Sarah 2
Amelia 1
Annabell 1
Annie 1
Dorcas 1
Eleanor 1
Emily 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Louisa 1
Phillis 1
R. 1
Sophia 1
Thomasine 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
George 4
Thomas 3
Richard 2
Walter 2
William 2
Alfred 1
Charles 1
Edward 1
Henry 1
Holberry 1
Joseph 1
Ralph 1
Robert 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 Mensforth households.

FAQ

Mensforth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mensforth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 69 people were recorded with the Mensforth surname. That placed it at #23,816 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mensforth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016. That gives Mensforth a modern rank of #30,317.

What does the Mensforth map show?

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