NameCensus.

UK surname

Mirfield

In the 1881 census there were 186 people recorded with the Mirfield surname, ranking it #13,448 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 116, ranked #28,197, down from #13,448 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Calverley, Birstall and Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pendle, Bradford and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mirfield is 229 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 37.6%.

1881 census count

186

Ranked #13,448

Modern count

116

2016, ranked #28,197

Peak year

1911

229 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mirfield had 186 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,448 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 116 in 2016, ranked #28,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 229 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Mirfield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mirfield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mirfield 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 122 #14,966
1861 historical 113 #19,151
1881 historical 186 #13,448
1891 historical 180 #16,143
1901 historical 183 #15,996
1911 historical 229 #13,712
1997 modern 128 #23,238
1998 modern 138 #22,814
1999 modern 135 #23,279
2000 modern 132 #23,562
2001 modern 135 #22,945
2002 modern 138 #23,094
2003 modern 122 #24,628
2004 modern 124 #24,559
2005 modern 122 #24,817
2006 modern 115 #25,969
2007 modern 120 #25,606
2008 modern 123 #25,505
2009 modern 131 #25,056
2010 modern 134 #25,263
2011 modern 131 #25,430
2012 modern 127 #25,992
2013 modern 129 #26,211
2014 modern 133 #25,851
2015 modern 125 #26,808
2016 modern 116 #28,197

Geography

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Where Mirfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Calverley, Birstall, Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall, Bradford and Guiseley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pendle, Bradford and Leeds. 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 Calverley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Guiseley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pendle 002 Pendle
2 Bradford 023 Bradford
3 Bradford 060 Bradford
4 Leeds 028 Leeds
5 Leeds 046 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mirfield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mirfield

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mirfield, 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 Mirfield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Mirfield 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Mirfield is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mirfield 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

Mirfield 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 Mirfield is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Mirfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mirfield 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 143 Mirfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.91x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 143 7.91x
Middlesex 17 0.93x
Lancashire 12 0.55x
Cheshire 11 2.73x
Surrey 2 0.23x
Dorset 1 0.84x
Hertfordshire 1 0.80x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Horsforth in Yorkshire leads with 24 Mirfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 606.06x.

Place Total Index
Horsforth 24 606.06x
Tong 19 544.41x
Manningham 16 71.85x
Leeds 15 14.70x
Bramley In Bramley 14 202.31x
Hunsworth 10 1052.63x
Newton In Ashton Under 9 226.70x
North Bierley 8 81.97x
Spotland 6 24.94x
Wortley In Bramley 6 41.90x
Dewsbury 5 26.97x
Horton In Bradford 5 17.71x
Shoreditch London 5 6.32x
St Pancras London 5 3.41x
West Derby 5 7.90x
Clerkenwell London 4 9.29x
Bradford 3 6.86x
Coneythorpe 3 6000.00x
Bowling 2 11.17x
Gildersome 2 92.17x
Hartshead 2 246.91x
Headingley Cum Burley 2 17.18x
Paddington London 2 2.98x
Scarborough 2 12.18x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 5.45x
Armley 1 12.55x
Barnsley 1 5.36x
Calverley Cum Farsley 1 19.49x
Claughton With Grange 1 54.64x
Gorton 1 4.91x
Hemel Hempstead 1 17.64x
Higher Bebington 1 38.76x
Islington London 1 0.57x
Portland 1 15.53x
Pudsey 1 10.35x
Wales 1 69.93x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 14
William 10
Thomas 6
Henry 5
Samuel 5
Arthur 4
Matthew 4
Richard 4
Albert 3
George 3
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
James 2
Joseph 2
Ralph 2
Robert 2
Sam 2
Willie 2
Abraham 1
Daniel 1
Earnest 1
Edwd. 1
Emanuel 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Friend 1
Geo.Ed. 1
Israel 1
Levi 1
Mary 1
Orlanda 1
Percy 1
Rodger 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wm 1

FAQ

Mirfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mirfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 186 people were recorded with the Mirfield surname. That placed it at #13,448 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mirfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 116 in 2016. That gives Mirfield a modern rank of #28,197.

What does the Mirfield map show?

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