NameCensus.

UK surname

Norcliffe

In the 1881 census there were 282 people recorded with the Norcliffe surname, ranking it #10,148 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 415, ranked #11,550, down from #10,148 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Kirkheaton and Almondbury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Calderdale and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Norcliffe is 486 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 47.2%.

1881 census count

282

Ranked #10,148

Modern count

415

2016, ranked #11,550

Peak year

1999

486 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Norcliffe had 282 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,148 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 415 in 2016, ranked #11,550.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 455 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Norcliffe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Norcliffe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Norcliffe 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 186 #11,024
1861 historical 249 #9,904
1881 historical 282 #10,148
1891 historical 354 #9,741
1901 historical 325 #11,017
1911 historical 455 #8,428
1997 modern 465 #9,817
1998 modern 483 #9,853
1999 modern 486 #9,883
2000 modern 477 #9,989
2001 modern 463 #10,009
2002 modern 459 #10,264
2003 modern 440 #10,475
2004 modern 432 #10,658
2005 modern 439 #10,401
2006 modern 417 #10,886
2007 modern 424 #10,867
2008 modern 419 #11,058
2009 modern 436 #10,965
2010 modern 445 #11,002
2011 modern 443 #10,924
2012 modern 425 #11,157
2013 modern 441 #11,016
2014 modern 432 #11,287
2015 modern 416 #11,561
2016 modern 415 #11,550

Geography

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Where Norcliffes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Kirkheaton, Almondbury, Sheffield and Rotherham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Calderdale and Kirklees. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Kirkheaton Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Almondbury Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Rotherham Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Calderdale 026 Calderdale
2 Calderdale 027 Calderdale
3 Calderdale 025 Calderdale
4 Kirklees 052 Kirklees
5 Calderdale 013 Calderdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Norcliffe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Norcliffe

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Norcliffe is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Norcliffe is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Norcliffe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Norcliffe 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 238 Norcliffes recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.70x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 238 8.70x
Lancashire 24 0.73x
Derbyshire 6 1.39x
Kent 4 0.42x
Nottinghamshire 4 1.08x
Hampshire 2 0.35x
Norfolk 2 0.47x
Surrey 2 0.15x
Worcestershire 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Elland Cum Greetland in Yorkshire leads with 33 Norcliffes recorded in 1881 and an index of 267.86x.

Place Total Index
Elland Cum Greetland 33 267.86x
Dewsbury 25 89.13x
Sowerby In Halifax 19 212.53x
Stainland Cum Old 15 320.51x
Sheffield 14 16.08x
Leeds 10 6.47x
Skircoat 10 92.68x
Soyland 10 304.88x
Brampton Bierlow 9 257.14x
South Crosland 9 312.50x
Huddersfield 8 20.08x
Meltham 8 188.24x
Darfield 7 281.12x
Rastrick 7 92.11x
Bentley Cum Arksey 6 419.58x
Bradbourne 6 4615.38x
Liverpool 6 3.02x
Oldham 6 5.68x
Wortley In Bramley 6 27.70x
Fenwick 5 2631.58x
Lockwood 5 50.81x
Manchester 5 3.39x
Foots Cray 4 222.22x
Honley 4 83.51x
Langton 4 1600.00x
Lepton 4 139.86x
Great Bolton 3 6.91x
Halifax 3 7.47x
Hipperholme Cum 3 24.96x
Kirkheaton 3 67.57x
Warley 3 37.93x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 2.79x
Treswell 2 1176.47x
Batley 1 3.85x
Castleton 1 3.06x
Chorlton Cum Hardy 1 46.08x
Doncaster 1 5.01x
Ferry Fryston 1 93.46x
Harworth 1 192.31x
Hunslet 1 2.34x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 7.85x
Kingston On Thames 1 3.10x
Lambeth 1 0.42x
Laneham 1 344.83x
Mirfield 1 6.66x
Nether Hallam 1 2.70x
Portsea 1 0.90x
Portsmouth 1 7.67x
Skipton 1 11.61x
Worcester St Nicholas 1 58.48x
Wymondham 1 23.04x
York St Michael Le 1 112.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 21
Mary 20
Elizabeth 10
Martha 9
Ann 8
Hannah 7
Annie 5
Lucy 5
Eliza 4
Jane 4
Alice 3
Emily 3
Ada 2
Amy 2
Betty 2
Clara 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Gertrude 2
Harriet 2
Kate 2
Lilly 2
Maria 2
Minnie 2
Susan 2
Amelia 1
Beatrix 1
Binah 1
Cathe. 1
Edith 1
Emly 1
Ester 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Lovina 1
Matilda 1
Nancy 1
Phillis 1
Rosamond 1
Rose 1
Sophia 1
Susannah 1
Susy 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 18
John 15
George 12
Thomas 8
Joseph 7
James 6
Benjamin 5
Charles 4
Samuel 4
Herbert 3
Albert 2
Henry 2
Major 2
Robert 2
Squire 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Alfred 1
Alice 1
Arthur 1
Ben 1
Benjn. 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Ferdinand 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Fredk.Wm. 1
Fridrick 1
Geo. 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Jeramiah 1
Jessie 1
Jns. 1
Job 1
Joe 1
Jonathan 1
Jos. 1
Joshua 1
Lawrence 1
Lees 1
Lewis 1
Noble 1
Rowland 1
Sam 1
Tom 1
Young 1

FAQ

Norcliffe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Norcliffe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 282 people were recorded with the Norcliffe surname. That placed it at #10,148 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Norcliffe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 415 in 2016. That gives Norcliffe a modern rank of #11,550.

What does the Norcliffe map show?

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