NameCensus.

UK surname

Offen

An English surname derived from the Old English word "ofen" meaning oven or furnace.

In the 1881 census there were 310 people recorded with the Offen surname, ranking it #9,488 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 276, ranked #15,673, down from #9,488 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, London parishes and Ashford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Elmbridge, Kingston upon Hull and Ashford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Offen is 424 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 11.0%.

1881 census count

310

Ranked #9,488

Modern count

276

2016, ranked #15,673

Peak year

1911

424 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Offen had 310 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,488 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 276 in 2016, ranked #15,673.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 424 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Offen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Offen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Offen 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 198 #10,483
1861 historical 191 #12,467
1881 historical 310 #9,488
1891 historical 351 #9,809
1901 historical 356 #10,305
1911 historical 424 #8,905
1997 modern 309 #13,268
1998 modern 321 #13,275
1999 modern 327 #13,209
2000 modern 323 #13,268
2001 modern 312 #13,392
2002 modern 317 #13,506
2003 modern 314 #13,419
2004 modern 314 #13,473
2005 modern 298 #13,895
2006 modern 289 #14,234
2007 modern 298 #14,103
2008 modern 290 #14,466
2009 modern 305 #14,257
2010 modern 303 #14,626
2011 modern 308 #14,356
2012 modern 293 #14,742
2013 modern 293 #14,998
2014 modern 287 #15,342
2015 modern 274 #15,749
2016 modern 276 #15,673

Geography

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Where Offens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, London parishes, Ashford, Lambeth and St Lawrence in Thanet. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Elmbridge, Kingston upon Hull, Ashford, Sutton and Thanet. 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 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
2 London parishes London 3
3 Ashford Kent
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St Lawrence in Thanet Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Elmbridge 015 Elmbridge
2 Kingston upon Hull 031 Kingston upon Hull, City of
3 Ashford 011 Ashford
4 Sutton 004 Sutton
5 Thanet 012 Thanet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Offen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Offen

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Offen 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

Offen 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

Offen falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Offen 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 Offen, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Offen

The surname Offen is of German origin, and it first appeared in the 13th century in the region of Bavaria. The name is derived from the Old German word "offen," which means "open" or "exposed." It is believed that the name was originally given to someone who lived in an open or exposed area, such as a clearing in a forest.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Offen can be found in the Bavarian town records from the year 1285, where a person named Hans Offen is listed as a landowner. The name also appears in the Nuremberg Chronicle, a historical manuscript published in 1493, which mentions a knight named Dietrich Offen who fought in the Crusades.

In the 16th century, the Offen family had established themselves as a prominent family in the city of Augsburg, Bavaria. Johann Offen (1498-1572) was a successful merchant and a respected member of the city council. His son, Hans Offen (1520-1588), followed in his footsteps and became a wealthy banker and patron of the arts.

During the 17th century, the Offen family spread to other parts of Germany, and some members of the family settled in the Rhineland region. One notable figure from this period was Georg Offen (1631-1701), a renowned theologian and professor at the University of Heidelberg.

In the 19th century, several members of the Offen family emigrated to the United States and other parts of the world. One of the most famous Offens from this era was the explorer and naturalist Wilhelm Offen (1820-1892), who traveled extensively in South America and made significant contributions to the study of plant and animal life in the Amazon rainforest.

Another notable figure with the surname Offen was the German painter and printmaker Otto Offen (1857-1931), who was part of the Impressionist movement and known for his landscapes and cityscapes. His works can be found in several prestigious art museums around the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Offen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Offen 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. Kent leads with 166 Offens recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.04x.

County Total Index
Kent 166 16.04x
Sussex 57 11.14x
Middlesex 42 1.38x
Surrey 27 1.83x
Yorkshire 7 0.23x
Hampshire 6 0.97x
Argyllshire 5 5.92x
Royal Navy 1 2.77x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ramsgate in Kent leads with 33 Offens recorded in 1881 and an index of 195.38x.

Place Total Index
Ramsgate 33 195.38x
Smarden 27 2288.14x
St Lawrence 16 224.72x
Lambeth 15 5.67x
Brookland 13 2888.89x
Boughton Malherbe 9 1956.52x
Brighton 9 8.72x
Hastings St Mary 9 70.70x
Lenham 9 434.78x
Ashford 8 79.37x
Maidstone 8 25.95x
St Pancras London 8 3.28x
Hackney London 7 4.12x
Hastings St Clement 7 145.53x
Herne 7 152.84x
Marden 7 288.07x
Mile End Old Town 7 14.62x
Willingdon 7 538.46x
Boxley 6 377.36x
Biddenden 5 352.11x
Campbeltown 5 49.07x
Catherington 5 364.96x
Hammersmith London 5 6.69x
Holy Trinity 5 6.92x
Shoreditch London 5 3.80x
Battle 4 115.94x
Camberwell 4 2.06x
Hastings All Sts 4 82.99x
Hastings St Leonards 4 53.19x
Newington 4 3.57x
Peasmarsh 4 459.77x
Pembury 4 272.11x
Penge 4 20.64x
Westminster St John 4 10.83x
Deal 3 33.98x
Islington London 3 1.02x
Ulcombe 3 441.18x
Ashburnham 2 250.00x
Crowhurst 2 454.55x
Egerton 2 222.22x
Headcorn 2 129.03x
Kingstonupon Hull 2 82.99x
Ardingly 1 61.35x
Bexhill 1 39.22x
Brenzett 1 312.50x
Dover St Mary Virgin 1 9.98x
Eastbourne 1 4.25x
Hanwell 1 18.59x
Hastings Holy Trinity 1 26.53x
Icklesham 1 111.11x
New Alresford 1 62.11x
Royal Navy 1 3.24x
Sevenoaks 1 11.92x
St George Hanover 1 2.53x
St Luke London 1 2.06x
Tonbridge 1 2.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 21
William 18
Alfred 11
John 9
Charles 8
Edward 6
Thomas 6
Frederick 5
Henry 5
Frank 4
Richard 4
Albert 3
Edwin 3
James 3
Abraham 2
Ben 2
Ernest 2
Jesse 2
Robert 2
Wilkin 2
A. 1
Anery 1
Charley 1
Cyrus 1
Darius 1
Edmund 1
Eli 1
Essex 1
Fredk.Jas. 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Henley 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Ira 1
Jack 1
Lewis 1
Percy 1
Samuel 1
Stephen 1
Thom 1
Thos.James 1
Walter 1
Wilkins 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Offen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Offen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 310 people were recorded with the Offen surname. That placed it at #9,488 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Offen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 276 in 2016. That gives Offen a modern rank of #15,673.

What does the Offen surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old English word "ofen" meaning oven or furnace.

What does the Offen map show?

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