NameCensus.

UK surname

Orford

A locational surname derived from the places named Orford in Suffolk and Norfolk, England.

In the 1881 census there were 749 people recorded with the Orford surname, ranking it #4,912 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,087, ranked #5,378, down from #4,912 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Roydon and Eccles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Norfolk, Newport and Knowsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Orford is 1,217 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.1%.

1881 census count

749

Ranked #4,912

Modern count

1,087

2016, ranked #5,378

Peak year

2002

1,217 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Orford had 749 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,912 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,087 in 2016, ranked #5,378.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,046 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Orford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Orford surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Orford 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 514 #4,864
1861 historical 457 #5,681
1881 historical 749 #4,912
1891 historical 848 #4,819
1901 historical 1,040 #4,604
1911 historical 1,046 #4,393
1997 modern 1,163 #4,848
1998 modern 1,182 #4,940
1999 modern 1,179 #5,006
2000 modern 1,180 #4,981
2001 modern 1,175 #4,902
2002 modern 1,217 #4,847
2003 modern 1,184 #4,865
2004 modern 1,166 #4,935
2005 modern 1,138 #4,987
2006 modern 1,131 #5,012
2007 modern 1,111 #5,143
2008 modern 1,082 #5,288
2009 modern 1,095 #5,343
2010 modern 1,134 #5,295
2011 modern 1,133 #5,241
2012 modern 1,113 #5,242
2013 modern 1,123 #5,285
2014 modern 1,126 #5,299
2015 modern 1,106 #5,330
2016 modern 1,087 #5,378

Geography

Back to top

Where Orfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Roydon, Eccles, Oldswinford and Farnham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Norfolk, Newport, Knowsley and St. Helens. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Roydon Norfolk
3 Eccles Lancashire
4 Oldswinford Worcestershire
5 Farnham Surrey

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Norfolk 015 South Norfolk
2 South Norfolk 014 South Norfolk
3 Newport 007 Newport
4 Knowsley 007 Knowsley
5 St. Helens 019 St. Helens

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Orford

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Orford

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Orford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Orford household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Orford is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Orford is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Orford falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Orford

The surname Orford has its origins in England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 11th century. The name is likely derived from the Old English words "ord" meaning "point" or "projecting ridge" and "ford" meaning "a shallow place for crossing a river." This suggests that the name originally referred to a location near a ford or crossing point on a river or stream with a projecting ridge or point nearby.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Orford can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Orefort" and "Orford." This connection to the Domesday Book indicates that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

The name Orford is closely associated with the town of Orford in Suffolk, England, which was once a thriving port and shipbuilding center. The town's name is believed to be derived from the same Old English words that gave rise to the surname.

Among the notable historical figures who bore the surname Orford is Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford (1676-1745), who served as the first Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1721 to 1742. He was a prominent Whig politician and is widely regarded as one of the most influential politicians of his time.

Another noteworthy individual with the surname Orford was Sir Robert Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford (1701-1751), who was a British diplomat and politician. He served as the British Ambassador to France and was also a member of Parliament.

In the literary world, Horace Walpole (1717-1797), the son of Sir Robert Walpole, was a renowned author, art historian, and man of letters. He is best known for his Gothic novel "The Castle of Otranto," which is considered one of the first works of the Gothic fiction genre.

The surname Orford has also been associated with the military, with Sir John Orford (1691-1766) serving as a British naval officer and Admiral of the Fleet. He played a significant role in various naval battles during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War.

Finally, another notable individual with the surname Orford was Sir Robert Walpole, 2nd Earl of Orford (1675-1745), who was a British politician and the younger brother of the first Prime Minister, Robert Walpole. He held various political offices, including that of Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Orford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Orford 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. Lancashire leads with 185 Orfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.15x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 185 2.15x
Suffolk 93 10.51x
Middlesex 79 1.09x
Surrey 68 1.92x
Norfolk 56 5.01x
Worcestershire 48 5.06x
Kent 41 1.65x
Essex 35 2.44x
Cheshire 27 1.68x
Staffordshire 18 0.73x
Somerset 13 1.11x
Lincolnshire 12 1.03x
Fife 10 2.32x
Leicestershire 9 1.12x
Yorkshire 9 0.13x
Hampshire 6 0.40x
Northamptonshire 6 0.88x
Shropshire 5 0.80x
Wiltshire 4 0.62x
Caernarfonshire 3 1.02x
Sussex 3 0.24x
Denbighshire 2 0.73x
Derbyshire 2 0.18x
Midlothian 2 0.21x
Warwickshire 2 0.11x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.22x
Cardiganshire 1 0.56x
Gloucestershire 1 0.07x
Hertfordshire 1 0.20x
Lanarkshire 1 0.04x
Royal Navy 1 1.15x
Westmorland 1 0.63x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Upperswinford in Worcestershire leads with 31 Orfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 386.05x.

Place Total Index
Upperswinford 31 386.05x
Newington 26 9.69x
Everton 25 9.10x
Barton Upon Irwell 20 30.81x
Westminster St James 20 26.77x
Eccleston In Prescot 19 43.89x
Somerleyton 19 1275.17x
Farnham 17 61.73x
Prescot 15 96.22x
Roydon In Guiltcross 15 986.84x
Hyde 14 29.57x
Islington London 14 1.99x
Twerton 13 107.79x
Bromley 12 31.75x
West Ham 12 3.79x
Burtonwood 11 348.10x
Warrington 11 10.76x
Kettle 10 193.80x
Stamford St Michael 10 303.03x
Camberwell 9 1.94x
Great Yarmouth 9 9.72x
Maidstone 9 12.19x
Market Bosworth 9 309.28x
Rainhill 9 163.04x
Saxmundham 9 274.39x
Sutton 9 638.30x
Hackney London 8 1.96x
Holy Trinity 8 4.62x
Salford 8 3.15x
Birkenhead 7 5.47x
Boughton 7 1186.44x
Burton Extra 7 49.79x
Chelmsford 7 28.44x
Cookley 7 1320.75x
Great Crosby 7 29.77x
Market Weston 7 958.90x
Rockland All Sts 7 1029.41x
Toxteth Park 7 2.40x
Amblecote 6 85.84x
Bressingham 6 472.44x
Carlton Colville 6 184.62x
Skerton 6 84.75x
West Thurrock 6 125.79x
Bromsgrove 5 15.65x
Crumpsall 5 24.61x
Diss 5 52.19x
Great Bolton 5 4.38x
Greenwich 5 4.32x
Ipswich St Peter 5 41.95x
Knowsley 5 160.77x
Mile End Old Town London 5 3.23x
Penge 5 10.77x
Wavertree 5 18.12x
Yoxford 5 189.39x
Boxley 4 104.99x
Broughton In Salford 4 5.07x
Ealing 4 6.16x
Fisherton Anger 4 33.61x
Greywell 4 526.32x
Hulme 4 2.22x
Kensington London 4 0.99x
Kingswinford 4 4.49x
Lambeth 4 0.63x
Norton 4 215.05x
St Anne Soho London 4 9.64x
Stonham Aspall 4 220.99x
Stourbridge 4 16.38x
Uxbridge 4 48.19x
West Derby 4 1.59x
Willesden 4 5.84x
Wollaston 4 66.45x
Chelsea London 3 1.37x
Hoose 3 99.67x
Kidbrooke 3 214.29x
Litherland 3 16.64x
Liverpool 3 0.57x
Merton 3 48.39x
Sternfield 3 517.24x
Whitchurch 3 24.63x
Brighton 2 0.81x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 45
Sarah 26
Elizabeth 21
Emma 20
Ellen 16
Alice 14
Eliza 14
Jane 14
Emily 12
Ann 11
Hannah 10
Anne 7
Edith 7
Fanny 7
Florence 7
Charlotte 6
Harriet 6
Maria 6
Annie 5
Martha 5
Catherine 4
Eleanor 4
Kate 4
Louisa 4
Matilda 4
Ada 3
Agnes 3
Julia 3
Laura 3
Lucy 3
Margaret 3
Susan 3
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Elizth. 2
Ethel 2
Frances 2
Harriett 2
Helen 2
Lizzie 2
Marian 2
Susannah 2
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Cawtin 1
Ella 1
Emely 1
Harrt.L. 1
Henietta 1
Susie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 53
John 40
Thomas 28
George 23
James 23
Charles 21
Henry 21
Alfred 16
Joseph 14
Richard 11
Edward 10
Robert 9
Samuel 9
Arthur 8
Harry 8
Frederick 6
Herbert 6
Albert 4
David 4
Geo. 4
Walter 4
Edwin 3
Ernest 3
Frank 2
Jas. 2
Seymour 2
Stephen 2
Alexander 1
Chas. 1
Clifford 1
Cornelius 1
Edgar 1
Edmond 1
Elijah 1
Fred 1
Gilbert 1
Herbet 1
Horace 1
Joshua 1
Leonard 1
Matthew 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Ralph 1
Reuben 1
Rodger 1
Ruben 1
Sam 1
Saml. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Orford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Orford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 749 people were recorded with the Orford surname. That placed it at #4,912 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Orford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,087 in 2016. That gives Orford a modern rank of #5,378.

What does the Orford surname mean?

A locational surname derived from the places named Orford in Suffolk and Norfolk, England.

What does the Orford map show?

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