NameCensus.

UK surname

Parfitt

A variant spelling of the French surname "Parfait", meaning perfect or virtuous.

In the 1881 census there were 2,184 people recorded with the Parfitt surname, ranking it #2,033 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,094, ranked #1,658, up from #2,033 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torfaen, Mendip and Bath and North East Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Parfitt is 4,358 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 87.5%.

1881 census count

2,184

Ranked #2,033

Modern count

4,094

2016, ranked #1,658

Peak year

2002

4,358 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Parfitt had 2,184 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,033 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,094 in 2016, ranked #1,658.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,736 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Parfitt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Parfitt surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Parfitt 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 1,201 #2,372
1861 historical 1,112 #2,522
1881 historical 2,184 #2,033
1891 historical 2,557 #1,859
1901 historical 3,250 #1,716
1911 historical 3,736 #1,390
1997 modern 4,277 #1,522
1998 modern 4,356 #1,546
1999 modern 4,353 #1,556
2000 modern 4,299 #1,562
2001 modern 4,253 #1,549
2002 modern 4,358 #1,544
2003 modern 4,250 #1,551
2004 modern 4,226 #1,562
2005 modern 4,145 #1,577
2006 modern 4,069 #1,598
2007 modern 4,092 #1,604
2008 modern 4,096 #1,613
2009 modern 4,193 #1,617
2010 modern 4,316 #1,610
2011 modern 4,223 #1,616
2012 modern 4,101 #1,636
2013 modern 4,185 #1,638
2014 modern 4,191 #1,643
2015 modern 4,144 #1,649
2016 modern 4,094 #1,658

Geography

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Where Parfitts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Radstock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torfaen, Mendip, Bath and North East Somerset and Caerphilly. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 Radstock Somerset
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torfaen 002 Torfaen
2 Mendip 002 Mendip
3 Bath and North East Somerset 026 Bath and North East Somerset
4 Torfaen 003 Torfaen
5 Caerphilly 006 Caerphilly

Forenames

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First names often paired with Parfitt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Parfitt

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Parfitt is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Parfitt 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

Parfitt falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Parfitt

The surname Parfitt is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old French words "par" meaning "by" and "fit" meaning "made" or "done", referring to someone who lived near a man-made landmark or boundary.

The name is first recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1196, where one William Parfitt is mentioned. It is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it appears as "Perfet". The variant spelling "Parfitt" became more common during the 16th and 17th centuries.

The earliest known bearer of the name was Sir John Parfitt, a knight who fought in the Battle of Crecy in 1346 during the Hundred Years' War. Another notable figure was William Parfitt (c. 1500 - 1571), a wealthy merchant from Bristol who funded the construction of several churches and almshouses in the city.

In the 17th century, the name was associated with the village of Parfitt in Wiltshire, which may have been named after an early settler with the same surname. One of the earliest records from this area is that of Thomas Parfitt (1622 - 1692), a yeoman farmer who owned a large estate in the village.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Parfitt became more widespread across southern England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Devon, and Dorset. Notable bearers from this period include John Parfitt (1775 - 1849), a renowned landscape painter from Bath, and Reverend William Parfitt (1836 - 1910), a Church of England clergyman and author who served as the Vicar of Redhill in Surrey.

Other individuals of note with the surname Parfitt include Ethel Parfitt (1872 - 1950), a British stage actress who appeared in numerous West End productions, and Sir Clarence Parfitt (1891 - 1971), a British diplomat who served as the Ambassador to Brazil and Spain during the mid-20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Parfitt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Parfitt 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. Somerset leads with 600 Parfitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.47x.

County Total Index
Somerset 600 17.47x
Surrey 264 2.54x
Middlesex 224 1.05x
Monmouthshire 197 12.77x
Gloucestershire 125 2.99x
Glamorgan 119 3.20x
Hampshire 118 2.70x
Wiltshire 115 6.10x
Yorkshire 99 0.47x
Norfolk 70 2.13x
Devon 32 0.72x
Kent 31 0.43x
Berkshire 24 1.50x
Lancashire 22 0.09x
Staffordshire 21 0.29x
Warwickshire 16 0.30x
Suffolk 15 0.58x
Durham 14 0.22x
Denbighshire 10 1.24x
Dorset 10 0.71x
Essex 6 0.14x
Hertfordshire 6 0.41x
Brecknockshire 5 1.17x
Cheshire 5 0.11x
Lanarkshire 5 0.07x
Royal Navy 5 1.97x
Sussex 5 0.14x
Huntingdonshire 4 0.94x
Lincolnshire 4 0.12x
Oxfordshire 4 0.30x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.22x
Worcestershire 2 0.07x
Ayrshire 1 0.06x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.08x
Cornwall 1 0.04x
Leicestershire 1 0.04x
Midlothian 1 0.04x
Northamptonshire 1 0.05x
Northumberland 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Radstock in Somerset leads with 90 Parfitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 398.58x.

Place Total Index
Radstock 90 398.58x
Camerton 59 590.00x
Trevethin 59 40.51x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 46 11.68x
Farmborough 45 728.16x
Frome 43 52.36x
Aberystruth 41 30.16x
Stoke Lane 39 794.30x
Islington London 38 1.84x
Leeds 34 2.85x
Roath 34 20.15x
Croydon 31 5.37x
Midsomer Norton 28 86.55x
Bedminster 27 8.37x
Kensington London 27 2.28x
Binsted 25 149.97x
Bristol St George 23 11.89x
Bedwellty 22 8.08x
Egham 22 34.47x
Camberwell 21 1.54x
Bath St James 20 55.83x
St Pancras London 20 1.16x
Battersea 19 2.42x
Lambeth 19 1.02x
Newington 19 2.41x
Clutton 18 241.29x
Llanhilleth 18 177.51x
Mere 18 83.99x
Bristol St Paul In 17 15.25x
Dunkerton 17 228.49x
Reigate Foreign 17 15.10x
Willesden 17 8.45x
Bermondsey 16 2.52x
Portsea 16 1.87x
Llandaff 15 12.14x
Walcot 15 8.20x
Westbury On Trym 15 10.58x
Ystradyfodwg 15 4.60x
Birmingham 14 0.78x
Fulham London 14 4.52x
Llanwonno 14 10.49x
Reading St Giles 13 8.27x
Trowbridge 13 15.59x
Upper Llanvrechva 13 54.26x
West Herrington 13 58.45x
Beckington 12 177.25x
Kilmersdon 12 70.75x
Kingswood 12 424.03x
Priston 12 638.30x
Twerton 12 33.89x
Ecclesall Bierlow 11 2.56x
Gatton 11 658.68x
Wolstanton 11 5.03x
Christchurch 10 20.96x
Headingley Cum Burley 10 7.35x
Heigham 10 5.68x
Kingsley 10 299.40x
Lakenham 10 21.45x
Melksham 10 30.53x
Shottesham All Sts 10 359.71x
Wrexham Regis 10 16.71x
Writhlington 10 334.45x
Cardiff St John 9 7.42x
Clifton 9 4.25x
Kingston On Thames 9 3.60x
Plymouth St Andrew 9 2.63x
Rockland St Mary 9 277.78x
Shepton Mallet 9 23.36x
Stratton St Margaret 9 31.10x
Timsbury 9 86.46x
Wells St Cuthbert 9 38.41x
Batcombe 8 176.60x
Clapham 8 3.00x
East Stonehouse 8 9.14x
Llantrisant 8 8.54x
Milton In Gravesend 8 7.33x
Mynyddyslwyn 8 13.15x
Paddington London 8 1.02x
Shoreditch London 8 0.87x
Westminster St James 8 3.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 117
Elizabeth 86
Sarah 66
Ann 52
Eliza 48
Emily 41
Alice 38
Emma 37
Jane 33
Ellen 26
Annie 22
Martha 21
Hannah 20
Louisa 19
Charlotte 17
Harriet 16
Maria 15
Ada 14
Caroline 13
Edith 13
Fanny 13
Florence 13
Margaret 13
Clara 12
Anne 11
Kate 11
Catherine 10
Lydia 10
Agnes 9
Susan 9
Matilda 8
Amelia 6
Anna 6
Harriett 6
Lucy 6
Rhoda 6
Rosa 6
Isabella 5
Lilian 5
Rebecca 5
Selina 5
Amy 4
Bertha 4
Elizth. 4
Frances 4
Lily 4
Mabel 4
Mercy 4
Rose 4
Lilly 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 120
George 109
John 85
James 79
Thomas 70
Henry 64
Charles 50
Joseph 30
Alfred 27
Edward 25
Albert 23
Frederick 21
Walter 19
Robert 18
Frank 17
Samuel 17
Arthur 15
Harry 14
Edwin 13
Mark 12
David 10
Isaac 8
Benjamin 7
Oliver 7
Richard 7
Elijah 6
Herbert 6
Peter 6
Wm. 6
Daniel 5
Edmund 5
Fred 5
Sidney 5
Aaron 4
Ernest 4
Farnham 4
Fredk. 4
Cornelius 3
Fredrick 3
Gilbert 3
Job 3
Joshua 3
Richd. 3
Silas 3
Stephen 3
Thos. 3
Tom 3
Willm. 3
Abel 2
Luther 2

FAQ

Parfitt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Parfitt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,184 people were recorded with the Parfitt surname. That placed it at #2,033 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Parfitt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,094 in 2016. That gives Parfitt a modern rank of #1,658.

What does the Parfitt surname mean?

A variant spelling of the French surname "Parfait", meaning perfect or virtuous.

What does the Parfitt map show?

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