NameCensus.

UK surname

Passfield

In the 1881 census there were 181 people recorded with the Passfield surname, ranking it #13,690 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 404, ranked #11,793, up from #13,690 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Barking, Weathersfield and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chelmsford, Bute and Brentwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Passfield is 426 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 123.2%.

1881 census count

181

Ranked #13,690

Modern count

404

2016, ranked #11,793

Peak year

1998

426 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Passfield had 181 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,690 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 404 in 2016, ranked #11,793.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 369 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Passfield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Passfield surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Passfield 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 91 #18,187
1861 historical 83 #23,189
1881 historical 181 #13,690
1891 historical 304 #11,005
1901 historical 369 #10,040
1911 historical 362 #10,020
1997 modern 416 #10,696
1998 modern 426 #10,843
1999 modern 420 #11,035
2000 modern 420 #10,998
2001 modern 402 #11,183
2002 modern 423 #10,975
2003 modern 403 #11,210
2004 modern 382 #11,672
2005 modern 375 #11,752
2006 modern 384 #11,579
2007 modern 382 #11,775
2008 modern 383 #11,876
2009 modern 395 #11,838
2010 modern 407 #11,824
2011 modern 401 #11,843
2012 modern 416 #11,372
2013 modern 412 #11,647
2014 modern 416 #11,660
2015 modern 407 #11,760
2016 modern 404 #11,793

Geography

Back to top

Where Passfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Barking, Weathersfield, London parishes, Lambeth and All Saints Poplar. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chelmsford, Bute and Brentwood. 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 Barking Essex
2 Weathersfield Essex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 All Saints Poplar London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chelmsford 014 Chelmsford
2 Chelmsford 013 Chelmsford
3 Chelmsford 017 Chelmsford
4 Bute Argyll and Bute
5 Brentwood 002 Brentwood

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Passfield

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Passfield

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Passfield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Passfield household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Passfield 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

Passfield 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

Passfield 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 Passfield is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Passfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Passfield 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. Essex leads with 86 Passfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.68x.

County Total Index
Essex 86 24.68x
Middlesex 37 2.10x
Surrey 33 3.84x
Hampshire 7 1.93x
Kent 4 0.66x
Lancashire 4 0.19x
Yorkshire 4 0.23x
Sussex 3 1.01x
Staffordshire 2 0.34x
Durham 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wethersfield in Essex leads with 23 Passfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 2613.64x.

Place Total Index
Wethersfield 23 2613.64x
Lambeth 14 9.10x
Barking 13 127.45x
West Ham 12 15.60x
Poplar London 11 33.01x
Margaretting 9 2812.50x
Wimbledon 9 93.17x
Broomfield 7 1272.73x
St Luke London 7 24.72x
Bromley London 6 15.45x
Camberwell 6 5.32x
Mountnessing 6 1132.08x
Southampton All Sts 6 96.62x
Kirkdale 4 11.35x
Childerditch 3 2307.69x
Fryerning 3 697.67x
Hastings St Mary 3 40.49x
Plumstead 3 14.94x
Thirsk 3 148.51x
Boreham 2 333.33x
Enfield 2 17.27x
Great Bardfield 2 350.88x
Kensington London 2 2.04x
Ratcliffe London 2 20.51x
Sedgley 2 9.04x
Waltham Holy Cross 2 61.35x
Bow London 1 4.45x
Brandon Byshottles 1 15.20x
Caterham 1 26.32x
Felstead 1 84.03x
Gillingham 1 8.05x
Hackney London 1 1.01x
Halstead 1 24.57x
Ingatestone 1 178.57x
Islington London 1 0.58x
Mile End Old Town 1 3.59x
Newington 1 1.53x
Raskelf 1 344.83x
Reigate Borough 1 50.51x
Southampton St Mary 1 4.40x
St George Hanover 1 4.34x
Stoke Newington London 1 7.27x
Tottenham 1 3.56x
West Moulsey 1 250.00x
Writtle 1 70.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 14
Mary 10
Elizabeth 9
Emma 6
Eliza 5
Annie 3
Martha 3
Alice 2
Elizebeth 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Louisa 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Alfred 1
Amy 1
Ann 1
Anna 1
Bertha 1
Charlote 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Drusilla 1
Edith 1
Emely 1
Fanny 1
Georgina 1
Hannah 1
Jane 1
Jemima 1
Katharine 1
Learena 1
Lizzie 1
Lydia 1
M. 1
Margaret 1
Minnie 1
Miriam 1
Rachel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 13
James 12
John 9
George 8
Alfred 6
Henry 6
Joseph 4
Robert 4
Walter 4
Frederick 3
Thomas 3
Wm. 3
Arthur 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Elija 1
Ernest 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Hezekiah 1
Phillip 1
Samuel 1
Stephen 1
W.J. 1

FAQ

Passfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Passfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 181 people were recorded with the Passfield surname. That placed it at #13,690 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Passfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 404 in 2016. That gives Passfield a modern rank of #11,793.

What does the Passfield map show?

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