NameCensus.

UK surname

Pettifor

In the 1881 census there were 137 people recorded with the Pettifor surname, ranking it #16,358 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 309, ranked #14,442, up from #16,358 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Corley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Erewash, Swansea and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pettifor is 332 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 125.5%.

1881 census count

137

Ranked #16,358

Modern count

309

2016, ranked #14,442

Peak year

1999

332 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pettifor had 137 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,358 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 309 in 2016, ranked #14,442.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 233 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pettifor surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pettifor surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pettifor 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 119 #15,247
1861 historical 85 #22,922
1881 historical 137 #16,358
1891 historical 181 #16,065
1901 historical 204 #14,925
1911 historical 233 #13,560
1997 modern 303 #13,433
1998 modern 329 #13,070
1999 modern 332 #13,075
2000 modern 329 #13,090
2001 modern 314 #13,318
2002 modern 317 #13,506
2003 modern 304 #13,685
2004 modern 298 #13,937
2005 modern 288 #14,189
2006 modern 279 #14,577
2007 modern 290 #14,372
2008 modern 293 #14,364
2009 modern 315 #13,960
2010 modern 320 #14,088
2011 modern 315 #14,131
2012 modern 304 #14,388
2013 modern 308 #14,482
2014 modern 317 #14,269
2015 modern 308 #14,463
2016 modern 309 #14,442

Geography

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Where Pettifors are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Corley, Nottingham St Mary and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Erewash, Swansea, Scarborough, Croydon and Southwark. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Corley Warwickshire
4 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Erewash 011 Erewash
2 Swansea 030 Swansea
3 Scarborough 004 Scarborough
4 Croydon 043 Croydon
5 Southwark 014 Southwark

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pettifor

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pettifor

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pettifor, 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 Pettifor surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Pettifor 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Pettifor 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

Pettifor is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Pettifor families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pettifor 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. Warwickshire leads with 40 Pettifors recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.78x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 40 11.78x
Leicestershire 36 24.12x
Nottinghamshire 16 8.82x
Surrey 12 1.83x
Middlesex 10 0.74x
Durham 6 1.50x
Staffordshire 5 1.10x
Worcestershire 5 2.84x
Northamptonshire 4 3.16x
Essex 2 0.75x
Glamorgan 1 0.43x
Yorkshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 14 Pettifors recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.46x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 14 38.46x
Nottingham St Mary 13 27.70x
Coventry Holy Trinity 9 88.76x
Langley 9 12857.14x
Coventry St Michael 8 73.33x
Leicester All Sts 8 273.04x
Chelsea London 7 17.25x
Melton Mowbray 7 261.19x
Lamesley 6 277.78x
Morton Baggot 6 15000.00x
Kings Norton 5 31.73x
Newington 5 10.05x
Bilston 4 45.40x
Battersea 3 6.06x
Egham 3 74.44x
Kenilworth 3 157.07x
Oundle 3 211.27x
Snenton 3 42.08x
Aston 2 2.14x
Islington London 2 1.53x
Walthamstow 2 20.92x
Wymondham 2 666.67x
Belgrave 1 29.67x
Birmingham 1 0.88x
Cold Newton 1 1111.11x
Foleshill 1 28.01x
Lambeth 1 0.85x
Leicester St Mary 1 8.29x
Ratcliffe London 1 13.46x
Scalford 1 312.50x
Stoke 1 149.25x
Swansea Town 1 5.20x
Swinton In Rotherham 1 28.33x
Syston 1 71.43x
Tamworth 1 41.15x
Wellingborough 1 15.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Eliza 8
Sarah 7
Hannah 5
Mary 5
ELIZABETH 4
Fanny 3
Maria 3
Susan 3
Alice 2
Amelia 2
Ann 2
Annie 2
Ellen 2
Jane 2
Ada 1
Adelaide 1
Anna 1
Caroline 1
Carrie 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1
Rosa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
William 10
Thomas 7
George 5
Charles 3
Joseph 3
Robert 3
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Henry 2
Mark 2
Abner 1
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Daniel 1
Earnest 1
Fredrick 1
Fredrk.T. 1
Harrold 1
Harry 1
Henery 1
Jeremiah 1
Marton 1
Matthew 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Saml. 1
Samuel 1
Thom. 1
Thos.W. 1

FAQ

Pettifor surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pettifor surname in 1881?

In 1881, 137 people were recorded with the Pettifor surname. That placed it at #16,358 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pettifor surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 309 in 2016. That gives Pettifor a modern rank of #14,442.

What does the Pettifor map show?

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