NameCensus.

UK surname

Pfeiffer

An occupational surname referring to a pipe or whistle player, derived from the German word "Pfeifer."

In the 1881 census there were 77 people recorded with the Pfeiffer surname, ranking it #22,617 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 234, ranked #17,572, up from #22,617 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Berkshire, Portsmouth and Powys.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pfeiffer is 236 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 203.9%.

1881 census count

77

Ranked #22,617

Modern count

234

2016, ranked #17,572

Peak year

2014

236 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pfeiffer had 77 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,617 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 234 in 2016, ranked #17,572.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 110 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Pfeiffer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pfeiffer surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pfeiffer 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 4 #32,658
1861 historical 9 #32,724
1881 historical 77 #22,617
1891 historical 68 #28,300
1901 historical 86 #24,508
1911 historical 110 #21,519
1997 modern 147 #21,393
1998 modern 149 #21,755
1999 modern 160 #20,943
2000 modern 172 #19,974
2001 modern 162 #20,460
2002 modern 174 #19,971
2003 modern 174 #19,760
2004 modern 176 #19,731
2005 modern 179 #19,467
2006 modern 184 #19,254
2007 modern 196 #18,737
2008 modern 199 #18,699
2009 modern 209 #18,493
2010 modern 221 #18,205
2011 modern 209 #18,730
2012 modern 230 #17,479
2013 modern 233 #17,606
2014 modern 236 #17,577
2015 modern 228 #17,899
2016 modern 234 #17,572

Geography

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Where Pfeiffers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch, St Pancras and St John Hampstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Berkshire, Portsmouth, Powys, City of London and Plymouth. 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 1
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 St John Hampstead London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Berkshire 007 West Berkshire
2 Portsmouth 001 Portsmouth
3 Powys 015 Powys
4 City of London 001 City of London
5 Plymouth 025 Plymouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pfeiffer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pfeiffer

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Pfeiffer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Pfeiffer 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Pfeiffer is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pfeiffer 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

Pfeiffer 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 Pfeiffer 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Pfeiffer

The surname Pfeiffer originated in Germany and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Pfeifer," which means "piper" or "flute player." This suggests that the name was initially given as an occupational surname to musicians or entertainers who played the pipe or flute.

In the 13th century, the name Pfeiffer appeared in various German town records and documents. For instance, a man named Heinrich Pfeiffer was mentioned in the records of the city of Erfurt in 1283. Another early record from 1321 refers to a Konrad Pfeiffer in Nuremberg.

The Pfeiffer name can also be found in some of the oldest German manuscripts and chronicles. One notable example is the mention of a Pfeiffer family in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of documents from the medieval Duchy of Saxony, dated around the 14th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, several individuals with the surname Pfeiffer gained recognition in various fields. One of the earliest was Johann Pfeiffer (1493-1520), a German theologian and reformer who supported Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation. Another notable figure was Augustin Pfeiffer (1640-1698), a German jurist and writer who authored several legal treatises.

In the 18th century, Johann Philipp Pfeiffer (1715-1788) was a German engraver and etcher known for his intricate landscape prints. Around the same time, Johann Gottlieb Pfeiffer (1726-1789) was a German botanist who made significant contributions to the study of tropical plants.

One of the most famous bearers of the Pfeiffer name was Ida Pfeiffer (1797-1858), an Austrian traveler and writer who became one of the first female explorers to circumnavigate the globe. Her published accounts of her journeys to various parts of the world, including the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, were widely read and celebrated during her lifetime.

As the name Pfeiffer spread across German-speaking regions, it also developed various regional spellings and variations, such as Pfeifer, Pfeyfer, and Pfeyffer. Some of these variations can be found in historical records from different parts of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pfeiffer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pfeiffer 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. Middlesex leads with 29 Pfeiffers recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.86x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 29 3.86x
Yorkshire 17 2.28x
Surrey 9 2.46x
Hertfordshire 5 9.66x
Warwickshire 5 2.64x
Kent 3 1.17x
Durham 2 0.90x
Gloucestershire 2 1.36x
Sussex 2 1.58x
Hampshire 1 0.65x
Lancashire 1 0.11x
Wigtownshire 1 10.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 8 Pfeiffers recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.40x.

Place Total Index
Bradford 8 44.40x
Bermondsey 7 31.31x
St Pancras London 7 11.58x
Tottenham 6 50.17x
Birmingham 5 7.92x
East Barnet 5 485.44x
Bromley London 4 24.21x
Hackney London 3 7.12x
Keighley 3 37.83x
Clerkenwell London 2 11.28x
Greenwich 2 16.72x
Holy Trinity 2 11.17x
Horfield 2 135.14x
Sculcoates 2 16.95x
St George Bloomsbury 2 46.40x
Sunderland 2 50.63x
Ealing 1 14.90x
Fulham London 1 9.18x
Gillingham 1 18.94x
Hampstead London 1 8.55x
Hastings St Clement 1 84.03x
Horton In Bradford 1 8.61x
Hove 1 17.99x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 166.67x
Lambeth 1 1.53x
Portsea 1 3.31x
St George Hanover 1 10.20x
St Gilesin Fields 1 227.27x
Streatham 1 17.95x
Wigtown 1 175.44x
Withington 1 34.84x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Eliza 2
Margaret 2
Mary 2
Minnie 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Anna 1
Barbara 1
Bessie 1
Christina 1
Cristina 1
Dora 1
Dorrette 1
Emily 1
Henriette 1
Infant 1
Katherine 1
Laura 1
Luisa 1
Luise 1
Marie 1
Murian 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Rosina 1
Susanna 1
Susannah 1
Wilhelmina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 6
George 4
Philip 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Auguste 1
Bernard 1
Carb. 1
Chas. 1
Como 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Franz 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Gustaf 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Johann 1
Mar 1
Martin 1
Otto 1
Reinhold 1
Robert 1
William 1

FAQ

Pfeiffer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pfeiffer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 77 people were recorded with the Pfeiffer surname. That placed it at #22,617 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pfeiffer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 234 in 2016. That gives Pfeiffer a modern rank of #17,572.

What does the Pfeiffer surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a pipe or whistle player, derived from the German word "Pfeifer."

What does the Pfeiffer map show?

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