NameCensus.

UK surname

Playforth

In the 1881 census there were 53 people recorded with the Playforth surname, ranking it #26,134 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 133, ranked #25,765, up from #26,134 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, Rotherham and Redcar and Cleveland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Playforth is 140 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 150.9%.

1881 census count

53

Ranked #26,134

Modern count

133

2016, ranked #25,765

Peak year

1998

140 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Playforth had 53 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,134 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 133 in 2016, ranked #25,765.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 89 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Playforth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Playforth surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Playforth 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 18 #30,094
1861 historical 27 #30,543
1881 historical 53 #26,134
1891 historical 67 #28,424
1901 historical 87 #24,386
1911 historical 89 #23,922
1997 modern 136 #22,398
1998 modern 140 #22,615
1999 modern 136 #23,186
2000 modern 140 #22,752
2001 modern 139 #22,541
2002 modern 137 #23,198
2003 modern 124 #24,378
2004 modern 129 #24,019
2005 modern 137 #23,110
2006 modern 135 #23,486
2007 modern 130 #24,389
2008 modern 133 #24,350
2009 modern 137 #24,371
2010 modern 132 #25,519
2011 modern 132 #25,303
2012 modern 123 #26,561
2013 modern 129 #26,211
2014 modern 131 #26,089
2015 modern 132 #25,859
2016 modern 133 #25,765

Geography

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Where Playforths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, Rotherham, Redcar and Cleveland and Scarborough. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 015 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 Rotherham 020 Rotherham
3 Redcar and Cleveland 010 Redcar and Cleveland
4 Scarborough 014 Scarborough
5 Redcar and Cleveland 002 Redcar and Cleveland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Playforth

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Playforth

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Playforth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Playforth household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Playforth is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Playforth 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

Playforth falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Playforth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Playforth 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. Yorkshire leads with 45 Playforths recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.79x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 45 8.79x
Warwickshire 3 2.30x
Lincolnshire 2 2.42x
Middlesex 2 0.39x
Cumberland 1 2.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Market Weighton Arras in Yorkshire leads with 15 Playforths recorded in 1881 and an index of 4545.45x.

Place Total Index
Market Weighton Arras 15 4545.45x
East Ardsley 9 2045.45x
Londesborough Cum 7 11666.67x
Kirkleatham 6 869.57x
New Village 3 2000.00x
Aston 2 5.57x
Great Grimsby 2 38.17x
Hackney London 2 6.90x
Burnby 1 5000.00x
Conisbrough 1 208.33x
Holy Trinity 1 8.12x
Leamington Priors 1 31.15x
South Cliff 1 5000.00x
South Dalton 1 2000.00x
Sowerby Castle 1 2500.00x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 5
William 5
Thomas 4
Joseph 3
Harry 2
John 2
Henery 1
Henry 1
James 1
Richard 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Playforth households.

FAQ

Playforth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Playforth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 53 people were recorded with the Playforth surname. That placed it at #26,134 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Playforth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 133 in 2016. That gives Playforth a modern rank of #25,765.

What does the Playforth map show?

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