NameCensus.

UK surname

Pomfret

An English placename referring to someone from the town of Pontefract.

In the 1881 census there were 1,030 people recorded with the Pomfret surname, ranking it #3,815 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,017, ranked #5,729, down from #3,815 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Preston and Leigh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton, Huntingdonshire and Blackburn with Darwen.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pomfret is 1,403 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.3%.

1881 census count

1,030

Ranked #3,815

Modern count

1,017

2016, ranked #5,729

Peak year

1911

1,403 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pomfret had 1,030 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,815 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,017 in 2016, ranked #5,729.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,403 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Pomfret surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pomfret surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pomfret 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 565 #4,492
1861 historical 507 #5,159
1881 historical 1,030 #3,815
1891 historical 1,082 #3,898
1901 historical 1,366 #3,675
1911 historical 1,403 #3,444
1997 modern 1,081 #5,152
1998 modern 1,136 #5,109
1999 modern 1,146 #5,126
2000 modern 1,133 #5,146
2001 modern 1,134 #5,049
2002 modern 1,137 #5,139
2003 modern 1,092 #5,210
2004 modern 1,071 #5,300
2005 modern 1,030 #5,415
2006 modern 1,018 #5,473
2007 modern 1,019 #5,527
2008 modern 1,016 #5,578
2009 modern 1,061 #5,497
2010 modern 1,096 #5,456
2011 modern 1,068 #5,509
2012 modern 1,029 #5,601
2013 modern 1,046 #5,629
2014 modern 1,026 #5,737
2015 modern 1,012 #5,757
2016 modern 1,017 #5,729

Geography

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Where Pomfrets are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Preston, Leigh, Blackburn and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton, Huntingdonshire and Blackburn with Darwen. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 Preston Lancashire
3 Leigh Lancashire
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 028 Bolton
2 Huntingdonshire 007 Huntingdonshire
3 Huntingdonshire 006 Huntingdonshire
4 Bolton 034 Bolton
5 Blackburn with Darwen 017 Blackburn with Darwen

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pomfret

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pomfret

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Pomfret surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Pomfret household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Pomfret is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Pomfret is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Pomfret

The surname Pomfret is of English origin, deriving from the place name Pontefract, a town in West Yorkshire, England. The name is believed to have originated in the 11th century, following the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

The place name Pontefract, from which Pomfret is derived, is itself a Norman-French name, composed of the elements "pont" meaning bridge, and "fract" meaning broken or fractured. This is thought to refer to a broken or damaged bridge that once existed in the area.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the surname Pomfret can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Robert de Pontefracto. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Richard de Pomfret was mentioned in the Yorkshire Assize Rolls of 1246. He was involved in a legal dispute over land ownership in the region.

During the 14th century, a prominent clergyman named John Pomfret rose to become the Archdeacon of Richmond, a position he held from 1372 until his death in 1401.

In the 15th century, a member of the gentry named Sir Thomas Pomfret was knighted for his service to King Henry VI during the Wars of the Roses. He lived from around 1425 to 1491.

Moving into the 16th century, a notable figure was John Pomfret, a poet and clergyman who lived from 1667 to 1703. He is best known for his religious poetry and his work as a chaplain to King William III.

Throughout history, the Pomfret surname has been associated with various locations, including the town of Pontefract itself, as well as other areas of Yorkshire and the surrounding regions. The name has also undergone various spelling variations, such as Pomfrett, Pomfrett, and Pounfret.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pomfret families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pomfret 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. Lancashire leads with 802 Pomfrets recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.73x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 802 6.73x
Hertfordshire 45 6.50x
Sussex 33 1.95x
Middlesex 29 0.29x
Essex 24 1.21x
Kent 24 0.70x
Surrey 17 0.35x
Durham 14 0.47x
Berkshire 11 1.46x
Cheshire 6 0.27x
Huntingdonshire 5 2.51x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.63x
Staffordshire 4 0.12x
Warwickshire 4 0.16x
Wiltshire 3 0.34x
Yorkshire 3 0.03x
Hampshire 1 0.05x
Worcestershire 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. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 206 Pomfrets recorded in 1881 and an index of 64.94x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 206 64.94x
Lower Darwen 88 562.30x
Preston 64 20.06x
Atherton 44 101.38x
Habergham Eaves 30 27.53x
Cheshunt 27 111.52x
Manchester 19 3.54x
Livesey 18 86.04x
Wadhurst 17 152.88x
Over Darwen 16 16.80x
Breightmet 15 286.26x
Heap 13 20.56x
Tottington Lower End 12 21.18x
Warrington 12 8.49x
Bedford 10 40.10x
Hackney London 9 1.60x
Ince In Makerfield 9 16.22x
Newchurch 9 9.23x
Newton In Makerfield 9 24.65x
Pendleton In Salford 9 6.34x
Tockholes 9 529.41x
Widnes 9 10.47x
Bengeo 8 99.50x
Bishopwearmouth 8 3.12x
Burnley 8 7.97x
Clewer 8 25.89x
Frant 8 66.67x
Great Bolton 8 5.07x
Mellor 8 212.20x
Southworth With Croft 8 224.72x
Watton 8 282.69x
Wigan 8 4.80x
Fishwick 7 94.98x
Hindley 7 13.77x
Islington London 7 0.72x
Lamberhurstsussex 7 318.18x
Lambourne 7 237.29x
Openshaw 7 12.54x
Rumworth 7 41.08x
Tonbridge 7 5.66x
Ardwick 6 5.58x
Barton Upon Irwell 6 6.69x
Bradford 6 10.75x
Camberwell 6 0.93x
Culcheth 6 76.82x
Walthamstow 6 8.40x
Butterworth 5 17.21x
Colne 5 442.48x
Darlington 5 4.33x
Dilworth 5 68.40x
Great Little Marsden 5 9.15x
Higham With West Close 5 193.80x
Lambeth 5 0.57x
Little Bolton 5 3.26x
Plumstead 5 4.38x
Royton 5 13.71x
Salford 5 1.43x
Walton Le Dale 5 15.61x
West Derby 5 1.43x
West Peckham 5 316.46x
Westhoughton 5 15.71x
Whalley 5 28.77x
Beswick 4 13.12x
Birmingham 4 0.47x
Bow London 4 3.13x
Clapham 4 3.18x
Lancaster 4 5.64x
March 4 18.77x
Walsall Foreign 4 2.28x
Barking 3 5.17x
Farnworth 3 4.20x
Fisherton Anger 3 18.24x
Hollingworth 3 32.79x
New Windsor 3 11.83x
Pennington In Leigh 3 13.12x
Rishton 3 21.46x
Thelwall 3 175.44x
Toxteth Park 3 0.74x
Walmersley Cum 3 15.75x
Witton 3 20.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 87
Elizabeth 49
Alice 36
Sarah 32
Jane 31
Ellen 30
Margaret 23
Ann 22
Annie 11
Emma 11
Ada 10
Betsy 10
Hannah 10
Martha 10
Catherine 9
Betty 8
Isabella 7
Emily 6
Nancy 6
Edith 5
Eliza 5
Maria 5
Harriet 4
Rose 4
Catharine 3
Esther 3
Lizzie 3
Lydia 3
Margret 3
Selina 3
Susannah 3
Agnes 2
Bertha 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Elizth. 2
Frances 2
Harriett 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Margt. 2
Rachael 2
Ruth 2
Tamar 2
Amy 1
Bessie 1
Betsey 1
E. 1
Easter 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 70
William 62
Thomas 59
James 39
George 31
Benjamin 21
Joseph 19
Richard 18
Henry 17
Charles 10
Robert 10
David 9
Albert 7
Peter 7
Alfred 6
Edwin 6
Thos. 6
Edward 5
Enoch 5
Arthur 4
Herbert 4
Lawrence 4
Matthew 4
Nicholas 4
Aurther 3
Daniel 3
Francis 3
Frederick 3
Harry 3
Jesse 3
Roger 3
Samuel 3
Walter 3
Chas. 2
Ernest 2
Jas. 2
M. 2
Ralph 2
Simeon 2
Wm. 2
Edmund 1
Fielden 1
Frank 1
Gideon 1
Gilmour 1
Harold 1
Lawrance 1
Lewis 1
Luther 1
Mathew 1

FAQ

Pomfret surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pomfret surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,030 people were recorded with the Pomfret surname. That placed it at #3,815 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pomfret surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,017 in 2016. That gives Pomfret a modern rank of #5,729.

What does the Pomfret surname mean?

An English placename referring to someone from the town of Pontefract.

What does the Pomfret map show?

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