NameCensus.

UK surname

Pulfrey

An English surname derived from a medieval place name with obscure origins.

In the 1881 census there were 45 people recorded with the Pulfrey surname, ranking it #27,314 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 143, ranked #24,505, up from #27,314 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sheffield, South Kesteven and North East Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pulfrey is 171 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 217.8%.

1881 census count

45

Ranked #27,314

Modern count

143

2016, ranked #24,505

Peak year

1997

171 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pulfrey had 45 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,314 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016, ranked #24,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 89 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Pulfrey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pulfrey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pulfrey 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 29 #28,082
1861 historical 31 #30,058
1881 historical 45 #27,314
1891 historical 77 #27,169
1901 historical 83 #24,900
1911 historical 89 #23,922
1997 modern 171 #19,438
1998 modern 166 #20,329
1999 modern 171 #20,072
2000 modern 163 #20,657
2001 modern 160 #20,616
2002 modern 166 #20,532
2003 modern 155 #21,217
2004 modern 151 #21,720
2005 modern 150 #21,786
2006 modern 148 #22,111
2007 modern 145 #22,693
2008 modern 143 #23,160
2009 modern 146 #23,352
2010 modern 147 #23,809
2011 modern 154 #22,886
2012 modern 142 #24,148
2013 modern 147 #23,977
2014 modern 146 #24,274
2015 modern 145 #24,246
2016 modern 143 #24,505

Geography

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Where Pulfreys 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 Sheffield, South Kesteven and North East Lincolnshire. 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 Sheffield 024 Sheffield
2 South Kesteven 003 South Kesteven
3 North East Lincolnshire 001 North East Lincolnshire
4 Sheffield 017 Sheffield
5 North East Lincolnshire 016 North East Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pulfrey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pulfrey

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Pulfrey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Pulfrey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Pulfrey is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pulfrey is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pulfrey 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 Pulfrey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Pulfrey

The surname Pulfrey has its origins in England, emerging sometime during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "pulfri" or "pulfric," which referred to a shed or shelter for poultry or small animals. This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname associated with someone who tended to or worked with poultry or livestock.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, a collection of financial records from the late 12th century. In these rolls, a person named Richard Pulfrey is mentioned as owing taxes to the crown in the year 1194. This provides evidence that the surname was already in use by the late 12th century.

During the 13th century, the name appears in various documents across different regions of England. In the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1275, a William Pulfrey is listed as a landowner. Similarly, in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, a John Pulfrey is recorded as a taxpayer.

One notable figure bearing the Pulfrey surname was Sir Thomas Pulfrey, a knight who lived during the 15th century. He is mentioned in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence from the renowned Paston family of Norfolk, as being involved in a legal dispute over land ownership in the 1460s.

In the 16th century, the name Pulfrey appears to have spread to other parts of England, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in counties such as Somerset, Devon, and Gloucestershire. One notable example from this period is William Pulfrey (c. 1530-1590), a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, who served as the city's mayor in 1582.

The Pulfrey surname can also be found in connection with various place names in England, such as Pulfrey Farm in Gloucestershire and Pulfrey Lane in Warwickshire. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the Pulfrey surname who once lived or owned property in those areas.

Other notable individuals with the Pulfrey surname throughout history include John Pulfrey (c. 1620-1690), a prominent Puritan minister in Warwickshire during the English Civil War era, and Elizabeth Pulfrey (1675-1743), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist from Somerset who endowed several charitable institutions in her will.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pulfrey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pulfrey 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. Lincolnshire leads with 24 Pulfreys recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.21x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 24 34.21x
Yorkshire 15 3.45x
Devon 5 5.47x
Nottinghamshire 1 1.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nether Hallam in Yorkshire leads with 15 Pulfreys recorded in 1881 and an index of 255.10x.

Place Total Index
Nether Hallam 15 255.10x
Great Gonerby 14 7777.78x
Halberton 5 2380.95x
Spittlegate 4 412.37x
Bracebridge 3 937.50x
Great Grimsby 3 67.42x
Nottingham St Mary 1 6.54x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 4
Alice 2
Martha 2
Sarah 2
Annie 1
Charlote 1
Elvira 1
Emma 1
Flourance 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Jane 1
Lucy 1
Mary 1
Olive 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 8
George 3
Harry 2
James 2
John 2
Arthur 1
Frederick 1
Herbert 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1
Tom 1
Walter 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 Pulfrey households.

FAQ

Pulfrey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pulfrey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 45 people were recorded with the Pulfrey surname. That placed it at #27,314 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pulfrey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016. That gives Pulfrey a modern rank of #24,505.

What does the Pulfrey surname mean?

An English surname derived from a medieval place name with obscure origins.

What does the Pulfrey map show?

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