NameCensus.

UK surname

Raffan

In the 1881 census there were 129 people recorded with the Raffan surname, ranking it #17,013 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 264, ranked #16,172, up from #17,013 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Grange, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Cairnie. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Macduff, Banff and Fyvie-Rothie.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Raffan is 265 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 104.7%.

1881 census count

129

Ranked #17,013

Modern count

264

2016, ranked #16,172

Peak year

2000

265 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Raffan had 129 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,013 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 264 in 2016, ranked #16,172.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 220 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Raffan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Raffan surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Raffan 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 112 #15,913
1861 historical 121 #18,148
1881 historical 129 #17,013
1891 historical 177 #16,330
1901 historical 220 #14,245
1911 historical 22 #31,030
1997 modern 248 #15,363
1998 modern 255 #15,470
1999 modern 261 #15,353
2000 modern 265 #15,143
2001 modern 261 #15,066
2002 modern 262 #15,327
2003 modern 250 #15,605
2004 modern 260 #15,309
2005 modern 248 #15,721
2006 modern 248 #15,820
2007 modern 249 #15,943
2008 modern 249 #16,111
2009 modern 251 #16,368
2010 modern 254 #16,604
2011 modern 248 #16,735
2012 modern 254 #16,328
2013 modern 251 #16,734
2014 modern 260 #16,470
2015 modern 259 #16,409
2016 modern 264 #16,172

Geography

Back to top

Where Raffans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Grange, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Cairnie, Cullen and Boyndie. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Macduff, Banff, Fyvie-Rothie, Balmedie and Potterton and Ashfield. 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 Grange Banff
2 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
3 Cairnie Aberdeen
4 Cullen Banff
5 Boyndie Banff

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Macduff Aberdeenshire
2 Banff Aberdeenshire
3 Fyvie-Rothie Aberdeenshire
4 Balmedie and Potterton Aberdeenshire
5 Ashfield 004 Ashfield

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Raffan

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Raffan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Raffan, 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 Raffan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Raffan 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, Raffan 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

Raffan is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Raffan 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 Raffan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Raffan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Raffan 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. Banffshire leads with 80 Raffans recorded in 1881 and an index of 304.18x.

County Total Index
Banffshire 80 304.18x
Aberdeenshire 23 19.59x
Angus 12 10.22x
Kincardineshire 8 51.81x
Midlothian 3 1.77x
Middlesex 1 0.08x
Morayshire 1 5.08x
Perthshire 1 1.76x
Stirlingshire 1 2.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Grange in Banffshire leads with 12 Raffans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1558.44x.

Place Total Index
Grange 12 1558.44x
Dundee 11 25.09x
Rathven 11 222.67x
Fordyce 10 529.10x
Marnoch 10 709.22x
Cairney 9 1323.53x
Maryculter 8 1702.13x
Alvah 7 1186.44x
Deskford 6 1578.95x
Keith 5 178.57x
Boyndie 4 459.77x
Cullen 4 412.37x
Ordiquhill 4 1290.32x
Rothiemay 4 666.67x
Aberdeen Old Machar 3 12.23x
Fraserburgh 3 90.63x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 2.93x
Glass 2 444.44x
Turriff 2 105.26x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 4.55x
Banff 1 43.86x
Bellie 1 112.36x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 28.41x
Huntly 1 52.36x
Inveravon 1 89.29x
Kemnay 1 140.85x
Kirkmichael 1 212.77x
Midmar 1 222.22x
Perth East Church 1 18.62x
St Giles In Fields 1 22.88x
St Ninians 1 21.55x
St Vigeans 1 15.77x

Top male names

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

Name Count
Arthur 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 Raffan households.

Occupation Count
Greengrocers Assist 1

FAQ

Raffan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Raffan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 129 people were recorded with the Raffan surname. That placed it at #17,013 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Raffan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 264 in 2016. That gives Raffan a modern rank of #16,172.

What does the Raffan map show?

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