NameCensus.

UK surname

Raffle

An English surname possibly derived from a nickname for someone lively or talkative.

In the 1881 census there were 138 people recorded with the Raffle surname, ranking it #16,292 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 229, ranked #17,878, down from #16,292 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Crondall, Warkworth and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Tyneside, Winchester and Huntingdonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Raffle is 238 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.9%.

1881 census count

138

Ranked #16,292

Modern count

229

2016, ranked #17,878

Peak year

2010

238 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Raffle had 138 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,292 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 229 in 2016, ranked #17,878.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 194 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Raffle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Raffle surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Raffle 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 86 #18,820
1861 historical 128 #17,375
1881 historical 138 #16,292
1891 historical 141 #19,108
1901 historical 183 #15,996
1911 historical 194 #15,250
1997 modern 212 #16,996
1998 modern 230 #16,607
1999 modern 233 #16,554
2000 modern 228 #16,743
2001 modern 233 #16,260
2002 modern 237 #16,413
2003 modern 224 #16,859
2004 modern 226 #16,829
2005 modern 227 #16,730
2006 modern 219 #17,254
2007 modern 216 #17,575
2008 modern 215 #17,809
2009 modern 218 #18,015
2010 modern 238 #17,323
2011 modern 232 #17,481
2012 modern 236 #17,187
2013 modern 236 #17,472
2014 modern 238 #17,480
2015 modern 236 #17,477
2016 modern 229 #17,878

Geography

Back to top

Where Raffles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Crondall, Warkworth, Gateshead, Toxteth Park and St Andrew. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Tyneside, Winchester, Huntingdonshire, South Derbyshire and Northumberland. 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 Crondall Hampshire
2 Warkworth Northumberland
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Toxteth Park Lancashire
5 St Andrew Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Tyneside 004 North Tyneside
2 Winchester 014 Winchester
3 Huntingdonshire 003 Huntingdonshire
4 South Derbyshire 011 South Derbyshire
5 Northumberland 006 Northumberland

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Raffle

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Raffle

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Raffle surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Raffle 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Raffle 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

Raffle is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Raffle falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Raffle

The surname Raffle is of English origin and is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. It is derived from the Old English word "raefel," which means "bundle" or "roll." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with bundles or rolls, such as a cloth or fabric merchant.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Raffle can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, where a Richard Raffel is listed. Another early mention is in the Hearth Tax Records of Warwickshire from 1670, which includes a Thomas Raffle.

In terms of historical references, the name Raffle appears in various records and documents throughout the centuries. For instance, in the Register of the University of Oxford from 1571, there is an entry for a John Raffle who was a student at the time.

One notable figure bearing the surname Raffle was Sir John Raffle (1768-1835), a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Java from 1811 to 1816 during the British interregnum in the Dutch East Indies. He played a significant role in the administration of the island during this period.

Another individual of note was George Raffle (1809-1875), a British colonial official who worked in Singapore and the Strait Settlements. He is credited with founding the Raffles Library and Museum in Singapore, which later became the National Museum of Singapore.

In the realm of literature, there was Thomas Raffle (1788-1863), an English author and poet who published several works, including "The Emigrant's Guide to North America" in 1832.

Moving on to the 20th century, one prominent figure was Sir Stanford Raffle (1890-1972), a British businessman and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the British car industry.

Additionally, there was John Raffle (1923-2004), a British architect and academic who served as the Head of the Architecture Department at the University of Cambridge from 1969 to 1986.

Throughout history, variations of the name Raffle have also been encountered, such as Raffell, Raffill, and Raffles, possibly due to regional dialects or minor spelling differences over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Raffle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Raffle 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. Durham leads with 57 Raffles recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.23x.

County Total Index
Durham 57 14.23x
Northumberland 49 24.46x
Kirkcudbrightshire 7 35.92x
Dumfriesshire 6 20.17x
Hampshire 6 2.17x
Surrey 5 0.76x
Lancashire 4 0.25x
Middlesex 2 0.15x
Bedfordshire 1 1.43x
Glamorgan 1 0.43x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cramlington in Northumberland leads with 16 Raffles recorded in 1881 and an index of 603.77x.

Place Total Index
Cramlington 16 603.77x
Westoe 14 61.67x
Boldon 9 629.37x
Acklington 8 7272.73x
West Herrington 7 500.00x
Alton 6 288.46x
Brandon Byshottles 6 119.52x
Cowpen 6 130.15x
Glencairn 6 750.00x
Penshaw 6 500.00x
Sunderland Bridge 6 952.38x
Borgue 5 961.54x
Earsdon 5 306.75x
Little Houghton 5 8333.33x
Liverpool 4 4.12x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 14.77x
Long Houghton 3 1428.57x
Washington 3 178.57x
Horton 2 202.02x
St Giles 2 80.00x
Bedlington 1 14.95x
Benwell 1 45.66x
Bishopwearmouth 1 2.91x
Ealing 1 8.31x
Elvet 1 34.60x
Esh 1 34.36x
Kelton 1 62.50x
Luton 1 8.29x
Middridge 1 250.00x
Mitford 1 1000.00x
Ockley 1 344.83x
Penarth 1 43.67x
Teddington London 1 32.79x
Troqueer 1 39.06x
Wallsend 1 15.75x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Thomas 10
John 9
William 8
George 7
Edward 4
Joseph 4
Robert 4
James 3
Anthony 2
Benjamin 2
Matthew 2
Adamson 1
Alred 1
Charles 1
Gabriael 1
Geo. 1
Michael 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Raffle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Raffle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 138 people were recorded with the Raffle surname. That placed it at #16,292 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Raffle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 229 in 2016. That gives Raffle a modern rank of #17,878.

What does the Raffle surname mean?

An English surname possibly derived from a nickname for someone lively or talkative.

What does the Raffle map show?

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