NameCensus.

UK surname

Raftery

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "ráthaire" meaning an artificer or maker of raths (ringforts).

In the 1881 census there were 174 people recorded with the Raftery surname, ranking it #14,042 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 586, ranked #8,873, up from #14,042 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington, Gateshead and Eccles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Manchester and Trafford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Raftery is 630 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 236.8%.

1881 census count

174

Ranked #14,042

Modern count

586

2016, ranked #8,873

Peak year

2010

630 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Raftery had 174 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,042 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 586 in 2016, ranked #8,873.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 304 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Raftery surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Raftery surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Raftery 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 42 #25,706
1861 historical 87 #22,681
1881 historical 174 #14,042
1891 historical 210 #14,412
1901 historical 293 #11,829
1911 historical 304 #11,342
1997 modern 530 #8,911
1998 modern 580 #8,575
1999 modern 590 #8,540
2000 modern 594 #8,478
2001 modern 591 #8,377
2002 modern 615 #8,306
2003 modern 601 #8,328
2004 modern 604 #8,309
2005 modern 576 #8,512
2006 modern 566 #8,646
2007 modern 572 #8,657
2008 modern 586 #8,575
2009 modern 611 #8,478
2010 modern 630 #8,466
2011 modern 621 #8,458
2012 modern 585 #8,763
2013 modern 613 #8,599
2014 modern 611 #8,681
2015 modern 594 #8,798
2016 modern 586 #8,873

Geography

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Where Rafterys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington, Gateshead, Eccles, Runcorn and Ashton-upon-Mersey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Manchester and Trafford. 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 Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington Staffordshire
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Eccles Lancashire
4 Runcorn Cheshire
5 Ashton-upon-Mersey Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Manchester 023 Manchester
2 Manchester 017 Manchester
3 Manchester 020 Manchester
4 Trafford 003 Trafford
5 Trafford 010 Trafford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Raftery

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Raftery

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Raftery surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Raftery household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Raftery 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

Raftery is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Raftery 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 Raftery is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Raftery

The surname Raftery is of Irish origin, with roots tracing back to the ancient Gaelic language. It is believed to have originated in the 11th or 12th century, derived from the Gaelic word "ráftar" meaning "prosperous" or "lucky."

The name Raftery was initially concentrated in the counties of Galway, Mayo, and Sligo in the west of Ireland. It is thought to have been adopted as a surname by descendants of an influential family or clan who held a prominent position in their local community.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Raftery can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle compiled in the 17th century by Irish Franciscan monks. The name appears in an entry from the year 1285, referring to a certain "Raftar O'Conor" who was a member of the influential O'Conor clan of Connacht.

In the 16th century, the Raftery name was associated with the bardic tradition in Ireland. Aodhagán Ó Rathaille, a renowned Irish poet and bard who lived from 1670 to 1727, was also known as "Raftery" or "An Rathaille." His poetic works, many of which were composed in the Irish language, are celebrated for their rich imagery and insightful commentary on contemporary society.

Another notable figure with the Raftery surname was Anthony Raftery, a 19th-century Irish storyteller and poet from County Mayo. Born in 1784, Raftery was renowned for his wit, wisdom, and mastery of the Irish language. His poems and tales, often recited at local gatherings and fairs, have become an integral part of the oral tradition in the west of Ireland.

In the late 19th century, the Raftery name appeared in historical records associated with the Land Wars in Ireland. Michael Raftery, a tenant farmer from County Sligo, was a prominent figure in the Land League movement, advocating for land reform and fair treatment of Irish tenants.

Throughout the centuries, the Raftery surname has also been found in various locations across Ireland, with slight variations in spelling such as Rafferty, Raferty, and Rathaire. These variations often reflected local dialects and the influences of different Gaelic and English spellings over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Raftery families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Raftery 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 39 Rafterys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.94x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 39 1.94x
Yorkshire 34 2.02x
Staffordshire 28 4.89x
Cheshire 16 4.27x
Middlesex 13 0.77x
Warwickshire 12 2.80x
Essex 10 2.98x
Shropshire 8 5.46x
Durham 6 1.19x
Surrey 5 0.60x
Channel Islands 1 1.99x
Denbighshire 1 1.56x
Sussex 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 16 Rafterys recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.61x.

Place Total Index
Oldham 16 24.61x
Stafford St Mary 15 184.96x
Sheffield 13 24.28x
Birmingham 11 7.71x
Runcorn 10 115.74x
West Ham 10 13.52x
Wellington 8 97.09x
Hulme 7 16.65x
Pendlebury 7 164.71x
Wolstanton Ranscliffe 7 3500.00x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 27.43x
Islington London 6 3.65x
York St Margaret 6 576.92x
Barnsley 5 28.82x
York St Saviour 5 310.56x
Birkenhead 3 10.04x
Kensington London 3 3.18x
Liverpool 3 2.45x
Sale 3 65.22x
Sherburn 3 217.39x
Ashton In Makerfield 2 34.84x
Bermondsey 2 3.96x
Bethnal Green London 2 2.71x
Camberwell 2 1.84x
Harpurhey 2 71.43x
Lichfield St Mary 2 121.21x
Aston 1 0.85x
Burntwood Edial 1 27.32x
Burtonwood 1 135.14x
Hammersmith London 1 2.39x
Lewes All Sts 1 87.72x
Newcastle Under Lyme 1 9.86x
Sandon 1 333.33x
Shadwell London 1 21.05x
St Helier 1 6.11x
Tanshelf 1 74.63x
Trentham 1 20.53x
Whiston 1 123.46x
Woking 1 20.08x
Worsley 1 8.06x
Wrexham Regis 1 21.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 27
Margaret 10
Bridget 5
Annie 4
Sarah 4
Ann 3
Catherine 3
Ellen 3
Anne 2
Elizabeth 2
Emma 2
Harriet 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Margt. 2
Rose 2
Winefred 2
Winifred 2
Agnes 1
Cathrine 1
Eliza 1
Hannah 1
Julia 1
Louisa 1
Maria 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Raftery surname: questions and answers

How common was the Raftery surname in 1881?

In 1881, 174 people were recorded with the Raftery surname. That placed it at #14,042 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Raftery surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 586 in 2016. That gives Raftery a modern rank of #8,873.

What does the Raftery surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "ráthaire" meaning an artificer or maker of raths (ringforts).

What does the Raftery map show?

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