NameCensus.

UK surname

Rainford

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "rainy ford" or "ford over a stream".

In the 1881 census there were 874 people recorded with the Rainford surname, ranking it #4,342 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,458, ranked #4,222, up from #4,342 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lancaster Borough, Prescot and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, Chorley and Bury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rainford is 1,559 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 66.8%.

1881 census count

874

Ranked #4,342

Modern count

1,458

2016, ranked #4,222

Peak year

2002

1,559 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rainford had 874 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,342 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,458 in 2016, ranked #4,222.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,464 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Rainford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rainford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rainford 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 535 #4,703
1861 historical 542 #4,848
1881 historical 874 #4,342
1891 historical 1,000 #4,152
1901 historical 1,287 #3,865
1911 historical 1,464 #3,292
1997 modern 1,449 #4,028
1998 modern 1,506 #4,032
1999 modern 1,531 #4,007
2000 modern 1,542 #3,971
2001 modern 1,528 #3,927
2002 modern 1,559 #3,951
2003 modern 1,517 #3,961
2004 modern 1,522 #3,947
2005 modern 1,481 #4,003
2006 modern 1,471 #4,032
2007 modern 1,472 #4,065
2008 modern 1,474 #4,093
2009 modern 1,515 #4,081
2010 modern 1,537 #4,115
2011 modern 1,496 #4,165
2012 modern 1,473 #4,148
2013 modern 1,500 #4,156
2014 modern 1,500 #4,177
2015 modern 1,479 #4,190
2016 modern 1,458 #4,222

Geography

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Where Rainfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lancaster Borough, Prescot, Preston, Liverpool and Walton-on-the-Hill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan, Chorley, Bury and Wyre. 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 Lancaster Borough Lancashire
2 Prescot Lancashire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 002 Wigan
2 Chorley 014 Chorley
3 Wigan 001 Wigan
4 Bury 016 Bury
5 Wyre 004 Wyre

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rainford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rainford

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rainford, 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 Rainford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Rainford 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Rainford is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rainford is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rainford 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 Rainford is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Rainford

The surname Rainford is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "regn" meaning "rain" and "ford" meaning "a shallow place where a river or stream can be crossed". This suggests that the name likely originated from a place name referring to a ford or river crossing that was particularly prone to heavy rainfall.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire, dating back to 1195, which mentions a person named Raynford. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century.

The Rainford surname is particularly associated with Lancashire, where there is a town called Rainford located near St Helens. This town is thought to have derived its name from the same Old English origins as the surname, and it is likely that the surname originated in this area.

In the 13th century, the Rainford name appears in various records and documents, including the Assize Rolls of Lancashire, which mentions a John de Raynford in 1246.

Notable individuals with the surname Rainford throughout history include:

1. William Rainford (born c. 1590), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of University College, Oxford, in the early 17th century.

2. Richard Rainford (1605-1691), an English Catholic priest and controversialist who wrote several works defending the Catholic faith.

3. John Rainford (1623-1677), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Liverpool during the 17th century.

4. Thomas Rainford (1688-1743), an English lawyer and author who published a treatise on the law of tithes in 1637.

5. Henry Rainford (1797-1876), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Liverpool and Manchester during the 19th century.

While the Rainford surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, due to immigration and migration patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rainford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rainford 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 691 Rainfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.88x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 691 6.88x
Cheshire 50 2.68x
Yorkshire 25 0.30x
Durham 17 0.67x
Lincolnshire 11 0.81x
Middlesex 11 0.13x
Staffordshire 10 0.35x
Shropshire 8 1.09x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.61x
Anglesey 6 4.00x
Northumberland 6 0.48x
Surrey 5 0.12x
Warwickshire 5 0.23x
Caernarfonshire 4 1.17x
Denbighshire 4 1.25x
Cumberland 3 0.41x
Westmorland 2 1.07x
Cornwall 1 0.10x
Norfolk 1 0.08x
Royal Navy 1 0.99x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 53 Rainfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.69x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 53 8.69x
Preston 42 15.62x
Chorley 37 65.63x
Everton 35 10.93x
Kirkdale 32 18.93x
West Kirby 29 892.31x
Lancaster 26 43.49x
Blackburn 22 8.23x
Eccleston In Prescot 18 35.69x
Oldham 18 5.55x
Great Bolton 17 12.77x
Hindley 17 39.68x
Aspull 15 63.48x
Lytham 15 97.78x
Standish With Langtree 13 105.09x
Altcar 12 754.72x
Barrow In Furness 12 8.78x
Great Crosby 12 43.81x
Great Grimsby 11 12.80x
Pilkington 11 28.83x
Halsall 10 251.89x
Toxteth Park 10 2.94x
Wavertree 10 31.09x
Little Bolton 9 6.97x
Walton On Hill 9 16.54x
Garstang 8 352.42x
Little Lever 8 62.26x
Over Darwen 8 9.97x
Pendleton In Salford 8 6.68x
Whiston 8 102.04x
Kirkham 7 52.71x
Leeds 7 1.48x
North Meols 7 7.12x
Samlesbury 7 316.74x
Bingley 6 11.23x
Birkenhead 6 4.03x
Elswick 6 5.97x
Hoose 6 171.43x
Lathom 6 49.46x
Layton With Warbreck 6 16.27x
Lenton 6 22.32x
Llangeinwen 6 218.18x
Stoke Upon Trent 6 1.98x
Walton Le Dale 6 22.22x
West Auckland 6 65.15x
Barton Upon Irwell 5 6.61x
Birkdale 5 19.67x
Bootle Cum Linacre 5 6.27x
Breightmet 5 113.12x
Eastham 5 200.00x
Higher Booths 5 27.61x
Little Crosby 5 308.64x
Marton 5 74.85x
Pemberton 5 12.48x
Skelmersdale 5 29.87x
Stansfield 5 16.19x
Sutton 5 14.84x
Urswick 5 134.05x
West Derby 5 1.70x
Whittle Le Woods 5 150.15x
Wigan 5 3.56x
Bishopwearmouth 4 1.85x
Burnley 4 4.73x
Bury 4 3.49x
Chiswick 4 8.64x
Croston 4 77.07x
Denbigh 4 31.15x
Farnworth 4 6.64x
Halliwell 4 10.94x
Islington London 4 0.49x
Medlar With Wesham 4 132.89x
Shrewsbury St Julian 4 22.10x
Wolverhampton 4 1.82x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 1.37x
Bickerstaffe 3 45.59x
Coventry Holy Trinity 3 4.71x
Scotforth 3 45.94x
Stockton On Tees 3 2.47x
Westleigh 3 13.15x
Wingate 3 17.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 82
Ellen 38
Alice 37
Elizabeth 32
Margaret 32
Sarah 29
Jane 27
Ann 23
Emma 9
Agnes 7
Annie 7
Catherine 7
Hannah 7
Martha 7
Eliza 4
Eleanor 3
Emily 3
Isabella 3
Louisa 3
Maria 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Frances 2
Nancy 2
Rebecca 2
Rose 2
Susan 2
Winifred 2
Amy 1
Beatrice 1
Betsy 1
Bridget 1
Caroline 1
Edith 1
Elizab.Ann 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizth. 1
Esther 1
Florance 1
Henretta 1
Isabel 1
Jemima 1
Jenny 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Louise 1
Lucy 1
Magt. 1
Margerit 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 65
William 63
James 46
Thomas 43
Joseph 28
Henry 25
Robert 25
George 23
Edward 15
Richard 14
Charles 8
Peter 6
Ralph 6
Alfred 5
Daniel 4
Edmund 4
Harry 4
Samuel 4
Wm. 4
Frederick 3
Roger 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
David 1
Earnest 1
Edwin 1
Ellis 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Harold 1
Jas. 1
Jonas 1
Jonathon 1
Josh. 1
Joshua 1
Lawrence 1
Levi 1
Michael 1
Moses 1
Noah 1
Philip 1
Randolph 1
Robt. 1
Saml. 1
Stephen 1
Tommey 1

FAQ

Rainford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rainford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 874 people were recorded with the Rainford surname. That placed it at #4,342 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rainford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,458 in 2016. That gives Rainford a modern rank of #4,222.

What does the Rainford surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "rainy ford" or "ford over a stream".

What does the Rainford map show?

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