NameCensus.

UK surname

Renforth

Locational surname referring to someone from a place called Renforth.

In the 1881 census there were 31 people recorded with the Renforth surname, ranking it #29,218 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 161, ranked #22,606, up from #29,218 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland and Gateshead.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Renforth is 166 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 419.4%.

1881 census count

31

Ranked #29,218

Modern count

161

2016, ranked #22,606

Peak year

2014

166 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Renforth had 31 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,218 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 161 in 2016, ranked #22,606.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 70 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Renforth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Renforth surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Renforth 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 22 #29,378
1861 historical 43 #28,562
1881 historical 31 #29,218
1891 historical 56 #29,638
1901 historical 66 #26,794
1911 historical 70 #25,853
1997 modern 147 #21,393
1998 modern 140 #22,615
1999 modern 145 #22,305
2000 modern 143 #22,457
2001 modern 143 #22,133
2002 modern 145 #22,392
2003 modern 134 #23,260
2004 modern 140 #22,793
2005 modern 138 #22,999
2006 modern 143 #22,619
2007 modern 142 #23,025
2008 modern 146 #22,822
2009 modern 149 #23,031
2010 modern 151 #23,377
2011 modern 148 #23,520
2012 modern 153 #22,963
2013 modern 163 #22,342
2014 modern 166 #22,277
2015 modern 162 #22,509
2016 modern 161 #22,606

Geography

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Where Renforths 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 Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland and Gateshead. 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 Newcastle upon Tyne 007 Newcastle upon Tyne
2 Newcastle upon Tyne 026 Newcastle upon Tyne
3 Newcastle upon Tyne 002 Newcastle upon Tyne
4 Northumberland 008 Northumberland
5 Gateshead 008 Gateshead

Forenames

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First names often paired with Renforth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Renforth

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Renforth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Renforth household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Renforth is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Renforth is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Renforth 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 Renforth 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 Renforth, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Renforth

The surname Renforth originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from a place name, specifically a town or village called Renforth or a similar spelling variation. The name is thought to be composed of two Old English words, "ren" meaning a boundary or frontier, and "forth" referring to a ford or shallow river crossing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Renforth can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land and landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests the name was already well-established in parts of England by the late 11th century.

During the 13th century, a man named John de Renforth was documented in records from the county of Yorkshire. He was likely from a settlement called Renforth or a place with a similar name in that region. Around the same time period, a Richard Renforth was mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1227.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings such as Renforth, Renneforth, and Renneforthe. A notable bearer was Sir William Renneforth, a knight who served in the Hundred Years' War under Edward III. He was born around 1310 and participated in several campaigns against the French.

The 15th century saw the name spelled as Renforth, Renford, and Renfourth. One individual of note was John Renforth, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire, who lived from approximately 1420 to 1489. Another was Robert Renfourth, a cleric and scholar who served as the Archdeacon of Nottingham from 1461 until his death in 1484.

In the 16th century, the surname continued to appear in various records across England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire, suggesting these were areas where the name was most prevalent. One notable bearer was Thomas Renforth, a yeoman farmer from Yorkshire who lived from around 1510 to 1582.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Renforth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Renforth 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 17 Renforths recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.90x.

County Total Index
Durham 17 18.90x
Northumberland 11 24.45x
Middlesex 3 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. Gateshead in Durham leads with 12 Renforths recorded in 1881 and an index of 178.31x.

Place Total Index
Gateshead 12 178.31x
Elswick 7 194.99x
Byker 3 135.14x
Monkwearmouth Shore 3 170.45x
Paddington London 3 26.98x
Longbenton 1 52.36x
Westoe 1 19.61x
Winlaton 1 116.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 5
Mary 4
Christiana 1
Christina 1
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1
Flamminis 1
Hannah 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 5
William 3
John 2
Philip 2
Francis 1
George 1
Stephen 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 Renforth households.

FAQ

Renforth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Renforth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 31 people were recorded with the Renforth surname. That placed it at #29,218 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Renforth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 161 in 2016. That gives Renforth a modern rank of #22,606.

What does the Renforth surname mean?

Locational surname referring to someone from a place called Renforth.

What does the Renforth map show?

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