NameCensus.

UK surname

Rofe

Possibly a phonetic variant of Ruf meaning "rough" or "uncouth" in German.

In the 1881 census there were 260 people recorded with the Rofe surname, ranking it #10,781 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 193, ranked #20,039, down from #10,781 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Frittenden and Tunbridge, Bidborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Hertfordshire, Torridge and Dartford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rofe is 330 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 25.8%.

1881 census count

260

Ranked #10,781

Modern count

193

2016, ranked #20,039

Peak year

1911

330 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rofe had 260 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,781 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 193 in 2016, ranked #20,039.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 330 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Rofe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rofe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rofe 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 206 #10,183
1861 historical 234 #10,463
1881 historical 260 #10,781
1891 historical 274 #11,880
1901 historical 308 #11,446
1911 historical 330 #10,669
1997 modern 210 #17,104
1998 modern 211 #17,532
1999 modern 217 #17,307
2000 modern 206 #17,880
2001 modern 209 #17,469
2002 modern 201 #18,236
2003 modern 208 #17,685
2004 modern 211 #17,590
2005 modern 205 #17,838
2006 modern 202 #18,160
2007 modern 211 #17,856
2008 modern 205 #18,359
2009 modern 210 #18,426
2010 modern 211 #18,774
2011 modern 212 #18,575
2012 modern 198 #19,340
2013 modern 207 #19,093
2014 modern 205 #19,375
2015 modern 197 #19,774
2016 modern 193 #20,039

Geography

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Where Rofes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Frittenden, Tunbridge, Bidborough and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Hertfordshire, Torridge, Dartford and East Dorset. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Frittenden Kent
3 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Hertfordshire 001 East Hertfordshire
2 Torridge 009 Torridge
3 Dartford 008 Dartford
4 East Dorset 012 East Dorset
5 Dartford 012 Dartford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rofe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rofe

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Rofe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Rofe household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Rofe 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

Rofe 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

Rofe falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Rofe

The surname ROFE is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "roff" or "rof," meaning rough or shaggy. It is believed to have been initially used as a descriptive surname, referring to a person with rough or coarse hair or perhaps a rugged appearance.

ROFE is thought to have emerged during the early medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century, in various regions of England. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which list individuals bearing the name ROFE in counties such as Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Historically, the surname ROFE has been associated with several notable figures. One of the earliest documented individuals with this name was William ROFE, a landowner mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of 1332 for the county of Leicestershire. Another early record is that of John ROFE, a merchant from Bristol, who was involved in trade with Ireland in the late 14th century.

During the 16th century, the name ROFE gained prominence with the birth of Sir Roger ROFE (c. 1510-1578), a prominent English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset. He played a significant role in the legal and political affairs of his time.

In the 17th century, the name ROFE was associated with the Reverend Samuel ROFE (1624-1684), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Salehurst in Sussex. He is known for his published work, "The Principles of the Christian Religion Explained," which was widely circulated during his lifetime.

Another notable figure bearing the surname ROFE was John ROFE (1679-1749), an English playwright and poet. He authored several plays, including "The Bastard" and "The Fair Penitent," which were performed in London theaters during the early 18th century.

While the surname ROFE has maintained a presence throughout English history, it has also been documented in other parts of the world, possibly due to migration and exploration. For instance, there are records of individuals with the name ROFE in colonial America, suggesting that some bearers of this surname may have immigrated to the New World in the 17th or 18th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rofe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rofe 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. Kent leads with 81 Rofes recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.40x.

County Total Index
Kent 81 9.40x
Surrey 42 3.41x
Middlesex 34 1.35x
Sussex 28 6.57x
Yorkshire 13 0.52x
Nottinghamshire 11 3.23x
Norfolk 10 2.57x
Worcestershire 8 2.42x
Hampshire 7 1.35x
Staffordshire 7 0.82x
Essex 5 1.00x
Lancashire 5 0.17x
Suffolk 3 0.97x
Warwickshire 3 0.47x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.62x
Cumberland 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cranbrook in Kent leads with 25 Rofes recorded in 1881 and an index of 684.93x.

Place Total Index
Cranbrook 25 684.93x
Eston 10 183.49x
Ewhurst 10 1052.63x
Folkestone 10 59.81x
Frittenden 9 1125.00x
Camberwell 8 4.96x
Frindsbury 8 246.15x
Hackney London 8 5.65x
Battersea 7 7.53x
Burslem 7 28.65x
Great Yarmouth 7 21.75x
Hastings St Clement 6 149.63x
Hucknall Torkard 6 69.44x
Ifield 6 337.08x
St Anne Soho London 6 41.58x
Basford 5 31.85x
Betchworth 5 328.95x
Claines 5 55.25x
Enfield 5 30.16x
High Halden 5 909.09x
Hornsey 5 15.65x
Rotherfield 5 133.33x
Wotton 5 833.33x
Chigwell 4 84.93x
Lambeth 4 1.82x
North Meols 4 13.63x
Rochester St Nicholas 4 149.25x
Birmingham 3 1.41x
Brasted 3 267.86x
Croydon 3 4.39x
Horsemonden 3 238.10x
Linton 3 394.74x
Lowestoft 3 20.63x
Reigate Foreign 3 22.51x
South Stoneham 3 26.71x
Swaffham 3 94.94x
Worcester St Peter 3 48.08x
Ashford 2 23.84x
Biddenden 2 169.49x
Carshalton 2 42.46x
Kensington London 2 1.42x
Leeds 2 1.41x
Limehouse London 2 7.21x
Milton In Gravesend 2 15.47x
Southampton Holy Rood 2 384.62x
Sutton 2 22.45x
Tadley 2 227.27x
Tonbridge 2 6.43x
Wandsworth 2 8.22x
Bethersden 1 113.64x
Chelmsford 1 11.68x
Dorking 1 12.09x
Frant 1 33.11x
Headcorn 1 77.52x
Huntwick Cum Nostell 1 200.00x
Islington London 1 0.41x
Manchester 1 0.74x
Rochester St Margaret 1 11.00x
St Andrewthe Less 1 5.47x
St Marylebone London 1 0.74x
St Pancras London 1 0.49x
Stoke Newington London 1 5.08x
Torpenhow Whitrigg 1 416.67x
Westminster St 1 10.74x
Whitechapel London 1 4.02x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 18
Charles 16
John 15
George 10
Thomas 9
Henry 7
James 7
Albert 5
Benjamin 5
Alfred 3
Walter 3
Arthur 2
David 2
Edward 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Robert 2
Saml. 2
Sion 2
Allan 1
Benjm. 1
Bernard 1
Daisy 1
Decimus 1
E. 1
Ebenezer 1
Edmund 1
Edwards 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fredk.W. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Jonas 1
Joseph 1
Leonard 1
Percy 1
Samuel 1
Selina 1
Stephen 1
Wallace 1

FAQ

Rofe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rofe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 260 people were recorded with the Rofe surname. That placed it at #10,781 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rofe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 193 in 2016. That gives Rofe a modern rank of #20,039.

What does the Rofe surname mean?

Possibly a phonetic variant of Ruf meaning "rough" or "uncouth" in German.

What does the Rofe map show?

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