NameCensus.

UK surname

Rotherforth

In the 1881 census there were 44 people recorded with the Rotherforth surname, ranking it #27,447 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 212, ranked #18,843, up from #27,447 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Marylebone, Ferry Frystone and Harthill with Woodall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Selby and Rotherham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rotherforth is 232 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 381.8%.

1881 census count

44

Ranked #27,447

Modern count

212

2016, ranked #18,843

Peak year

2014

232 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rotherforth had 44 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,447 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 212 in 2016, ranked #18,843.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 119 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rotherforth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rotherforth surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rotherforth 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 51 #24,096
1861 historical 50 #27,636
1881 historical 44 #27,447
1891 historical 84 #26,229
1901 historical 67 #26,703
1911 historical 119 #20,535
1997 modern 227 #16,267
1998 modern 226 #16,800
1999 modern 224 #16,984
2000 modern 223 #16,978
2001 modern 221 #16,848
2002 modern 225 #16,994
2003 modern 221 #16,987
2004 modern 218 #17,230
2005 modern 217 #17,217
2006 modern 219 #17,254
2007 modern 225 #17,154
2008 modern 223 #17,395
2009 modern 227 #17,544
2010 modern 225 #18,000
2011 modern 217 #18,271
2012 modern 222 #17,921
2013 modern 226 #17,969
2014 modern 232 #17,761
2015 modern 223 #18,165
2016 modern 212 #18,843

Geography

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Where Rotherforths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Marylebone, Ferry Frystone, Harthill with Woodall, Sheffield and Rotherham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Selby and Rotherham. 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 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
2 Ferry Frystone Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Harthill with Woodall Nottinghamshire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Rotherham Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 002 Wakefield
2 Selby 009 Selby
3 Wakefield 001 Wakefield
4 Selby 010 Selby
5 Rotherham 026 Rotherham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rotherforth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rotherforth

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rotherforth, 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 Rotherforth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Rotherforth 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Rotherforth is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rotherforth 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

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

1881 census detail

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Rotherforth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rotherforth 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. Yorkshire leads with 31 Rotherforths recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.29x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 31 7.29x
Middlesex 9 2.10x
Derbyshire 3 4.47x
Lancashire 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Willesden in Middlesex leads with 8 Rotherforths recorded in 1881 and an index of 197.53x.

Place Total Index
Willesden 8 197.53x
Harthill Cum Woodall 7 4375.00x
Whiston 7 3500.00x
Sutton On Derwent 6 12000.00x
Hunslet 4 60.33x
Beighton 3 1000.00x
Ecclesall Bierlow 3 34.68x
Leeds 2 8.33x
Barrowford Booth 1 178.57x
Ecclesfield 1 32.05x
Sculcoates 1 14.84x
Westminster St 1 63.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 4
Caroline 2
Jane 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Annie 1
Elivera 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Laura 1
Mary 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 6
Joseph 4
John 3
William 2
Alfred 1
Chas. 1
Fred 1
Herbert 1
Josh. 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Samuel 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 Rotherforth households.

FAQ

Rotherforth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rotherforth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 44 people were recorded with the Rotherforth surname. That placed it at #27,447 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rotherforth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 212 in 2016. That gives Rotherforth a modern rank of #18,843.

What does the Rotherforth map show?

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