NameCensus.

UK surname

Rowcliffe

A locative surname deriving from a place name meaning "rough cliff."

In the 1881 census there were 186 people recorded with the Rowcliffe surname, ranking it #13,448 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 194, ranked #19,976, down from #13,448 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, London parishes and Witheridge, Thelbridge. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ceredigion, Mid Devon and Test Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rowcliffe is 287 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.3%.

1881 census count

186

Ranked #13,448

Modern count

194

2016, ranked #19,976

Peak year

1901

287 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rowcliffe had 186 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,448 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 194 in 2016, ranked #19,976.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 287 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rowcliffe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rowcliffe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rowcliffe 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 144 #13,277
1861 historical 171 #13,692
1881 historical 186 #13,448
1891 historical 241 #13,089
1901 historical 287 #12,001
1911 historical 247 #13,016
1997 modern 230 #16,109
1998 modern 247 #15,813
1999 modern 244 #16,052
2000 modern 239 #16,239
2001 modern 237 #16,048
2002 modern 221 #17,206
2003 modern 216 #17,229
2004 modern 213 #17,492
2005 modern 210 #17,572
2006 modern 217 #17,349
2007 modern 227 #17,041
2008 modern 222 #17,442
2009 modern 216 #18,120
2010 modern 222 #18,148
2011 modern 222 #17,999
2012 modern 198 #19,340
2013 modern 197 #19,725
2014 modern 197 #19,903
2015 modern 196 #19,840
2016 modern 194 #19,976

Geography

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Where Rowcliffes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, London parishes, Witheridge, Thelbridge and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ceredigion, Mid Devon, Test Valley and Carmarthenshire. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Witheridge, Thelbridge Devon
4 London parishes London 3
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ceredigion 008 Ceredigion
2 Mid Devon 010 Mid Devon
3 Test Valley 007 Test Valley
4 Mid Devon 004 Mid Devon
5 Carmarthenshire 001 Carmarthenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rowcliffe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rowcliffe

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Rowcliffe is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rowcliffe is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rowcliffe falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Rowcliffe

The surname Rowcliffe is of English origin, originating from the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire in the north of England. It can be traced back to the 13th century and is derived from the Old English words 'row', meaning a row or line, and 'clif', meaning a cliff or steep slope. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived by a row of cliffs or a distinctive cliff formation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a Thomas de Rowcliff is listed. The 'de' prefix indicates that the name was originally a locational surname, referring to a specific place. Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form of Rowcliffe.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several references to places that may have been the origin of the Rowcliffe surname. These include Rocliffe and Roclif in Yorkshire, which could be derived from the same Old English roots.

Notable individuals with the surname Rowcliffe throughout history include:

1. Robert Rowcliffe (c. 1500 - 1560), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Boroughbridge in Yorkshire during the reign of Queen Mary I.

2. William Rowcliffe (1588 - 1657), an English Puritan clergyman and author, known for his work "A Supplement to the Practick Part of the Covent-Garden Acrimonious Seminary".

3. John Rowcliffe (1732 - 1807), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and rose to the rank of Vice Admiral.

4. Elizabeth Rowcliffe (1818 - 1892), a British philanthropist and advocate for women's rights, who founded the Rowcliffe School for Girls in Manchester.

5. Alfred Rowcliffe (1867 - 1943), a British architect and designer known for his work on various public buildings and churches in the Arts and Crafts style.

The name Rowcliffe has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Rowcliffe Hill in Lancashire and Rowcliffe Woods in Yorkshire, further reinforcing its locational origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rowcliffe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rowcliffe 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. Middlesex leads with 36 Rowcliffes recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.86x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 36 1.86x
Lancashire 27 1.18x
Devon 25 6.22x
Surrey 23 2.44x
Channel Islands 16 27.96x
Hampshire 16 4.04x
Gloucestershire 11 2.90x
Somerset 9 2.90x
Kent 7 1.06x
Yorkshire 6 0.31x
Cheshire 5 1.17x
Glamorgan 4 1.19x
Midlothian 3 1.16x
Durham 2 0.35x
Hertfordshire 2 1.50x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.77x
Derbyshire 1 0.33x
Essex 1 0.26x
Royal Navy 1 4.35x
Worcestershire 1 0.40x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Helier in Channel Islands leads with 16 Rowcliffes recorded in 1881 and an index of 85.88x.

Place Total Index
St Helier 16 85.88x
Camberwell 12 9.73x
Castleton 9 39.32x
South Molton 9 407.24x
Newington 8 11.21x
St Giles In Fields 8 120.12x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 7 19.63x
Kensington London 7 6.52x
Bentley 6 1276.60x
Harrow On The Hill 6 155.44x
Linthwaite 6 149.25x
Portsea 6 7.73x
Tiverton 6 86.58x
Bishops Nympton 5 649.35x
Turton 5 133.33x
Hulme 4 8.36x
Liscard 4 52.08x
Plumstead 4 18.21x
St George Martyr 4 122.70x
Swansea Town 4 14.51x
Blackburn 3 4.92x
Cheddon Fitzpaine 3 1500.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 2.88x
Greenwich 3 9.76x
Minehead 3 256.41x
Southampton St Mary 3 12.05x
St Botolph Aldgate 3 113.64x
Wardleworth 3 22.90x
Bristol St Michael 2 61.54x
Hackney London 2 1.85x
Hascombe 2 689.66x
Hemel Hempstead 2 33.33x
Hendon 2 28.78x
Heston 2 31.20x
Nottingham St Mary 2 2.97x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 2 80.00x
Westoe 2 6.14x
Witheridge 2 294.12x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 2.00x
Barnes 1 25.13x
Bristol St Augustine 1 16.37x
Buckland West 1 416.67x
Cheetham 1 5.85x
Exeter St Lawrence 1 333.33x
Gloucester St Catherine 1 93.46x
Harrow 1 33.90x
Matlock 1 24.63x
Mount Bures 1 555.56x
North Molton 1 128.21x
Oldham 1 1.35x
Royal Navy 1 5.08x
Ryde 1 11.76x
St Pancras London 1 0.64x
Stourbridge 1 15.41x
Wallasey 1 68.97x
Wellington 1 23.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 12
Ann 5
Emily 5
Mary 5
Sarah 4
Susan 4
Ada 3
Alice 3
Charlotte 3
Eliza 3
Kate 3
Louisa 3
Eleonar 2
Fanny 2
Hannah 2
Jane 2
Julia 2
Leah 2
Maria 2
Agnes 1
Bessie 1
Betty 1
Caroline 1
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Celia 1
Dorothy 1
E. 1
E.A. 1
Edith 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Emmeline 1
Eva 1
Florence 1
Francis 1
Harriet 1
Hettie 1
Lily 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Margt.A. 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Maud 1
Millicent 1
Minnie 1
Rosanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 17
James 8
Charles 7
Edward 7
John 6
Thomas 6
George 5
Henry 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Frederick 3
Philip 2
Abr. 1
Abraham 1
Bertie 1
Dick 1
F. 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Henery 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
T. 1
Will.K. 1

FAQ

Rowcliffe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rowcliffe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 186 people were recorded with the Rowcliffe surname. That placed it at #13,448 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rowcliffe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 194 in 2016. That gives Rowcliffe a modern rank of #19,976.

What does the Rowcliffe surname mean?

A locative surname deriving from a place name meaning "rough cliff."

What does the Rowcliffe map show?

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