NameCensus.

UK surname

Rumford

An English locational surname referring to someone from Romford or Rumford, locations in Essex and Hampshire.

In the 1881 census there were 118 people recorded with the Rumford surname, ranking it #17,935 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 181, ranked #20,955, down from #17,935 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Middleham, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Selby, Bury and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rumford is 215 in 2003. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.4%.

1881 census count

118

Ranked #17,935

Modern count

181

2016, ranked #20,955

Peak year

2003

215 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rumford had 118 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,935 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 181 in 2016, ranked #20,955.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 161 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rumford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rumford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rumford 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 100 #17,164
1861 historical 97 #21,503
1881 historical 118 #17,935
1891 historical 123 #20,939
1901 historical 141 #18,718
1911 historical 161 #17,072
1997 modern 196 #17,859
1998 modern 208 #17,693
1999 modern 211 #17,662
2000 modern 206 #17,880
2001 modern 198 #18,047
2002 modern 207 #17,911
2003 modern 215 #17,286
2004 modern 207 #17,821
2005 modern 204 #17,893
2006 modern 205 #18,005
2007 modern 205 #18,194
2008 modern 209 #18,114
2009 modern 213 #18,284
2010 modern 214 #18,601
2011 modern 203 #19,098
2012 modern 191 #19,802
2013 modern 190 #20,201
2014 modern 187 #20,570
2015 modern 188 #20,417
2016 modern 181 #20,955

Geography

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Where Rumfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Middleham, London parishes, St Pancras, Workington (Workington), Clossocks and Gateshead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Selby, Bury, Wakefield, St Albans and South Northamptonshire. 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 Middleham Yorkshire, North Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Workington (Workington), Clossocks Cumberland
5 Gateshead Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Selby 004 Selby
2 Bury 001 Bury
3 Wakefield 034 Wakefield
4 St Albans 019 St Albans
5 South Northamptonshire 006 South Northamptonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rumford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rumford

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Rumford is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Rumford 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

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

Meaning and origin of Rumford

The surname Rumford originates from England and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from a place called Romford, now known as Romford in Essex. The name is thought to come from the Old English words "rum" meaning "spacious" and "ford" meaning a shallow crossing of a river.

Some of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in old tax rolls and charters from the 13th century. One such record is the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1240, which lists a Roger de Rumford. Another early reference is in the Pipe Rolls of Hertfordshire in 1273, which mentions a John de Romford.

The name Rumford can also be found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Romfort" and "Romefort". This suggests that the name was already established in various spellings by the time of the Norman Conquest.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Rumford name was Sir Robert Rumford, who lived in the late 13th century and was a knight of Essex. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Rumford (1453-1508), who was Lord Mayor of London in 1506.

In the 16th century, the surname appears in various records related to the town of Romford itself, such as the Romford Churchwardens' Accounts from 1564. This suggests that the name was closely associated with the area from which it derived.

Other notable individuals with the surname Rumford include Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford (1753-1814), an American-born scientist and inventor who made significant contributions to the study of heat and thermal efficiency. William Rumford (1786-1859) was a British artist and engraver, known for his landscape paintings and etchings.

Throughout history, the surname Rumford has also been recorded with variations in spelling, such as Romford, Romeford, and Rumforth, reflecting the evolution of language and regional dialects over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rumford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rumford 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 39 Rumfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.42x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 39 3.42x
Durham 25 7.30x
Middlesex 19 1.65x
Nottinghamshire 11 7.09x
Derbyshire 5 2.77x
Lincolnshire 5 2.72x
Warwickshire 5 1.72x
Northumberland 4 2.34x
Lancashire 2 0.15x
Ayrshire 1 1.16x
Hampshire 1 0.42x
Sussex 1 0.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Middleham in Yorkshire leads with 10 Rumfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 3125.00x.

Place Total Index
Middleham 10 3125.00x
Scarborough 10 96.53x
Darlington 9 68.08x
Falsgrave 7 416.67x
Southwell 7 619.47x
Westminster St James 7 59.17x
Bishopwearmouth 6 20.42x
Hunslet 6 33.73x
Tunstall 6 352.94x
Coventry St Michael 5 53.65x
Dronfield 5 216.45x
East Ferry 5 8333.33x
Hampstead London 5 27.89x
East Retford 4 296.30x
St George Hanover 4 26.63x
Crossgate 2 133.33x
Exelby Leeming Newton 2 740.74x
Skelton In Guisbrough 2 64.72x
St Pancras London 2 2.16x
Westoe 2 10.30x
Broadwater 1 22.47x
Dalmellington 1 39.53x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 4.31x
Great Ayton 1 142.86x
Milton 1 169.49x
North Shields 1 29.24x
Salford 1 2.49x
South Gosforth 1 500.00x
St Marylebone London 1 1.63x
Toxteth Park 1 2.16x
Tynemouth 1 10.91x
Westgate 1 9.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Elizabeth 6
Annie 3
Fanny 3
Margaret 3
Sarah 3
Catherine 2
Elizbett 2
Ethel 2
Jane 2
Ann 1
Betsy 1
E.Maria 1
Eliza 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Frances 1
Franie 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Laura 1
Lilley 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
M.Jane 1
Mabel 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Martha 1
Vaughan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
Robert 6
Thomas 6
William 6
George 5
Charles 4
James 3
Christopher 2
Cuthbert 2
Isaac 2
Wm. 2
Albert 1
Augustine 1
Bernard 1
Bridget 1
Hector 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Jabez 1
Jno. 1
Joseph 1
Latham 1
Raden 1
Sam 1
Timothey 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Rumford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rumford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 118 people were recorded with the Rumford surname. That placed it at #17,935 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rumford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 181 in 2016. That gives Rumford a modern rank of #20,955.

What does the Rumford surname mean?

An English locational surname referring to someone from Romford or Rumford, locations in Essex and Hampshire.

What does the Rumford map show?

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