NameCensus.

UK surname

Saffery

An English and French surname derived from the Old French word "safren" meaning saffron.

In the 1881 census there were 116 people recorded with the Saffery surname, ranking it #18,126 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 187, ranked #20,488, down from #18,126 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Minster, London parishes and Margate. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Craven, Shepway and Thanet.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Saffery is 192 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 61.2%.

1881 census count

116

Ranked #18,126

Modern count

187

2016, ranked #20,488

Peak year

1911

192 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Saffery had 116 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,126 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 187 in 2016, ranked #20,488.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 192 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Saffery surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Saffery surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Saffery 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 99 #17,294
1861 historical 91 #22,206
1881 historical 116 #18,126
1891 historical 174 #16,520
1901 historical 139 #18,876
1911 historical 192 #15,342
1997 modern 171 #19,438
1998 modern 176 #19,584
1999 modern 186 #19,073
2000 modern 176 #19,698
2001 modern 175 #19,484
2002 modern 188 #19,012
2003 modern 190 #18,683
2004 modern 187 #18,993
2005 modern 188 #18,866
2006 modern 185 #19,204
2007 modern 187 #19,271
2008 modern 183 #19,735
2009 modern 189 #19,727
2010 modern 188 #20,235
2011 modern 186 #20,217
2012 modern 176 #20,915
2013 modern 179 #21,028
2014 modern 186 #20,664
2015 modern 183 #20,786
2016 modern 187 #20,488

Geography

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Where Safferys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Minster, London parishes, Margate and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Craven, Shepway, Thanet, West Somerset and Auchterarder. 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 Minster Kent
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Margate Kent
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Craven 003 Craven
2 Shepway 011 Shepway
3 Thanet 003 Thanet
4 West Somerset 002 West Somerset
5 Auchterarder Perth and Kinross

Forenames

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First names often paired with Saffery

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Saffery

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

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Saffery surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Saffery household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Saffery 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

Saffery is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Saffery falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Saffery

The surname Saffery is of English origin, with its earliest recorded examples dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old French word "saffraner," which means "to dye with saffron." This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname for someone who dyed or traded in saffron, a valuable spice and dye extracted from the crocus flower.

In the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a record of landowners from 1273, there is an entry for a John le Saffroner, indicating the presence of the name in medieval England. The name also appears in various other medieval records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mention a Richard le Safroner.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Saffery was John Saffery, who was born in Gloucestershire, England, in the late 15th century. He was a merchant and landowner, and his family's coat of arms is documented in the Visitation of Gloucestershire in 1623.

In the 16th century, the name Saffery was found in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Oxfordshire. Notable individuals from this period include William Saffery, a yeoman farmer from Oxfordshire who was born around 1520, and Thomas Saffery, a wealthy merchant from Gloucestershire who lived in the late 1500s.

During the 17th century, the name Saffery continued to be present in various parts of England, with several individuals holding positions of importance. One such person was John Saffery, who was born in Gloucestershire in 1625 and served as a member of Parliament for the town of Tewkesbury.

As the centuries progressed, the Saffery name spread to other parts of the English-speaking world, with some members of the family emigrating to countries like the United States and Canada. One notable figure from the 19th century was Benjamin Saffery, an English-born architect who lived in New Zealand and was responsible for designing several notable buildings in the city of Auckland.

Throughout its history, the surname Saffery has been associated with various occupations, including merchants, farmers, and professionals. While the name may have originated from a connection to the saffron trade, it has taken on a broader significance and spread across different regions and cultures over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Saffery families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Saffery 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 69 Safferys recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.51x.

County Total Index
Kent 69 18.51x
Middlesex 25 2.29x
Surrey 4 0.75x
Devon 3 1.32x
Hertfordshire 3 3.98x
Norfolk 2 1.19x
Nottinghamshire 2 1.36x
Glamorgan 1 0.53x
Hampshire 1 0.45x
Lancashire 1 0.08x
Sussex 1 0.54x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Minster In Sheppey in Kent leads with 11 Safferys recorded in 1881 and an index of 178.28x.

Place Total Index
Minster In Sheppey 11 178.28x
St Pancras London 11 12.51x
Margate St John Baptist 9 131.96x
Canterbury All Sts 8 6153.85x
Chislet 8 1904.76x
Stourmouth 8 6666.67x
Shoreditch London 6 12.67x
Blean 5 1923.08x
Canterbury St Mary 5 200.00x
Folkestone 5 69.16x
Hackney London 4 6.53x
Broxbourne 3 201.34x
Ilfracombe 3 128.21x
Newington 3 7.43x
Erith 2 54.50x
Gillingham 2 26.04x
Great Yarmouth 2 14.38x
Newark Upon Trent 2 37.81x
Sandwich St Clement 2 645.16x
Acton 1 15.63x
Ashford 1 27.55x
Birchington 1 192.31x
Cardiff St Mary 1 9.54x
Christchurch 1 20.62x
Croydon 1 3.39x
Hastings Holy Trinity 1 73.53x
Preston Next Wingham 1 588.24x
St Andrew Holborn 1 27.03x
St George In East 1 13.46x
St Marylebone London 1 1.71x
Walton On Hill 1 14.25x
Wickhambreux 1 555.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 8
Mary 6
Emily 4
Emma 4
Ann 2
Elizabeth 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Maud 2
Rosa 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Bertha 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Evelyn 1
Fanney 1
Francis 1
Harriet 1
Jane 1
Jemima 1
Kate 1
Katie 1
Louisa 1
Lousia 1
Mable 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Mercy 1
Rosetta 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
William 7
Henry 5
James 3
Robert 3
Charles 2
Edward 2
George 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Abram 1
Albert 1
Bertie 1
Denham 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Jas.H. 1
Joseph 1
Richard 1
Stephen 1
Theodore 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Saffery surname: questions and answers

How common was the Saffery surname in 1881?

In 1881, 116 people were recorded with the Saffery surname. That placed it at #18,126 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Saffery surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 187 in 2016. That gives Saffery a modern rank of #20,488.

What does the Saffery surname mean?

An English and French surname derived from the Old French word "safren" meaning saffron.

What does the Saffery map show?

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