NameCensus.

UK surname

Safi

An Arabic surname meaning pure, virtuous, or sincere.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Coventry, Southampton and Harrow.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Safi is 494 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

494

2016, ranked #10,067

Peak year

2016

494 bearers

Map years

2

2006 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 494 in 2016, ranked #10,067.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Multicultural Communities and Students.

Safi surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Safi surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Safi 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
1891 historical 1 #34,674
1997 modern 42 #33,459
1998 modern 48 #33,111
1999 modern 59 #32,174
2000 modern 62 #31,939
2001 modern 63 #31,693
2002 modern 87 #29,644
2003 modern 105 #26,940
2004 modern 126 #24,335
2005 modern 151 #21,667
2006 modern 163 #20,789
2007 modern 194 #18,855
2008 modern 231 #16,973
2009 modern 275 #15,349
2010 modern 332 #13,745
2011 modern 346 #13,192
2012 modern 393 #11,874
2013 modern 432 #11,210
2014 modern 476 #10,457
2015 modern 489 #10,168
2016 modern 494 #10,067

Geography

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Where Safis are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Coventry, Southampton, Harrow, Birmingham and Brent. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Coventry 027 Coventry
2 Southampton 022 Southampton
3 Harrow 012 Harrow
4 Birmingham 140 Birmingham
5 Brent 017 Brent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Safi

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Safi

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Challenged Multicultural Communities and Students

Nationally, the Safi surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Multicultural Communities and Students, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Safi household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Married couples with dependent children are common in this Group, with many parents born in Africa or the EU. The representation of residents amongst different ethnic minority groups is high, particularly for individuals of Pakistani ethnic group. For many residents, English is not their main language, and affiliation to Christian religions is less common. Privately rented terrace properties predominate and levels of overcrowding are high. Part time work is common, with many employed in elementary occupations and sales and customer services. There are also many students living within these areas, and overall unemployment levels are high.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Safi is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Safi is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Safi falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Safi is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Safi, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Safi

The surname SAFI is of Arabic origin and can be traced back to the 7th century AD, around the time of the Islamic conquests in the Middle East. The name is derived from the Arabic word "safi," which means "pure" or "sincere," and was likely used as a descriptive name or nickname for individuals with these qualities.

SAFI was initially concentrated in regions of the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in areas that are now part of modern-day Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Oman. As the Islamic Empire expanded, the name spread to other parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and eventually to other regions around the world through migration and trade.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SAFI can be found in the "Kitab al-Aghani" (Book of Songs), a 10th-century Arabic literary work compiled by Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani. The book mentions a poet and musician named Abu Bakr al-Safi, who lived in the 9th century AD.

During the medieval period, the name SAFI appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, such as the "Muqaddimah" by the renowned scholar Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406), who mentioned individuals with the surname SAFI in his writings.

In the 13th century, a prominent Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic named Shaykh Safi al-Din Ardabili (1252-1334) lived in what is now northwestern Iran. He founded the Safaviyya Sufi order, which later gave rise to the Safavid dynasty that ruled Persia (modern-day Iran) from 1501 to 1736.

Another notable figure with the surname SAFI was Ahmad al-Safi (1557-1617), a prominent Moroccan Sufi scholar and poet who lived during the Saadian dynasty in Morocco.

During the Ottoman Empire, the SAFI surname was present among Turkish and Arabic-speaking populations within the empire's territories. One example is Mehmed Emin Pasha Safi (1847-1901), an Ottoman statesman and diplomat who served as the Ottoman ambassador to several European countries.

In more recent history, Mustafa al-Safi (1930-2013) was a Syrian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Syria from 1987 to 1991.

It's important to note that while this provides an overview of the surname SAFI's origins and some historical references, the name has likely been present in various communities and regions throughout history, and its usage and distribution may have varied over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Safi surname: questions and answers

How common is the Safi surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 494 in 2016. That gives Safi a modern rank of #10,067.

What does the Safi surname mean?

An Arabic surname meaning pure, virtuous, or sincere.

What does the Safi map show?

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