NameCensus.

UK surname

Sampford

In the 1881 census there were 115 people recorded with the Sampford surname, ranking it #18,230 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 145, ranked #24,293, down from #18,230 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Netswell, Birchanger and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Harlow, East Hertfordshire and South Hams.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sampford is 163 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.1%.

1881 census count

115

Ranked #18,230

Modern count

145

2016, ranked #24,293

Peak year

1998

163 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sampford had 115 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,230 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 145 in 2016, ranked #24,293.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 117 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Sampford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sampford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sampford 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 49 #24,448
1861 historical 84 #23,058
1881 historical 115 #18,230
1891 historical 114 #22,006
1901 historical 117 #20,830
1911 historical 109 #21,611
1997 modern 145 #21,571
1998 modern 163 #20,582
1999 modern 161 #20,868
2000 modern 154 #21,415
2001 modern 151 #21,375
2002 modern 148 #22,087
2003 modern 142 #22,460
2004 modern 137 #23,098
2005 modern 138 #22,999
2006 modern 134 #23,590
2007 modern 136 #23,708
2008 modern 132 #24,476
2009 modern 142 #23,791
2010 modern 144 #24,147
2011 modern 137 #24,716
2012 modern 142 #24,148
2013 modern 141 #24,670
2014 modern 146 #24,274
2015 modern 147 #24,036
2016 modern 145 #24,293

Geography

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Where Sampfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Netswell, Birchanger, London parishes, Ware (Ware). Hertford St John, Hertford All Saints and Elsenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Harlow, East Hertfordshire and South Hams. 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 Netswell Essex
2 Birchanger Hertfordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Ware (Ware). Hertford St John, Hertford All Saints Hertfordshire
5 Elsenham Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Harlow 008 Harlow
2 East Hertfordshire 012 East Hertfordshire
3 South Hams 006 South Hams
4 Harlow 001 Harlow
5 East Hertfordshire 013 East Hertfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sampford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sampford

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

Challenged Communities

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

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Sampford is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

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Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sampford is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sampford falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sampford is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Sampford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sampford 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. Hertfordshire leads with 50 Sampfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 64.67x.

County Total Index
Hertfordshire 50 64.67x
Essex 47 21.22x
Middlesex 10 0.89x
Surrey 4 0.73x
Kent 3 0.78x
Devon 1 0.43x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Elsenham in Essex leads with 38 Sampfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 21111.11x.

Place Total Index
Elsenham 38 21111.11x
Bishop Stortford 23 891.47x
Thorley 14 8750.00x
Ware 13 585.59x
Clerkenwell London 4 15.11x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 17.72x
West Ham 4 8.18x
Takeley 3 937.50x
Eythorne 2 1111.11x
Hanwell 2 100.50x
Limehouse London 2 16.23x
St Giles In Fields 2 51.68x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 18.69x
Stanstead 1 555.56x
Stansted Mountfitchet 1 178.57x
Woolwich 1 7.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Eliza 5
Elizabeth 5
Sarah 5
Emily 4
Alice 3
Emma 3
Susan 3
Ellen 2
Fanny 2
Jane 2
Sophia 2
Ada 1
Annie 1
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Elizabet 1
Emmar 1
Hannah 1
Lucy 1
Penuel 1
Rosina 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
George 6
Joseph 6
William 6
James 5
Henry 4
Arthur 3
Walter 3
Charles 2
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Fredrick 2
Stephen 2
Alfred 1
Dan 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
Henery 1
Mynot 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1
Wm.Thos. 1

FAQ

Sampford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sampford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 115 people were recorded with the Sampford surname. That placed it at #18,230 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sampford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 145 in 2016. That gives Sampford a modern rank of #24,293.

What does the Sampford map show?

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