NameCensus.

UK surname

Sandford

A locational surname derived from various places in England meaning "sand ford," referring to a sandy river crossing.

In the 1881 census there were 2,119 people recorded with the Sandford surname, ranking it #2,085 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,178, ranked #2,140, down from #2,085 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Coker, West and Blackburn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wyre Forest, Babergh and Tandridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sandford is 3,259 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.0%.

1881 census count

2,119

Ranked #2,085

Modern count

3,178

2016, ranked #2,140

Peak year

2002

3,259 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sandford had 2,119 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,085 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,178 in 2016, ranked #2,140.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,668 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sandford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sandford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sandford 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 1,383 #2,069
1861 historical 1,391 #2,062
1881 historical 2,119 #2,085
1891 historical 2,237 #2,084
1901 historical 2,586 #2,126
1911 historical 2,668 #1,932
1997 modern 3,064 #2,097
1998 modern 3,196 #2,102
1999 modern 3,253 #2,076
2000 modern 3,238 #2,074
2001 modern 3,189 #2,067
2002 modern 3,259 #2,065
2003 modern 3,186 #2,064
2004 modern 3,120 #2,099
2005 modern 3,068 #2,111
2006 modern 3,081 #2,100
2007 modern 3,090 #2,119
2008 modern 3,117 #2,121
2009 modern 3,149 #2,144
2010 modern 3,230 #2,137
2011 modern 3,131 #2,177
2012 modern 3,089 #2,165
2013 modern 3,172 #2,155
2014 modern 3,222 #2,141
2015 modern 3,175 #2,147
2016 modern 3,178 #2,140

Geography

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Where Sandfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Coker, West, Blackburn and Kirkburton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wyre Forest, Babergh, Tandridge, Glenwood South and Teignbridge. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Coker, West Somerset
3 London parishes London 3
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 Kirkburton Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wyre Forest 013 Wyre Forest
2 Babergh 007 Babergh
3 Tandridge 003 Tandridge
4 Glenwood South Glasgow City
5 Teignbridge 004 Teignbridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sandford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sandford

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Sandford 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.

Read profile summary

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

Sandford is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Sandford

The surname Sandford originates from England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "sand" and "ford," referring to a sandy ford or a shallow crossing over a river or stream. This suggests that the name may have originally been borne by individuals who lived near such a location.

The Sandford surname is closely associated with various place names in England, including Sandford in Berkshire, Sandford in Devon, Sandford in Shropshire, and Sandford in Westmoreland (now Cumbria). These place names likely influenced the development and spread of the surname.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1221, which mention a John de Sandford. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 record a William de Sandford in Oxfordshire.

Notable individuals with the Sandford surname throughout history include Sir Ralph Sandford (c. 1400-1459), a prominent English landowner and member of Parliament during the Wars of the Roses. Another notable figure was Sir Daniel Sandford (1598-1668), an English lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Long Parliament during the English Civil War.

In the literary world, Daniel Sandford (1766-1830) was an English clergyman and author known for his biographical works, including "The Life of John Colet" and "The Life of George Phillpott."

Moving forward in time, Sir Herbert Sandford (1826-1892) was a British army officer who served in the Crimean War and later became a Member of Parliament.

Lastly, Ralph Ayres Sandford (1855-1941) was an American lawyer and author who wrote extensively on legal topics and served as a judge in New York.

These examples illustrate the rich history and widespread presence of the Sandford surname across various fields and time periods, reflecting its enduring English origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sandford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sandford 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 211 Sandfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.01x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 211 1.01x
Lancashire 190 0.77x
Yorkshire 179 0.87x
Surrey 156 1.54x
Kent 155 2.18x
Devon 140 3.23x
Somerset 127 3.79x
Essex 85 2.07x
Gloucestershire 80 1.96x
Worcestershire 74 2.72x
Warwickshire 63 1.20x
Berkshire 47 3.01x
Herefordshire 46 5.39x
Suffolk 45 1.78x
Cambridgeshire 43 3.26x
Norfolk 42 1.31x
Cheshire 41 0.89x
Hampshire 41 0.96x
Staffordshire 39 0.56x
Lanarkshire 37 0.55x
Shropshire 32 1.78x
Dorset 22 1.61x
Wigtownshire 22 7.97x
Northamptonshire 19 0.97x
Sussex 19 0.54x
Glamorgan 18 0.50x
Derbyshire 17 0.52x
Wiltshire 16 0.87x
Buckinghamshire 12 0.95x
Hertfordshire 12 0.84x
Northumberland 11 0.36x
Ayrshire 10 0.64x
Midlothian 10 0.36x
Westmorland 10 2.19x
Isle of Man 9 2.33x
Lincolnshire 9 0.27x
Renfrewshire 9 0.56x
Huntingdonshire 6 1.45x
Cumberland 3 0.17x
Durham 3 0.05x
Monmouthshire 3 0.20x
Bedfordshire 2 0.19x
Channel Islands 2 0.32x
Cornwall 2 0.08x
Flintshire 2 0.36x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.07x
Oxfordshire 2 0.16x
Anglesey 1 0.27x
Argyllshire 1 0.17x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.11x
Denbighshire 1 0.13x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.15x
Royal Navy 1 0.40x
Rutland 1 0.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wooldale in Yorkshire leads with 47 Sandfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 134.48x.

Place Total Index
Wooldale 47 134.48x
Ecclesall Bierlow 38 9.07x
Blackburn 33 5.03x
West Coker 32 469.90x
Milton In Gravesend 29 27.25x
Aston 26 1.80x
Deptford St Paul 26 4.75x
Great Torrington 25 101.83x
Newington 25 3.25x
Birmingham 24 1.37x
Bethnal Green London 23 2.55x
Bromsgrove 23 25.16x
Cartworth 19 111.50x
Headcorn 19 178.74x
St George Hanover 19 7.00x
Lambeth 18 0.99x
Barony 17 1.00x
Edmonton 16 9.55x
Little Waldingfield 16 540.54x
Liverpool 16 1.07x
Warkworth 16 90.86x
Lydney 15 71.23x
Stoke St Gregory 15 147.49x
Toxteth Park 15 1.80x
St Pancras London 14 0.84x
Stansted Mountfitchet 14 135.00x
West Ham 14 1.54x
Graveley 13 878.38x
Manchester 13 1.17x
Burghill 12 124.10x
Camberwell 12 0.90x
Coveney 12 345.82x
Dorking 12 17.64x
Dunsfold 12 218.18x
Islington London 12 0.60x
Portsea 12 1.44x
St Luke London 12 3.60x
Glasserton 11 128.50x
Hammersmith London 11 2.15x
Stoneykirk 11 55.70x
Woolwich 11 4.20x
Aylesbury 10 17.95x
Ballantrae 10 97.18x
Clerkenwell London 10 2.04x
Colyton 10 60.17x
East Brent 10 197.63x
Golcar 10 18.35x
Govan 10 0.60x
Great Waldingfield 10 239.23x
Parr 10 11.33x
Penarth 10 28.26x
Sheffield 10 1.52x
Southwark St Saviour 10 9.36x
Stockport 10 4.23x
Worcester Blockhouse 10 67.07x
Aylesford 9 45.78x
Bedminster 9 2.86x
Belchamp Walter 9 205.01x
Bishop Stortford 9 18.80x
Burslem 9 4.48x
Cranleigh 9 60.69x
Dartmouth St Saviour 9 72.76x
Dymock 9 92.59x
Evenlode 9 468.75x
Marston Sicca 9 344.83x
Norwood 9 18.93x
Oxton 9 34.67x
Tormoham 9 4.91x
Alverstoke 8 5.18x
Barrow In Furness 8 2.38x
Curry Rivell 8 71.43x
East Greenock 8 5.26x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 8 0.71x
Great Yarmouth 8 3.02x
Leyland 8 18.64x
Marden 8 133.56x
Plumstead 8 3.38x
Shoreditch London 8 0.89x
Wokingham 8 22.45x
Woodborough 8 282.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 125
Elizabeth 78
Sarah 65
Ann 40
Jane 37
Emma 35
Eliza 32
Ellen 32
Alice 30
Emily 30
Annie 26
Harriet 21
Hannah 20
Margaret 18
Martha 18
Caroline 15
Edith 15
Maria 15
Charlotte 14
Fanny 14
Ada 13
Frances 12
Kate 11
Catherine 10
Lydia 9
Susan 9
Eleanor 8
Louisa 8
Lucy 8
Anna 7
Sophia 7
Agnes 6
Amy 6
Anne 6
Clara 6
Elizth. 6
Florence 6
Harriett 6
Maud 6
Esther 5
Rachel 5
Rebecca 5
Rose 5
Isabella 4
Jessie 4
Julia 4
Lilly 4
Lizzie 4
Minnie 4
Ruth 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 121
John 107
George 84
James 67
Thomas 66
Henry 60
Charles 43
Richard 24
Joseph 23
Frederick 22
Alfred 21
Edward 20
Walter 20
Harry 17
Albert 16
Samuel 16
Robert 15
Arthur 13
Francis 10
Herbert 10
David 9
Ernest 9
Wm. 9
Edwin 8
Fred 8
Thos. 8
Tom 7
Fredrick 6
Stephen 6
Abraham 5
Frank 5
Isaac 5
Mark 5
Jno. 4
Josiah 4
Percy 4
Willie 4
Chas. 3
Edgar 3
Folliott 3
Hy. 3
Job 3
Louis 3
Alexander 2
Daniel 2
Frederic 2
Lenard 2
Nathan 2
Sam 2
Wm.Yates 2

FAQ

Sandford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sandford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,119 people were recorded with the Sandford surname. That placed it at #2,085 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sandford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,178 in 2016. That gives Sandford a modern rank of #2,140.

What does the Sandford surname mean?

A locational surname derived from various places in England meaning "sand ford," referring to a sandy river crossing.

What does the Sandford map show?

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