NameCensus.

UK surname

Sandiford

Habitational name from Sandford, various place names derived from Old English meaning "sandy ford".

In the 1881 census there were 801 people recorded with the Sandiford surname, ranking it #4,649 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,107, ranked #5,309, down from #4,649 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Radcliffe and Bury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton, Tameside and Rochdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sandiford is 1,155 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.2%.

1881 census count

801

Ranked #4,649

Modern count

1,107

2016, ranked #5,309

Peak year

2010

1,155 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sandiford had 801 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,649 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,107 in 2016, ranked #5,309.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,044 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Sandiford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sandiford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sandiford 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 486 #5,133
1861 historical 422 #6,086
1881 historical 801 #4,649
1891 historical 889 #4,632
1901 historical 1,037 #4,615
1911 historical 1,044 #4,400
1997 modern 1,057 #5,249
1998 modern 1,107 #5,230
1999 modern 1,096 #5,295
2000 modern 1,085 #5,322
2001 modern 1,089 #5,215
2002 modern 1,102 #5,263
2003 modern 1,100 #5,181
2004 modern 1,113 #5,135
2005 modern 1,104 #5,111
2006 modern 1,098 #5,150
2007 modern 1,092 #5,216
2008 modern 1,110 #5,180
2009 modern 1,125 #5,218
2010 modern 1,155 #5,220
2011 modern 1,129 #5,253
2012 modern 1,079 #5,375
2013 modern 1,107 #5,344
2014 modern 1,115 #5,332
2015 modern 1,105 #5,332
2016 modern 1,107 #5,309

Geography

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Where Sandifords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Radcliffe, Bury, Glossop and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton, Tameside and Rochdale. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Radcliffe Lancashire
3 Bury Lancashire
4 Glossop Derbyshire
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 012 Bolton
2 Tameside 018 Tameside
3 Tameside 011 Tameside
4 Rochdale 018 Rochdale
5 Bolton 003 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sandiford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sandiford

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sandiford, 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 Sandiford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Sandiford household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Sandiford is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sandiford is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sandiford falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sandiford 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
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Sandiford

The surname Sandiford is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "sand" meaning sand and "ford" meaning a shallow place where a river can be crossed. It likely originated in the medieval period as a locational name for someone who lived near a sandy ford or river crossing.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, where it is listed as Sandeford. Other early spellings include Sandfurthe, Sandyfurth, and Sandiforde. The surname is most commonly associated with the counties of Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Cheshire in northern England.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several references to places with similar names, such as Sandforde in Oxfordshire and Sanford in Somerset, suggesting that the name was already established in various parts of England at that time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was John de Sandiford, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332. Another notable historical figure was Robert Sandiford, a merchant from York who was granted a coat of arms in 1562.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the English colonization of Virginia, with John Sandiford being listed as one of the early settlers in the Jamestown colony in 1607.

Other notable individuals with the surname include:

1. Thomas Sandiford (1677-1757), an English Quaker minister and writer from Lancashire. 2. Ralph Sandiford (1693-1741), an English mathematician and surveyor who worked in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 3. John Sandiford (1798-1881), an English-born Australian pastoralist and landowner in New South Wales. 4. Peter Sandiford (1842-1919), a British engineer and inventor who patented improvements to steam engines and pumps. 5. Charles Sandiford (1858-1928), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

While the name Sandiford is not among the most common surnames, it has a long and rich history, reflecting the geographic origins and occupations of its earliest bearers in medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sandiford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sandiford 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. Lancashire leads with 603 Sandifords recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.50x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 603 6.50x
Derbyshire 42 3.43x
Cheshire 35 2.03x
Middlesex 29 0.37x
Somerset 20 1.59x
Surrey 16 0.42x
Essex 10 0.65x
Yorkshire 9 0.12x
Renfrewshire 8 1.32x
Warwickshire 6 0.30x
Devon 5 0.31x
Hampshire 3 0.19x
Northumberland 3 0.26x
Dorset 2 0.39x
Royal Navy 2 2.15x
Shropshire 2 0.30x
Staffordshire 2 0.08x
Sussex 2 0.15x
Oxfordshire 1 0.21x
Suffolk 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Radcliffe in Lancashire leads with 98 Sandifords recorded in 1881 and an index of 219.29x.

Place Total Index
Radcliffe 98 219.29x
Pilkington 73 207.27x
Oldham 35 11.70x
Tottington Lower End 32 72.63x
Everton 20 6.77x
Heap 19 38.63x
Bury 18 17.00x
Preston 18 7.26x
Dukinfield 16 20.08x
Glossop Dale 16 27.93x
Elton 15 46.83x
Salford 15 5.50x
Bradford 13 29.95x
Castleton 13 14.04x
Denton 13 63.26x
Hayfield 12 160.00x
Moss Side 12 24.60x
Ashton Under Lyne 11 5.43x
Caterham 11 65.36x
Hapton 11 189.66x
Barton Upon Irwell 10 14.33x
Farnworth 10 18.00x
Middleton In Oldham 10 35.97x
Tonge 9 46.27x
Droylsden 8 26.45x
Hulme 8 4.13x
Kearsley 8 41.00x
Westminster St John 8 8.41x
Wigan 8 6.17x
Beard 7 175.88x
Blackley 7 43.08x
Broughton In Salford 7 8.26x
Chorlton On Medlock 7 4.75x
Erskine 7 159.09x
Halliwell 7 20.75x
Little Bolton 7 5.87x
Mellor 7 210.84x
Mottram 7 89.63x
Pendleton In Salford 7 6.34x
St George Hanover 7 6.86x
West Ham 7 2.06x
Atherton 6 17.78x
Chorley 6 11.53x
East Chinnock 6 387.10x
Great Bolton 6 4.89x
Islington London 6 0.79x
Prestwich 6 25.94x
Aston 5 0.92x
Brightside Bierlow 5 3.29x
East Brent 5 263.16x
Little Heaton 5 226.24x
Liverpool 5 0.89x
Newchurch 5 6.59x
Newton 5 187.27x
Newton In Ashton Under 5 29.38x
Birtle Cum Bamford 4 66.12x
St Margaret Pattens 4 2352.94x
Alkrington 3 294.12x
Buckland St Mary 3 184.05x
Hardington Mandeville 3 177.51x
Lambeth 3 0.44x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 2.39x
Wallsend 3 8.14x
Battersea 2 0.70x
Brighton 2 0.75x
Butterworth 2 8.85x
Cheetham 2 2.89x
Dawlish 2 16.49x
Kinnerley 2 62.31x
Leyton 2 7.53x
Martock 2 24.45x
Royal Navy 2 2.51x
Rusholme 2 8.09x
Ryme Instrinsica 2 370.37x
St Pancras London 2 0.32x
Stoke Upon Trent 2 0.72x
Stretford 2 3.92x
Wardleworth 2 3.78x
West Derby 2 0.74x
Withington 2 6.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 72
Sarah 35
Elizabeth 32
Alice 25
Martha 20
Eliza 17
Ellen 14
Ann 13
Emma 13
Hannah 10
Jane 10
Margaret 9
Clara 7
Rachel 7
Annie 6
Nancy 6
Ada 5
Betty 5
Edith 5
Esther 5
Susan 5
Emily 4
Marian 4
Agnes 3
Catherine 3
Eleanor 3
Elizth. 3
Fanny 3
Florence 3
Kate 3
Rebecca 3
Amy 2
Charlotte 2
Edna 2
Frances 2
Georgina 2
Gertrude 2
Harriet 2
Helen 2
Louisa 2
Lydia 2
May 2
Selina 2
Blanch 1
Bridget 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizh.Ann 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 55
James 42
William 42
Charles 20
Samuel 19
Thomas 18
Joseph 16
George 15
Henry 12
Edward 7
Robert 7
Albert 6
Harry 6
Thos. 6
Peter 5
Richard 5
Benjamin 4
David 4
Walter 4
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Emanuel 3
Frederick 3
Jonathan 3
Nathan 3
Simeon 3
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Jesse 2
Jno. 2
Levi 2
Robt. 2
Tom 2
Alexr. 1
Anthony 1
Chas 1
Hadrian 1
Herbert 1
Hubert 1
Hugh 1
Isiah 1
Louis 1
Mary 1
Nathaniel 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Rd. 1
Wm.Thos. 1

FAQ

Sandiford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sandiford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 801 people were recorded with the Sandiford surname. That placed it at #4,649 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sandiford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,107 in 2016. That gives Sandiford a modern rank of #5,309.

What does the Sandiford surname mean?

Habitational name from Sandford, various place names derived from Old English meaning "sandy ford".

What does the Sandiford map show?

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