UK surname
A German and Jewish occupational surname referring to a boatman or riverboat captain.
In the 1881 census there were 30 people recorded with the Schiff surname, ranking it #29,363 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 71, ranked #33,633, down from #29,363 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to St Botolph Aldgate, London parishes and St Mary Whitechapel. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Schiff is 106 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 136.7%.
1881 census count
30
Ranked #29,363
Modern count
71
2016, ranked #33,633
Peak year
1911
106 bearers
Map years
2
1901 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Schiff surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Schiff surname density by area, 1911 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 9 | #31,675 |
| 1861 | historical | 17 | #31,714 |
| 1881 | historical | 30 | #29,363 |
| 1891 | historical | 54 | #29,849 |
| 1901 | historical | 101 | #22,726 |
| 1911 | historical | 106 | #21,948 |
| 1997 | modern | 65 | #31,141 |
| 1998 | modern | 78 | #30,192 |
| 1999 | modern | 79 | #30,243 |
| 2000 | modern | 83 | #29,809 |
| 2001 | modern | 77 | #30,277 |
| 2002 | modern | 78 | #30,601 |
| 2003 | modern | 68 | #31,689 |
| 2004 | modern | 67 | #31,976 |
| 2005 | modern | 68 | #32,097 |
| 2006 | modern | 66 | #32,629 |
| 2007 | modern | 67 | #32,871 |
| 2008 | modern | 63 | #33,498 |
| 2009 | modern | 66 | #33,538 |
| 2010 | modern | 68 | #33,632 |
| 2011 | modern | 66 | #33,768 |
| 2012 | modern | 64 | #34,028 |
| 2013 | modern | 72 | #33,631 |
| 2014 | modern | 71 | #33,717 |
| 2015 | modern | 67 | #33,911 |
| 2016 | modern | 71 | #33,633 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around St Botolph Aldgate, London parishes, St Mary Whitechapel and Paddington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Botolph Aldgate | London (Central Districts) |
| 2 | London parishes | London 1 |
| 3 | St Mary Whitechapel | London (East Districts) |
| 4 | Paddington | London (West Districts) |
| 5 | London parishes | London 3 |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Schiff surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Schiff, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Schiff surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Schiff household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Schiff is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Schiff is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Schiff, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Schiff originated in Germany and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Schiff," which means "ship." The name was likely given to someone who worked on ships or lived near a port or waterway.
In the 13th century, the name Schiff appeared in various records and documents from the region that is now modern-day Germany. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in the town of Mainz, where a man named Johannes Schiff was mentioned in a legal document dated 1276.
The Schiff family was prominent in the city of Hamburg, where they were involved in maritime trade and commerce. In the 16th century, a wealthy merchant named Heinrich Schiff was a respected figure in the city's business community.
During the 17th century, the name Schiff appeared in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Rhineland. One notable figure from this time was Johann Schiff, a Lutheran theologian born in Nuremberg in 1624.
In the 18th century, the Schiff family had a presence in the city of Frankfurt, where they were involved in the banking and finance industry. Johann Philipp Schiff, born in 1720, was a prominent banker and financier in the city.
As the name Schiff spread across Germany, it also found its way to other parts of Europe. In the 19th century, there were Schiff families living in Austria, Switzerland, and even as far as Russia. One famous bearer of the name was the Austrian composer Franz Schiff, born in Vienna in 1819.
Throughout history, the Schiff surname has been associated with various professions, including merchants, bankers, academics, and artists. Notable individuals with the surname include the American political scientist Walter Schiff (1901-1984), the German-born American publisher Jacob Schiff (1847-1920), and the English actor and director Andrew Schiff (born 1969).
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Schiff surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 23 Schiffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.86x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 23 | 7.86x |
| Lancashire | 4 | 1.15x |
| Kent | 1 | 1.00x |
| Sussex | 1 | 2.03x |
| Yorkshire | 1 | 0.35x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 8 Schiffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 48.81x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Hackney London | 8 | 48.81x |
| Liverpool | 4 | 18.98x |
| Cranford | 3 | 6000.00x |
| Shoreditch London | 3 | 23.66x |
| Westminster St James | 3 | 99.67x |
| Hillingdon | 2 | 215.05x |
| St George Hanover | 2 | 52.36x |
| St Pancras London | 2 | 8.50x |
| Hove | 1 | 46.30x |
| Kingstonupon Hull | 1 | 434.78x |
| Lewisham | 1 | 18.80x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Schiff surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Schiff surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Schiff households.
FAQ
In 1881, 30 people were recorded with the Schiff surname. That placed it at #29,363 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 71 in 2016. That gives Schiff a modern rank of #33,633.
A German and Jewish occupational surname referring to a boatman or riverboat captain.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Schiff bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.