NameCensus.

UK surname

Shafi

An Arabic surname derived from the word "shafi" meaning "healer" or "curer".

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Maxwell Park, Birmingham and Blackburn with Darwen.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shafi is 1,212 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

1,175

2016, ranked #5,053

Peak year

2014

1,212 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,175 in 2016, ranked #5,053.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Multicultural Communities and Students.

Shafi surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shafi surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Shafi 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
1911 historical 1 #34,332
1997 modern 791 #6,593
1998 modern 857 #6,397
1999 modern 866 #6,389
2000 modern 869 #6,341
2001 modern 860 #6,285
2002 modern 937 #6,003
2003 modern 908 #6,043
2004 modern 973 #5,723
2005 modern 981 #5,631
2006 modern 1,025 #5,450
2007 modern 1,091 #5,222
2008 modern 1,113 #5,171
2009 modern 1,150 #5,140
2010 modern 1,202 #5,037
2011 modern 1,196 #4,998
2012 modern 1,201 #4,911
2013 modern 1,193 #5,012
2014 modern 1,212 #4,972
2015 modern 1,190 #5,008
2016 modern 1,175 #5,053

Geography

Back to top

Where Shafis 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 Maxwell Park, Birmingham, Blackburn with Darwen 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 Maxwell Park Glasgow City
2 Birmingham 052 Birmingham
3 Blackburn with Darwen 004 Blackburn with Darwen
4 Brent 013 Brent
5 Birmingham 055 Birmingham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Shafi

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Shafi

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

Shafi 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

Shafi falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Shafi 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 Shafi, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Shafi

The surname SHAFI is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in the Persian regions of modern-day Iran and Afghanistan. Its roots can be traced back to the 9th century AD, during the Islamic Golden Age.

The name SHAFI is derived from the Arabic word "Shafi'i," which refers to one of the four major schools of Islamic jurisprudence founded by the scholar Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i (767-820 AD). This school of thought, known as the Shafi'i madhhab, gained widespread acceptance and influenced various aspects of Islamic culture and society.

Historical records indicate that the name SHAFI first appeared in manuscripts and documents related to Islamic scholarship and legal texts from the 9th and 10th centuries AD. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the works of the renowned Persian polymath, Al-Biruni (973-1048 AD), who mentions individuals bearing the surname SHAFI in his writings on Islamic jurisprudence and astronomy.

As the influence of the Shafi'i school of thought spread across various regions, the surname SHAFI also gained prominence. In the 11th century, the name is mentioned in records from the Seljuk Empire, which ruled over parts of Central Asia, Iran, and Anatolia.

Notable individuals who bore the surname SHAFI include Abu Bakr al-Shafi'i (d. 976 AD), a prominent Islamic scholar and jurist from Baghdad; Muhammad al-Shafi'i (d. 1088 AD), a renowned poet and literary figure from Isfahan, Iran; and Yahya al-Shafi'i (d. 1299 AD), a Sufi mystic and scholar from Shiraz, Iran.

During the 13th century, the name SHAFI appeared in records from the Delhi Sultanate in northern India, indicating the spread of the surname to the Indian subcontinent. One notable figure from this period was Qazi Shafi (d. 1292 AD), a respected jurist and scholar who served under the Delhi Sultan Ghiyas ud din Balban.

In more recent times, the surname SHAFI has been associated with several influential figures, such as Muhammad Shafi (1858-1936), a renowned Islamic scholar and reviver of the Deobandi movement in British India, and Maulana Shafi Deobandi (1892-1976), a prominent Islamic scholar and founder of the Darul Uloom Deoband seminary in India.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Shafi surname: questions and answers

How common is the Shafi surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,175 in 2016. That gives Shafi a modern rank of #5,053.

What does the Shafi surname mean?

An Arabic surname derived from the word "shafi" meaning "healer" or "curer".

What does the Shafi map show?

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