NameCensus.

UK surname

Stanforth

A locational surname denoting someone hailing from Stanforth near Ripon, Yorkshire.

In the 1881 census there were 131 people recorded with the Stanforth surname, ranking it #16,824 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 263, ranked #16,210, up from #16,824 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Whitby, Pickering and Clee. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, East Riding of Yorkshire and Warwick.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stanforth is 292 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 100.8%.

1881 census count

131

Ranked #16,824

Modern count

263

2016, ranked #16,210

Peak year

1998

292 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stanforth had 131 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,824 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 263 in 2016, ranked #16,210.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 202 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Stanforth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stanforth surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stanforth 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 73 #20,581
1861 historical 97 #21,503
1881 historical 131 #16,824
1891 historical 169 #16,885
1901 historical 164 #17,144
1911 historical 202 #14,871
1997 modern 278 #14,210
1998 modern 292 #14,120
1999 modern 287 #14,374
2000 modern 285 #14,422
2001 modern 281 #14,329
2002 modern 292 #14,236
2003 modern 287 #14,219
2004 modern 261 #15,274
2005 modern 257 #15,365
2006 modern 253 #15,602
2007 modern 252 #15,815
2008 modern 253 #15,941
2009 modern 261 #15,926
2010 modern 268 #15,978
2011 modern 268 #15,843
2012 modern 261 #16,041
2013 modern 267 #16,053
2014 modern 280 #15,621
2015 modern 276 #15,673
2016 modern 263 #16,210

Geography

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Where Stanforths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Whitby, Pickering, Clee, Scarborough and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, East Riding of Yorkshire, Warwick, Newark and Sherwood and Scarborough. 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 Whitby Yorkshire, North Riding
2 Pickering Yorkshire, North Riding
3 Clee Lincolnshire
4 Scarborough Yorkshire, North Riding
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 063 Cornwall
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 019 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Warwick 007 Warwick
4 Newark and Sherwood 001 Newark and Sherwood
5 Scarborough 003 Scarborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stanforth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stanforth

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Stanforth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Stanforth household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Stanforth is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Stanforth is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Stanforth falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Stanforth

The surname Stanforth is of English origin, derived from a locational name referring to a dweller near a stone ford or crossing point over a river or stream. It is believed to have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Northumberland, where such topographical features were common.

The name is thought to have evolved from the Old English words "stan," meaning stone, and "ford," a shallow place where a river or stream can be crossed. The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be Stanforth in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire in 1273.

Historical records suggest that the Stanforth family held lands in Yorkshire and the surrounding areas as early as the 13th century. One notable reference is found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which mentions John de Stanforth as a landowner in the village of Stanforth near Barnsley.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various spellings, such as Stainforth, Stanforthe, and Staynforth, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. The Stanforth family continued to hold lands and prominence in Yorkshire, with some members serving as local officials and participating in the governance of the region.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was William Stanforth, a yeoman farmer who lived in the village of Stanforth, Yorkshire, in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Richard Stanforth (c. 1545-1616), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Doncaster, Yorkshire, who served as a bailiff and alderman in the town.

In the 17th century, the Stanforth family expanded beyond Yorkshire, with members settling in other parts of England and even venturing to the American colonies. John Stanforth (1620-1682) was an early settler in Virginia, arriving in the colony around 1650 and establishing a plantation in Surry County.

Other notable individuals with the Stanforth surname include Robert Stanforth (1761-1838), an English clergyman and author who served as a rector in Lincolnshire, and Thomas Stanforth (1818-1896), a prominent industrialist and founder of the Stanforth Iron and Steel Company in Shropshire.

Throughout its history, the Stanforth surname has been associated with various occupations, from yeomen farmers and merchants to clergymen and industrialists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who bore this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stanforth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stanforth 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. Yorkshire leads with 63 Stanforths recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.83x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 63 4.83x
Norfolk 23 11.36x
Suffolk 12 7.48x
Lancashire 11 0.70x
Nottinghamshire 5 2.82x
Warwickshire 4 1.20x
Derbyshire 3 1.46x
Channel Islands 2 5.13x
Durham 2 0.51x
Isle of Man 2 8.18x
Kent 2 0.45x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.20x
Essex 1 0.38x
Hampshire 1 0.37x
Somerset 1 0.47x
Stirlingshire 1 2.06x
Surrey 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Scarborough in Yorkshire leads with 22 Stanforths recorded in 1881 and an index of 185.50x.

Place Total Index
Scarborough 22 185.50x
Walton 12 2105.26x
East Winch 9 5000.00x
Egton 8 1403.51x
Goathland 8 3478.26x
Newholme Cum Dunsley 8 4444.44x
Heigham 6 55.20x
Bulwell 5 129.53x
Aston 4 4.37x
Gorton 4 27.23x
Skircoat 4 77.67x
Easington In Patrington 3 1764.71x
Gaywood 3 833.33x
Hulme 3 9.20x
Lythe 3 576.92x
Matlock 3 108.30x
Beckenham 2 34.07x
Billingham 2 298.51x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 7.54x
Glaisdale 2 400.00x
Liverpool 2 2.11x
Oldham 2 3.97x
Onchan 2 28.41x
Sporle With Palgrave 2 606.06x
St Helier 2 15.75x
Ugglebarnby 2 1111.11x
Altofts 1 69.44x
Chesterton 1 38.91x
Grimston 1 196.08x
Hursley 1 158.73x
Larbert 1 34.48x
Marham 1 294.12x
Richmond 1 11.12x
Saffron Walden 1 36.36x
South Lynn 1 43.86x
Weston Super Mare 1 18.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 10
Sarah 8
Mary 6
Ann 5
Hannah 5
Elizabeth 4
Eliza 3
Margaret 3
Frances 2
Isabella 2
Lucy 2
Susan 2
Agnes 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Bessie 1
Betty 1
Carline 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Clemtin 1
Elizth. 1
Emma 1
Kate 1
Luisa 1
Mabel 1
Margt. 1
May 1
Olive 1
Rebecca 1
Sara 1
Selina 1
Susanah 1
Susannah 1
Unity 1
Violetta 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
William 8
George 7
Thomas 7
Walter 3
Anthony 2
Henry 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Fredk. 1
Herbert 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Mark 1
Matthew 1
Nathan 1
Stephen 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Stanforth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stanforth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 131 people were recorded with the Stanforth surname. That placed it at #16,824 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stanforth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 263 in 2016. That gives Stanforth a modern rank of #16,210.

What does the Stanforth surname mean?

A locational surname denoting someone hailing from Stanforth near Ripon, Yorkshire.

What does the Stanforth map show?

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