NameCensus.

UK surname

Strafford

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "straight ford" or "straight crossing."

In the 1881 census there were 440 people recorded with the Strafford surname, ranking it #7,440 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 548, ranked #9,309, down from #7,440 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, Sheffield and Sculcoates. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Kingston upon Hull and Charnwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Strafford is 595 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.5%.

1881 census count

440

Ranked #7,440

Modern count

548

2016, ranked #9,309

Peak year

1998

595 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Strafford had 440 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,440 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 548 in 2016, ranked #9,309.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 546 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Strafford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Strafford surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Strafford 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 290 #7,844
1861 historical 314 #8,088
1881 historical 440 #7,440
1891 historical 468 #7,833
1901 historical 537 #7,652
1911 historical 546 #7,331
1997 modern 584 #8,299
1998 modern 595 #8,445
1999 modern 574 #8,692
2000 modern 546 #9,001
2001 modern 516 #9,234
2002 modern 531 #9,227
2003 modern 531 #9,084
2004 modern 532 #9,083
2005 modern 530 #9,054
2006 modern 526 #9,124
2007 modern 527 #9,193
2008 modern 517 #9,405
2009 modern 523 #9,530
2010 modern 532 #9,604
2011 modern 541 #9,400
2012 modern 542 #9,279
2013 modern 552 #9,308
2014 modern 562 #9,226
2015 modern 562 #9,141
2016 modern 548 #9,309

Geography

Back to top

Where Straffords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, Sheffield, Sculcoates, Dewsbury and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Kingston upon Hull, Charnwood, Sheffield and Leeds. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Sculcoates Yorkshire, East Riding
4 Dewsbury Yorkshire, West Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 026 Wakefield
2 Kingston upon Hull 020 Kingston upon Hull, City of
3 Charnwood 005 Charnwood
4 Sheffield 055 Sheffield
5 Leeds 030 Leeds

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Strafford

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Strafford

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Strafford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Strafford household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Strafford 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

Strafford 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

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

Meaning and origin of Strafford

The surname Strafford is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "stræt" meaning "street" and "ford" meaning "a shallow place where a river or stream can be crossed," indicating that the name likely originated from a location near a street or road that crossed a river.

Strafford was originally a place name, referring to several villages and towns in different parts of England, such as Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire and Stratford in Essex. The earliest recorded mention of the name Strafford dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Stratford."

One of the earliest documented instances of the surname Strafford comes from the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, where a person named William de Stratford is listed. This suggests that the name had already been adopted as a hereditary surname by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, a notable figure with the name Strafford was John de Stratford (c. 1275-1348), an English prelate who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1333 to 1348. He played a significant role in the political and ecclesiastical affairs of his time.

Another prominent individual with the surname Strafford was Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford (1593-1641), an English statesman and a key advisor to King Charles I. He served as the Lord Deputy of Ireland and was later executed for allegedly attempting to establish a dictatorship.

During the English Civil War, Sir William Strafford (c. 1590-1668) was a Royalist commander who fought for King Charles I. He was later captured and imprisoned for his allegiance to the Royalist cause.

In the literary world, the name Strafford is associated with Robert Brownell Strafford (1819-1885), an American poet and editor who founded the magazine "The Southern Literary Messenger" in 1834.

The surname Strafford has also been connected to various place names, such as Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, and Stratford-on-Sly, a village in Warwickshire mentioned in the Domesday Book.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Strafford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Strafford 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 203 Straffords recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.83x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 203 4.83x
Lancashire 48 0.95x
Middlesex 42 0.99x
Northumberland 20 3.17x
Surrey 18 0.87x
Gloucestershire 14 1.68x
Shropshire 13 3.55x
Hampshire 10 1.15x
Oxfordshire 10 3.82x
Derbyshire 9 1.35x
Cambridgeshire 7 2.60x
Dorset 7 2.51x
Essex 6 0.72x
Flintshire 6 5.26x
Kent 5 0.35x
Caernarfonshire 3 1.75x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.78x
Devon 2 0.23x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.35x
Staffordshire 2 0.14x
Denbighshire 1 0.62x
Durham 1 0.08x
Herefordshire 1 0.57x
Lincolnshire 1 0.15x
Northamptonshire 1 0.25x
Worcestershire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 18 Straffords recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.58x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 18 7.58x
Brightside Bierlow 17 20.61x
Dewsbury 17 39.42x
Islington London 15 3.65x
Hexham 13 133.06x
Nether Hallam 13 22.85x
Sculcoates 12 18.00x
Battersea 11 7.05x
Holy Trinity 11 10.88x
Wakefield 11 34.08x
Ecclesall Bierlow 10 11.69x
Hulme 10 9.51x
Sheffield 10 7.47x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 9 62.59x
Chelsea London 9 7.04x
Moss Side 8 30.19x
Southampton St Mary 8 14.63x
Churwell 7 243.90x
Cleckheaton 7 45.19x
Ecclesfield 7 22.71x
Littleport 7 136.45x
Poole St James 7 66.92x
Batley 6 15.02x
Bridgnorth St Leonard 6 144.23x
Hope 6 105.82x
Poulton 6 909.09x
Salford 6 4.05x
Sandal Magna 6 96.46x
Toxteth Park 6 3.52x
West Ham 6 3.24x
Alnwick 5 46.08x
Ashton Under Lyne 5 4.54x
Camberwell 5 1.84x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 6.25x
Hilderthorpe 5 235.85x
Oulton Cum Woodlesford 5 146.63x
Wortley In Bramley 5 15.02x
Chiswick 4 17.25x
Gillingham 4 13.40x
Oldham 4 2.46x
Repton 4 159.36x
Shoreditch London 4 2.17x
Barnsley 3 6.92x
Bingley 3 11.20x
Cirencester 3 26.62x
Clifford Cum Boston 3 79.37x
Gloucester St John Baptist 3 55.87x
High Low Bishopside 3 80.43x
Higher Booths 3 33.04x
Llandudno 3 49.02x
Milton Under Wychwood 3 247.93x
Paddington London 3 1.92x
Thornton In Bradford 3 21.43x
Whitwell 3 113.64x
Burford 2 88.11x
Checkley 2 53.76x
Clunbury 2 139.86x
Dewsbury Ossett Cum 2 217.39x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 2 13.13x
Holywell 2 162.60x
Langford 2 357.14x
Leebotwood 2 769.23x
Manningham 2 3.86x
Newington 2 1.28x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 2.94x
Ripley 2 24.36x
South Mimms 2 34.36x
Wooburn 2 56.50x
Broughton In Salford 1 2.17x
Elswick 1 1.98x
Henllan 1 24.45x
Howden 1 34.97x
Leintwardine 1 175.44x
Limehouse London 1 2.15x
Monk Bretton 1 23.47x
Otley 1 9.79x
Otterbourne 1 80.65x
Shrewsbury Holy Cross 1 24.69x
Wellington 1 4.85x
York St Mary 1 5.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 31
Sarah 22
Elizabeth 11
Emma 10
Ann 7
Jane 7
Margaret 7
Caroline 6
Edith 6
Ellen 6
Florence 6
Eliza 5
Hannah 5
Harriet 5
Lucy 5
Martha 5
Annie 4
Maria 4
Alice 3
Emily 3
Fanny 3
Isabella 3
Louisa 3
Susan 3
Ada 2
Amy 2
Anne 2
Charlotte 2
Elisa 2
Elizth. 2
Kate 2
Letitia 2
Phoebe 2
Rebecca 2
Rose 2
Adeline 1
Bessie 1
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz.J. 1
Elizh.F. 1
Ellenior 1
Emly 1
Georgeina 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Honor 1
Isabel 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 27
John 26
George 19
Joseph 16
Henry 11
James 10
Thomas 10
Charles 9
Richard 6
Benjamin 5
Edward 5
Arthur 4
Fredrick 4
Harry 4
Albert 3
Robert 3
Edmund 2
Geo. 2
Herbert 2
Jno. 2
Nixon 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Alexander 1
Arden 1
Asquith 1
Augustin 1
David 1
Earl 1
Ernst. 1
F.S. 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Fredik. 1
Harold 1
Herbt. 1
Hurbert 1
Jacob 1
Joe 1
Joshua 1
Percy 1
Samuel 1
Stubley 1
Tom 1
Valentine 1
Wilson 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Strafford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Strafford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 440 people were recorded with the Strafford surname. That placed it at #7,440 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Strafford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 548 in 2016. That gives Strafford a modern rank of #9,309.

What does the Strafford surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "straight ford" or "straight crossing."

What does the Strafford map show?

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