NameCensus.

UK surname

Taffs

In the 1881 census there were 144 people recorded with the Taffs surname, ranking it #15,891 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 261, ranked #16,309, down from #15,891 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Leonard Bromley and All Saints Poplar. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gravesham, Tower Hamlets and Wolverhampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Taffs is 274 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 81.3%.

1881 census count

144

Ranked #15,891

Modern count

261

2016, ranked #16,309

Peak year

2013

274 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Taffs had 144 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,891 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 261 in 2016, ranked #16,309.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 250 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Taffs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Taffs surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Taffs 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 82 #19,317
1861 historical 79 #23,702
1881 historical 144 #15,891
1891 historical 177 #16,330
1901 historical 250 #13,136
1911 historical 219 #14,136
1997 modern 231 #16,049
1998 modern 245 #15,903
1999 modern 248 #15,884
2000 modern 241 #16,146
2001 modern 237 #16,048
2002 modern 248 #15,896
2003 modern 245 #15,822
2004 modern 250 #15,695
2005 modern 253 #15,514
2006 modern 240 #16,177
2007 modern 251 #15,861
2008 modern 259 #15,688
2009 modern 264 #15,798
2010 modern 256 #16,523
2011 modern 262 #16,098
2012 modern 271 #15,628
2013 modern 274 #15,764
2014 modern 273 #15,914
2015 modern 270 #15,911
2016 modern 261 #16,309

Geography

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Where Taffs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Leonard Bromley, All Saints Poplar and Rothwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gravesham, Tower Hamlets, Wolverhampton and King's Lynn and West Norfolk. 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 London parishes London 3
2 St Leonard Bromley London (East Districts)
3 All Saints Poplar London (East Districts)
4 London parishes London 2
5 Rothwell Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gravesham 010 Gravesham
2 Tower Hamlets 018 Tower Hamlets
3 Wolverhampton 011 Wolverhampton
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 004 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 003 King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Taffs

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Taffs

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Taffs, 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 Taffs surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Taffs 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Taffs is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Taffs is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Taffs falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Taffs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Taffs 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. Middlesex leads with 41 Taffs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.92x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 41 2.92x
Essex 28 10.10x
Northamptonshire 28 21.19x
Kent 24 5.01x
Surrey 14 2.05x
Sussex 3 1.27x
Devon 2 0.68x
Staffordshire 2 0.42x
Hertfordshire 1 1.03x
Leicestershire 1 0.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Ham in Essex leads with 23 Taffs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.58x.

Place Total Index
West Ham 23 37.58x
Bow London 19 106.26x
Rothwell 17 1278.20x
Chatham 11 83.46x
Bromley London 9 29.13x
Kettering 9 168.54x
Camberwell 6 6.69x
Poplar London 6 22.63x
Rochester St Nicholas 4 268.46x
Woolwich 4 22.59x
Brighton 3 6.28x
Gillingham 3 30.36x
Newington 3 5.78x
Streatham 3 28.79x
Walthamstow 3 30.06x
Newton Abbot St Mary 2 81.63x
Romford 2 45.66x
Rushton 2 833.33x
Tipton 2 13.77x
Abbots Langley 1 69.44x
Chelsea London 1 2.36x
Dunsfold 1 270.27x
Harrow 1 46.51x
Hornsey 1 5.63x
Islington London 1 0.73x
Kingston On Thames 1 6.08x
Market Harborough 1 142.86x
Paddington London 1 1.94x
Rochester St Margaret 1 19.80x
St George Hanover 1 5.46x
Tonbridge 1 5.79x
Westminster St James 1 6.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Elizabeth 6
Emma 4
Maria 4
Eliza 3
Harriet 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Eleanor 2
Fanny 2
Helen 2
Rose 2
Ada 1
Anny 1
Betsy 1
Clara 1
Deborah 1
Edith 1
Elanor 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Minnie 1
Naomi 1
Rebecca 1
Rohena 1
Rosa 1
Sarah 1
Sophie 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Taffs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Taffs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 144 people were recorded with the Taffs surname. That placed it at #15,891 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Taffs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 261 in 2016. That gives Taffs a modern rank of #16,309.

What does the Taffs map show?

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