NameCensus.

UK surname

Toft

An English place name surname derived from the Old Norse word "toft" meaning an area of ground or homestead.

In the 1881 census there were 1,174 people recorded with the Toft surname, ranking it #3,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,298, ranked #4,615, down from #3,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Burslem and Eccles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Salford, Carmarthenshire and Oldham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Toft is 1,650 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10.6%.

1881 census count

1,174

Ranked #3,428

Modern count

1,298

2016, ranked #4,615

Peak year

1911

1,650 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Toft had 1,174 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,298 in 2016, ranked #4,615.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,650 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Toft surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Toft surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Toft 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 674 #3,852
1861 historical 696 #3,883
1881 historical 1,174 #3,428
1891 historical 1,306 #3,322
1901 historical 1,450 #3,509
1911 historical 1,650 #2,954
1997 modern 1,374 #4,199
1998 modern 1,541 #3,957
1999 modern 1,533 #4,004
2000 modern 1,509 #4,040
2001 modern 1,446 #4,108
2002 modern 1,459 #4,157
2003 modern 1,409 #4,206
2004 modern 1,403 #4,213
2005 modern 1,372 #4,260
2006 modern 1,345 #4,326
2007 modern 1,333 #4,396
2008 modern 1,319 #4,455
2009 modern 1,339 #4,492
2010 modern 1,345 #4,555
2011 modern 1,350 #4,494
2012 modern 1,314 #4,523
2013 modern 1,320 #4,592
2014 modern 1,313 #4,631
2015 modern 1,304 #4,619
2016 modern 1,298 #4,615

Geography

Back to top

Where Tofts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, Burslem, Eccles, Youlgrave and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Salford, Carmarthenshire, Oldham and Derbyshire Dales. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Burslem Staffordshire
3 Eccles Lancashire
4 Youlgrave Derbyshire
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Salford 030 Salford
2 Carmarthenshire 021 Carmarthenshire
3 Oldham 026 Oldham
4 Derbyshire Dales 005 Derbyshire Dales
5 Oldham 014 Oldham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Toft

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Toft

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Toft 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

Toft is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Toft

The surname TOFT is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English word "toft", meaning a homestead, a piece of ground where a house once stood, or a messuage. It is believed to have originated as a topographic name for someone who lived near or on a site where a building once stood.

TOFT is found predominantly in the northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire. It is likely that the name arose independently in various locations where people settled on abandoned building sites or homesteads.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name TOFT can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Toftes" in Lincolnshire and Derbyshire. The Domesday Book also mentions a place called "Toft" in Norfolk.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "de Toft" in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, indicating that the bearer was from a place called Toft. The "de" prefix denoted a person's place of origin.

Among the notable individuals who bore the surname TOFT throughout history are:

1. Robert Toft (c. 1510-1565), an English Protestant reformer and clergyman who served as the Dean of Worcester Cathedral.

2. Mary Toft (c. 1701-1763), a famous English woman who became notorious for her hoax of giving birth to rabbits in the early 18th century.

3. Edward Toft (1598-1677), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Rector of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire.

4. John Toft (1649-1720), an English churchman who served as the Bishop of St. David's in Wales.

5. William Toft (c. 1580-1659), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Grimsby in the early 17th century.

The name TOFT is also found in various place names across England, such as Toft Monks in Norfolk, Toft Hill in County Durham, and Toft Green in Cheshire, further reinforcing its connection to abandoned or deserted homesteads.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Toft families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Toft 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. Lancashire leads with 307 Tofts recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.26x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 307 2.26x
Staffordshire 292 7.57x
Cheshire 152 6.03x
Yorkshire 144 1.27x
Derbyshire 78 4.36x
Durham 31 0.91x
Surrey 19 0.34x
Glamorgan 18 0.91x
Middlesex 17 0.15x
Gloucestershire 13 0.58x
Nottinghamshire 13 0.84x
Kent 12 0.31x
Warwickshire 11 0.38x
Leicestershire 8 0.63x
Carmarthenshire 7 1.45x
Lincolnshire 7 0.38x
Worcestershire 7 0.47x
Northamptonshire 6 0.56x
Flintshire 5 1.63x
Sussex 5 0.26x
Rutland 4 4.77x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.41x
Denbighshire 2 0.46x
Essex 2 0.09x
Somerset 2 0.11x
Cornwall 1 0.08x
Devon 1 0.04x
Hampshire 1 0.04x
Hertfordshire 1 0.13x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.44x
Royal Navy 1 0.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 164 Tofts recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.11x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 164 40.11x
Burslem 49 44.36x
Youlgreave 49 947.78x
Leeds 47 7.35x
Barton Upon Irwell 39 38.22x
Warrington 32 19.91x
Manchester 26 4.27x
Didsbury 24 133.33x
Knutsford Nether 19 124.67x
Swansea St Thomas 18 90.09x
Liverpool 17 2.07x
Holy Trinity 16 5.88x
Dawdon 14 33.49x
Bishopwearmouth 13 4.46x
Cheadle 13 26.99x
Chorlton On Medlock 13 6.04x
Newton 13 12.44x
Trentham 13 39.65x
Pownall Fee 12 106.38x
Sculcoates 12 6.69x
Oldham 11 2.51x
Ashton Under Lyne 10 3.38x
Rowsley Great 10 900.90x
Southcoates 10 15.91x
Cheltenham 9 5.21x
Chorley In Macclesfield 9 117.19x
Kimberworth 9 14.33x
Kingsley 9 125.17x
Lambeth 9 0.90x
Willenhall 9 12.46x
Crumpsall 8 25.04x
Eccleston In Prescot 8 11.76x
Great Bolton 8 4.46x
Greenwich 8 4.40x
Penkridge 8 80.48x
Stockport 8 6.17x
Wavertree 8 18.44x
Wolverhampton 8 2.70x
Worsley 8 9.58x
York St Martin Mklgt W 8 312.50x
Church Gresley 7 24.60x
Davenham 7 305.68x
Everton 7 1.62x
Garston 7 17.50x
Littleover 7 231.02x
Lymm 7 38.19x
Pendleton In Salford 7 4.33x
Toxteth Park 7 1.53x
Birmingham 6 0.63x
Cotton Edmunds 6 3157.89x
Great Little Preston 6 184.62x
Kings Norton 6 4.49x
Kingston On Thames 6 4.49x
Leek Lowe 6 11.70x
Llanelly 6 5.53x
Seacroft 6 111.94x
Walton Inferior 6 307.69x
Wellingborough 6 11.11x
Acton Grange 5 806.45x
Bowdon 5 49.95x
Burnage 5 150.60x
Culcheth 5 56.31x
Featherstone 5 39.34x
Little Bolton 5 2.87x
Newton In Makerfield 5 12.05x
Oswaldtwistle 5 10.44x
St Pancras London 5 0.54x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 5 12.81x
Wolstanton 5 4.27x
Armitage 4 79.68x
Basford 4 5.64x
Bulwell 4 11.95x
Ecclesall Bierlow 4 1.74x
Hale 4 45.98x
Pendlebury 4 13.98x
Runcorn 4 6.88x
Rushall 4 17.63x
Ryhall 4 143.37x
Walton Superior 4 412.37x
York St Maurice 4 18.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 104
Sarah 51
Elizabeth 41
Ann 30
Annie 19
Ellen 18
Emma 18
Hannah 17
Jane 17
Eliza 16
Alice 15
Emily 11
Fanny 11
Gertrude 10
Harriet 10
Martha 10
Maria 9
Edith 8
Margaret 8
Elizth. 7
Florence 7
Agnes 6
Frances 6
Matilda 6
Amelia 5
Caroline 5
Charlotte 5
Kate 5
Lucy 5
Catherine 4
Esther 4
Harriett 4
Henrietta 4
Julia 4
Ada 3
Anne 3
Eleanor 3
Janet 3
Rachel 3
Rose 3
Anna 2
Betsy 2
Blanche 2
Clara 2
Ethel 2
Lilly 2
Lizzie 2
Louisa 2
Margeret 2
Marian 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 66
John 60
James 43
Thomas 31
Joseph 28
George 27
Henry 23
Charles 22
Arthur 20
Harry 16
Alfred 12
Richard 11
Samuel 11
Benjamin 10
Francis 10
Frederick 10
Albert 7
Frank 7
Reuben 6
David 5
Edward 5
Ernest 5
Herbert 5
Isaac 5
Lewis 5
Peter 5
Edwin 4
Robert 4
Walter 4
Fred 3
Geo. 3
Hamlet 3
Christopher 2
Cornelius 2
Daniel 2
Eli 2
Hugh 2
Joshua 2
Luke 2
Mathias 2
Philip 2
Wm. 2
Alfonza 1
Archer 1
Ben 1
Earnest 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1
Geo.Wm. 1
Guy 1

FAQ

Toft surname: questions and answers

How common was the Toft surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,174 people were recorded with the Toft surname. That placed it at #3,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Toft surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,298 in 2016. That gives Toft a modern rank of #4,615.

What does the Toft surname mean?

An English place name surname derived from the Old Norse word "toft" meaning an area of ground or homestead.

What does the Toft map show?

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