NameCensus.

UK surname

Tuffin

A locative name derived from a place called Tuffin in England.

In the 1881 census there were 503 people recorded with the Tuffin surname, ranking it #6,747 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 714, ranked #7,599, down from #6,747 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sutton Waldron, London parishes and Sherborne. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Dorset, North Somerset and Mansfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tuffin is 825 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.9%.

1881 census count

503

Ranked #6,747

Modern count

714

2016, ranked #7,599

Peak year

1998

825 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tuffin had 503 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,747 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 714 in 2016, ranked #7,599.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 752 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tuffin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tuffin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tuffin 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 280 #8,043
1861 historical 284 #8,845
1881 historical 503 #6,747
1891 historical 565 #6,725
1901 historical 699 #6,295
1911 historical 752 #5,729
1997 modern 774 #6,716
1998 modern 825 #6,596
1999 modern 822 #6,654
2000 modern 803 #6,749
2001 modern 763 #6,900
2002 modern 782 #6,904
2003 modern 749 #7,027
2004 modern 757 #6,972
2005 modern 735 #7,065
2006 modern 727 #7,154
2007 modern 740 #7,134
2008 modern 750 #7,104
2009 modern 770 #7,099
2010 modern 765 #7,279
2011 modern 753 #7,293
2012 modern 728 #7,393
2013 modern 755 #7,302
2014 modern 742 #7,448
2015 modern 708 #7,652
2016 modern 714 #7,599

Geography

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Where Tuffins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sutton Waldron, London parishes, Sherborne, Wimbledon and Fontnell Magna. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Dorset, North Somerset, Mansfield, Powys and Test Valley. 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 Sutton Waldron Dorset
2 London parishes London 3
3 Sherborne Dorset
4 Wimbledon Surrey
5 Fontnell Magna Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Dorset 001 West Dorset
2 North Somerset 004 North Somerset
3 Mansfield 006 Mansfield
4 Powys 005 Powys
5 Test Valley 015 Test Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tuffin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tuffin

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Tuffin is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tuffin is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tuffin falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Tuffin

The surname Tuffin has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "tuf," meaning a tuft or clump of grass or vegetation. This likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent tuft of grass or a person who worked with tufts of wool or other materials.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Tuffin." This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the 13th century.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there is a reference to a place called "Toffing" in Lincolnshire, which may have contributed to the development of the surname Tuffin. It is possible that the name originated as a locational surname, referring to someone who hailed from this place.

The name has also been found in various historical records from the 14th and 15th centuries. For example, in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1348, there is a mention of a "John Tuffyn." Similarly, in the Poll Tax returns of Yorkshire from 1379, a "Johanna Tuffyn" is listed.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname Tuffin. One such person was John Tuffin (c. 1615-1685), an English Puritan clergyman and author who served as the rector of Willingale Doe in Essex. Another was William Tuffin (1696-1758), an English lawyer and legal writer.

In the 18th century, there was a prominent family of Tuffins in Middlesex, including Richard Tuffin (1750-1824), a successful merchant, and his son, Richard Tuffin (1778-1855), a prominent banker and financier.

In more recent times, the name has been associated with individuals like Edward Tuffin (1880-1952), an English footballer who played for Southampton F.C. in the early 20th century, and Charles Tuffin (1932-2022), a British businessman and philanthropist who founded the Tuffin Group, a successful manufacturing company.

While the surname Tuffin is not among the most common names in England, it has a rich history that can be traced back to the medieval period and is deeply rooted in the country's linguistic and cultural heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tuffin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tuffin 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. Dorset leads with 145 Tuffins recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.94x.

County Total Index
Dorset 145 44.94x
Essex 77 7.93x
Middlesex 68 1.38x
Surrey 44 1.84x
Hampshire 42 4.17x
Wiltshire 31 7.13x
Suffolk 28 4.68x
Kent 17 1.01x
Lancashire 8 0.14x
Hertfordshire 7 2.07x
Monmouthshire 7 1.97x
Sussex 6 0.72x
Somerset 5 0.63x
Oxfordshire 4 1.32x
Durham 3 0.21x
Berkshire 2 0.54x
Brecknockshire 2 2.03x
Norfolk 2 0.26x
Ayrshire 1 0.27x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.34x
Cheshire 1 0.09x
Cumberland 1 0.24x
Royal Navy 1 1.71x
Worcestershire 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. Fontmell Magna in Dorset leads with 24 Tuffins recorded in 1881 and an index of 1951.22x.

Place Total Index
Fontmell Magna 24 1951.22x
Wickham St Paul 20 3333.33x
Sutton Waldron 19 5937.50x
Iwerne Courtnay 16 737.33x
Sherborne 16 168.42x
West Orchard 14 7368.42x
Limehouse London 12 22.23x
Sturminster 12 383.39x
Hampton London 11 136.14x
Southampton St Mary 11 17.36x
Bulmer 10 854.70x
Hinton St Mary 9 1800.00x
Lambeth 9 2.10x
Middleton 9 3214.29x
Motcombe 9 379.75x
Clare 8 278.75x
Halstead 8 70.67x
Warlingham 8 410.26x
Bedwellty 7 11.16x
Bermondsey 7 4.78x
Child Okeford 7 492.96x
Langton Long Blandford 7 1489.36x
Laverstock 7 909.09x
St Marylebone London 7 2.67x
Winterbourne Stoke 7 1400.00x
Ballingdon Cum Brundon 6 487.80x
Berwick St James 6 1875.00x
Bexley 6 40.46x
Harpenden 6 116.05x
Walton Le Soken 6 259.74x
Winnall 6 2857.14x
Battersea 5 2.76x
Blandford Forum 5 78.49x
Glemsford 5 118.76x
Haverhill 5 93.99x
Horsham 5 31.06x
Colchester St Peter 4 103.09x
Deptford St Paul 4 3.09x
Ealing 4 9.10x
East Wellow 4 740.74x
Hammersmith London 4 3.30x
Kidlington 4 170.21x
Minstead 4 275.86x
Portsea 4 2.03x
Shoreditch London 4 1.88x
South Stoneham 4 18.30x
St George In East 4 11.96x
St Gilesin Fields 4 139.86x
Wapping London 4 106.67x
Westley 4 1481.48x
Woolwich 4 6.45x
Camberwell 3 0.96x
Darlington 3 5.31x
Lamarsh 3 652.17x
Milborne Port 3 94.64x
Northwood 3 20.91x
Poplar London 3 3.23x
Toxteth Park 3 1.52x
Warminster 3 31.48x
Westbury 3 29.56x
Ashmore 2 434.78x
Chitterne All Sts 2 273.97x
Chobham 2 47.28x
Croydon 2 1.50x
Elmstead 2 128.21x
Ewell 2 39.53x
Hay 2 54.79x
Hornsey 2 3.22x
Lee 2 8.21x
Paddington London 2 1.11x
Pebmarsh 2 229.89x
Reading St Giles 2 5.52x
Rusholme 2 12.85x
Shaftesbury St Peter 2 132.45x
St Pancras London 2 0.51x
Sudbury All Sts 2 109.89x
Wandsworth 2 4.23x
West Ham 2 0.93x
Westminster St John 2 3.34x
Eling 1 9.79x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 27
Mary 25
Elizabeth 17
Emily 13
Jane 12
Eliza 11
Emma 11
Ellen 9
Charlotte 8
Alice 7
Anne 7
Catherine 7
Martha 7
Louisa 6
Ann 5
Annie 5
Fanny 5
Kate 5
Anna 3
Francis 3
Margaret 3
Ada 2
Bessie 2
Caroline 2
Edith 2
Eva 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Lillian 2
Lizzie 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Rosa 2
Angelina 1
Augusta 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Bessy 1
Christianna 1
Daisy 1
Dianah 1
Dinah 1
Elisab. 1
Eliz. 1
Harriett 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Lillie 1
Thurza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 29
William 22
John 20
Henry 16
Charles 13
Alfred 11
James 11
Thomas 11
Arthur 9
Frederick 6
Richard 6
Frank 5
Edwin 4
Albert 3
David 3
Edward 3
Fred 3
Harry 3
Robert 3
Samuel 3
Tom 3
Walter 3
Andrew 2
Augustus 2
Bertie 2
Edgar 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Jeremiah 2
Joseph 2
Josiah 2
Sidney 2
Athanasius 1
Bennett 1
Chas. 1
Egerton 1
Elizabeth 1
Enos 1
Fredk.Richard 1
Fredrick 1
Israel 1
Jas.A. 1
Jno. 1
Louis 1
Maude 1
Morris 1
Nehemiah 1
Osborn 1
Oscar 1
Philip 1

FAQ

Tuffin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tuffin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 503 people were recorded with the Tuffin surname. That placed it at #6,747 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tuffin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 714 in 2016. That gives Tuffin a modern rank of #7,599.

What does the Tuffin surname mean?

A locative name derived from a place called Tuffin in England.

What does the Tuffin map show?

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