NameCensus.

UK surname

Wiffen

In the 1881 census there were 630 people recorded with the Wiffen surname, ranking it #5,630 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 862, ranked #6,507, down from #5,630 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ugley, Pebmarsh and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Braintree, Colchester and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wiffen is 965 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.8%.

1881 census count

630

Ranked #5,630

Modern count

862

2016, ranked #6,507

Peak year

1911

965 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wiffen had 630 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,630 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 862 in 2016, ranked #6,507.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 965 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wiffen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wiffen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wiffen 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 381 #6,272
1861 historical 440 #5,862
1881 historical 630 #5,630
1891 historical 675 #5,778
1901 historical 788 #5,711
1911 historical 965 #4,682
1997 modern 941 #5,762
1998 modern 949 #5,907
1999 modern 950 #5,947
2000 modern 919 #6,085
2001 modern 915 #6,007
2002 modern 936 #6,009
2003 modern 914 #6,009
2004 modern 907 #6,059
2005 modern 863 #6,235
2006 modern 867 #6,217
2007 modern 853 #6,356
2008 modern 855 #6,393
2009 modern 868 #6,465
2010 modern 874 #6,549
2011 modern 855 #6,580
2012 modern 840 #6,586
2013 modern 860 #6,569
2014 modern 863 #6,590
2015 modern 867 #6,500
2016 modern 862 #6,507

Geography

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Where Wiffens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ugley, Pebmarsh, St Pancras, London parishes and Ridgwell, Stamborne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Braintree, Colchester and County Durham. 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 Ugley Hertfordshire
2 Pebmarsh Essex
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 Ridgwell, Stamborne Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Braintree 007 Braintree
2 Colchester 003 Colchester
3 County Durham 032 County Durham
4 Braintree 004 Braintree
5 Braintree 011 Braintree

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wiffen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wiffen

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Wiffen 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

Wiffen is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Wiffen falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Wiffen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wiffen 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. Essex leads with 315 Wiffens recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.97x.

County Total Index
Essex 315 25.97x
Middlesex 59 0.96x
Kent 55 2.62x
Surrey 36 1.20x
Hampshire 35 2.78x
Suffolk 27 3.61x
Dorset 26 6.45x
Cambridgeshire 24 6.17x
Hertfordshire 12 2.83x
Sussex 11 1.06x
Bedfordshire 5 1.57x
Devon 5 0.39x
Norfolk 5 0.53x
Derbyshire 4 0.42x
Durham 4 0.22x
Yorkshire 3 0.05x
Gloucestershire 2 0.17x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Halstead in Essex leads with 31 Wiffens recorded in 1881 and an index of 219.08x.

Place Total Index
Halstead 31 219.08x
Finchingfield 30 789.47x
St Pancras London 27 5.46x
Portsea 19 7.70x
Ugley 19 2235.29x
Romford 16 83.42x
Stambourne 16 1758.24x
Lambeth 13 2.43x
Little Waltham 13 1065.57x
Melton 13 440.68x
Almer 10 3333.33x
Great Waltham 9 182.19x
Panfield 9 1323.53x
Pebmarsh 9 825.69x
Elm 8 209.97x
Hastings St Mary In The 8 36.20x
Heybridge 8 226.63x
Kingston On Thames 8 11.12x
Thanington Wilton In 8 816.33x
Upminster 8 317.46x
Belchamp St Paul 7 469.80x
Gravesend 7 39.44x
Greenwich 7 7.16x
Littleport 7 94.09x
Southwark St Saviour 7 22.17x
Stone In Dartford 7 130.11x
Walthamstow 7 16.03x
Wareham St Martin 7 454.55x
Bishop Stortford 6 42.40x
Blackmore 6 500.00x
Islington London 6 1.01x
St Andrewthe Less 6 13.49x
Steeple Bumpstead 6 270.27x
Stoke 6 895.52x
Tottenham 6 6.13x
Wennington 6 1463.41x
Christchurch 5 18.31x
Colchester St Botolph 5 48.45x
Earls Colne 5 149.25x
Great Baddow 5 116.01x
Holsworthy 5 138.50x
Markshall 5 5555.56x
Pattiswick 5 694.44x
Pitsea 5 1162.79x
Ulcombe 5 362.32x
Abbots Langley 4 63.59x
Combs 4 160.00x
Heworth 4 11.10x
Ingrave 4 363.64x
Lenham 4 95.69x
Lytchett Minster 4 223.46x
Maidstone 4 6.40x
Maldon St Peter 4 64.72x
Marks Tey 4 465.12x
Paddington London 4 1.77x
Rettendon 4 264.90x
Ringwood 4 49.63x
Wingfield South 4 155.04x
Ashen 3 625.00x
Aveley 3 147.06x
Bradwell 3 144.23x
Clerkenwell London 3 2.07x
Colchester St Giles 3 25.02x
Colne Engaine 3 272.73x
Corfe Castle 3 80.21x
Grays Thurrock 3 26.60x
North Ockendon 3 428.57x
Pulloxhill 3 267.86x
Rayleigh 3 107.53x
Roxwell 3 175.44x
Shenfield 3 95.24x
Southampton St Mary 3 3.79x
St Marylebone London 3 0.91x
Sudbury St Gregory 3 50.00x
Walmer 3 32.93x
West Ham 3 1.12x
Wisbech St Mary 3 67.11x
Flitton 2 138.89x
Meopham 2 77.22x
Rickling 2 210.53x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 33
William 33
George 30
Charles 19
Thomas 18
Samuel 16
Henry 15
James 14
Walter 12
Frederick 11
Alfred 10
Arthur 10
Robert 9
Harry 8
Joseph 8
Edward 6
Albert 4
Herbert 4
David 3
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Geo. 2
Ralph 2
Richard 2
Willie 2
Bertram 1
Earnest 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Emmanuel 1
Ephraim 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.S. 1
Jacob 1
Jarvis 1
Jeffrey 1
Jonathen 1
Julius 1
Kerlogue 1
Mark 1
Oliver 1
Phillip 1
Shadrack 1
Stephen 1
Sutton 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1
Wm.Hy.P. 1

FAQ

Wiffen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wiffen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 630 people were recorded with the Wiffen surname. That placed it at #5,630 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wiffen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 862 in 2016. That gives Wiffen a modern rank of #6,507.

What does the Wiffen map show?

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