2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cuffley
A habitational surname derived from a place name in Hertfordshire, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Cuffley. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cuffley surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Cuffley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Cuffley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cuffley, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cuffley
The surname Cuffley originated in England, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cuffan" and "leah," which collectively translate to "the dweller in the meadow by the cuff or hill." This suggests that the name's earliest bearers may have resided near a distinct geographical feature, possibly a cuff or hill surrounded by meadows.
One of the earliest references to the name Cuffley can be found in the parish records of Hertfordshire, where a Thomas Cuffley was documented in 1587. This county is also home to the village of Cuffley, which likely took its name from the surname rather than the other way around.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various forms, including Cuffly, Cuffleigh, and Cufflay, indicating regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. One notable figure from this era was Robert Cuffley, a merchant and landowner who lived in Bristol between 1620 and 1685.
As the Cuffley family spread throughout England, they left their mark in various historical records. For example, the Hearth Tax Returns of 1674 list a John Cuffley as a resident of Worcestershire, while the Poll Books of 1712 document a William Cuffley in Middlesex.
During the 18th century, the surname gained prominence with the birth of John Cuffley (1745-1821), a notable English landscape painter known for his depictions of rural scenes. His works can be found in prestigious collections, including the Tate Gallery in London.
Another distinguished bearer of the name was Sir Edward Cuffley (1788-1869), a British diplomat and politician who served as the Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1834 to 1841. His diplomatic efforts played a crucial role in maintaining peaceful relations between Britain and the Ottoman Empire during a turbulent period in European history.
In the 19th century, the Cuffley family continued to make their mark across various fields. One notable example is George Cuffley (1857-1935), a renowned architect responsible for designing several iconic buildings in London, including the Old Bailey and the Royal Courts of Justice.
Throughout its history, the surname Cuffley has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, from artists and politicians to merchants and landowners. While its origins can be traced back to the rolling meadows of England, the name has since spread worldwide, carried by those who share a connection to this rich heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cuffley
Among Census respondents with the surname Cuffley, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Cuffley bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Cuffley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.0% · 94
- Black or African American6.0% · 7
- Two or more races6.0% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cuffley
Cuffley appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,437 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 192 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,437 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 192 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Cuffley surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #145,220 | #145,028 | 0.1% |
| Count | 114 | 116 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cuffley bearers went from 114 to 116 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 192 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #145,028.
FAQ
Cuffley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cuffley?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Cuffley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Cuffley?
Cuffley ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116 people with the surname Cuffley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cuffley.
Has Cuffley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cuffley went from 114 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #145,220 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Cuffley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cuffley, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and Two or More Races (6.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cuffley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.0% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cuffley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.0%), Black (6.0%), Two or More Races (6.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Cuffley (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Cuffley mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name in Hertfordshire, England. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Cuffley (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Cuffley?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.