Locational distribution

Our surname has been predominant in the counties of northern England, and in particular Yorkshire. Westmorland and Cumberland (now Cumbria) were also areas in which many Scaifes were located. Not to be forgotten are the numbers located in Northumberland and Durham. Furthermore, there was a constant flow which ended up in London, with its attractions as the capital city.

In modern times, with the advent of advanced communications, the distribution throughout the UK has become more balanced, although in Yorkshire, there is still a noticeably larger proportion.

It is essential to mention the numerous Scaifes who emigrated to the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other countries. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries many Sc/kaifes served in India in the army of the Raj, as members of the Indian Civil Service or in a commercial capacity. Many married while in India and settled there on retirement. For the SSG, this is an area of research still in progress, and we are constantly working to provide more concrete surname distribution details.

The 1881 Census Index, published by the Mormons is an invaluable tool which can provide an "at a glance" snapshot of the locational distribtion of Scaifes at that date. Table 2 displays the results of a simple county-by-county analysis:

Table 2: Geographic Distribution (1881)