NameCensus.

UK surname

Faber

A Latin occupational surname referring to a craftsman, particularly a smith or woodworker.

In the 1881 census there were 200 people recorded with the Faber surname, ranking it #12,836 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 428, ranked #11,234, up from #12,836 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Dunstan Stepney and Beckenham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Harrogate and Barnet.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Faber is 449 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 114.0%.

1881 census count

200

Ranked #12,836

Modern count

428

2016, ranked #11,234

Peak year

2010

449 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Faber had 200 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,836 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 428 in 2016, ranked #11,234.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 312 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Faber surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Faber surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Faber 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 108 #16,308
1861 historical 124 #17,797
1881 historical 200 #12,836
1891 historical 221 #13,897
1901 historical 277 #12,281
1911 historical 312 #11,130
1997 modern 389 #11,238
1998 modern 392 #11,512
1999 modern 410 #11,246
2000 modern 404 #11,306
2001 modern 402 #11,183
2002 modern 422 #11,002
2003 modern 433 #10,614
2004 modern 398 #11,321
2005 modern 387 #11,463
2006 modern 394 #11,383
2007 modern 416 #11,020
2008 modern 429 #10,850
2009 modern 443 #10,821
2010 modern 449 #10,931
2011 modern 430 #11,178
2012 modern 439 #10,873
2013 modern 443 #10,968
2014 modern 446 #10,981
2015 modern 438 #11,055
2016 modern 428 #11,234

Geography

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Where Fabers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Dunstan Stepney, Beckenham and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, Harrogate, Barnet and Westminster. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
4 Beckenham Kent
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 020 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Harrogate 020 Harrogate
3 Kensington and Chelsea 018 Kensington and Chelsea
4 Barnet 037 Barnet
5 Westminster 019 Westminster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Faber

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Faber

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Faber surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Faber 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Faber is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Faber is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Faber

The surname Faber originates from the German and Dutch languages, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is an occupational name derived from the Latin word "faber," meaning a craftsman, smith, or maker.

Faber is believed to have first emerged in the regions of present-day Germany and the Netherlands around the 12th century. In medieval times, Faber was commonly used to refer to individuals involved in metalworking, carpentry, or other crafts.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Faber can be found in the Codex Traditionum Corbeiensium, a medieval cartulary from the Benedictine abbey of Corvey in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. This document, dating back to the 9th century, mentions several individuals with the surname Faber.

In the 13th century, the name Faber appeared in the Liber Censuum, a papal record of tax rolls and rents. This indicates that individuals bearing this surname were present in various parts of Europe at that time.

Among notable historical figures with the surname Faber are Jacobus Faber (c. 1475-1541), a Dutch humanist and theologian, and Johannes Faber (1478-1541), a German theologian and a leading figure in the Catholic Reformation.

Another prominent individual was Basilius Faber (1520-1576), a German theologian and Protestant reformer who played a significant role in the Reformation in Switzerland.

In the realm of art, Petrus Faber (c. 1540-1612) was a renowned Dutch painter and engraver active in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, known for his religious and allegorical works.

Johann Faber (1552-1633), a German musician and composer, made significant contributions to the development of Protestant church music during the Baroque period.

The surname Faber has undergone various spelling variations over time, including Fabre, Fabri, and Fabry, reflecting regional and linguistic differences.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Faber families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Faber 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. Middlesex leads with 113 Fabers recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.79x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 113 5.79x
Devon 17 4.19x
Yorkshire 15 0.78x
Essex 10 2.60x
Surrey 8 0.84x
Lancashire 7 0.30x
Hampshire 5 1.25x
Cheshire 4 0.93x
Northumberland 4 1.38x
Worcestershire 4 1.57x
Sussex 3 0.91x
Warwickshire 3 0.61x
Durham 2 0.34x
Kent 2 0.30x
Berkshire 1 0.68x
Gloucestershire 1 0.26x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 21 Fabers recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.78x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 21 24.78x
Islington London 15 7.93x
Ecclesall Bierlow 9 22.89x
St George In East London 9 49.05x
West Ham 9 10.59x
Chelsea London 8 13.61x
St Marylebone London 8 7.68x
Whitechapel London 7 36.40x
Willesden 7 38.06x
East Teignmouth 6 361.45x
Exeter St Thomas The 6 144.93x
St George Hanover Square 6 17.46x
St Pancras London 6 3.82x
Westminster St James 6 29.91x
Epsom 4 86.39x
Ilfracombe 4 95.69x
Jesmond 4 98.04x
Mile End Old Town London 4 9.63x
Paddington London 4 5.58x
St Luke London 4 12.78x
Stockport 4 18.05x
Great Malvern 3 56.39x
Newchurch 3 15.84x
Newick 3 416.67x
St Faith Winchester 3 161.29x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 2 30.26x
Camberwell 2 1.60x
Kensington London 2 1.84x
Leamington Priors 2 16.52x
Norton 2 93.90x
Patrck Brmptn Newton 2 571.43x
Portsea 2 2.55x
St Martin In Fields 2 17.12x
Aston 1 0.74x
Barnes 1 24.88x
Barrow In Furness 1 3.18x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 14.41x
Clapham 1 4.10x
Colchester St Botolph 1 30.49x
East Hendred 1 185.19x
Halesowen 1 44.64x
Hammersmith London 1 2.08x
Hampstead London 1 3.29x
Heaton Norris 1 7.59x
Kirkleavington 1 714.29x
Mangotsfield 1 26.25x
Moss Side 1 8.21x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.47x
Plumstead 1 4.51x
Sidmouth 1 43.10x
Sprotborough 1 666.67x
St Martin Pomroy London 1 2000.00x
Stoke Newington London 1 6.58x
Toxteth Park 1 1.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 12
William 10
George 9
Charles 5
James 5
Henry 4
Philip 4
Albert 3
Edward 3
Jacob 3
Anton 2
Arthur 2
August 2
Frederick 2
Joseph 2
Samuel 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
A. 1
Abraham 1
Alfred 1
Carl 1
Chas. 1
Conrad 1
Daniel 1
Edmund 1
Edwd.Augstin 1
Ernest 1
Evelyn 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Fredric 1
Gustav 1
Hamilton 1
Harry 1
Henery 1
Herrman 1
Leslie 1
Louis 1
Orho 1
Paulis 1
Peter 1
Reynold 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Stephen 1

FAQ

Faber surname: questions and answers

How common was the Faber surname in 1881?

In 1881, 200 people were recorded with the Faber surname. That placed it at #12,836 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Faber surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 428 in 2016. That gives Faber a modern rank of #11,234.

What does the Faber surname mean?

A Latin occupational surname referring to a craftsman, particularly a smith or woodworker.

What does the Faber map show?

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