NameCensus.

UK surname

Fadden

A derived surname meaning "valley dweller" or person from a small valley locale.

In the 1881 census there were 65 people recorded with the Fadden surname, ranking it #24,420 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 189, ranked #20,334, up from #24,420 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chorley, Southampton and Tameside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fadden is 233 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 190.8%.

1881 census count

65

Ranked #24,420

Modern count

189

2016, ranked #20,334

Peak year

2010

233 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fadden had 65 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,420 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 189 in 2016, ranked #20,334.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 96 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Fadden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fadden surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fadden 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 27 #28,467
1861 historical 61 #26,170
1881 historical 65 #24,420
1891 historical 96 #24,559
1901 historical 83 #24,900
1911 historical 63 #26,537
1997 modern 161 #20,176
1998 modern 164 #20,505
1999 modern 166 #20,458
2000 modern 175 #19,764
2001 modern 170 #19,838
2002 modern 184 #19,275
2003 modern 183 #19,152
2004 modern 188 #18,919
2005 modern 190 #18,753
2006 modern 182 #19,402
2007 modern 185 #19,402
2008 modern 182 #19,800
2009 modern 194 #19,398
2010 modern 233 #17,606
2011 modern 198 #19,410
2012 modern 189 #19,949
2013 modern 188 #20,352
2014 modern 185 #20,739
2015 modern 184 #20,719
2016 modern 189 #20,334

Geography

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Where Faddens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chorley, Southampton, Tameside and Merton. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chorley 005 Chorley
2 Southampton 026 Southampton
3 Chorley 006 Chorley
4 Tameside 029 Tameside
5 Merton 011 Merton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fadden

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fadden

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Fadden surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Fadden 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Fadden is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Fadden 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

Fadden falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fadden is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Fadden, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Fadden

The surname Fadden is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "O'Fathaidh," meaning "descendant of Fathaidh." The name Fathaidh itself is believed to be a diminutive form of the Irish personal name "Fath," meaning "prophet" or "wise man."

The name can be traced back to County Longford, Ireland, where the O'Fathaidh clan held lands and prominence in the 11th and 12th centuries. Over time, the prefix "O'" was dropped, and the anglicized spelling "Fadden" emerged.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a 17th-century chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention an O'Fathaidh chieftain named Muircheartach O'Fathaidh, who was involved in a conflict with the O'Conors of Connacht in the year 1189.

In the 16th century, the Fadden family spread to other parts of Ireland, including County Westmeath and County Cavan. During this period, various spellings of the name emerged, such as Faden, Fadyn, and Faddyn.

Notable individuals with the surname Fadden include:

1. Thomas Fadden (c. 1707-1783), an Irish-born American merchant and landowner who settled in Philadelphia in the mid-18th century. 2. John Fadden (1779-1856), a Canadian farmer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada. 3. Edward Fadden (1840-1921), an Australian prospector and entrepreneur who played a pivotal role in the development of the goldfields in Western Australia. 4. Archibald Fadden (1861-1938), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives. 5. Arthur Fadden (1894-1973), an Australian politician who served as the 13th Prime Minister of Australia from 1941 to 1945.

While the surname Fadden is not among the most common in Ireland today, it remains a significant part of the country's rich surname heritage, tracing its roots back to the ancient Gaelic chieftains of County Longford.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fadden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fadden 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. Lancashire leads with 19 Faddens recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.49x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 19 2.49x
Lanarkshire 12 5.77x
Durham 8 4.18x
Cheshire 5 3.52x
Middlesex 4 0.62x
Perthshire 4 13.85x
Somerset 4 3.86x
Angus 3 5.03x
Surrey 2 0.64x
Cumberland 1 1.80x
Glamorgan 1 0.89x
Midlothian 1 1.16x
Northumberland 1 1.04x
Royal Navy 1 13.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Carstairs in Lanarkshire leads with 10 Faddens recorded in 1881 and an index of 2325.58x.

Place Total Index
Carstairs 10 2325.58x
Stranton 6 93.02x
Birkenhead 4 35.34x
Blairgowrie 4 350.88x
Heapey 4 5000.00x
Shoreditch London 4 14.34x
Toxteth Park 4 15.47x
Weston Super Mare 4 152.67x
Blackburn 3 14.76x
Chorley 3 69.93x
Coundon 2 256.41x
Rotherhithe 2 25.16x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 16.50x
Crumpsall 1 55.56x
Dundee 1 4.49x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 55.87x
Glasgow 1 2.71x
Govan 1 1.94x
Grange 1 5000.00x
Keswick 1 140.85x
Kettins 1 500.00x
Kirkden 1 270.27x
Liverpool 1 2.16x
Manchester 1 2.91x
Neath 1 43.86x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 20.16x
Spotland 1 11.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Bridget 4
Mary 4
Ellen 2
An 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Jane 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Fadden households.

FAQ

Fadden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fadden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 65 people were recorded with the Fadden surname. That placed it at #24,420 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fadden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 189 in 2016. That gives Fadden a modern rank of #20,334.

What does the Fadden surname mean?

A derived surname meaning "valley dweller" or person from a small valley locale.

What does the Fadden map show?

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