NameCensus.

UK surname

Fage

A surname likely derived from the Greek word "fagos" meaning "to eat" or related to food.

In the 1881 census there were 170 people recorded with the Fage surname, ranking it #14,265 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 228, ranked #17,936, down from #14,265 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Mary Whitechapel, London parishes and St Dunstan Stepney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Central Bedfordshire and Newham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fage is 262 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.1%.

1881 census count

170

Ranked #14,265

Modern count

228

2016, ranked #17,936

Peak year

2004

262 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fage had 170 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,265 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 228 in 2016, ranked #17,936.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 212 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Fage surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fage surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fage 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 89 #18,446
1861 historical 167 #13,956
1881 historical 170 #14,265
1891 historical 212 #14,318
1901 historical 170 #16,762
1911 historical 207 #14,635
1997 modern 244 #15,520
1998 modern 257 #15,401
1999 modern 260 #15,390
2000 modern 259 #15,390
2001 modern 254 #15,363
2002 modern 252 #15,714
2003 modern 258 #15,293
2004 modern 262 #15,233
2005 modern 253 #15,514
2006 modern 238 #16,288
2007 modern 242 #16,296
2008 modern 232 #16,931
2009 modern 226 #17,587
2010 modern 239 #17,280
2011 modern 232 #17,481
2012 modern 234 #17,291
2013 modern 227 #17,922
2014 modern 235 #17,619
2015 modern 235 #17,530
2016 modern 228 #17,936

Geography

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Where Fages are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Central Bedfordshire and Newham. 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 St Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 Northill, Sandy Bedfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Central Bedfordshire 002 Central Bedfordshire
2 Central Bedfordshire 005 Central Bedfordshire
3 Central Bedfordshire 001 Central Bedfordshire
4 Central Bedfordshire 006 Central Bedfordshire
5 Newham 001 Newham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fage

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fage

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Fage surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Fage household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Fage is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Fage is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fage falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fage is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Fage

The surname FAGE has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "fagere," which means "to make" or "to do." This suggests that the name may have been occupational, referring to someone who was a maker or doer of something specific.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name FAGE can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Robert Fage in the county of Gloucestershire.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as "Fage," "Fagge," and "Fagher," in different parts of England and France. This variation in spelling was common during that time due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

A notable figure bearing the name FAGE was Sir John Fage, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the 14th century. He was involved in the wool trade and owned substantial properties in Gloucestershire and Somerset.

In the 16th century, the FAGE surname was associated with the village of Fago in Normandy, France. It is possible that some members of the FAGE family originated from this area and later migrated to other parts of Europe.

During the 17th century, a prominent individual named Thomas Fage (1615-1688) was a member of the English Parliament and served as the Sheriff of Gloucestershire. He played a role in the English Civil War, initially supporting the Royalist cause but later switching sides to the Parliamentarians.

Another noteworthy person with the surname FAGE was Robert Fage (1768-1834), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. He participated in several battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and rose to the rank of Vice Admiral.

In the 19th century, a French painter named Émile-Louis Fage (1836-1908) gained recognition for his landscapes and genre paintings. He was a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts and received several honors for his artistic achievements.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fage families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fage 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 108 Fages recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.51x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 108 6.51x
Hampshire 17 5.00x
Surrey 16 1.98x
Essex 15 4.58x
Kent 9 1.59x
Bedfordshire 3 3.49x
Devon 1 0.29x
Lancashire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mile End Old Town London in Middlesex leads with 23 Fages recorded in 1881 and an index of 65.17x.

Place Total Index
Mile End Old Town London 23 65.17x
Whitechapel London 15 91.80x
Bromley London 12 32.89x
Islington London 12 7.47x
St Anne Soho London 11 116.16x
Deptford St Paul 9 20.62x
Portsea 9 13.51x
Hornsey 8 38.15x
Kingston 8 1666.67x
Southwark St John 6 118.34x
Upminster 6 882.35x
Lambeth 5 3.46x
Stoke Newington London 5 38.70x
Bethnal Green London 4 5.55x
East Ham 4 65.90x
Croydon 3 6.69x
Mile End New Town London 3 91.46x
Paddington London 3 4.92x
Sandy 3 198.68x
St Andrew Holborn London 3 41.78x
St Pancras London 3 2.25x
West Ham 3 4.15x
St Botolph Aldgate London 2 58.65x
St Luke London 2 7.52x
Barking 1 10.44x
Camberwell 1 0.94x
Plymouth Charles The 1 6.57x
Rotherhithe 1 4.88x
Spitalfields London 1 8.02x
St George In East London 1 6.41x
Wanstead 1 17.45x
West Derby 1 1.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Emma 7
Mary 6
Elizabeth 5
Sarah 5
Alice 4
Fanny 4
Maud 4
Ada 3
Eliza 3
Jane 3
Louisa 3
Rebecca 3
Amy 2
Ann 2
Annie 2
Elizth. 2
Ellen 2
Florence 2
Jenny 2
Jessie 2
Lucy 2
Sophia 2
Alicia 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Blanche 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Emily 1
Eyra 1
Francis 1
Georgianna 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Harriott 1
Janetta 1
Juliette 1
Mabel 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Martha 1
My.A. 1
Nancy 1
Rosena 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 9
Edwin 7
George 6
James 5
John 4
Albert 3
Arthur 3
Edward 3
Ernest 3
Frederick 3
Henry 3
Josiah 3
Charles 2
Herbert 2
Robert 2
Wm. 2
Abel 1
Alfred 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Francis 1
Harry 1
Hy.Walter 1
Jno. 1
Joseph 1
Nathaniel 1
Sydney 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Fage surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fage surname in 1881?

In 1881, 170 people were recorded with the Fage surname. That placed it at #14,265 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fage surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 228 in 2016. That gives Fage a modern rank of #17,936.

What does the Fage surname mean?

A surname likely derived from the Greek word "fagos" meaning "to eat" or related to food.

What does the Fage map show?

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