NameCensus.

UK surname

Fail

A Scottish surname derived from the Old French word "faille" meaning failure or defect.

In the 1881 census there were 253 people recorded with the Fail surname, ranking it #10,980 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 252, ranked #16,699, down from #10,980 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Jarrow and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fail is 363 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.4%.

1881 census count

253

Ranked #10,980

Modern count

252

2016, ranked #16,699

Peak year

1901

363 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fail had 253 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,980 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 252 in 2016, ranked #16,699.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 363 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Fail surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fail surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fail 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 176 #11,489
1861 historical 221 #11,031
1881 historical 253 #10,980
1891 historical 305 #10,976
1901 historical 363 #10,145
1911 historical 353 #10,212
1997 modern 265 #14,692
1998 modern 270 #14,913
1999 modern 277 #14,737
2000 modern 280 #14,601
2001 modern 269 #14,776
2002 modern 266 #15,156
2003 modern 265 #15,025
2004 modern 257 #15,419
2005 modern 256 #15,407
2006 modern 254 #15,560
2007 modern 246 #16,086
2008 modern 245 #16,295
2009 modern 254 #16,230
2010 modern 265 #16,115
2011 modern 269 #15,800
2012 modern 252 #16,424
2013 modern 263 #16,232
2014 modern 263 #16,334
2015 modern 257 #16,475
2016 modern 252 #16,699

Geography

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Where Fails are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Jarrow, Gateshead, Newcastle All Saints and Long Benton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland and County Durham. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Jarrow Durham
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
5 Long Benton Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 016 Northumberland
2 Northumberland 028 Northumberland
3 County Durham 012 County Durham
4 County Durham 014 County Durham
5 Northumberland 029 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fail

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fail

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Fail surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Fail household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Fail is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fail is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fail falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fail 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 Fail, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Fail

The surname FAIL originated in the northern regions of medieval Germany, particularly in the areas of Bavaria and Saxony, during the 12th and 13th centuries. It is derived from the old Germanic word "failen," which meant "to strive" or "to labor." This word eventually evolved into the modern German word "feilen," which means "to file" or "to polish."

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname FAIL can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, where a certain Henricus Faile is mentioned in a land transaction dated 1237. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the mid-13th century.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various spellings, such as Feyle, Feylen, and Faylen, in records from various parts of Germany, including the Duchy of Bavaria and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. One notable individual from this period was Johann Feylen, a merchant from Nuremberg who is mentioned in the city's trade records from the late 1300s.

During the 15th century, the surname FAIL began to spread beyond Germany, with records showing individuals bearing the name in neighboring regions such as Austria and Switzerland. One prominent figure from this time was Hans Fail, a master craftsman and metalworker from Augsburg, who was renowned for his intricate and ornate armor designs.

As the name continued to evolve and spread throughout Europe, it also took on various localized spellings and variations. In the Netherlands, for instance, the name appeared as Feil or Feijl, while in France it was often rendered as Failly or Faille.

Notable individuals with the surname FAIL from more recent history include:

1. Johann Nepomuk Fail (1784-1849), a German composer and organist from Bavaria. 2. Maria Fail (1824-1904), an Austrian painter and artist known for her portraits and landscapes. 3. Friedrich Fail (1874-1956), a German architect and urban planner who designed several prominent buildings in Berlin. 4. Erna Fail (1898-1987), a German actress and film star during the early 20th century. 5. Günter Fail (1926-2011), a German businessman and industrialist who founded the Fail Group, a major manufacturing company.

While the surname FAIL has its roots in medieval Germany and the Germanic language, it has since spread across Europe and beyond, with variations and adaptations in spelling and pronunciation reflecting the diverse cultures and regions where it has taken hold.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fail families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fail 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. Northumberland leads with 107 Fails recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.73x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 107 29.73x
Durham 82 11.39x
Middlesex 15 0.62x
Lancashire 14 0.49x
Cheshire 9 1.69x
Yorkshire 8 0.33x
Stirlingshire 5 5.60x
Surrey 4 0.34x
Angus 1 0.45x
Kent 1 0.12x
Norfolk 1 0.27x
Shropshire 1 0.48x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bedlington in Northumberland leads with 24 Fails recorded in 1881 and an index of 199.67x.

Place Total Index
Bedlington 24 199.67x
Westoe 24 58.82x
Bishopwearmouth 15 24.28x
Longbenton 15 98.36x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 15 69.77x
Elswick 10 34.81x
Tanfield 10 116.82x
Poplar London 8 17.52x
Sherburn 8 365.30x
Pegswood 7 864.20x
Bromley London 6 11.27x
Dawdon 6 67.80x
Newton In Makerfield 6 68.26x
Plawsworth 6 769.23x
Byker 5 28.11x
Westgate 5 22.43x
Widdrington 5 581.40x
Chester St John Baptist 4 41.67x
Chollerton 4 396.04x
Cramlington 4 84.03x
Gateshead 4 7.42x
Great Lumley 4 325.20x
Hulme 4 6.67x
Southwark St John 4 54.05x
St Ninians 4 45.25x
Thornaby 4 44.64x
Bebside 3 7500.00x
Stockport 3 10.92x
Stockton On Tees 3 8.65x
Ulgham 3 500.00x
Burradon In Tynemouth 2 217.39x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 4.39x
Kirkdale 2 4.14x
Ryhope 2 40.00x
York St Saviour 2 87.34x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 1 11.48x
Berwick Upon Tweed 1 13.11x
Chester St Mary On Hill 1 21.83x
Chester St Oswald 1 10.34x
Cowpen 1 12.06x
East Brunton 1 1000.00x
Forfar 1 8.24x
Lydd 1 56.50x
Morpeth 1 23.64x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 5.36x
Norwich St George Colegate 1 74.07x
Ormesby 1 15.53x
St George Hanover 1 3.17x
Stirling 1 8.89x
Wellington 1 8.51x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Fail surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fail surname in 1881?

In 1881, 253 people were recorded with the Fail surname. That placed it at #10,980 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fail surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 252 in 2016. That gives Fail a modern rank of #16,699.

What does the Fail surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Old French word "faille" meaning failure or defect.

What does the Fail map show?

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