NameCensus.

UK surname

Fairclough

An English surname meaning "fair cliff" or "light ravine".

In the 1881 census there were 3,119 people recorded with the Fairclough surname, ranking it #1,444 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,446, ranked #1,530, down from #1,444 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Wigan and Chorley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chorley, West Lancashire and St. Helens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fairclough is 4,654 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.5%.

1881 census count

3,119

Ranked #1,444

Modern count

4,446

2016, ranked #1,530

Peak year

1999

4,654 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fairclough had 3,119 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,444 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,446 in 2016, ranked #1,530.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,261 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Fairclough surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fairclough surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fairclough 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 1,768 #1,632
1861 historical 1,951 #1,496
1881 historical 3,119 #1,444
1891 historical 3,401 #1,401
1901 historical 3,771 #1,491
1911 historical 4,261 #1,219
1997 modern 4,468 #1,473
1998 modern 4,556 #1,488
1999 modern 4,654 #1,473
2000 modern 4,567 #1,492
2001 modern 4,502 #1,480
2002 modern 4,582 #1,487
2003 modern 4,470 #1,487
2004 modern 4,417 #1,506
2005 modern 4,332 #1,513
2006 modern 4,266 #1,528
2007 modern 4,316 #1,533
2008 modern 4,338 #1,533
2009 modern 4,445 #1,530
2010 modern 4,529 #1,537
2011 modern 4,467 #1,537
2012 modern 4,433 #1,520
2013 modern 4,496 #1,526
2014 modern 4,533 #1,524
2015 modern 4,445 #1,535
2016 modern 4,446 #1,530

Geography

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Where Faircloughs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Wigan, Chorley, Liverpool and Preston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chorley, West Lancashire and St. Helens. 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 3
2 Wigan Lancashire
3 Chorley Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Preston Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chorley 014 Chorley
2 West Lancashire 004 West Lancashire
3 St. Helens 004 St. Helens
4 St. Helens 019 St. Helens
5 St. Helens 007 St. Helens

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fairclough

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fairclough

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Fairclough surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Fairclough household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Fairclough 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

Fairclough is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fairclough falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fairclough is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Fairclough

The surname Fairclough is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "faeger" meaning fair or beautiful, and "clough" meaning a ravine or valley. The name likely originated in areas of northern England where such landscapes were prevalent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Assize Court Rolls of Lancashire in 1246, where a Richard de Fayreclough is mentioned. In the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, a Thomas de Fairclowe is listed, suggesting an early variant spelling.

The Fairclough name appears to have been particularly concentrated in the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire in its early days. In the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332, several individuals with the name are recorded in the village of Ormskirk, Lancashire, including Henricus de Fairclough and Johannes de Fairclogh.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name can be found in various historical records, such as the Wills at Chester Probate Registry, where a John Fairclough of Neston is mentioned in 1618. In the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1666, several Fairclough families are listed in the parish of Wigan, Lancashire.

One notable individual with the Fairclough surname was John Fairclough (1594-1677), a Puritan clergyman and ejected minister from Suffolk. He was a vocal critic of the Church of England and was known for his nonconformist views.

Another prominent figure was Daniel Fairclough (1632-1677), a Scottish Covenanter and minister who was imprisoned for his religious beliefs and later became a prominent preacher in the Netherlands.

In the 18th century, the name can be found in the parish registers of Oldham, Lancashire, where a Thomas Fairclough was born in 1702. Additionally, a John Fairclough (1739-1784) was a notable singer and composer from Yorkshire.

The 19th century saw the birth of Samuel Fairclough (1824-1891), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Prestwich, Lancashire, from 1885 to 1891.

While the Fairclough name originated in northern England, it has since spread to other parts of the country and beyond, with pockets of Fairclough families found in various regions over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fairclough families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fairclough 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 2,444 Faircloughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.76x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2,444 6.76x
Cheshire 176 2.62x
Yorkshire 108 0.36x
Durham 80 0.88x
Surrey 72 0.48x
Middlesex 68 0.22x
Staffordshire 37 0.36x
Essex 36 0.60x
Derbyshire 9 0.19x
Devon 9 0.14x
Kent 9 0.09x
Caernarfonshire 8 0.65x
Worcestershire 7 0.18x
Cumberland 6 0.23x
Flintshire 6 0.73x
Northumberland 6 0.13x
Isle of Man 5 0.88x
Somerset 5 0.10x
Warwickshire 5 0.07x
Berkshire 4 0.17x
Monmouthshire 4 0.18x
Brecknockshire 3 0.49x
Wiltshire 3 0.11x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.10x
Denbighshire 2 0.17x
Hampshire 2 0.03x
Royal Navy 2 0.55x
Sussex 2 0.04x
Dorset 1 0.05x
Hertfordshire 1 0.05x
Leicestershire 1 0.03x
Northamptonshire 1 0.03x
Shropshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Windle in Lancashire leads with 144 Faircloughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 70.75x.

Place Total Index
Windle 144 70.75x
Wigan 119 23.54x
Preston 101 10.44x
Liverpool 90 4.10x
Great Bolton 66 13.78x
West Derby 66 6.24x
Toxteth Park 54 4.41x
Everton 52 4.51x
Pemberton 52 36.05x
Chorley 51 25.13x
Eccleston In Prescot 49 26.98x
Blackburn 48 4.99x
Sutton 48 39.57x
Kirkdale 44 7.23x
Adlington 42 124.00x
Upholland 40 86.30x
Burtonwood 39 293.90x
Bishopwearmouth 32 4.11x
Scarisbrick 31 73.83x
Little Bolton 30 6.45x
Shevington 27 163.24x
Warrington 27 6.30x
Aughton 26 72.59x
Newton In Makerfield 25 22.57x
North Meols 25 7.06x
Rumworth 25 48.37x
Bradford 24 14.17x
Chorlton On Medlock 24 4.18x
Hulme 24 3.18x
Wavertree 24 20.73x
Barnsley 23 7.38x
Haydock 23 36.90x
Poulton Le Fylde 22 171.47x
West Bergholt 22 195.73x
Manchester 21 1.29x
Widnes 21 8.05x
Orrell 20 44.47x
Heath Charnock 19 197.51x
Newton 19 6.81x
Thornton In Fylde 19 24.01x
Hindley 18 11.67x
Battersea 17 1.52x
Kearsley 17 22.34x
Medlar With Wesham 17 156.68x
Euxton 16 133.33x
Pennington In Leigh 16 23.05x
Walton On Hill 16 8.16x
Ashton In Makerfield 15 14.56x
Barugh 15 58.80x
Camberwell 15 0.77x
Gateshead 15 2.21x
Great Crosby 15 15.21x
Ince In Makerfield 15 8.91x
Turton 15 25.33x
Winstanley 15 263.62x
Chester St John Baptist 14 11.58x
Gorton 14 4.12x
Knowsley 14 107.20x
Salford 14 1.32x
Halliwell 13 9.87x
Lancaster 13 6.04x
Lowton 13 52.82x
Out Rawcliffe 13 150.81x
Preesall With 13 146.89x
Prescot 13 19.87x
Ardwick 12 3.68x
Dalton In Wigan 12 231.21x
Dukinfield 12 3.86x
Halsall 12 83.97x
Parr 12 9.27x
Bermondsey 11 1.21x
Billinge Chapel End 11 54.19x
Caton 11 97.09x
Esh 11 16.67x
Halifax 11 2.48x
Pendleton In Salford 11 2.55x
Pilkington 11 8.01x
Skelmersdale 11 18.25x
Westleigh 11 13.39x
Tonge With Haulgh 10 14.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 261
Elizabeth 150
Ellen 104
Margaret 103
Jane 95
Ann 94
Alice 85
Sarah 68
Hannah 43
Martha 36
Annie 35
Catherine 32
Eliza 28
Agnes 27
Emma 23
Esther 22
Emily 18
Margt. 14
Isabella 12
Louisa 12
Ada 11
Elizth. 10
Maria 10
Caroline 9
Florence 9
Harriet 9
Betsy 8
Kate 8
Lucy 8
Amy 7
Edith 7
Fanny 7
Frances 7
Nancy 7
Rebecca 7
Clara 6
Jessie 6
Margeret 6
Anne 5
Betty 5
Charlotte 5
Minnie 5
Ruth 5
Henrietta 4
Lydia 4
Mabel 4
Prudence 4
Grace 3
May 3
Priscilla 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 246
William 187
Thomas 181
James 139
Robert 81
George 68
Richard 68
Henry 57
Joseph 54
Edward 28
Charles 27
Thos. 20
Samuel 18
Frederick 15
Peter 15
Alfred 12
Wm. 11
Abraham 10
Arthur 10
Harry 9
Herbert 9
Joshua 9
Albert 7
David 7
Edwin 7
Ernest 7
Walter 7
Frank 6
Benjamin 5
Edwd. 5
Jno. 5
Ralph 5
Hugh 4
Jonathan 4
Lawrence 4
Mathew 4
Nathan 4
Paul 4
Robt. 4
Tom 4
Edgar 3
Elias 3
Geo. 3
Isaac 3
Luke 3
Matthew 3
Daniel 2
Laurence 2
Mary 2
Moses 2

FAQ

Fairclough surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fairclough surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,119 people were recorded with the Fairclough surname. That placed it at #1,444 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fairclough surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,446 in 2016. That gives Fairclough a modern rank of #1,530.

What does the Fairclough surname mean?

An English surname meaning "fair cliff" or "light ravine".

What does the Fairclough map show?

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