NameCensus.

UK surname

Fairfax

A habitational surname derived from Fairfax in Virginia, USA.

In the 1881 census there were 261 people recorded with the Fairfax surname, ranking it #10,752 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 550, ranked #9,280, up from #10,752 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, London parishes and Banbury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sedgemoor, Northumberland and Bridgend.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fairfax is 567 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 110.7%.

1881 census count

261

Ranked #10,752

Modern count

550

2016, ranked #9,280

Peak year

2000

567 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fairfax had 261 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,752 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 550 in 2016, ranked #9,280.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 352 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Fairfax surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fairfax surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fairfax 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 144 #13,277
1861 historical 112 #19,279
1881 historical 261 #10,752
1891 historical 273 #11,918
1901 historical 352 #10,394
1911 historical 327 #10,742
1997 modern 488 #9,470
1998 modern 540 #9,058
1999 modern 541 #9,092
2000 modern 567 #8,733
2001 modern 558 #8,709
2002 modern 540 #9,103
2003 modern 512 #9,328
2004 modern 524 #9,198
2005 modern 516 #9,236
2006 modern 523 #9,170
2007 modern 543 #8,983
2008 modern 528 #9,248
2009 modern 551 #9,155
2010 modern 556 #9,291
2011 modern 548 #9,300
2012 modern 554 #9,115
2013 modern 558 #9,223
2014 modern 544 #9,476
2015 modern 546 #9,370
2016 modern 550 #9,280

Geography

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Where Fairfax' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, London parishes, Banbury and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sedgemoor, Northumberland, Bridgend and The Vale of Glamorgan. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Banbury Oxfordshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sedgemoor 013 Sedgemoor
2 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
3 Northumberland 008 Northumberland
4 Bridgend 015 Bridgend
5 The Vale of Glamorgan 003 Vale of Glamorgan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fairfax

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fairfax

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Fairfax is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fairfax 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

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

Meaning and origin of Fairfax

The surname Fairfax is of English origin, deriving from the place name Fairfax in the East Riding of Yorkshire. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words 'fæger' meaning 'fair' or 'beautiful' and 'feax' meaning 'hair' or 'locks', suggesting a connection to a person with fair or blonde hair.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Fairfax in Yorkshire. Over the centuries, variations in spelling emerged, including Fayrefax, Fayrfax, and Fairefax.

In the 13th century, the Fairfax family gained prominence as landowners and members of the gentry in Yorkshire. One notable figure was Sir William Fairfax (1305-1358), who served as a member of Parliament and fought in the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, the Fairfax family played a significant role on the Parliamentarian side. Thomas Fairfax (1612-1671) was a renowned military commander who led the Parliamentary forces to victory against King Charles I. His cousin, Ferdinando Fairfax (1584-1648), was a prominent member of the Long Parliament and a staunch supporter of the Puritan cause.

Another notable member of the family was Edward Fairfax (1580-1635), an English poet best known for his translation of Torquato Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered, which was highly praised and influenced English literature.

In the 18th century, Robert Fairfax (1707-1793) was a prominent landowner and member of the Virginia gentry. He served as a justice of the peace and was involved in the establishment of the town of Alexandria, Virginia.

The Fairfax surname has also been associated with several notable places, including Fairfax County in Virginia, named after Thomas Fairfax, and the town of Fairfax in Oxfordshire, England, which takes its name from the Fairfax family's former estate.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fairfax families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fairfax 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 37 Fairfax' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.45x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 37 1.45x
Warwickshire 34 5.30x
Monmouthshire 32 17.39x
Worcestershire 19 5.71x
Yorkshire 18 0.71x
Essex 13 2.59x
Northumberland 13 3.43x
Oxfordshire 12 7.63x
Staffordshire 11 1.28x
Cheshire 10 1.78x
Surrey 10 0.81x
Leicestershire 8 2.83x
Northamptonshire 8 3.34x
Somerset 6 1.46x
Sussex 6 1.40x
Lincolnshire 5 1.23x
Berkshire 4 2.09x
Gloucestershire 3 0.60x
Kent 3 0.35x
Lancashire 3 0.10x
Denbighshire 2 2.08x
Hertfordshire 2 1.14x
Roxburghshire 2 4.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 14 Fairfax' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.92x.

Place Total Index
Aston 14 7.92x
Ecclesall Bierlow 12 23.38x
Cleeve Prior 10 4000.00x
Macclesfield 10 40.03x
St Woollos 10 48.69x
Arrow 9 3000.00x
Michaelstone Y Vedw 8 4444.44x
Tynemouth 8 39.43x
Warkworth 8 370.37x
Birmingham 7 3.27x
Great Malvern 7 100.86x
Mile End Old Town London 7 12.92x
West Ham 7 6.31x
Banbury 6 190.48x
Battersea 6 6.40x
Fletching 6 312.50x
Hammersmith London 6 9.57x
Harborne 6 21.79x
Kingsdon 6 1935.48x
Leicester St Nicholas 6 375.00x
Shawdon 5 5555.56x
St Pancras London 5 2.44x
Bilbrough 4 2352.94x
Denchworth 4 2000.00x
E Adderbury 4 506.33x
Hackthorn 4 1666.67x
Panteg 4 137.93x
Rogerstone 4 353.98x
St Martin In Fields 4 26.25x
Westminster St John 4 12.90x
Woodford 4 70.30x
Shrewley 3 937.50x
Wigan 3 7.11x
Bow London 2 6.17x
Castle Church 2 38.68x
Clerkenwell London 2 3.33x
Colne Engaine 2 444.44x
Duffryn 2 869.57x
Lambeth 2 0.90x
Leicester Black Friars 2 108.70x
Melrose 2 50.13x
Mickleton 2 303.03x
Penge 2 12.30x
Ruabon 2 15.13x
St George Hanover Square 2 4.46x
Ware 2 39.76x
Wentllooge St Bride 2 909.09x
Aysgarth 1 312.50x
Clifton 1 3.96x
Coedkernew 1 714.29x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.49x
Feckenham 1 26.32x
Graig 1 120.48x
Great Grimsby 1 3.87x
Hackney London 1 0.70x
Handsworth 1 4.72x
Hanley Castle 1 50.25x
Herne 1 25.97x
Holywell 1 135.14x
Kensington London 1 0.71x
Maltby In Rotherham 1 142.86x
Neithrop 1 18.94x
Old Stratford 1 27.47x
Poplar London 1 2.08x
St Marylebone London 1 0.74x
St Peter Le Poer London 1 454.55x
Stone 1 9.10x
Walsall Foreign 1 2.25x
Willesborough 1 42.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Sarah 15
Elizabeth 10
Louisa 5
Ann 4
Anne 4
Annie 4
Ada 3
Caroline 3
Clara 3
Eliza 3
Emily 3
Emma 3
Hannah 3
Harriet 3
Susan 3
Edith 2
Evelyn 2
Jane 2
Lizzie 2
Lucy 2
Amy 1
Beatrice 1
Bessie 1
Celia 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth.J. 1
Ellen 1
Emilie 1
Emmalina 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Frances 1
G. 1
Harriett 1
Isabella 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lillie 1
Maretta 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Milicent 1
Pheby 1
R. 1
Rachel 1
Rhoda 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 16
John 15
Thomas 10
Charles 9
Henry 8
George 7
Alfred 6
Joseph 6
Edward 4
Francis 4
Frederick 4
James 4
Samuel 3
Fredrick 2
Richard 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Authur 1
Bernard 1
Bryan 1
Cescil 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Gabriel 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Herry 1
Jesse 1
Michael 1
Percy 1
R. 1
Ralph 1
Reginald 1
Sammuel 1
Thirza 1
Tom 1
Wm.Geo. 1

FAQ

Fairfax surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fairfax surname in 1881?

In 1881, 261 people were recorded with the Fairfax surname. That placed it at #10,752 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fairfax surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 550 in 2016. That gives Fairfax a modern rank of #9,280.

What does the Fairfax surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from Fairfax in Virginia, USA.

What does the Fairfax map show?

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