NameCensus.

UK surname

Fairhurst

A locational surname originating from a place called "fair hurst" meaning fair wooded hill.

In the 1881 census there were 2,450 people recorded with the Fairhurst surname, ranking it #1,816 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,180, ranked #1,620, up from #1,816 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Winwick, Wigan and Leigh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fairhurst is 4,459 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 70.6%.

1881 census count

2,450

Ranked #1,816

Modern count

4,180

2016, ranked #1,620

Peak year

2000

4,459 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fairhurst had 2,450 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,816 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,180 in 2016, ranked #1,620.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,046 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Fairhurst surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fairhurst surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fairhurst 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 1,215 #2,346
1861 historical 1,644 #1,739
1881 historical 2,450 #1,816
1891 historical 2,999 #1,567
1901 historical 3,512 #1,585
1911 historical 4,046 #1,268
1997 modern 4,263 #1,527
1998 modern 4,266 #1,573
1999 modern 4,446 #1,531
2000 modern 4,459 #1,523
2001 modern 4,362 #1,519
2002 modern 4,413 #1,533
2003 modern 4,288 #1,539
2004 modern 4,295 #1,540
2005 modern 4,168 #1,564
2006 modern 4,114 #1,588
2007 modern 4,198 #1,568
2008 modern 4,218 #1,570
2009 modern 4,297 #1,582
2010 modern 4,358 #1,595
2011 modern 4,278 #1,603
2012 modern 4,132 #1,625
2013 modern 4,265 #1,606
2014 modern 4,256 #1,618
2015 modern 4,208 #1,621
2016 modern 4,180 #1,620

Geography

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Where Fairhursts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Winwick, Wigan, Leigh, Blackburn and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan. 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 Winwick Lancashire
2 Wigan Lancashire
3 Leigh Lancashire
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 011 Wigan
2 Wigan 015 Wigan
3 Wigan 010 Wigan
4 Wigan 014 Wigan
5 Wigan 009 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fairhurst

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fairhurst

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fairhurst, 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 Fairhurst surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Fairhurst 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, Fairhurst 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

Fairhurst is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Fairhurst

The surname FAIRHURST originated in Lancashire, England in the 13th century. It is an English locational surname derived from the Old English words "faer" meaning fair or light-colored and "hyrst" meaning a wooded hill or grove. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a fair or light-colored wooded area.

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 Fairhurst is mentioned. The name also appears in the Lancashire Inquests of 1310 and 1311 as Fairehurst and Fayrhurst. These early spellings highlight the variations in the name over time.

In the 16th century, the FAIRHURST surname was particularly concentrated in the areas around Wigan and Warrington in Lancashire. The name is associated with several notable historical figures from these regions. John Fairhurst (1560-1624) was a prominent landowner and benefactor in Wigan, while William Fairhurst (1615-1690) was a respected member of the Warrington community and served as a churchwarden.

The FAIRHURST name also has ties to the English Civil War. Thomas Fairhurst (1620-1685) was a Royalist captain who fought for King Charles I and was later involved in the Penruddock Uprising of 1655. Another notable bearer of the name was Peter Fairhurst (1672-1745), a celebrated clockmaker from Warrington whose intricate timepieces are now highly sought after by collectors.

In the 18th century, the FAIRHURST surname spread beyond Lancashire, with bearers of the name appearing in various parts of England and even in the American colonies. One significant figure was James Fairhurst (1745-1819), a wealthy merchant from Liverpool who made his fortune in the West Indies trade.

As the centuries progressed, the FAIRHURST name continued to be represented by a diverse array of individuals, including authors, artists, and academics. Examples include the poet and author John Fairhurst (1810-1878), the landscape painter Thomas Fairhurst (1845-1914), and the renowned linguist and philologist Edward Fairhurst (1874-1949).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fairhurst families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fairhurst 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 1,939 Fairhursts recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.83x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,939 6.83x
Cheshire 224 4.24x
Yorkshire 83 0.35x
Middlesex 52 0.22x
Northumberland 40 1.12x
Durham 34 0.48x
Warwickshire 13 0.22x
Lincolnshire 10 0.26x
Hertfordshire 9 0.55x
Surrey 6 0.05x
Somerset 5 0.13x
Staffordshire 5 0.06x
Hampshire 4 0.08x
Lanarkshire 4 0.05x
Anglesey 3 0.71x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.39x
Shropshire 3 0.15x
Derbyshire 2 0.05x
Devon 2 0.04x
Glamorgan 2 0.05x
Isle of Man 2 0.45x
Northamptonshire 2 0.09x
Royal Navy 2 0.70x
Gloucestershire 1 0.02x
Kent 1 0.01x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wigan in Lancashire leads with 248 Fairhursts recorded in 1881 and an index of 62.53x.

Place Total Index
Wigan 248 62.53x
Pemberton 146 129.01x
Ince In Makerfield 99 74.96x
Blackburn 91 12.05x
Ashton In Makerfield 72 89.09x
Windle 59 36.94x
Shevington 47 362.10x
Little Bolton 46 12.61x
Orrell 46 130.35x
Liverpool 45 2.61x
Sutton 40 42.02x
Aspull 39 58.42x
Great Bolton 39 10.37x
Haydock 39 79.75x
Warrington 39 11.59x
Eccleston In Prescot 38 26.67x
Everton 38 4.20x
Grappenhall 38 589.15x
Halliwell 38 36.79x
Manchester 37 2.90x
Standish With Langtree 36 103.00x
West Derby 33 3.97x
Hindley 32 26.44x
Abram 31 142.33x
Parr 30 29.55x
Billinge Chapel End 24 150.75x
Enfield 24 15.29x
Toxteth Park 22 2.29x
Upholland 21 57.74x
Macclesfield 20 8.52x
Prescot 20 38.96x
Salford 20 2.40x
Hulme 19 3.21x
Woolston With 18 435.84x
Bootle Cum Linacre 17 7.54x
Scarisbrick 17 51.59x
Billinge Higher End 16 139.13x
Farnworth 16 9.41x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 16 34.04x
Longton 15 125.73x
Skelmersdale 15 31.71x
Preston 14 1.84x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 14 17.14x
Birkenhead 13 3.09x
Westoe 13 3.22x
Wray With Botton 13 253.41x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 12 5.43x
Islington London 12 0.52x
Westleigh 12 18.62x
Coventry St Michael 11 5.68x
Latchford 11 31.36x
Thelwall 11 270.94x
Tudhoe 11 17.67x
Bury 10 3.08x
Kenton 10 196.08x
Layton With Warbreck 10 9.60x
Monk Hesleden 10 50.43x
Normanton 10 14.04x
Over Hulton 10 124.07x
Chorley 9 5.65x
Dukinfield 9 3.69x
Ormskirk 9 16.57x
Atherton 8 7.74x
East Barnet 8 24.46x
Haigh 8 80.89x
Little Sutton 8 112.84x
Runcorn 8 6.57x
Widnes 8 3.91x
Brightside Bierlow 7 1.51x
Chirton 7 8.69x
Hatton In Runcorn 7 233.33x
Holbeck 7 4.46x
Kirkdale 7 1.47x
Knowsley 7 68.29x
Turton 7 15.06x
Weaverham Cum Milton 7 50.14x
Whiston 7 31.62x
Wombwell 7 10.13x
Acton In Northwich 6 122.70x
Byker 6 3.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 190
Elizabeth 123
Margaret 86
Ellen 83
Ann 76
Sarah 71
Jane 66
Alice 63
Hannah 27
Catherine 26
Martha 26
Annie 24
Emma 16
Agnes 12
Isabella 12
Maria 12
Eliza 11
Ada 10
Emily 10
Elizth. 9
Louisa 9
Esther 8
Harriet 8
Betsy 7
Edith 7
Fanny 7
Rachel 7
Charlotte 6
Eliz. 6
Margret 6
Susan 6
Bertha 5
Betty 5
Isabel 5
Jessie 5
Amelia 4
Anne 4
Caroline 4
Clara 4
Grace 4
Maggie 4
Ruth 4
Bessie 3
Cicley 3
Frances 3
Kate 3
Lucy 3
Lydia 3
Phoebe 3
Rebecca 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 208
William 171
James 135
Thomas 121
Joseph 66
George 49
Richard 49
Henry 48
Peter 42
Robert 41
Edward 28
Charles 20
Samuel 13
Levi 11
Thos. 11
Arthur 10
Frank 9
Ralph 9
Walter 9
Albert 8
Alfred 8
Frederick 8
Harry 7
Matthew 7
Wm. 7
Edwin 6
Richd. 6
Michael 5
Benjamin 4
David 4
Enoch 4
Jas. 4
Moses 4
Thurston 4
Francis 3
Geoffrey 3
Herbert 3
Robt. 3
Saml. 3
Thurstan 3
Allan 2
Barton 2
Johnson 2
Lambert 2
Lawrence 2
Mark 2
Michl. 2
Percy 2
Reuben 2
Stephen 2

FAQ

Fairhurst surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fairhurst surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,450 people were recorded with the Fairhurst surname. That placed it at #1,816 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fairhurst surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,180 in 2016. That gives Fairhurst a modern rank of #1,620.

What does the Fairhurst surname mean?

A locational surname originating from a place called "fair hurst" meaning fair wooded hill.

What does the Fairhurst map show?

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