NameCensus.

UK surname

Fairlie

A Scottish surname referring to a locality or place name meaning "smooth or level ground."

In the 1881 census there were 740 people recorded with the Fairlie surname, ranking it #4,951 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 933, ranked #6,126, down from #4,951 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Balfron, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Letham, Hillyland, Tulloch and Inveralmond and Arbroath Landward.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fairlie is 942 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.1%.

1881 census count

740

Ranked #4,951

Modern count

933

2016, ranked #6,126

Peak year

2011

942 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fairlie had 740 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,951 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 933 in 2016, ranked #6,126.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 886 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Fairlie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fairlie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fairlie 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 409 #5,929
1861 historical 457 #5,681
1881 historical 740 #4,951
1891 historical 799 #5,033
1901 historical 886 #5,198
1911 historical 215 #14,290
1997 modern 877 #6,087
1998 modern 921 #6,043
1999 modern 922 #6,091
2000 modern 933 #6,020
2001 modern 904 #6,061
2002 modern 881 #6,280
2003 modern 889 #6,146
2004 modern 877 #6,215
2005 modern 881 #6,115
2006 modern 900 #6,041
2007 modern 904 #6,067
2008 modern 915 #6,061
2009 modern 931 #6,082
2010 modern 941 #6,163
2011 modern 942 #6,103
2012 modern 905 #6,226
2013 modern 914 #6,274
2014 modern 930 #6,229
2015 modern 930 #6,181
2016 modern 933 #6,126

Geography

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Where Fairlies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Balfron, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Uphall and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Letham, Hillyland, Tulloch and Inveralmond, Arbroath Landward, Central and South Inch and Paisley North East. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Balfron Stirling
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Uphall Linlithgow
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Letham Perth and Kinross
2 Hillyland, Tulloch and Inveralmond Perth and Kinross
3 Arbroath Landward Angus
4 Central and South Inch Perth and Kinross
5 Paisley North East Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fairlie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fairlie

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Fairlie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Fairlie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Fairlie is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fairlie is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fairlie 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 Fairlie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Fairlie

The surname Fairlie originates from Scotland and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the old Scottish Gaelic words "feara" meaning "men" and "lios" meaning "garden" or "enclosure". The name likely referred to a person who lived or worked in a garden or enclosed area.

The earliest recorded instances of the Fairlie name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during his invasion of Scotland. The name appears as "de Fayrelie" and is thought to refer to the village of Fairlie in Ayrshire, Scotland.

In the 15th century, the Fairlie family held lands in Renfrewshire and Ayrshire, and the name is mentioned in several charters and records from that time. One notable figure was Sir Robert Fairlie (c. 1420-1490), who was a supporter of King James III of Scotland and fought in the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488.

Another prominent Fairlie was Sir Andrew Fairlie (1570-1627), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1619 to 1626. He played a significant role in the prosecution of the Earl of Argyll during the reign of King James VI.

In the 18th century, Robert Fairlie (1666-1723) was a Scottish mathematician and inventor who developed an early form of the double-acting engine, which was a precursor to the modern steam engine.

During the 19th century, Robert F. Fairlie (1831-1885) was a Scottish engineer who designed the Fairlie locomotive, a type of articulated steam locomotive that was widely used in narrow-gauge railway systems around the world.

Other notable individuals with the Fairlie surname include Andrew Fairlie (1963-2019), a Scottish chef who earned two Michelin stars for his restaurant in Gleneagles, and Alison Fairlie (born 1959), a Scottish actress best known for her roles in television shows like Taggart and Shetland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fairlie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fairlie 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. Lanarkshire leads with 226 Fairlies recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.83x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 226 9.83x
Renfrewshire 95 17.24x
Ayrshire 54 10.15x
Stirlingshire 48 18.30x
Angus 43 6.53x
Midlothian 42 4.41x
Surrey 26 0.75x
Dunbartonshire 24 12.56x
Cumberland 23 3.76x
West Lothian 18 16.81x
Yorkshire 16 0.23x
Fife 11 2.61x
Berkshire 10 1.87x
Peeblesshire 10 29.90x
Perthshire 9 2.82x
Durham 7 0.33x
Hampshire 7 0.48x
Lancashire 7 0.08x
Middlesex 7 0.10x
Berwickshire 6 6.97x
Buteshire 6 13.92x
Sussex 5 0.42x
Dumfriesshire 4 2.55x
Essex 4 0.28x
Kent 4 0.16x
Clackmannanshire 3 5.11x
Cheshire 2 0.13x
Devon 2 0.14x
Roxburghshire 2 1.55x
Staffordshire 2 0.08x
Worcestershire 2 0.22x
Argyllshire 1 0.51x
Channel Islands 1 0.47x
Norfolk 1 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 84 Fairlies recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.43x.

Place Total Index
Barony 84 14.43x
Glasgow 47 11.51x
Govan 45 7.91x
Paisley High Church 25 56.97x
New Monkland 23 33.83x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 21 5.48x
Uphall 18 152.80x
Killearn 17 615.94x
Renfrew 15 82.42x
Shotts 15 54.51x
West Greenock 15 15.16x
Abbey 14 16.65x
Bonhill 14 45.63x
Rickergate 14 108.11x
Clapham 11 12.37x
Paisley Middle Church 11 34.28x
Balfron 10 308.64x
Beith 10 62.97x
Falkirk 10 16.29x
Innerleithen 10 112.61x
Monikie 10 289.86x
Cookham 9 54.09x
Paisley Low Church 9 51.58x
Ayr 8 31.85x
Duddingston 8 41.84x
Dundee 8 3.25x
Arbirlot 7 348.26x
Rotherhithe 7 7.97x
Campsie 6 41.70x
Kilbirnie 6 46.95x
Markinch 6 41.99x
Methven 6 128.21x
Old Kilpatrick 6 26.57x
Rothesay 6 28.75x
Southampton St Mary 6 6.55x
Barry 5 63.21x
Bishopwearmouth 5 2.75x
Croydon 5 2.60x
Dalry 5 19.97x
Dunfermline 5 7.72x
Hove 5 9.50x
Kilmarnock 5 7.89x
Leeds 5 1.26x
Maybole 5 30.86x
St Cuthbert W O 5 16.76x
Ayton 4 80.16x
Chiswick 4 10.29x
Keighley 4 5.33x
Liberton 4 27.19x
Maryhill 4 8.88x
Neilston 4 14.46x
Riccarton 4 49.81x
St Cuthbert Within 4 56.42x
Alloa 3 10.53x
Brentwood 3 35.05x
Forfar 3 8.41x
Galston 3 20.62x
Kirkintilloch 3 11.56x
Kirkmichael 3 61.86x
Libberton 3 196.08x
Moffat 3 41.84x
Monifieth 3 12.89x
Southcoates 3 7.67x
Toxteth Park 3 1.05x
Wortley In Bramley 3 5.38x
Barrow In Furness 2 1.74x
Claughton With Grange 2 27.97x
Colinton 2 18.83x
Currie 2 34.31x
Denny 2 14.34x
Droitwich St Nicholas 2 58.14x
Fenwick 2 70.92x
Guthrie 2 185.19x
Hawick 2 6.94x
South Leith 2 1.87x
Southwick 2 9.98x
Stalisfield 2 240.96x
Stoke Upon Trent 2 0.79x
Tulliallan 2 36.97x
Woolwich 2 2.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Annie 5
Agnes 3
Ann 3
Emily 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Charlotte 2
Eliza 2
Elizabeth 2
Florence 2
Isabella 2
Jane 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Anne 1
Barbara 1
Bertha 1
Bridget 1
Emma 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Kesiah 1
Lily 1
Manfried 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Marion 1
Memab 1
Nancy 1
Phoebe 1
Rachel 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
William 8
Charles 4
Thomas 4
Joseph 3
Robert 3
Walter 3
David 2
Frank 2
Patrick 2
Richard 2
Adam 1
Allan 1
Archibald 1
Arthur 1
Bertram 1
Clarence 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Humphrey 1
James 1
Percy 1
Reginall 1
Robt.F. 1
Sidney 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Fairlie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fairlie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 740 people were recorded with the Fairlie surname. That placed it at #4,951 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fairlie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 933 in 2016. That gives Fairlie a modern rank of #6,126.

What does the Fairlie surname mean?

A Scottish surname referring to a locality or place name meaning "smooth or level ground."

What does the Fairlie map show?

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