NameCensus.

UK surname

Fairman

An English surname referring to a just and equitable man, or one who charged fair prices.

In the 1881 census there were 649 people recorded with the Fairman surname, ranking it #5,499 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 930, ranked #6,144, down from #5,499 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Crayford, Little Horwood and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Bexley and South Gloucestershire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fairman is 996 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.3%.

1881 census count

649

Ranked #5,499

Modern count

930

2016, ranked #6,144

Peak year

1999

996 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fairman had 649 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,499 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 930 in 2016, ranked #6,144.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 879 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Fairman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fairman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fairman 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 304 #7,559
1861 historical 332 #7,673
1881 historical 649 #5,499
1891 historical 673 #5,795
1901 historical 815 #5,539
1911 historical 879 #5,063
1997 modern 955 #5,694
1998 modern 994 #5,703
1999 modern 996 #5,731
2000 modern 981 #5,787
2001 modern 953 #5,803
2002 modern 986 #5,765
2003 modern 954 #5,819
2004 modern 942 #5,877
2005 modern 951 #5,774
2006 modern 914 #5,963
2007 modern 901 #6,078
2008 modern 914 #6,064
2009 modern 942 #6,037
2010 modern 950 #6,124
2011 modern 939 #6,125
2012 modern 927 #6,109
2013 modern 942 #6,125
2014 modern 948 #6,137
2015 modern 932 #6,164
2016 modern 930 #6,144

Geography

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Where Fairmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Crayford, Little Horwood, London parishes and Bexley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Bexley, South Gloucestershire and Rotherham. 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 Crayford Kent
2 Little Horwood Buckinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Bexley Kent
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 011 Cornwall
2 Bexley 008 Bexley
3 South Gloucestershire 005 South Gloucestershire
4 Bexley 003 Bexley
5 Rotherham 002 Rotherham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fairman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fairman

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Fairman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Fairman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Fairman 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

Fairman is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fairman falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Fairman

The surname Fairman is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "faeger" meaning "fair" or "beautiful" and "mann" meaning "man." It is believed to have originated as a descriptive surname, likely referring to a handsome or fair-skinned individual.

The earliest recorded instances of the Fairman surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various counties of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. One of the earliest documented examples is found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a person named Roger Fayrman is mentioned.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Faireman, Fayreman, and Fayremanne, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling during that time period. The Placita de Quo Warranto, a record of legal proceedings from the reign of Edward I (1272-1307), mentions a John Fayreman from Oxfordshire.

The Fairman surname is also linked to several place names in England, such as Fairmile in Gloucestershire and Fairmansworth in Hertfordshire. These place names likely derived from the same roots as the surname and may have influenced its development and usage.

Notable individuals with the surname Fairman throughout history include:

1. William Fairman (c. 1590-1640), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford.

2. Thomas Fairman (1714-1789), an English engraver and writer on antiquities, known for his works on the history of Yorkshire.

3. John Fairman (1782-1841), a British naval officer and explorer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

4. Walter Fairman (1842-1920), an English-born Australian pastoralist and politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.

5. Gideon Fairman (1774-1852), an American surveyor and politician who served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate.

While the Fairman surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, through migration and immigration patterns. However, its origins and early development can be traced back to the medieval period in various regions of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fairman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fairman 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. Surrey leads with 179 Fairmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.79x.

County Total Index
Surrey 179 5.79x
Kent 156 7.21x
Middlesex 101 1.59x
Norfolk 51 5.23x
Buckinghamshire 34 8.87x
Essex 33 2.64x
Northumberland 20 2.12x
Durham 14 0.74x
Sussex 9 0.84x
Yorkshire 9 0.14x
Hertfordshire 8 1.83x
Lancashire 6 0.08x
Renfrewshire 6 1.22x
Dunbartonshire 5 2.93x
Staffordshire 4 0.19x
Warwickshire 4 0.25x
Dorset 3 0.72x
Gloucestershire 3 0.24x
Midlothian 3 0.35x
Lanarkshire 1 0.05x
Royal Navy 1 1.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Croydon in Surrey leads with 53 Fairmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.90x.

Place Total Index
Croydon 53 30.90x
Bexley 35 182.96x
Newington 33 14.09x
Camberwell 26 6.42x
Little Horwood 22 3283.58x
Chelsea London 20 10.47x
Battersea 18 7.72x
West Ham 15 5.43x
Bishopwearmouth 14 8.65x
Hammersmith London 14 8.96x
Lambeth 14 2.53x
Crayford 13 137.57x
Dartford 13 58.77x
Aylsham 11 189.66x
Barming 11 743.24x
Brenchley 10 129.20x
Canterbury St Mildred 10 194.93x
Bethnal Green London 9 3.27x
Bletchingley 9 223.33x
Southwark St George Martyr 9 7.05x
Swanbourne 9 857.14x
Westgate 9 15.41x
Islington London 8 1.30x
Romford 8 40.42x
Bromley London 7 5.02x
East Carleton 7 1060.61x
Guisbrough 7 50.98x
Hornchurch 7 114.01x
Margate St John Baptist 7 17.67x
Eltham 6 47.32x
Godstone 6 108.50x
Hampstead London 6 6.08x
Watford 6 17.71x
West Grinstead 6 186.34x
Yalding 6 109.89x
Beckenham 5 17.68x
Halling 5 176.68x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 5 8.87x
Norwich St James 5 65.36x
Old Kilpatrick 5 24.84x
Oldham 5 2.06x
Swardeston 5 675.68x
Bermondsey 4 2.12x
Burstow 4 152.67x
Earsdon 4 52.15x
Edgbaston 4 8.07x
Kensington London 4 1.13x
Kilmalcolm 4 67.91x
Norwich St Saviour 4 116.96x
Shoreditch London 4 1.46x
St George Hanover Square 4 3.58x
Stoke Upon Trent 4 1.76x
Woolwich 4 5.01x
Clerkenwell London 3 2.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 0.88x
Fulham London 3 3.26x
Lee 3 9.55x
Parkstone 3 61.73x
Plumstead 3 4.16x
St Lawrence 3 20.17x
St Marylebone London 3 0.89x
Stratton St Michael 3 526.32x
Strood 3 24.31x
Themelthorpe 3 1875.00x
Worstead 3 179.64x
Abbey 2 2.67x
Aylesford 2 33.39x
Beddington 2 16.74x
Bishop Stortford 2 13.70x
Burham 2 66.89x
Chatham 2 3.36x
East Ham 2 8.61x
Farnborough 2 63.49x
Maidstone 2 3.10x
Norwich St Etheldred 2 144.93x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 2 31.60x
Stow On The Wold 2 72.46x
Tottenham 2 1.98x
Willesden 2 3.35x
Winslow 2 55.40x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 28
Mary 27
Alice 15
Sarah 15
Emily 12
Emma 12
Jane 12
Annie 10
Louisa 10
Florence 9
Ann 8
Edith 8
Eliza 7
Martha 7
Rose 7
Caroline 6
Ellen 6
Harriet 6
Amelia 5
Laura 5
Minnie 5
Anna 4
Catherine 4
Frances 4
Jessie 4
Kate 4
Margaret 4
Ada 3
Agnes 3
Amy 3
Anne 3
Eleanor 3
Elizth. 3
Fanny 3
Rebecca 3
Rosa 3
Sophia 3
E. 2
Flora 2
Hannah 2
Hellen 2
John 2
Lilian 2
Marian 2
Rosaline 2
Rosina 2
Susan 2
Susannah 2
Dora 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 40
William 29
George 22
James 16
Henry 15
Thomas 13
Walter 12
Charles 11
Robert 11
Frederick 9
Arthur 8
Albert 6
Alfred 6
Edward 6
Herbert 5
Richard 5
Samuel 5
Ernest 4
Harry 4
Joseph 4
Frank 3
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
F. 2
Francis 2
Isaac 2
Percy 2
Phillip 2
Robt. 2
Thos. 2
Ambrose 1
Charley 1
Chas 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
Dennis 1
Earnest 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Hally 1
Jesse 1
Jno. 1
Joshua 1
Mathew 1
Maurice 1
Philip 1
Ralph 1
Richd. 1
Wm.George 1

FAQ

Fairman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fairman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 649 people were recorded with the Fairman surname. That placed it at #5,499 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fairman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 930 in 2016. That gives Fairman a modern rank of #6,144.

What does the Fairman surname mean?

An English surname referring to a just and equitable man, or one who charged fair prices.

What does the Fairman map show?

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