NameCensus.

UK surname

Falls

Likely referring to someone living near a waterfall or a place with steep, hilly terrain.

In the 1881 census there were 147 people recorded with the Falls surname, ranking it #15,674 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 243, ranked #17,131, down from #15,674 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Errol, Hawick and Wilton and Scoonie. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirkcaldy Gallatown and Sinclairtown, St Andrews South West and Merthyr Tydfil.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Falls is 277 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.3%.

1881 census count

147

Ranked #15,674

Modern count

243

2016, ranked #17,131

Peak year

2010

277 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Falls had 147 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,674 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 243 in 2016, ranked #17,131.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 155 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Falls surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Falls surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Falls 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 40 #26,118
1861 historical 113 #19,151
1881 historical 147 #15,674
1891 historical 155 #17,920
1901 historical 153 #17,844
1911 historical 99 #22,850
1997 modern 236 #15,852
1998 modern 239 #16,179
1999 modern 240 #16,226
2000 modern 236 #16,380
2001 modern 229 #16,467
2002 modern 236 #16,455
2003 modern 244 #15,861
2004 modern 250 #15,695
2005 modern 246 #15,802
2006 modern 249 #15,784
2007 modern 243 #16,243
2008 modern 252 #15,984
2009 modern 266 #15,711
2010 modern 277 #15,595
2011 modern 258 #16,284
2012 modern 242 #16,886
2013 modern 234 #17,556
2014 modern 237 #17,528
2015 modern 238 #17,378
2016 modern 243 #17,131

Geography

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Where Falls' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Errol, Hawick and Wilton, Scoonie, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirkcaldy Gallatown and Sinclairtown, St Andrews South West, Merthyr Tydfil, Liverpool and Cornwall. 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 Errol Perth
2 Hawick and Wilton Roxburgh
3 Scoonie Fife
4 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirkcaldy Gallatown and Sinclairtown Fife
2 St Andrews South West Fife
3 Merthyr Tydfil 002 Merthyr Tydfil
4 Liverpool 059 Liverpool
5 Cornwall 057 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Falls

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Falls

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

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Falls surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Falls household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Falls 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

Falls 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

Falls 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 Falls 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Falls

The surname "FALLS" is of English origin and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "feall," meaning a small stream or rivulet. It was most likely used as a toponymic surname, referring to someone who lived near a small waterfall or stream.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the late 12th century in various counties across England. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert de Falle, who was mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Hertfordshire in 1198.

During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Falle, Fales, Falles, and Fallows, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in pronunciation. The surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire, where many small streams and waterfalls were found.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the Parish Registers of Bakewell, Derbyshire, with the baptism of John Falls in 1589. Another notable bearer of the name was William Falls, a merchant from York, who was mentioned in the Freemen's Roll of York in 1612.

The surname gained further prominence in the 17th and 18th centuries, with several notable individuals bearing the name. John Falls (1601-1675) was an English Puritan clergyman and author, known for his work "The Life and Death of the Reverend Mr. John Smith." Another notable figure was Samuel Falls (1648-1719), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of comets and celestial mechanics.

In the 19th century, the surname continued to be associated with various notable individuals. John Falls (1801-1880) was a British landscape painter known for his depictions of rural scenes and landscapes. James Falls (1833-1912) was a Scottish journalist and author who wrote extensively about the history and culture of Scotland.

Throughout its history, the surname "FALLS" has also been associated with various place names, such as Falls Village in Connecticut, United States, and Falls Creek in Victoria, Australia. These place names likely derived from the presence of waterfalls or streams in those areas, further reinforcing the toponymic origin of the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Falls families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Falls 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. Fife leads with 34 Falls' recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.06x.

County Total Index
Fife 34 40.06x
Middlesex 13 0.91x
Roxburghshire 13 50.06x
Hampshire 11 3.74x
Durham 10 2.34x
Lancashire 10 0.59x
Northumberland 10 4.69x
Perthshire 8 12.43x
Dorset 7 7.44x
Lanarkshire 7 1.51x
Ayrshire 6 5.59x
Surrey 4 0.57x
Lincolnshire 3 1.31x
Angus 2 1.51x
Renfrewshire 2 1.80x
Yorkshire 2 0.14x
Derbyshire 1 0.45x
Kent 1 0.20x
Northamptonshire 1 0.74x
Royal Navy 1 5.85x
Suffolk 1 0.57x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hawick in Roxburghshire leads with 13 Falls' recorded in 1881 and an index of 223.75x.

Place Total Index
Hawick 13 223.75x
Scoonie 10 543.48x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 9 48.70x
Auchterderran 8 375.59x
Collessie 7 714.29x
Holdenhurst 7 90.79x
Ayr 6 118.58x
Liverpool 6 5.81x
Elswick 5 29.36x
Errol 5 420.17x
Parkstone 5 454.55x
Islington London 4 2.88x
Tynemouth 4 35.03x
Barony 3 2.56x
Cameron 3 612.24x
Cupar 3 81.30x
Forgan 3 184.05x
Hackney London 3 3.73x
Louth 3 57.14x
Newington 3 5.66x
Paddington London 3 5.69x
Clunie 2 714.29x
Liff Benvie 2 9.92x
Portsmouth 2 29.54x
West Greenock 2 10.03x
Ashford 1 88.50x
Barrow In Furness 1 4.32x
Bishops Waltham 1 81.97x
Christchurch 1 15.70x
Coal Aston 1 256.41x
Dalziel 1 20.04x
Duston 1 81.97x
Eltham 1 34.84x
Govan 1 0.87x
Great Ouseburn 1 416.67x
Hammersmith London 1 2.83x
Headingley Cum Burley 1 10.93x
Ipswich St Clement 1 22.52x
Logie 1 43.29x
New Monkland 1 7.29x
North Meols 1 6.01x
North Shields 1 23.47x
Old Monkland 1 5.43x
Poole St James 1 28.25x
Rufford 1 227.27x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 3.47x
St George Hanover 1 5.34x
Steeple 1 714.29x
Sunderland 1 13.28x
Ulverston 1 20.16x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
James 3
John 3
Andrew 2
Joseph 2
Stewart 2
Thomas 2
Cecil 1
David 1
Edward 1
Elias 1
George 1
Horace 1
Hugh 1
Moses 1
Patrick 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Victor 1

FAQ

Falls surname: questions and answers

How common was the Falls surname in 1881?

In 1881, 147 people were recorded with the Falls surname. That placed it at #15,674 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Falls surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 243 in 2016. That gives Falls a modern rank of #17,131.

What does the Falls surname mean?

Likely referring to someone living near a waterfall or a place with steep, hilly terrain.

What does the Falls map show?

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