NameCensus.

UK surname

Farlow

An English locational surname derived from a place meaning "fern hill."

In the 1881 census there were 213 people recorded with the Farlow surname, ranking it #12,328 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 354, ranked #13,054, down from #12,328 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, London parishes and Stoughton, Compton, East Marden. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and Kensington and Chelsea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Farlow is 360 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 66.2%.

1881 census count

213

Ranked #12,328

Modern count

354

2016, ranked #13,054

Peak year

2013

360 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Farlow had 213 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,328 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 354 in 2016, ranked #13,054.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 321 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Farlow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Farlow surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Farlow 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 147 #13,084
1861 historical 169 #13,823
1881 historical 213 #12,328
1891 historical 220 #13,937
1901 historical 321 #11,118
1911 historical 321 #10,902
1997 modern 331 #12,668
1998 modern 348 #12,585
1999 modern 353 #12,522
2000 modern 338 #12,877
2001 modern 336 #12,721
2002 modern 353 #12,512
2003 modern 338 #12,735
2004 modern 339 #12,744
2005 modern 337 #12,738
2006 modern 317 #13,376
2007 modern 302 #13,997
2008 modern 297 #14,230
2009 modern 315 #13,960
2010 modern 334 #13,690
2011 modern 326 #13,775
2012 modern 337 #13,345
2013 modern 360 #12,890
2014 modern 357 #13,068
2015 modern 356 #13,009
2016 modern 354 #13,054

Geography

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Where Farlows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, London parishes, Stoughton, Compton, East Marden and Wem. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, Kensington and Chelsea, Scarborough and Darlington. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Stoughton, Compton, East Marden Sussex
5 Wem Shropshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 029 Shropshire
2 Telford and Wrekin 005 Telford and Wrekin
3 Kensington and Chelsea 002 Kensington and Chelsea
4 Scarborough 001 Scarborough
5 Darlington 006 Darlington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Farlow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Farlow

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Farlow surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Farlow household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Farlow is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Farlow 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

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

Meaning and origin of Farlow

The surname FARLOW is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "fearn" meaning fern and "hlaw" meaning hill or mound. This suggests the name may have originated from a place where ferns grew on a hill or mound.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where it appears as Fernhull. Other early spellings include Fernhulle in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327 and Farnhull in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1389.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there is a reference to a place called "Fearnhalga" in Hertfordshire, which could be the origin of the name FARLOW. This place name is derived from the Old English words "fearn" (fern) and "halh" (a nook or corner of land).

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Farnhill, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379. Another early bearer was Robert Fernhull, who was documented in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1492.

In the 16th century, the name FARLOW appears in various records, such as the Parish Registers of St. Dunstan's, Stepney, London, where a certain Alice Farlow was christened in 1582.

Notable individuals with the surname FARLOW include:

1. Benjamin Winslow Dudley Farlow (1824-1888), an American agriculturist and politician from Massachusetts. 2. William Gilson Farlow (1844-1919), an American botanist and a pioneer in the study of plant diseases. 3. Cyrus Farlow (1851-1924), an American artist and painter from Massachusetts. 4. Alton Farlow (1923-1998), an American jazz guitarist and composer from New Jersey. 5. John Farlow (1936-2021), an English cricketer who played for Somerset County Cricket Club.

While the name FARLOW is not as common as some other English surnames, it has a long and interesting history that can be traced back to the 13th century and the fern-covered hills of medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Farlow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Farlow 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. Staffordshire leads with 39 Farlows recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.54x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 39 5.54x
Middlesex 28 1.34x
Shropshire 22 12.20x
Hampshire 19 4.44x
Sussex 15 4.26x
Surrey 14 1.38x
Lancashire 12 0.48x
Devon 10 2.30x
Worcestershire 10 3.67x
Warwickshire 8 1.52x
Wigtownshire 8 28.86x
Durham 6 0.97x
Gloucestershire 4 0.98x
Lanarkshire 4 0.59x
Cheshire 3 0.65x
Yorkshire 3 0.15x
Kent 2 0.28x
Montgomeryshire 2 4.18x
Berkshire 1 0.64x
Cornwall 1 0.42x
Monmouthshire 1 0.66x
Royal Navy 1 4.02x
Suffolk 1 0.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wolverhampton in Staffordshire leads with 28 Farlows recorded in 1881 and an index of 51.68x.

Place Total Index
Wolverhampton 28 51.68x
Portsea 14 16.70x
Stoughton 14 3111.11x
Egham 11 176.28x
Kidderminster Borough 10 62.70x
St Pancras London 10 5.95x
Dawley 9 137.20x
Stoke Damerel 9 29.60x
Birmingham 7 3.99x
Kirkinner 6 526.32x
Middlestone 6 480.00x
Wem 6 223.88x
West Bromwich 6 14.87x
Willesden 6 30.49x
Kirkdale 5 12.00x
St Giles In Fields London 5 48.83x
Fareham 4 77.82x
Glasgow 4 3.34x
Madeley 4 60.51x
Sandhurst 4 1212.12x
Church Coppenhall 3 145.63x
Ellesmere Criftins 3 2000.00x
Lambeth 3 1.65x
Over Darwen 3 15.17x
Stone 3 33.30x
Westminster St James 3 13.98x
Bromley London 2 4.36x
Heap 2 15.22x
Hilderstone 2 714.29x
Hoyland Nether 2 39.45x
Llanerfyl 2 357.14x
Barham 1 294.12x
Brighton 1 1.41x
Clewer 1 15.58x
Coventry St Michael 1 5.91x
Devonport 1 20.04x
Hammersmith London 1 1.94x
Harrow On The Hill 1 23.98x
Margate St John Baptist 1 7.67x
Newport 1 13.89x
North Meols 1 4.12x
Otley 1 19.92x
Penninghame 1 35.34x
Portsmouth 1 10.15x
Royal Navy 1 4.70x
Salford 1 1.37x
Saltash 1 54.64x
Wigtown 1 63.29x
Woolwich 1 3.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 7
Elizabeth 6
Emily 6
Emma 5
Alice 4
Ann 4
Jane 4
Mary 4
Annie 3
Edith 3
Elizth. 3
Harriet 3
Amelia 2
Catharine 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Ellen 2
Hannah 2
Kate 2
Susannah 2
Tabitha 2
(Mrs) 1
Ada 1
Ages 1
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Blanche 1
Caroline 1
Eliza 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Jemima 1
Letitia 1
Lilly 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Marie 1
Marryan 1
Martha 1
Maude 1
Mercy 1
Minnie 1
Phoebe 1
Syrilla 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 21
John 11
Henry 9
Charles 6
James 6
Samuel 6
Albert 4
George 4
Edward 3
Robert 3
Sidney 3
Thomas 3
Benjamin 2
Frederick 2
Moses 2
Richard 2
Wm. 2
Arthur 1
Daniel 1
Dudley 1
Eli 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frdk.S. 1
Fredk. 1
G. 1
Guy 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Rebecca 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Farlow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Farlow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 213 people were recorded with the Farlow surname. That placed it at #12,328 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Farlow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 354 in 2016. That gives Farlow a modern rank of #13,054.

What does the Farlow surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place meaning "fern hill."

What does the Farlow map show?

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