NameCensus.

UK surname

Farmer

An occupational surname referring to a person who cultivated land or worked as an agricultural laborer.

In the 1881 census there were 9,365 people recorded with the Farmer surname, ranking it #453 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13,424, ranked #479, down from #453 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Somerset, Wakefield and North Warwickshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Farmer is 13,954 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.3%.

1881 census count

9,365

Ranked #453

Modern count

13,424

2016, ranked #479

Peak year

1999

13,954 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Farmer had 9,365 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #453 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 13,424 in 2016, ranked #479.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 11,748 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Farmer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Farmer surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Farmer 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 5,969 #465
1861 historical 6,424 #435
1881 historical 9,365 #453
1891 historical 9,827 #446
1901 historical 11,507 #456
1911 historical 11,748 #417
1997 modern 13,333 #455
1998 modern 13,868 #455
1999 modern 13,954 #454
2000 modern 13,763 #458
2001 modern 13,446 #460
2002 modern 13,654 #462
2003 modern 13,287 #461
2004 modern 13,357 #461
2005 modern 13,085 #466
2006 modern 12,892 #473
2007 modern 12,968 #474
2008 modern 12,925 #481
2009 modern 13,321 #477
2010 modern 13,543 #480
2011 modern 13,427 #479
2012 modern 13,217 #478
2013 modern 13,633 #472
2014 modern 13,714 #474
2015 modern 13,571 #473
2016 modern 13,424 #479

Geography

Back to top

Where Farmers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lambeth and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Somerset, Wakefield, North Warwickshire and South Northamptonshire. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Somerset 002 West Somerset
2 Wakefield 041 Wakefield
3 West Somerset 001 West Somerset
4 North Warwickshire 003 North Warwickshire
5 South Northamptonshire 001 South Northamptonshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Farmer

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Farmer

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Farmer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Farmer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Farmer 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

Farmer is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Farmer falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Farmer

The surname Farmer is an English occupational name derived from the Old English word "ferm", meaning a rent, lease, or contract. It referred to a person who held land or a farm on a rental basis from the lord of the manor. The name can be traced back to the 11th century and is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Fermore" and "Fermor".

In medieval times, the Farmer surname was most prevalent in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex in East Anglia. This region was known for its fertile agricultural lands, and the name likely originated among those who worked as tenant farmers or held leases on farmland. Early variations of the spelling included Farmare, Fermer, and Fermor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is William le Fermer, who is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191. Another early bearer was Roger le Farmer, who is listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1208. These records provide evidence of the name's use in different parts of England during the 12th and 13th centuries.

Notable individuals with the surname Farmer include John Farmer (c. 1570-1638), an English composer and musician who served as a lay vicar at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Thomas Farmer (1589-1665) was an English clergyman and one of the founders of Harvard College in Massachusetts. John Farmer (1789-1838) was an American genealogist and historian from New Hampshire, known for his work on the history of New England families.

Other prominent bearers of the name include Moses Gerrish Farmer (1820-1893), an American electrical engineer and inventor who patented the first electrically amplified telephone receiver. Edward Farmer (1842-1918) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Kent County Cricket Club in the late 19th century.

Despite its occupational origins, the Farmer surname has maintained a strong presence throughout history, reflecting the importance of agriculture and land cultivation in English society. Its widespread distribution across various regions and its appearance in historical records dating back to the Domesday Book attest to its longevity as an English surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Farmer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Farmer 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. Middlesex leads with 1,150 Farmers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.26x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,150 1.26x
Staffordshire 725 2.35x
Surrey 631 1.42x
Warwickshire 551 2.39x
Worcestershire 513 4.30x
Leicestershire 495 4.89x
Lancashire 471 0.43x
Kent 453 1.45x
Hampshire 279 1.49x
Shropshire 268 3.40x
Sussex 248 1.61x
Yorkshire 242 0.27x
Lanarkshire 225 0.76x
Wiltshire 203 2.51x
Gloucestershire 197 1.10x
Fife 192 3.55x
Northamptonshire 175 2.04x
Derbyshire 159 1.11x
Devon 155 0.82x
Nottinghamshire 155 1.26x
Somerset 153 1.04x
Berkshire 144 2.10x
Oxfordshire 137 2.43x
Bedfordshire 128 2.71x
Essex 128 0.71x
Herefordshire 117 3.13x
Midlothian 105 0.86x
Cheshire 99 0.49x
Lincolnshire 88 0.60x
Durham 79 0.29x
Monmouthshire 65 0.98x
Montgomeryshire 57 2.72x
Angus 56 0.66x
Hertfordshire 55 0.87x
Glamorgan 49 0.31x
Northumberland 42 0.31x
Renfrewshire 42 0.59x
Norfolk 40 0.28x
Buckinghamshire 34 0.62x
Stirlingshire 27 0.80x
Cumberland 23 0.29x
Radnorshire 21 2.85x
Kinross-shire 19 8.23x
Dunbartonshire 18 0.73x
Suffolk 16 0.14x
Ayrshire 11 0.16x
Dorset 11 0.18x
Pembrokeshire 11 0.38x
Brecknockshire 10 0.55x
Cambridgeshire 10 0.17x
Berwickshire 9 0.81x
Denbighshire 9 0.26x
Cornwall 8 0.08x
Royal Navy 8 0.74x
Caithness 7 0.56x
Buteshire 5 0.90x
Merionethshire 5 0.30x
Westmorland 5 0.25x
West Lothian 4 0.29x
Perthshire 3 0.07x
Rutland 3 0.45x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.02x
East Lothian 2 0.17x
Flintshire 2 0.08x
Inverness-shire 2 0.07x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 0.15x
Isle of Man 1 0.06x
Roxburghshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 207 Farmers recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.26x.

Place Total Index
Aston 207 3.26x
Birmingham 150 1.95x
Camberwell 135 2.31x
Lambeth 105 1.32x
Islington London 86 0.97x
Barony 85 1.14x
Shoreditch London 83 2.10x
Stoke Upon Trent 73 2.23x
Duston 70 89.80x
Ashby De La Zouch 69 29.40x
Hackney London 67 1.31x
Mile End Old Town London 67 3.45x
Nottingham St Mary 64 2.01x
Kensington London 63 1.24x
St Pancras London 62 0.84x
Wolverhampton 61 2.57x
Leslie 54 39.46x
Bethnal Green London 52 1.31x
Dudley 51 3.52x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 48 0.98x
Govan 46 0.63x
Hinckley 45 18.74x
Kidderminster Borough 45 6.45x
Luton 45 5.50x
Bermondsey 44 1.62x
St Marylebone London 44 0.90x
Preston 41 1.41x
Lye 40 20.16x
Battersea 39 1.16x
Harborne 38 3.85x
Paddington London 38 1.13x
Wednesbury 37 4.80x
West Bromwich 37 2.10x
Derby St Werburgh 35 4.24x
Filkins 35 191.05x
Kingston On Thames 35 3.27x
Liverpool 35 0.53x
Southwark St George Martyr 34 1.85x
Shrewsbury St Mary 33 10.60x
Dundee 32 1.01x
Burton Upon Trent 31 4.30x
Glasgow 31 0.59x
Leicester St Margaret 31 1.26x
Chelsea London 30 1.09x
Hammersmith London 30 1.33x
St George Hanover Square 30 1.86x
St George In East London 30 3.49x
Staplehurst 30 58.64x
Brightside Bierlow 29 1.63x
Bromley London 29 1.44x
Croydon 29 1.17x
Newington 29 0.86x
Speldhurst 29 18.28x
Tonbridge 29 2.58x
West Ham 29 0.73x
Bow London 28 2.41x
Coventry Holy Trinity 28 4.07x
Deptford St Paul 28 1.17x
Ludlow St Lawrence 28 17.84x
Cheltenham 27 1.95x
Eling 27 14.24x
Leicester St Mary 27 3.30x
Tipton 27 2.86x
Edmonton 26 3.53x
Everton 26 0.75x
Reading St Giles 26 3.87x
St Luke London 26 1.78x
Bilston 24 4.02x
Fletching 24 34.84x
Fulham London 24 1.81x
Isleworth 24 5.91x
Lewisham 24 1.44x
Rotherhithe 24 2.13x
Walsall Foreign 24 1.51x
Cannock 23 4.28x
Kings Norton 23 2.15x
Leamington Priors 23 4.06x
Pool 23 14.58x
Toxteth Park 23 0.63x
Wandsworth 23 2.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 533
Elizabeth 389
Sarah 315
Jane 159
Emma 157
Annie 150
Ann 144
Eliza 128
Alice 122
Emily 118
Ellen 116
Hannah 72
Caroline 70
Louisa 67
Harriet 62
Ada 60
Martha 59
Fanny 57
Florence 55
Margaret 55
Edith 54
Charlotte 50
Maria 46
Kate 44
Harriett 41
Catherine 38
Clara 36
Frances 36
Rose 36
Susan 36
Anne 34
Agnes 30
Lucy 30
Selina 26
Matilda 25
Sophia 25
Amelia 21
Julia 20
Amy 19
Eleanor 18
Esther 18
Gertrude 18
Rebecca 18
Helen 17
Minnie 16
Rhoda 15
Phoebe 14
Susannah 14
Ethel 13
Isabella 13

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 525
John 467
Thomas 339
George 320
James 285
Charles 212
Henry 196
Joseph 149
Edward 121
Alfred 101
Arthur 97
Samuel 92
Frederick 78
Richard 75
Robert 71
Albert 70
Walter 63
Harry 52
Edwin 42
Francis 37
Ernest 33
Frank 31
Herbert 30
Stephen 25
David 23
Wm. 22
Geo. 20
Benjamin 18
Thos. 17
Fred 15
Fredk. 15
Daniel 14
Isaac 13
Edmund 12
Richd. 12
Alexander 11
Tom 8
Willm. 8
Abraham 7
Andrew 7
Christopher 7
Fredrick 7
Harold 7
Jas. 7
Job 7
Joshua 7
Michael 7
Owen 7
Horace 6
Patrick 6

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Farmer households.

FAQ

Farmer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Farmer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9,365 people were recorded with the Farmer surname. That placed it at #453 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Farmer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 13,424 in 2016. That gives Farmer a modern rank of #479.

What does the Farmer surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who cultivated land or worked as an agricultural laborer.

What does the Farmer map show?

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