NameCensus.

UK surname

Faulks

A surname likely derived from a place name or describing someone who lived near fallow (plowed but unseeded) land.

In the 1881 census there were 415 people recorded with the Faulks surname, ranking it #7,763 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 527, ranked #9,622, down from #7,763 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Loughborough, Belton (incl. Gunthorpe) and Oakham, Leigh Field Forest. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rushcliffe, Hinckley and Bosworth and Melton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Faulks is 611 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.0%.

1881 census count

415

Ranked #7,763

Modern count

527

2016, ranked #9,622

Peak year

1998

611 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Faulks had 415 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,763 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 527 in 2016, ranked #9,622.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 599 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Faulks surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Faulks surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Faulks 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 417 #5,829
1861 historical 346 #7,377
1881 historical 415 #7,763
1891 historical 510 #7,307
1901 historical 578 #7,272
1911 historical 599 #6,848
1997 modern 585 #8,291
1998 modern 611 #8,288
1999 modern 603 #8,419
2000 modern 608 #8,356
2001 modern 598 #8,314
2002 modern 611 #8,349
2003 modern 582 #8,500
2004 modern 572 #8,618
2005 modern 540 #8,914
2006 modern 540 #8,939
2007 modern 537 #9,057
2008 modern 524 #9,299
2009 modern 552 #9,145
2010 modern 559 #9,245
2011 modern 549 #9,281
2012 modern 541 #9,294
2013 modern 537 #9,526
2014 modern 541 #9,517
2015 modern 529 #9,623
2016 modern 527 #9,622

Geography

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Where Faulks' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Loughborough, Belton (incl. Gunthorpe), Oakham, Leigh Field Forest, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken and Langham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rushcliffe, Hinckley and Bosworth, Melton, Shropshire and Sedgemoor. 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 Loughborough Leicestershire
2 Belton (incl. Gunthorpe) Rutland
3 Oakham, Leigh Field Forest Rutland
4 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire
5 Langham Rutland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rushcliffe 010 Rushcliffe
2 Hinckley and Bosworth 007 Hinckley and Bosworth
3 Melton 001 Melton
4 Shropshire 007 Shropshire
5 Sedgemoor 005 Sedgemoor

Forenames

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First names often paired with Faulks

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Faulks

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Faulks, 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 Faulks surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Faulks 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Faulks is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

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

Faulks is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Faulks falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Faulks

The surname Faulks originates from England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "faucon," meaning falcon, and likely referred to someone who was a falconer or worked with falcons in some capacity.

The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1199, where a Robert Faucun is listed. Other early spellings include Faucun, Faucon, and Faukener, reflecting the name's French origins.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several entries for places with names that may be related to the surname Faulks, such as Falconer's Green in Oxfordshire and Faulconbridge in Kent. These place names suggest that the name was already in use before the Norman Conquest.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name Faulks began to appear in various records across England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. One notable bearer of the name was Sir Walter Fauconberge, a knight who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century.

In the 16th century, the spelling of the name became more standardized as Faulks or Faulkes. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this spelling was John Faulkes, who was born in Gloucestershire in 1520 and served as a judge during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Other notable individuals with the surname Faulks include:

1. Arthur Faulks (1851-1930), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme. 2. William Faulks (1776-1849), an English artist known for his landscape paintings. 3. Sebastian Faulks (born 1953), a contemporary British novelist and author of works such as "Birdsong" and "Charlotte Gray." 4. Edward Faulks (born 1956), a British barrister and author who has written several legal texts and historical biographies. 5. Henry Faulks (1839-1904), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century.

Throughout its history, the surname Faulks has retained its association with falconry and the handling of birds of prey, reflecting the occupational origins of the name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Faulks families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Faulks 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. Leicestershire leads with 113 Faulks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.74x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 113 25.74x
Rutland 50 171.94x
Gloucestershire 45 5.79x
Warwickshire 44 4.41x
Nottinghamshire 26 4.87x
Middlesex 18 0.45x
Lincolnshire 16 2.53x
Norfolk 14 2.30x
Yorkshire 14 0.36x
Derbyshire 13 2.10x
Oxfordshire 10 4.09x
Surrey 10 0.52x
Kent 8 0.59x
Essex 5 0.64x
Staffordshire 5 0.37x
Lancashire 4 0.09x
Cheshire 3 0.34x
Northamptonshire 2 0.54x
Anglesey 1 1.42x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.42x
Glamorgan 1 0.15x
Hampshire 1 0.12x
Royal Navy 1 2.12x
Shropshire 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kirkby Mallory Earl in Leicestershire leads with 52 Faulks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2464.46x.

Place Total Index
Kirkby Mallory Earl 52 2464.46x
Belton 16 3137.25x
St Marylebone London 15 7.09x
Hickling 14 2089.55x
Bisley 13 184.66x
Loughborough 13 65.26x
Hinckley 12 115.16x
Leicester St Margaret 11 10.27x
Market Overton 11 2075.47x
Westbury On Severn East 11 62.64x
Kenilworth 10 177.62x
Aston 9 3.27x
Barnsley 9 22.23x
Newent 8 202.53x
Blackwell 7 229.51x
Exhall 7 463.58x
Oakham Deanshold 7 538.46x
Berkswell 6 304.57x
Coventry Holy Trinity 6 20.12x
Earl Shilton 6 625.00x
East Bradenham 5 1136.36x
Fairford 5 241.55x
Ilkeston 5 28.77x
Walpole St Peter 5 324.68x
Barking 4 17.49x
Empingham 4 357.14x
Gainsborough 4 26.79x
Mansfield Woodhouse 4 112.68x
Oxenhall 4 1250.00x
Spittlegate 4 45.66x
Stamford All Sts 4 112.99x
Stoke Upon Trent 4 2.82x
Whissendine 4 404.04x
Almondbury 3 15.81x
Birkenhead 3 4.30x
Deptford St Paul 3 2.88x
Melton Mowbray 3 37.97x
Oakham Lordshold 3 98.68x
Oxford St Giles 3 25.71x
Queniborough 3 400.00x
West Bradenham 3 731.71x
Winson 3 1363.64x
Bampton 2 105.82x
Camberwell 2 0.79x
Clanfield 2 294.12x
Clawson 2 198.02x
Coventry St Michael 2 6.23x
Croydon 2 1.87x
Foleshill 2 19.03x
Gonalstone 2 1176.47x
Harringworth 2 408.16x
Heaton Norris 2 7.48x
Hoveringham 2 454.55x
Hulme 2 2.04x
Lambeth 2 0.58x
Manton 2 465.12x
Nottingham St Mary 2 1.45x
Oxford St Aldate 2 77.82x
Rotherhithe 2 4.09x
Rowington 2 176.99x
Sevenoaks 2 18.26x
Thurlaston 2 277.78x
Uppingham 2 57.64x
Ashwell 1 303.03x
Bilston 1 3.86x
Claypole 1 108.70x
Elmsthorpe 1 2000.00x
Hammersmith London 1 1.03x
Holyhead 1 7.64x
Hougham 1 270.27x
Kinoulton 1 222.22x
Knighton 1 40.32x
Leyton 1 7.42x
Loddington 1 500.00x
Oadby 1 42.55x
Peckleton 1 277.78x
Somerby In Grantham 1 62.11x
Southwark Christchurch 1 5.39x
Tonbridge 1 2.05x
Whitwick 1 17.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 32
John 23
George 17
James 14
Alfred 10
Charles 10
Thomas 10
Arthur 9
Joseph 9
Robert 9
Henry 6
Edward 4
Walter 4
Francis 3
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Richard 3
Samuel 3
Benjamin 2
Frances 2
Fredrick 2
Herbert 2
Sydney 2
Tom 2
Albert 1
Almond 1
Auther 1
Claude 1
Cyril 1
Daniel 1
Dinnes 1
Edgar 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Jackson 1
Jesse 1
Luke 1
Major 1
Marmaduke 1
Mary 1
Noah 1
Oliver 1
Percy 1
Phillip 1
Rd.Lee. 1
Reuben 1
T. 1
Wilfred 1

FAQ

Faulks surname: questions and answers

How common was the Faulks surname in 1881?

In 1881, 415 people were recorded with the Faulks surname. That placed it at #7,763 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Faulks surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 527 in 2016. That gives Faulks a modern rank of #9,622.

What does the Faulks surname mean?

A surname likely derived from a place name or describing someone who lived near fallow (plowed but unseeded) land.

What does the Faulks map show?

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