UK surname
A locational surname referring to someone from a fawcett or small enclosed valley.
In the 1881 census there were 68 people recorded with the Fawson surname, ranking it #23,950 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 83, ranked #32,815, down from #23,950 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Yardley, Hanslope and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fawson is 143 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.1%.
1881 census count
68
Ranked #23,950
Modern count
83
2016, ranked #32,815
Peak year
1891
143 bearers
Map years
3
1861 to 1901
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Fawson surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Fawson surname density by area, 1901 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 64 | #21,914 |
| 1861 | historical | 103 | #20,650 |
| 1881 | historical | 68 | #23,950 |
| 1891 | historical | 143 | #18,920 |
| 1901 | historical | 100 | #22,863 |
| 1911 | historical | 97 | #23,076 |
| 1997 | modern | 96 | #27,490 |
| 1998 | modern | 89 | #29,026 |
| 1999 | modern | 83 | #29,823 |
| 2000 | modern | 91 | #28,952 |
| 2001 | modern | 91 | #28,670 |
| 2002 | modern | 95 | #28,666 |
| 2003 | modern | 85 | #29,877 |
| 2004 | modern | 90 | #29,481 |
| 2005 | modern | 86 | #30,094 |
| 2006 | modern | 86 | #30,425 |
| 2007 | modern | 84 | #31,067 |
| 2008 | modern | 88 | #30,857 |
| 2009 | modern | 83 | #31,950 |
| 2010 | modern | 91 | #31,497 |
| 2011 | modern | 86 | #32,006 |
| 2012 | modern | 87 | #32,180 |
| 2013 | modern | 87 | #32,472 |
| 2014 | modern | 91 | #32,219 |
| 2015 | modern | 86 | #32,604 |
| 2016 | modern | 83 | #32,815 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Yardley, Hanslope, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Leamington Priors and St Luke. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yardley | Warwickshire |
| 2 | Hanslope | Buckinghamshire |
| 3 | Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars | Leicestershire |
| 4 | Leamington Priors | Warwickshire |
| 5 | St Luke | London (Central Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Fawson surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fawson, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Fawson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Fawson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Fawson is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fawson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Fawson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Fawson is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "falod," meaning a fallow or uncultivated piece of land. It is believed to have emerged in the late 12th or early 13th century in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where a Robert Fawsone is mentioned. The variant spelling "Fawsone" suggests that the name was originally a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a fallow field or uncultivated area.
In the 14th century, the name appears in several historical records, including the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John Fawson is mentioned in 1349. This suggests that the name had already established itself as a hereditary surname by this time.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name spread to other parts of England, with various spellings such as Fawson, Fawsone, and Fawsson appearing in parish records and historical documents. Notable individuals with this surname include Sir Thomas Fawson (1545-1628), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire, and William Fawson (1623-1701), a prominent Puritan clergyman from Norfolk.
In the 18th century, the Fawson family appears to have had a strong presence in the county of Derbyshire, where several members of the family are recorded in parish registers and local histories. One such individual was John Fawson (1712-1789), a prosperous farmer and landowner from the village of Ashbourne.
As the name spread and became more established, it also gave rise to various place names. For example, Fawson Farm in Derbyshire and Fawson Wood in Yorkshire are believed to have derived their names from families bearing the Fawson surname who lived in or owned these areas.
Other notable individuals with the Fawson surname include Robert Fawson (1769-1834), a renowned architect from Yorkshire who designed several churches and public buildings in the region, and Emily Fawson (1845-1912), a prominent suffragette and campaigner for women's rights from Manchester.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fawson surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Warwickshire leads with 41 Fawsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.51x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Warwickshire | 41 | 24.51x |
| Middlesex | 13 | 1.96x |
| Buckinghamshire | 9 | 22.45x |
| Yorkshire | 2 | 0.30x |
| Durham | 1 | 0.51x |
| Northamptonshire | 1 | 1.60x |
| Nottinghamshire | 1 | 1.12x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Coventry St Michael in Warwickshire leads with 19 Fawsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 353.82x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry St Michael | 19 | 353.82x |
| Coventry Holy Trinity | 10 | 200.40x |
| Bradwell | 5 | 892.86x |
| Islington London | 5 | 7.78x |
| Aston | 4 | 8.69x |
| Hanslope | 4 | 1111.11x |
| Nuneaton | 4 | 206.19x |
| Stoke | 4 | 1212.12x |
| Stoke Newington London | 3 | 58.03x |
| Leeds | 2 | 5.39x |
| St Luke London | 2 | 18.80x |
| Kensington London | 1 | 2.71x |
| Monkwearmouth Shore | 1 | 25.97x |
| Northampton Priory St | 1 | 26.74x |
| Nottingham St Mary | 1 | 4.33x |
| St George Bloomsbury | 1 | 26.32x |
| St George Hanover Square | 1 | 8.56x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Fawson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Fawson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Fawson households.
FAQ
In 1881, 68 people were recorded with the Fawson surname. That placed it at #23,950 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 83 in 2016. That gives Fawson a modern rank of #32,815.
A locational surname referring to someone from a fawcett or small enclosed valley.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Fawson bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.