NameCensus.

UK surname

Fay

A surname of Irish and English origin, derived from Middle English "fey," meaning "fairy" or "supernatural being."

In the 1881 census there were 1,110 people recorded with the Fay surname, ranking it #3,587 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,639, ranked #2,530, up from #3,587 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Endford, Netheravon, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Glenwood North, West Dorset and Glenwood South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fay is 2,692 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 137.7%.

1881 census count

1,110

Ranked #3,587

Modern count

2,639

2016, ranked #2,530

Peak year

2014

2,692 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fay had 1,110 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,587 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,639 in 2016, ranked #2,530.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,526 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Fay surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fay surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Fay 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 628 #4,135
1861 historical 2 #34,135
1881 historical 1,110 #3,587
1891 historical 140 #19,193
1901 historical 1,526 #3,373
1997 modern 2,447 #2,570
1998 modern 2,556 #2,556
1999 modern 2,546 #2,589
2000 modern 2,532 #2,586
2001 modern 2,476 #2,585
2002 modern 2,542 #2,575
2003 modern 2,489 #2,576
2004 modern 2,472 #2,594
2005 modern 2,442 #2,593
2006 modern 2,446 #2,589
2007 modern 2,451 #2,609
2008 modern 2,475 #2,611
2009 modern 2,546 #2,604
2010 modern 2,623 #2,592
2011 modern 2,584 #2,594
2012 modern 2,608 #2,529
2013 modern 2,649 #2,536
2014 modern 2,692 #2,515
2015 modern 2,655 #2,527
2016 modern 2,639 #2,530

Geography

Back to top

Where Fays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Endford, Netheravon, London parishes, Manchester and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Glenwood North, West Dorset, Glenwood South, South Tyneside and Bradford. 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 Endford, Netheravon Wiltshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Glenwood North Glasgow City
2 West Dorset 001 West Dorset
3 Glenwood South Glasgow City
4 South Tyneside 015 South Tyneside
5 Bradford 057 Bradford

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Fay

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Fay

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fay, 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 Fay surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Fay 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Fay 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

Fay is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Fay

The surname FAY originated from the medieval English occupational name denoting someone who worked as a fairy or who dealt in fairy-related activities. It was derived from the Old French word 'fay', which meant fairy or fay. This term traces its roots back to the Latin word 'fatum', meaning fate or destiny.

The name FAY was first recorded in England in the late 12th century. One of the earliest references to this surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1190, where a person named Nicholaus le Fay was mentioned.

In the 13th century, the surname FAY appeared in various records across England, such as the Curia Regis Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1221, which mentioned a person called Willelmus le Fay. Another early record is the Assize Rolls of Somerset from 1268, which referenced a person named Richard le Fay.

The name FAY was also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, where a person called Thomas le Fay was listed. This record provides evidence of the surname's early presence in the Midlands region of England.

One notable individual with the surname FAY was John Fay (1470-1533), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield from 1519 until his death in 1533.

In the 16th century, the surname FAY appeared in various parish records across England. For instance, the parish records of St. James Garlickhythe in London mentioned the marriage of Robert Fay and Joane Walles in 1569.

Another prominent individual with the surname FAY was James Fay (1573-1654), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament who represented the borough of Lyme Regis in the English Parliament from 1624 to 1629.

In the 17th century, the surname FAY was found in various parts of England, including the counties of Somerset, Devon, and Gloucestershire. One notable individual from this period was John Fay (1639-1701), an English Quaker who was imprisoned for his religious beliefs during the 1660s.

As the centuries passed, the surname FAY spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond, with bearers of the name settling in Scotland, Ireland, and the British colonies in North America and elsewhere.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Fay families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fay 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. Lancashire leads with 344 Fays recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.37x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 344 2.37x
Middlesex 121 0.99x
Hampshire 118 4.71x
Wiltshire 85 7.87x
Surrey 77 1.29x
Lanarkshire 69 1.75x
Yorkshire 51 0.42x
Gloucestershire 37 1.54x
Cheshire 36 1.34x
Devon 33 1.30x
Angus 29 2.56x
Durham 29 0.80x
Somerset 23 1.17x
Sussex 22 1.07x
Dorset 15 1.87x
Cumberland 13 1.24x
Kent 12 0.29x
Renfrewshire 12 1.27x
Warwickshire 12 0.39x
Derbyshire 11 0.58x
Staffordshire 11 0.27x
Northumberland 9 0.50x
Essex 8 0.33x
Midlothian 8 0.49x
Fife 7 0.97x
West Lothian 7 3.81x
Lincolnshire 6 0.31x
Ayrshire 5 0.55x
Leicestershire 5 0.37x
Berkshire 4 0.44x
Norfolk 4 0.21x
Bedfordshire 3 0.47x
Flintshire 3 0.91x
Monmouthshire 3 0.34x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.18x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.61x
Shropshire 2 0.19x
Suffolk 2 0.13x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.14x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.20x
Channel Islands 1 0.28x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.99x
Cornwall 1 0.07x
Glamorgan 1 0.05x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.36x
Northamptonshire 1 0.09x
Perthshire 1 0.18x
Royal Navy 1 0.69x
Worcestershire 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. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 68 Fays recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.73x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 68 7.73x
Enford 32 871.93x
Govan 25 2.56x
Portsea 25 5.10x
Manchester 22 3.38x
Swallowcliffe 22 1803.28x
Barony 20 2.00x
Glasgow 19 2.71x
Leeds 19 2.78x
Salford 19 4.46x
Dundee 18 4.26x
Hackney London 17 2.48x
Havant 16 126.18x
Cheetham 15 13.88x
Michelmersh 15 309.28x
Toxteth Park 15 3.06x
St George Hanover Square 14 6.51x
Stoke Newington London 14 14.72x
Croydon 13 3.94x
Everton 13 2.81x
Haslingden 12 20.00x
Andover 11 46.51x
Barrow In Furness 11 5.58x
Bermondsey 11 3.03x
Cornwood 11 226.34x
Glossop Dale 11 12.29x
Lambeth 11 1.03x
Liff Benvie 11 6.40x
Widnes 11 10.52x
Ashton Under Lyne 10 3.16x
Bristol St Paul In 10 15.67x
Camberwell 10 1.28x
Southwark St George Martyr 10 4.07x
Warwick St Mary 10 37.40x
Broughton 9 238.10x
Chelsea London 9 2.45x
Eccleston In Prescot 9 12.37x
Islington London 9 0.76x
Oldham 9 1.92x
Southampton St Mary 9 5.72x
St Pancras London 9 0.92x
Windle 9 11.04x
Worth 9 60.20x
Battersea 8 1.78x
Birkenhead 8 3.72x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 8 3.55x
Chester St John Baptist 8 16.51x
Darlington 8 5.70x
Great Bolton 8 4.17x
Bathgate 7 17.53x
Caldewgate 7 12.15x
Cameron 7 166.67x
East Greenock 7 7.83x
Edinburgh St Johns 7 67.76x
Edmondsham 7 729.17x
Newington 7 1.55x
Tynemouth 7 7.19x
West Derby 7 1.65x
Ardwick 6 4.59x
Beswick 6 16.19x
Farnworth 6 6.91x
Handsworth 6 5.90x
Handsworth 6 18.76x
Huntspill 6 74.53x
Limehouse London 6 4.47x
North Curry 6 89.69x
Salisbury St Edmund 6 34.60x
St Cuthbert W O 6 11.71x
Stockton On Tees 6 3.43x
Tormoham 6 5.58x
Bootle Cum Linacre 5 4.34x
Bradford 5 1.71x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 2.17x
Gorton 5 3.67x
Linthorpe 5 6.92x
Openshaw 5 7.37x
Paddington London 5 1.11x
Romsey Extra 5 33.58x
Rutherglen 5 8.63x
Stewarton 5 27.64x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Fay surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fay surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,110 people were recorded with the Fay surname. That placed it at #3,587 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fay surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,639 in 2016. That gives Fay a modern rank of #2,530.

What does the Fay surname mean?

A surname of Irish and English origin, derived from Middle English "fey," meaning "fairy" or "supernatural being."

What does the Fay map show?

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