NameCensus.

UK surname

Faye

A French surname derived from the Old French word meaning "fairy".

In the 1881 census there were 37 people recorded with the Faye surname, ranking it #28,418 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 289, ranked #15,137, up from #28,418 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Harborough, Bristol and Rushmoor.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Faye is 289 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 681.1%.

1881 census count

37

Ranked #28,418

Modern count

289

2016, ranked #15,137

Peak year

2016

289 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Faye had 37 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,418 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 289 in 2016, ranked #15,137.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 90 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Faye surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Faye surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Faye 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 21 #29,550
1861 historical 90 #22,312
1881 historical 37 #28,418
1891 historical 50 #30,253
1901 historical 38 #29,914
1911 historical 49 #27,894
1997 modern 131 #22,927
1998 modern 126 #24,094
1999 modern 128 #24,017
2000 modern 140 #22,752
2001 modern 132 #23,230
2002 modern 152 #21,723
2003 modern 152 #21,486
2004 modern 171 #20,079
2005 modern 165 #20,468
2006 modern 163 #20,789
2007 modern 163 #21,050
2008 modern 180 #19,946
2009 modern 200 #19,028
2010 modern 222 #18,148
2011 modern 228 #17,673
2012 modern 257 #16,212
2013 modern 267 #16,053
2014 modern 271 #15,986
2015 modern 273 #15,789
2016 modern 289 #15,137

Geography

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Where Fayes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Harborough, Bristol, Rushmoor, Sefton and Birmingham. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Harborough 003 Harborough
2 Bristol 030 Bristol, City of
3 Rushmoor 007 Rushmoor
4 Sefton 034 Sefton
5 Birmingham 121 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Faye

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Faye

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Faye surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Faye 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Faye 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

Faye 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

Faye falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Faye is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Faye, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Faye

The surname Faye originated in France and has its roots in the Old French word "faie", which means a fairy or fay. This word derives from the Latin "fata", meaning a supernatural being or fate. The name is thought to have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone who was considered whimsical, mischievous, or fey.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Faye can be found in the records of the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris, dating back to the 12th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as Faye, Fay, and Fée, reflecting the evolution of the French language over time.

During the Middle Ages, the Faye family was prominent in the region of Poitou, located in western France. Some historical records mention members of the Faye family holding positions of importance, such as Jean de Faye, who served as the Bishop of Luçon in the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the surname Faye gained recognition through the French explorer and navigator Samuel de Champlain, who was born in Brouage, Saintonge, France, in 1567. He is renowned for his explorations in North America and his role in establishing the colony of New France (now part of Canada).

Another notable figure with the surname Faye was the French astronomer Hervé Faye, born in 1814 in Saint-Benoît-du-Sault, Indre, France. He made significant contributions to the study of comets and planetary motions and served as the president of the French Académie des Sciences.

In the 19th century, the French writer and novelist Joseph Faye, born in 1775 in Marseille, gained recognition for his literary works, including the novel "Les Derniers Temps de l'Empire". His writings provided insights into the social and political climate of his time.

The surname Faye has also been present in other parts of Europe, with variations in spelling and pronunciation. For example, the Italian spelling "Faia" and the Spanish "Faya" are believed to have derived from the same root as the French "Faye".

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Faye families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Faye 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 12 Fayes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.80x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 12 2.80x
Bedfordshire 7 37.47x
Kent 5 4.06x
Middlesex 4 1.11x
Glamorgan 2 3.18x
Gloucestershire 2 2.83x
Hampshire 2 2.70x
Surrey 2 1.14x
Wiltshire 1 3.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Castleton in Lancashire leads with 8 Fayes recorded in 1881 and an index of 186.92x.

Place Total Index
Castleton 8 186.92x
Sandy 7 2121.21x
St Luke London 4 69.08x
Ashford 3 250.00x
Clifton 2 55.87x
Liverpool 2 7.69x
Merthyr Tydfil 2 33.11x
Wonersh 2 909.09x
Alverstoke 1 37.31x
Greenwich 1 17.42x
Layton With Warbreck 1 63.69x
Ormskirk 1 121.95x
Portsea 1 6.90x
St Peters 1 175.44x
West Tisbury 1 1000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Louisa 2
Catherine 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Harriett 1
Heshy 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Patience 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 4
John 4
Henry 3
David 1
E. 1
Elija 1
Joseph 1
Michael 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1
William 1

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 Faye households.

FAQ

Faye surname: questions and answers

How common was the Faye surname in 1881?

In 1881, 37 people were recorded with the Faye surname. That placed it at #28,418 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Faye surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 289 in 2016. That gives Faye a modern rank of #15,137.

What does the Faye surname mean?

A French surname derived from the Old French word meaning "fairy".

What does the Faye map show?

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