NameCensus.

UK surname

Feakes

A variant spelling of the English occupational surname Feak meaning "cattle dealer".

In the 1881 census there were 165 people recorded with the Feakes surname, ranking it #14,559 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 245, ranked #17,049, down from #14,559 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Erith, Bardwell and Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Hertfordshire, Maidstone and Breckland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Feakes is 309 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 48.5%.

1881 census count

165

Ranked #14,559

Modern count

245

2016, ranked #17,049

Peak year

1911

309 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Feakes had 165 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,559 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 245 in 2016, ranked #17,049.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 309 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Feakes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Feakes surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Feakes 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 112 #15,913
1861 historical 119 #18,393
1881 historical 165 #14,559
1891 historical 207 #14,546
1901 historical 258 #12,875
1911 historical 309 #11,203
1997 modern 290 #13,832
1998 modern 309 #13,612
1999 modern 299 #14,000
2000 modern 298 #13,981
2001 modern 283 #14,247
2002 modern 272 #14,930
2003 modern 275 #14,652
2004 modern 276 #14,684
2005 modern 267 #14,954
2006 modern 258 #15,402
2007 modern 256 #15,647
2008 modern 261 #15,597
2009 modern 269 #15,589
2010 modern 265 #16,115
2011 modern 258 #16,284
2012 modern 243 #16,839
2013 modern 248 #16,877
2014 modern 250 #16,905
2015 modern 242 #17,191
2016 modern 245 #17,049

Geography

Back to top

Where Feakes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Erith, Bardwell, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Rowley Regis and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Hertfordshire, Maidstone, Breckland, Wiltshire and Central Bedfordshire. 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 Erith Kent
2 Bardwell Suffolk
3 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
4 Rowley Regis Staffordshire
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Hertfordshire 009 East Hertfordshire
2 Maidstone 019 Maidstone
3 Breckland 014 Breckland
4 Wiltshire 029 Wiltshire
5 Central Bedfordshire 014 Central Bedfordshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Feakes

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Feakes

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Feakes, 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 Feakes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Feakes 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, Feakes 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

Feakes is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Feakes falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Feakes

The surname Feakes is of English origin, originating in the late medieval period. It is believed to be a variant spelling of the Old English name "Feke," which derived from the personal name "Fic." This name was initially a nickname, meaning "hostile" or "warlike."

The earliest known record of the name Feakes appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, England, in 1296, where one William Feke is mentioned. This suggests the name was present in the southern counties of England during the late 13th century.

Throughout the 14th and 15th centuries, various spellings of the name can be found in historical documents, including Feyke, Feyk, and Feek. One notable example is John Fekes, who was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1428.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in several parish records, such as the baptism of Johanne Feakes in Minster, Kent, in 1558. The variant spelling "Feakes" seems to have become more prevalent during this time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Feakes was Richard Feakes, born around 1540 in Warwickshire, England. He was a prominent landowner and served as a Justice of the Peace in his county.

Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas Feakes, born in 1623 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a notable Puritan minister and author, known for his work "The New Guide to Salvation" published in 1678.

In the late 17th century, the name Feakes can be found in connection with the village of Feakes Hole, now known as Feakdale, in the North Riding of Yorkshire. This suggests a possible link between the surname and a place name derived from it.

During the 18th century, William Feakes, born in 1701 in Somerset, England, gained recognition as a skilled architect and builder. He was responsible for designing and constructing several notable buildings in the region.

In the 19th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname Feakes was Sir John Feakes, born in 1818 in Lancashire, England. He was a successful businessman and industrialist, playing a significant role in the development of the cotton trade in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Feakes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Feakes 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. Suffolk leads with 71 Feakes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.22x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 71 36.22x
Middlesex 30 1.86x
Kent 18 3.28x
Cambridgeshire 9 8.83x
Lancashire 8 0.42x
Warwickshire 8 1.97x
Staffordshire 5 0.92x
Surrey 4 0.51x
Sussex 4 1.47x
Derbyshire 3 1.19x
Hertfordshire 2 1.80x
Gloucestershire 1 0.32x
Lincolnshire 1 0.39x
Yorkshire 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. Bardwell in Suffolk leads with 21 Feakes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5000.00x.

Place Total Index
Bardwell 21 5000.00x
Bury St Edmunds St James 12 229.01x
Great Barton 10 2222.22x
Erith 9 166.36x
St Pancras London 9 6.95x
Hackney London 8 8.87x
Oakington 8 2666.67x
Gorleston 7 140.56x
Hawstead 7 3684.21x
Rochester St Nicholas 7 409.36x
Barnby 6 4285.71x
Birmingham 6 4.44x
Paddington London 6 10.14x
Cockfield 5 980.39x
Over Darwen 5 32.79x
Stoke Upon Trent 5 8.68x
Hove 4 33.59x
Islington London 4 2.56x
Bury 3 13.75x
Newington 3 5.05x
Stapenhill 3 80.00x
Aston 2 1.79x
Lilley 2 714.29x
Bexley 1 20.62x
Bristol St Paul In 1 11.89x
Clapham 1 4.97x
Cridling Stubbs 1 666.67x
Fornham All Sts 1 434.78x
Gamlingay 1 94.34x
Grantham 1 29.85x
Kirkley 1 60.98x
Shoreditch London 1 1.43x
St Martin In Fields 1 10.37x
Stanton 1 217.39x
Swanscombe 1 40.49x
Westminster St James 1 6.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Harriet 6
Mary 6
Louisa 5
Elizabeth 4
Amelia 3
Charlotte 3
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Florence 3
Sarah 3
Anna 2
Anne 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Jane 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Susan 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Allice 1
Anastatia 1
Ann 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Constance 1
E. 1
E.E. 1
Edith 1
Ethel 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Jessie 1
Jessy 1
Laura 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Marrian 1
Marrin 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Simma 1
Sophia 1
Violet 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
William 9
James 8
George 7
Robert 6
Thomas 5
Charles 4
Henry 4
Harry 3
Arthur 2
Frederick 2
Joseph 2
Lewis 2
Matthew 2
Walter 2
Andrew 1
Arther 1
Berty 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Goodwin 1
Hadgen 1
Johnson 1
Levi 1
Nathan 1
Percy 1
Samuel 1
Wm.D. 1

FAQ

Feakes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Feakes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 165 people were recorded with the Feakes surname. That placed it at #14,559 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Feakes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 245 in 2016. That gives Feakes a modern rank of #17,049.

What does the Feakes surname mean?

A variant spelling of the English occupational surname Feak meaning "cattle dealer".

What does the Feakes map show?

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