NameCensus.

UK surname

Fearn

An English habitational surname derived from a place in Scotland bearing the same name.

In the 1881 census there were 2,240 people recorded with the Fearn surname, ranking it #1,986 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,706, ranked #1,836, up from #1,986 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Peter, Burton-on-Trent and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Derbyshire and Derbyshire Dales.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fearn is 3,936 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.4%.

1881 census count

2,240

Ranked #1,986

Modern count

3,706

2016, ranked #1,836

Peak year

1999

3,936 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fearn had 2,240 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,986 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,706 in 2016, ranked #1,836.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,308 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Fearn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fearn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fearn 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 1,309 #2,190
1861 historical 1,095 #2,567
1881 historical 2,240 #1,986
1891 historical 2,407 #1,953
1901 historical 3,058 #1,832
1911 historical 3,308 #1,580
1997 modern 3,764 #1,726
1998 modern 3,893 #1,728
1999 modern 3,936 #1,727
2000 modern 3,915 #1,731
2001 modern 3,832 #1,729
2002 modern 3,869 #1,754
2003 modern 3,768 #1,765
2004 modern 3,780 #1,755
2005 modern 3,676 #1,777
2006 modern 3,688 #1,774
2007 modern 3,733 #1,766
2008 modern 3,739 #1,776
2009 modern 3,818 #1,777
2010 modern 3,868 #1,798
2011 modern 3,855 #1,778
2012 modern 3,755 #1,793
2013 modern 3,821 #1,794
2014 modern 3,802 #1,811
2015 modern 3,746 #1,817
2016 modern 3,706 #1,836

Geography

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Where Fearns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Peter, Burton-on-Trent, London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and St Werburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Derbyshire and Derbyshire Dales. 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 St Peter Derbyshire
2 Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
5 St Werburgh Derbyshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Derbyshire 012 South Derbyshire
2 Derbyshire Dales 009 Derbyshire Dales
3 Derbyshire Dales 002 Derbyshire Dales
4 South Derbyshire 011 South Derbyshire
5 South Derbyshire 009 South Derbyshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fearn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fearn

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Fearn is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fearn 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

Fearn falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Fearn

The surname Fearn is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "fearn" meaning fern. It was likely first adopted by someone who lived near a fern-covered area or landmark. The name is thought to have originated in the south of England during the Anglo-Saxon period, before the Norman Conquest of 1066.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a landholder named Godric de Fearn in Wiltshire. This suggests that the Fearn surname was already established by the late 11th century. Several other early records from the 12th and 13th centuries mention individuals with variations of the name, such as Fearne, Ferne, and Fern.

Notable historical figures bearing the Fearn surname include Sir Thomas Fearn (c.1490-1548), a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire during the reign of Henry VIII. Another was John Fearn (1768-1837), a prominent English mathematician and writer on subjects like metaphysics and natural philosophy.

In Scotland, the name Fearn was sometimes associated with the village of Fearn in Ross and Cromarty, suggesting that some bearers of the name may have originated from or lived in that area. One example is Colonel Alexander Fearn (1799-1869), a Scottish military officer who served in the British East India Company.

The surname also has a long history in Ireland, where it is sometimes spelled as Ferne or Ferne. One notable Irish bearer of the name was Charles Ferne (1892-1971), a playwright and novelist who wrote several works exploring Irish culture and identity.

Other individuals with the Fearn surname include Henry Fearn (1738-1794), an English clergyman and author of religious works, and John Fearn (1768-1837), an English mathematician and writer on metaphysics and natural philosophy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fearn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fearn 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. Derbyshire leads with 810 Fearns recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.72x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 810 23.72x
Yorkshire 372 1.72x
Staffordshire 201 2.73x
Lancashire 149 0.58x
Middlesex 139 0.64x
Nottinghamshire 119 4.05x
Angus 74 3.66x
Warwickshire 69 1.25x
Surrey 39 0.37x
Kent 38 0.51x
Leicestershire 35 1.45x
Cheshire 21 0.44x
Aberdeenshire 20 0.99x
Hertfordshire 18 1.20x
Lanarkshire 12 0.17x
Durham 11 0.17x
Bedfordshire 10 0.89x
Monmouthshire 10 0.63x
Caernarfonshire 8 0.91x
Lincolnshire 8 0.23x
Renfrewshire 8 0.47x
Cumberland 7 0.37x
Glamorgan 7 0.18x
Hampshire 7 0.16x
Shropshire 7 0.37x
Devon 6 0.13x
Essex 5 0.12x
Fife 4 0.31x
Kincardineshire 4 1.51x
Midlothian 3 0.10x
Norfolk 3 0.09x
Ross-shire 3 0.50x
Sussex 3 0.08x
Northamptonshire 2 0.10x
Worcestershire 2 0.07x
Dorset 1 0.07x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Derby St Werburgh in Derbyshire leads with 52 Fearns recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.37x.

Place Total Index
Derby St Werburgh 52 26.37x
Brassington 50 970.87x
Basford 42 30.99x
Darley 41 297.10x
Nottingham St Mary 41 5.39x
Tutbury 41 228.41x
Derby St Alkmund 39 38.11x
Derby St Peter 39 35.86x
Sheffield 36 5.23x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 34 16.89x
Brightside Bierlow 31 7.31x
Ecclesfield 30 18.93x
Birmingham 27 1.47x
Litchurch 27 19.65x
Church Gresley 25 46.02x
Hackney London 25 2.04x
Ilkeston 25 26.11x
Burton Upon Trent 23 13.35x
Dodworth 22 98.00x
Kensington London 22 1.81x
Burton Extra 21 49.75x
Matlock 21 45.80x
Nether Hallam 21 7.18x
Newbold Dunston 21 64.70x
Paddington London 21 2.62x
Ecclesall Bierlow 20 4.55x
Aberdeen Old Machar 19 4.50x
Barnsley 19 8.52x
Manchester 19 1.63x
Worsbrough 19 30.00x
Burntwood Edial 18 38.27x
Oldham 18 2.15x
Waltham 18 476.19x
St Pancras London 17 0.97x
Allestree 16 365.30x
Ashborne 16 68.91x
Aston 16 1.06x
Bradbourne 16 1538.46x
Buxton 16 55.36x
Ladbrooke 16 855.62x
Leicester St Margaret 15 2.54x
Heage 14 77.48x
Uttoxeter 14 37.15x
Alfreton 13 12.53x
Marston Upon Dove 13 118.40x
Newcastle Under Lyme 13 9.98x
Church Broughton 12 273.35x
Barrow In Furness 11 3.12x
Beeley 11 407.41x
Bradfield 11 13.20x
Kniveton 11 541.87x
Packington 11 127.61x
Rocester 11 120.61x
Dunstable 10 28.82x
Ingleby 10 1282.05x
Newstead 10 138.50x
Rawmarsh 10 13.10x
Wessington 10 218.34x
Winster 10 160.26x
York St Cuthbert 10 50.53x
Acomb 9 79.65x
Ashleyhay 9 552.15x
Battersea 9 1.12x
Glasgow 9 0.72x
Grimston In York 9 2093.02x
Hulland Ward 9 310.34x
Normanton 9 13.86x
Pentrich 9 46.83x
Wirksworth 9 28.99x
Aberystruth 8 5.76x
Callow 8 1159.42x
Cathcart 8 8.75x
Chesterfield 8 6.25x
Clerkenwell London 8 1.55x
Montrose 8 6.53x
Sawley 8 77.67x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 8 16.31x
Strood 8 18.85x
Sudbury 8 205.13x
York St Maurice 8 19.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 124
Sarah 99
Elizabeth 87
Ann 48
Emma 44
Eliza 43
Hannah 38
Jane 37
Annie 33
Alice 28
Ellen 24
Harriet 20
Fanny 18
Emily 17
Charlotte 16
Ada 14
Agnes 14
Maria 14
Martha 14
Edith 13
Florence 12
Clara 10
Louisa 8
Margaret 7
Anne 6
Caroline 6
Frances 6
Harriett 6
Kate 6
Lucy 6
Millicent 6
Susan 6
Esther 5
Lydia 5
Rose 5
Ruth 5
Selina 5
Adelaide 4
Bertha 4
Isabella 4
May 4
Rebecca 4
Sophia 4
Amelia 3
Catherine 3
Elizth. 3
Jessie 3
Julia 3
Phoebe 3
Rhoda 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 151
William 136
George 121
Thomas 57
Charles 49
Henry 39
Joseph 39
James 36
Alfred 30
Samuel 30
Edward 23
Arthur 22
Frederick 17
Walter 17
Francis 16
Frank 16
Albert 15
Robert 15
Benjamin 14
Harry 11
Herbert 11
Edwin 8
Edmund 7
Ernest 7
Daniel 6
Fred 6
Hugh 6
Richard 6
David 4
Eli 4
Elijah 4
Levi 4
Mark 4
Percy 4
Wm. 4
Abraham 3
Chas. 3
Isaac 3
Lewis 3
Matthew 3
Peter 3
Thos. 3
Tom 3
Frederic 2
Fredk. 2
Fredrick 2
Leonard 2
Reuben 2
Rowland 2
Sam 2

FAQ

Fearn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fearn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,240 people were recorded with the Fearn surname. That placed it at #1,986 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fearn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,706 in 2016. That gives Fearn a modern rank of #1,836.

What does the Fearn surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a place in Scotland bearing the same name.

What does the Fearn map show?

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