NameCensus.

UK surname

Fearns

A surname derived from Old English meaning "fern plant".

In the 1881 census there were 301 people recorded with the Fearns surname, ranking it #9,694 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 571, ranked #9,030, up from #9,694 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Knowsley and High Peak.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fearns is 648 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 89.7%.

1881 census count

301

Ranked #9,694

Modern count

571

2016, ranked #9,030

Peak year

2010

648 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fearns had 301 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,694 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 571 in 2016, ranked #9,030.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 373 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Fearns surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fearns surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fearns 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 144 #13,277
1861 historical 196 #12,223
1881 historical 301 #9,694
1891 historical 318 #10,583
1901 historical 373 #9,948
1911 historical 338 #10,521
1997 modern 569 #8,454
1998 modern 608 #8,310
1999 modern 594 #8,497
2000 modern 600 #8,426
2001 modern 589 #8,405
2002 modern 611 #8,349
2003 modern 594 #8,391
2004 modern 586 #8,487
2005 modern 576 #8,512
2006 modern 598 #8,302
2007 modern 605 #8,297
2008 modern 620 #8,198
2009 modern 642 #8,148
2010 modern 648 #8,260
2011 modern 628 #8,384
2012 modern 599 #8,618
2013 modern 607 #8,662
2014 modern 608 #8,709
2015 modern 585 #8,899
2016 modern 571 #9,030

Geography

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Where Fearns' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Ormskirk and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool, Knowsley, High Peak and Keith and Fife Keith. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 Liverpool Lancashire
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Ormskirk Lancashire
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liverpool 011 Liverpool
2 Knowsley 002 Knowsley
3 High Peak 002 High Peak
4 Keith and Fife Keith Moray
5 Liverpool 014 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fearns

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fearns

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

Fearns is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fearns 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 Fearns 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
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Fearns

The surname Fearns is believed to have originated from the Anglo-Saxon term "fearn," which means "fern." This suggests that the name was initially a topographic name, given to someone who lived near an area abundant with ferns or a place name derived from the word "fearn." The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to Lancashire, England, in the 13th century.

During the medieval period, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Ferne, Ferne, and Fearne, reflecting the regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling conventions at the time. One notable early reference to the name can be found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1227, which mention a person named Robert de Fernes.

The Fearns surname is also associated with several place names in Lancashire, such as Fearnhead, Fearnhill, and Fearnworth. These place names likely derived from the Old English words "fearn" and "wurth," meaning "fern" and "enclosure" or "homestead," respectively.

In the 16th century, the surname appeared in the records of the Whalley Parish in Lancashire, which documented the baptisms, marriages, and burials of several individuals with the Fearns surname. Notable examples include John Fearns, who was baptized in 1567, and Richard Fearns, whose marriage was recorded in 1586.

Over the centuries, several individuals with the Fearns surname have gained recognition in various fields. For instance, John Fearns (1758-1829) was a renowned English engraver and painter. Another notable figure was William Fearns (1828-1895), a British industrialist and philanthropist who founded the Fearns Community College in Manchester.

Additionally, the Fearns surname has been associated with notable literary figures, such as Jasper Fearns (1854-1924), an English novelist and short story writer, and Reginald Fearns (1901-1982), a British playwright and screenwriter known for his collaboration with Noël Coward.

While the Fearns surname has its roots in Lancashire, it has since spread throughout England and beyond, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions across various disciplines.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fearns families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fearns 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 129 Fearns' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.69x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 129 3.69x
Staffordshire 44 4.42x
Yorkshire 42 1.44x
Lanarkshire 23 2.41x
Midlothian 18 4.56x
Stirlingshire 12 11.04x
Angus 8 2.93x
Derbyshire 5 1.08x
Surrey 5 0.35x
Cheshire 4 0.62x
Middlesex 2 0.07x
Berkshire 1 0.45x
Devon 1 0.16x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.26x
Durham 1 0.11x
Norfolk 1 0.22x
Northumberland 1 0.23x
Renfrewshire 1 0.44x
Royal Navy 1 2.85x
Warwickshire 1 0.13x
Worcestershire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 22 Fearns' recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.99x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 22 13.99x
Liverpool 17 8.01x
Kirkdale 12 20.41x
Kingsley 11 594.59x
North Meols 11 32.14x
Salford 11 10.70x
Grindon 10 2702.70x
Stoke Upon Trent 10 9.48x
Glasgow 9 5.32x
Soothill 9 85.39x
Blantyre 8 80.65x
Golborne 8 175.44x
Inveresk 8 74.84x
Adlington 7 214.07x
Great Bolton 7 15.12x
Liff Benvie 7 16.90x
Barony 6 2.49x
Edinburgh Greenside S 6 419.58x
Fulstone 6 280.37x
Hulme 6 8.22x
Little Bolton 6 13.35x
Ashton Under Lyne 5 6.54x
Baldernock 5 862.07x
Bradford 5 30.56x
Camberwell 5 2.66x
Liversedge 5 38.46x
Toxteth Park 5 4.22x
Batley 4 14.42x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 4 42.83x
Farley 4 833.33x
Leeds 4 2.43x
Methley 4 97.32x
Polmont 4 99.75x
Saddleworth 4 17.76x
Bingley 3 16.14x
Burslem 3 10.53x
Bradford 2 2.83x
Bredbury 2 53.19x
Bury 2 5.01x
Measham 2 117.65x
Weston Underwood 2 1111.11x
Abbey 1 2.87x
Abbots Bromley 1 68.03x
Berkswich 1 163.93x
Birkenhead 1 1.93x
Birmingham 1 0.40x
Cardross 1 10.52x
Cheetham 1 3.84x
Claylane 1 15.60x
Crumpsall 1 12.14x
Falkirk 1 3.93x
Gateshead 1 1.52x
Great Yarmouth 1 2.67x
Kilsyth 1 14.43x
Leek Lowe 1 7.56x
Leigh 1 21.41x
Lichfield St Michael 1 32.05x
Lidford 1 36.36x
Longbenton 1 5.39x
Montrose 1 6.05x
Muiravonside 1 36.23x
Newton In Makerfield 1 9.35x
Offerton 1 277.78x
Pendleton In Salford 1 2.40x
Royal Navy 1 3.33x
Sheffield 1 1.08x
St Marylebone London 1 0.64x
Stretford 1 5.20x
Westminster St John 1 2.79x
Winkfield 1 27.25x
Wolstanton 1 3.31x
Yoxall 1 76.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 29
Ann 10
Elizabeth 9
Catherine 7
Alice 4
Hannah 4
Sarah 4
Eliza 3
Emily 3
Emma 3
Jane 3
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Ellen 2
Fanny 2
Margaret 2
Rebecca 2
Ada 1
Annie 1
Annis 1
C. 1
Carline 1
Catheran 1
Charlotte 1
Dora 1
Dorothy 1
Elizh. 1
Esther 1
Harriet 1
Kate 1
Mally 1
Margt. 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Milicent 1
Ruth 1
Therisa 1
Victoria 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 17
John 14
George 9
James 9
William 8
Joseph 6
Charles 5
Henry 5
Daniel 4
Francis 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Richard 3
Walter 3
Frederick 2
Peter 2
Robt. 2
Willie 2
Abel 1
Arthur 1
Augustine 1
Cain 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Ester 1
Frank 1
Holmes 1
Isaac 1
Josa. 1
Joshua 1
Leonard 1
Lewis 1
Luke 1
Mark 1
Marten 1
Michael 1
Moses 1
Oliver 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Thurston 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Fearns surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fearns surname in 1881?

In 1881, 301 people were recorded with the Fearns surname. That placed it at #9,694 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fearns surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 571 in 2016. That gives Fearns a modern rank of #9,030.

What does the Fearns surname mean?

A surname derived from Old English meaning "fern plant".

What does the Fearns map show?

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