NameCensus.

UK surname

Feast

A surname alluding to merriment, celebration, or plentiful banquets.

In the 1881 census there were 474 people recorded with the Feast surname, ranking it #7,040 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 564, ranked #9,103, down from #7,040 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fareham, Ely Trinity and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, Fenland and Croydon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Feast is 592 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.0%.

1881 census count

474

Ranked #7,040

Modern count

564

2016, ranked #9,103

Peak year

1999

592 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Feast had 474 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,040 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 564 in 2016, ranked #9,103.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 581 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Feast surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Feast surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Feast 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 332 #7,031
1861 historical 324 #7,860
1881 historical 474 #7,040
1891 historical 483 #7,638
1901 historical 549 #7,541
1911 historical 581 #7,005
1997 modern 558 #8,562
1998 modern 586 #8,527
1999 modern 592 #8,517
2000 modern 583 #8,571
2001 modern 571 #8,575
2002 modern 567 #8,777
2003 modern 549 #8,854
2004 modern 566 #8,685
2005 modern 556 #8,720
2006 modern 547 #8,855
2007 modern 545 #8,965
2008 modern 551 #8,951
2009 modern 557 #9,081
2010 modern 569 #9,124
2011 modern 570 #9,019
2012 modern 572 #8,913
2013 modern 580 #8,955
2014 modern 573 #9,089
2015 modern 561 #9,153
2016 modern 564 #9,103

Geography

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Where Feasts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Fareham, Ely Trinity, London parishes, Sutton and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley, Fenland, Croydon, Nuneaton and Bedworth and Sevenoaks. 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 Fareham Hampshire
2 Ely Trinity Cambridgeshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Sutton Cambridgeshire
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 014 Barnsley
2 Fenland 011 Fenland
3 Croydon 029 Croydon
4 Nuneaton and Bedworth 016 Nuneaton and Bedworth
5 Sevenoaks 014 Sevenoaks

Forenames

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First names often paired with Feast

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Feast

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

Feast 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

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

Meaning and origin of Feast

The surname "FEAST" is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "feest" or "fest," meaning a religious feast day or celebration. It is believed to have originated as a nickname or occupational name for someone who lived near a church or monastery where feasts were held, or someone who was involved in preparing or organizing such events.

The earliest recorded instances of the name "FEAST" can be traced back to the 13th century in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Somerset. It was often spelled as "Feste" or "Feaste" in medieval records.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Feste, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1299. Another early record is that of Robert Feste, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327.

The name "FEAST" is also found in some medieval place names, such as Feasterville, a small village in Derbyshire, which was originally known as "Festesfelde" in the 13th century.

In the 16th century, the name was sometimes associated with the celebration of religious festivals and holidays, as evidenced by the record of William Feast, a church warden in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, in 1587.

Notable individuals with the surname "FEAST" throughout history include:

1. John Feast (1552-1612), an English clergyman and author from Lincolnshire. 2. Samuel Feast (1672-1744), an English engraver and portrait painter from London. 3. Benjamin Feast (1767-1828), a British naval officer and explorer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. 4. Mary Feast (1832-1909), a British social reformer and advocate for women's rights, born in Somerset. 5. George Feast (1868-1945), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century.

Overall, the surname "FEAST" has a rich history rooted in the religious and cultural traditions of medieval England, reflecting the importance of feast days and celebrations in the lives of its earliest bearers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Feast families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Feast 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. Essex leads with 83 Feasts recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.06x.

County Total Index
Essex 83 9.06x
Cambridgeshire 78 26.52x
Hampshire 66 6.93x
Middlesex 54 1.16x
Kent 46 2.90x
Surrey 40 1.77x
Sussex 34 4.34x
Lancashire 12 0.22x
Derbyshire 11 1.51x
Devon 7 0.72x
Hertfordshire 7 2.19x
Berkshire 5 1.43x
Huntingdonshire 5 5.42x
Dorset 4 1.31x
Durham 4 0.29x
Yorkshire 4 0.09x
Norfolk 3 0.42x
Royal Navy 3 5.42x
Cheshire 2 0.20x
Gloucestershire 2 0.22x
Northamptonshire 2 0.46x
Shropshire 2 0.50x
Bedfordshire 1 0.42x
Warwickshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Ham in Essex leads with 33 Feasts recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.31x.

Place Total Index
West Ham 33 16.31x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 30 234.01x
Fareham 25 218.53x
St Pancras London 18 4.82x
Upper Beeding 14 1443.30x
New Fishbourne 12 2400.00x
Portsea 12 6.43x
Sutton 12 491.80x
Croydon 11 8.76x
Hackney London 11 4.23x
Stanton By Dale 11 1111.11x
Chatteris 10 133.33x
Haddenham 10 361.01x
Teynham 10 349.65x
Battersea 9 5.27x
Chigwell 8 92.49x
Epping 8 215.05x
Woodford 8 77.07x
Chatham 7 16.06x
Edenbridge 7 225.08x
Bury 6 9.53x
Christchurch 6 29.07x
Garston 6 36.90x
Lambeth 6 1.48x
Milton 6 253.16x
Petersfield 6 229.01x
Woolwich 6 10.25x
Lewisham 5 5.92x
Preston Next Faversham 5 134.41x
Sandon 5 413.22x
St Ives 5 104.60x
Wallingford St Leonard 5 308.64x
Woodford St Mary 5 485.44x
Boldon 4 81.30x
Burnham 4 117.99x
Hatfield Broad Oak 4 129.45x
Littleport 4 71.17x
Minterne Magna 4 769.23x
Ryde 4 19.57x
Southwark St John 4 28.17x
Stanford Rivers 4 258.06x
Stoke Damerel 4 5.91x
Woking 4 29.33x
Brading 3 23.72x
Clerkenwell London 3 2.74x
Holy Trinity Less London 3 254.24x
Islington London 3 0.67x
Royal Navy 3 6.34x
Sheffield 3 2.05x
Stoke Newington London 3 8.29x
Beckenham 2 9.66x
Brighton 2 1.27x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 6.59x
Bromley London 2 1.96x
Chesterton 2 22.05x
Chipping Ongar 2 126.58x
Chipstead 2 196.08x
Edmonton 2 5.35x
Hornsey 2 3.41x
Kensington London 2 0.77x
Knutsford Nether 2 32.26x
Mepal 2 333.33x
Peterborough 2 6.33x
Pleshey 2 416.67x
Roydon 2 148.15x
Shrewsbury St Chad 2 14.20x
St Andrewthe Less 2 5.95x
Steyning 2 75.47x
Swaffham Prior 2 155.04x
Titchfield 2 27.89x
Walsoken 2 46.62x
Wisbech St Peter 2 13.56x
Camberwell 1 0.34x
Farnham 1 5.69x
Loughton 1 22.08x
Maidstone 1 2.12x
Nuthampstead 1 294.12x
Reigate Foreign 1 4.08x
Soham 1 15.80x
Tonbridge 1 1.75x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 29
Elizabeth 19
Sarah 14
Eliza 13
Ellen 12
Emma 9
Emily 7
Ann 6
Annie 6
Charlotte 6
Alice 5
Rose 5
Caroline 4
Eleanor 4
Fanny 4
Florence 4
Jessie 4
Maria 4
Rosa 4
Anne 3
Hannah 3
Margaret 3
Nellie 3
Susan 3
Ada 2
Amy 2
Anna 2
Catherine 2
Edith 2
Frances 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Lydia 2
Matilda 2
Minnie 2
P. 2
Rachael 2
Rebecca 2
Agness 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Carrie 1
Elizth. 1
Ida 1
Jemima 1
Julia 1
Julier 1
Kare 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 32
John 25
George 19
James 12
Robert 11
Thomas 11
Arthur 9
Charles 7
Harry 7
David 6
Henry 6
Walter 6
Alfred 5
Edward 5
Ernest 5
Frederick 5
Joseph 5
Richard 5
Albert 3
Frank 3
Daniel 2
Edmond 2
Edwin 2
Herbert 2
Jonathan 2
Josiah 2
Thos. 2
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
E. 1
Earnest 1
Ebenezer 1
Edmund 1
F. 1
Fred 1
Frederck 1
Geo. 1
Harlod 1
Isaac 1
Isaiah 1
Jesse 1
Leonard 1
Philip 1
R. 1
Raymond 1
Richmond 1
Rowland 1
Sam 1
Samuel 1
Stanley 1

FAQ

Feast surname: questions and answers

How common was the Feast surname in 1881?

In 1881, 474 people were recorded with the Feast surname. That placed it at #7,040 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Feast surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 564 in 2016. That gives Feast a modern rank of #9,103.

What does the Feast surname mean?

A surname alluding to merriment, celebration, or plentiful banquets.

What does the Feast map show?

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