NameCensus.

UK surname

Feather

An English occupational surname referring to a person who worked with feathers, such as a feather dresser or dealer.

In the 1881 census there were 1,529 people recorded with the Feather surname, ranking it #2,749 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,062, ranked #5,497, down from #2,749 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bingley, Bradford and Keighley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford and Craven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Feather is 1,739 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 30.5%.

1881 census count

1,529

Ranked #2,749

Modern count

1,062

2016, ranked #5,497

Peak year

1911

1,739 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Feather had 1,529 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,749 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,062 in 2016, ranked #5,497.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,739 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Feather surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Feather surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Feather 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 1,001 #2,794
1861 historical 1,086 #2,584
1881 historical 1,529 #2,749
1891 historical 1,569 #2,830
1901 historical 1,620 #3,190
1911 historical 1,739 #2,820
1997 modern 1,145 #4,901
1998 modern 1,153 #5,041
1999 modern 1,150 #5,113
2000 modern 1,165 #5,029
2001 modern 1,122 #5,080
2002 modern 1,133 #5,154
2003 modern 1,111 #5,132
2004 modern 1,095 #5,205
2005 modern 1,086 #5,177
2006 modern 1,091 #5,174
2007 modern 1,095 #5,206
2008 modern 1,083 #5,283
2009 modern 1,096 #5,338
2010 modern 1,118 #5,362
2011 modern 1,100 #5,369
2012 modern 1,067 #5,428
2013 modern 1,080 #5,463
2014 modern 1,080 #5,499
2015 modern 1,059 #5,538
2016 modern 1,062 #5,497

Geography

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Where Feathers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bingley, Bradford, Keighley and Halifax. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford and Craven. 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 Bingley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 023 Bradford
2 Bradford 009 Bradford
3 Bradford 004 Bradford
4 Craven 008 Craven
5 Bradford 011 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Feather

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Feather

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Feather surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Feather household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Feather 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

Feather is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Feather falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Feather

The surname FEATHER is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word 'fethere', meaning a feather or plumage. This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who worked with feathers, such as a fletcher or arrow-maker.

The earliest recorded instances of the FEATHER surname date back to the late 12th century in counties like Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. One of the first documented examples is found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, which mentions a Robert Fether.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Fether, Fethir, and Fedyr. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 record a William Fether in Oxfordshire, while the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379 lists a Johannes Fether.

The FEATHER surname is also linked to certain place names, particularly in areas where the family may have resided. For instance, the Featherstone area of West Yorkshire likely derived its name from the Old English 'fetheres stan', meaning 'feather stone'.

Notable historical figures with the FEATHER surname include Richard Feather, a 15th-century English composer and organist who served at Wells Cathedral. John Feather, born around 1540, was a successful merchant and benefactor in the city of Bristol.

In the 17th century, John Feather was a prominent Puritan minister who served as the rector of Banbury in Oxfordshire. Another notable bearer was Sir John Feather, a 17th-century English judge and Member of Parliament.

The FEATHER surname continued to be well-represented throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, with individuals like Thomas Feather, a renowned 18th-century clockmaker from Yorkshire, and William Feather, a 19th-century industrialist and philanthropist from Lancashire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Feather families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Feather 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. Yorkshire leads with 1,289 Feathers recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.70x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,289 8.70x
Lancashire 122 0.69x
Middlesex 18 0.12x
Surrey 13 0.18x
Northumberland 12 0.54x
Warwickshire 10 0.27x
Derbyshire 9 0.38x
Norfolk 7 0.30x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.35x
Durham 6 0.13x
Gloucestershire 6 0.20x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.53x
Essex 4 0.14x
Shropshire 4 0.31x
Lincolnshire 3 0.13x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.33x
Devon 2 0.06x
Hampshire 1 0.03x
Kent 1 0.02x
Leicestershire 1 0.06x
Monmouthshire 1 0.09x
Orkney 1 0.61x
Westmorland 1 0.30x
Worcestershire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Haworth in Yorkshire leads with 310 Feathers recorded in 1881 and an index of 880.18x.

Place Total Index
Haworth 310 880.18x
Keighley 276 174.74x
Thornton In Bradford 108 218.93x
Manningham 87 47.66x
Bingley 70 74.18x
Halifax 48 22.06x
Horton In Bradford 45 19.45x
Bradford 37 10.31x
Shipley 33 42.91x
Warley 23 53.70x
Midgley 22 139.33x
Ovenden 20 30.33x
Habergham Eaves 17 10.48x
Leeds 16 1.91x
Headingley Cum Burley 15 15.72x
Hipperholme Cum 15 23.04x
Accrington 14 8.68x
Bowling 14 9.54x
Northowram 14 13.47x
Great Little Marsden 13 15.99x
Sutton In Keighley 12 143.03x
Colne 11 20.81x
Edgbaston 10 8.55x
Farnhill 10 348.43x
Idle 9 13.10x
Langfield 8 30.85x
Morton In Keighley 8 68.73x
Newington 8 1.45x
Barrowford Booth 7 35.64x
Jesmond 7 22.36x
Southowram 7 15.48x
Wellow 7 372.34x
Barton Upon Irwell 6 4.49x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 2.17x
Culcheth 6 51.59x
Kildwick 6 44.48x
Normanton 6 13.47x
Palling 6 255.32x
Tong 6 20.96x
Tonge With Haulgh 6 17.37x
Burnley 5 3.35x
Islington London 5 0.35x
Pendleton In Salford 5 2.37x
Shadwell London 5 11.95x
Soham 5 24.53x
Staveley 5 12.03x
Broughton In Salford 4 2.47x
Chelmsford 4 7.90x
Gomersal 4 5.78x
Gorton 4 2.40x
Lofthouse 4 18.08x
Mirfield 4 4.92x
Morton Palms 4 740.74x
Oldham 4 0.70x
Oswestry Town 4 9.67x
Snydale 4 130.29x
Spotland 4 2.03x
St George In East London 4 2.84x
Wilsden 4 26.28x
Barton St Mary 3 25.02x
Byker 3 2.73x
Elland Cum Greetland 3 4.49x
Gate Fulford 3 8.67x
Heaton 3 18.84x
Higher Booths 3 9.38x
Holy Trinity 3 0.84x
Middlesbrough 3 1.55x
Newchurch 3 2.07x
Pudsey 3 3.79x
Wadsworth 3 12.44x
Ardwick 2 1.25x
Armley 2 3.06x
Bermondsey 2 0.45x
Castleford 2 3.71x
Conway 2 17.08x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 0.66x
Huddersfield 2 0.93x
Layton With Warbreck 2 3.07x
North Bierley 2 2.50x
Wakefield 2 1.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 130
Sarah 100
Elizabeth 40
Hannah 30
Martha 30
Annie 29
Ann 28
Alice 25
Emma 25
Jane 21
Ada 19
Ellen 19
Betty 16
Emily 13
Margaret 13
Clara 9
Grace 9
Maria 8
Susey 8
Minnie 7
Nancy 7
Rebecca 7
Fanny 6
Harriet 6
Amelia 5
Charlotte 5
Edith 5
Eva 5
Isabella 5
Lilly 5
Susan 5
Susannah 5
Agnes 4
Caroline 4
Gertrude 4
Lydia 4
Ruth 4
Amy 3
Betsy 3
Catherine 3
Dinah 3
Eliza 3
Elizebeth 3
Frances 3
Selina 3
Susy 3
Adeline 2
Beatrice 2
Bertha 2
Matilda 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 90
James 68
George 62
William 47
Thomas 37
Joseph 29
Robert 21
Edward 16
David 14
Fred 14
Arthur 13
Edwin 13
Walter 12
Charles 10
Frank 10
Henry 10
Alfred 9
Benjamin 8
Eli 8
Hartley 8
Herbert 8
Jonas 8
Harry 7
Albert 6
Frederick 6
Samuel 6
Timothy 6
Abraham 5
Smith 5
Enoch 4
Percy 4
Pickles 4
Tom 4
Wm. 4
Edmund 3
Ellis 3
Holmes 3
Isaac 3
Jesse 3
Jno. 3
Joe 3
Lancelot 3
Nathan 3
Percival 3
Pharoah 3
Richard 3
Sam 3
Stephen 3
Sutcliffe 3
Wilkinson 3

FAQ

Feather surname: questions and answers

How common was the Feather surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,529 people were recorded with the Feather surname. That placed it at #2,749 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Feather surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,062 in 2016. That gives Feather a modern rank of #5,497.

What does the Feather surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a person who worked with feathers, such as a feather dresser or dealer.

What does the Feather map show?

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