NameCensus.

UK surname

Fee

An English and Irish surname derived from the Middle English word "fe," meaning "cattle, property, or money."

In the 1881 census there were 372 people recorded with the Fee surname, ranking it #8,399 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 979, ranked #5,896, up from #8,399 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Bees, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale, Pembrokeshire and Ibrox.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fee is 1,040 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 163.2%.

1881 census count

372

Ranked #8,399

Modern count

979

2016, ranked #5,896

Peak year

1998

1,040 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fee had 372 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,399 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 979 in 2016, ranked #5,896.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 577 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Fee surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fee surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fee 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 239 #9,092
1881 historical 372 #8,399
1891 historical 110 #22,557
1901 historical 577 #7,286
1997 modern 1,011 #5,446
1998 modern 1,040 #5,487
1999 modern 1,013 #5,656
2000 modern 1,022 #5,581
2001 modern 979 #5,673
2002 modern 1,020 #5,609
2003 modern 959 #5,793
2004 modern 946 #5,861
2005 modern 965 #5,705
2006 modern 957 #5,756
2007 modern 967 #5,766
2008 modern 988 #5,702
2009 modern 1,012 #5,709
2010 modern 1,030 #5,735
2011 modern 1,012 #5,762
2012 modern 987 #5,806
2013 modern 989 #5,877
2014 modern 985 #5,933
2015 modern 974 #5,933
2016 modern 979 #5,896

Geography

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Where Fees are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Bees, London parishes, Gateshead, Edinburgh and Egremont. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale, Pembrokeshire and Ibrox. 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 Bees Cumberland
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Egremont Cumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 008 Allerdale
2 Allerdale 011 Allerdale
3 Pembrokeshire 012 Pembrokeshire
4 Ibrox Glasgow City
5 Allerdale 009 Allerdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fee

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fee

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

Fee is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fee 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 Fee 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Fee

The surname Fee is of Old English origin, derived from the word 'feoh' meaning 'cattle' or 'property'. It was likely an occupational surname for a cowherd or someone who owned cattle or land. The name originated in areas of England where cattle farming was prevalent, such as the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Northumberland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Feh'. This suggests that the name had already been established by the time of the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as 'Fey', 'Feye', and 'Faye', reflecting the different regional dialects and spellings of the time. The modern spelling of 'Fee' became more standardized in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Notable individuals with the surname Fee throughout history include:

1. Sir John Fee (c. 1490 - 1560), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. 2. Robert Fee (1773 - 1858), a Scottish minister and missionary who established churches in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. 3. Mary Fee (1876 - 1962), an American educator and social reformer who advocated for the rights of African American children. 4. Walter Fee (1901 - 1984), a British author and journalist known for his works on military history and aviation. 5. Gordon Fee (born 1934), an American biblical scholar and professor emeritus at Regent College in Vancouver, Canada.

Variations of the name can also be found in place names, such as Featherstone, derived from the Old English 'Feother-stan' meaning 'feathery or mossy stone'. The Fee surname has been present in various regions of the British Isles for centuries and has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fee families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fee 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 97 Fees recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.65x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 97 1.65x
Lanarkshire 53 3.30x
Cumberland 46 10.76x
Yorkshire 43 0.87x
Midlothian 41 6.16x
Northumberland 41 5.55x
Durham 32 2.17x
Surrey 31 1.28x
Middlesex 23 0.46x
Dunbartonshire 18 13.49x
Cheshire 17 1.55x
Hampshire 10 0.98x
East Lothian 7 10.64x
Herefordshire 7 3.44x
Westmorland 7 6.42x
Renfrewshire 6 1.56x
Derbyshire 5 0.64x
Berwickshire 4 6.65x
Channel Islands 4 2.72x
Leicestershire 4 0.73x
Ayrshire 3 0.81x
Devon 1 0.10x
Dorset 1 0.31x
Glamorgan 1 0.12x
Gloucestershire 1 0.10x
Monmouthshire 1 0.28x
Norfolk 1 0.13x
Perthshire 1 0.45x
Stirlingshire 1 0.55x
Sussex 1 0.12x
West Lothian 1 1.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 19 Fees recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.84x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 19 6.84x
Edinburgh Canongate 18 106.32x
Elswick 17 28.83x
Warrington 16 22.91x
Crosscanonby 13 91.94x
Liverpool 13 3.63x
Preston Quarter 13 108.51x
Dumbarton 12 64.62x
Southwark St George Martyr 12 12.01x
Sheffield 11 7.02x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 10 3.74x
Glasgow 10 3.51x
Govan 10 2.52x
Manchester 10 3.77x
Barony 9 2.21x
Egremont 9 88.32x
Lower Bebington 8 122.89x
New Monkland 8 16.85x
Old Monkland 8 12.55x
Battersea 7 3.83x
East Denton 7 416.67x
Edinburgh High Church 7 167.87x
Everton 7 3.73x
Hartlepool 7 33.35x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 7 10.94x
Hound 7 101.30x
Kirkland 7 300.43x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 7 15.87x
Limehouse London 6 11.01x
Newchurch 6 12.45x
Row 6 34.76x
Whitehaven 6 26.34x
Ardwick 5 9.41x
Bishopwearmouth 5 3.94x
Blackburn 5 3.19x
Cambuslang 5 30.88x
Dunbar 5 54.23x
Great Bolton 5 6.41x
Hereford St Nicholas 5 180.51x
Lambeth 5 1.15x
Litchurch 5 15.98x
Neilston 5 25.88x
Southowram 5 33.29x
St Marylebone London 5 1.89x
Tynemouth 5 12.64x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 4.27x
Dunse 4 70.18x
Hammersmith London 4 3.27x
Leicester St Margaret 4 2.98x
Oldham 4 2.10x
Sedburgh 4 195.12x
St Peter Port 4 14.70x
West Derby 4 2.32x
Willesden 4 8.55x
Winlaton 4 28.23x
Birkenhead 3 3.43x
Bootle Cum Linacre 3 6.41x
Camberwell 3 0.95x
Portsea 3 1.50x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 3 23.79x
Worsley 3 8.26x
Bermondsey 2 1.35x
Boldon 2 37.95x
Cramlington 2 20.49x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 2.00x
Epsom 2 16.96x
Gorton 2 3.61x
Kilmaurs 2 31.65x
Livesey 2 19.34x
Pendleton In Salford 2 2.85x
Prestonkirk 2 60.79x
South Leith 2 2.67x
St George Hanover Square 2 2.29x
Caldewgate 1 4.27x
Edinburgh Greenside 1 11.38x
Gosforth 1 48.08x
Michaelstone Super Avon 1 10.68x
Northallerton 1 15.92x
Toxteth Park 1 0.50x
Widnes 1 2.35x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 34
Catherine 16
Margaret 14
Ann 11
Elizabeth 11
Sarah 11
Ellen 7
Jane 7
Annie 5
Rose 5
Agnes 4
Alice 4
Bridget 4
Anne 3
Eliza 3
Emma 3
Hannah 3
Eleanor 2
Jessie 2
Lucy 2
Margeret 2
Maria 2
Minnie 2
Rachel 2
Anna 1
Bertha 1
Bridgett 1
Caroline 1
Catharine 1
Celia 1
Cicelia 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Georgina 1
Grail 1
Hanna 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Isabella 1
Johanna 1
June 1
Laura 1
Linda 1
Lizzie 1
Margret 1
Martha 1
Nadnell 1
Nancey 1
Rosehannah 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 36
James 17
Joseph 14
William 14
Thomas 11
Robert 9
Patrick 7
George 6
Henry 6
Arthur 4
Charles 4
Hugh 4
Michael 4
Peter 4
Frederick 3
Martin 3
Matthew 3
Samuel 3
Edward 2
Philip 2
Thos. 2
Ah 1
Alexander 1
Alfrid 1
Anthony 1
Archibald 1
Bartholmew 1
Bernard 1
Charley 1
Chas. 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Dennis 1
Francis 1
H. 1
Harry 1
Irwin 1
Jno. 1
Louisa 1
M. 1
Mathew 1
Micheal 1
Walter 1
Wilfred 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Fee surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fee surname in 1881?

In 1881, 372 people were recorded with the Fee surname. That placed it at #8,399 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fee surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 979 in 2016. That gives Fee a modern rank of #5,896.

What does the Fee surname mean?

An English and Irish surname derived from the Middle English word "fe," meaning "cattle, property, or money."

What does the Fee map show?

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