NameCensus.

UK surname

Fenech

Maltese surname meaning "little fennel plant".

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tewkesbury, Liverpool and Adur.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fenech is 299 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

280

2016, ranked #15,491

Peak year

2010

299 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 280 in 2016, ranked #15,491.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Fenech surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fenech surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fenech 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
1861 historical 7 #33,053
1901 historical 1 #34,548
1911 historical 4 #33,595
1997 modern 238 #15,760
1998 modern 245 #15,903
1999 modern 260 #15,390
2000 modern 243 #16,053
2001 modern 246 #15,684
2002 modern 259 #15,453
2003 modern 248 #15,695
2004 modern 256 #15,453
2005 modern 262 #15,182
2006 modern 264 #15,170
2007 modern 259 #15,519
2008 modern 257 #15,777
2009 modern 285 #14,944
2010 modern 299 #14,769
2011 modern 285 #15,140
2012 modern 270 #15,667
2013 modern 276 #15,683
2014 modern 283 #15,495
2015 modern 284 #15,344
2016 modern 280 #15,491

Geography

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Where Fenechs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tewkesbury, Liverpool, Adur and Wycombe. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tewkesbury 004 Tewkesbury
2 Liverpool 045 Liverpool
3 Adur 008 Adur
4 Wycombe 006 Wycombe
5 Adur 004 Adur

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fenech

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fenech

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Fenech surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Fenech 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Fenech is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Fenech is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fenech falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Fenech

The surname Fenech has its origins in Malta, a small island country located in the Mediterranean Sea. It is believed to have emerged in the late 15th or early 16th century, during the time of the Knights of St. John, who ruled over Malta from 1530 to 1798.

The name Fenech is derived from the Maltese word "fenek," which means "rabbit." It is thought that the name was originally given to someone who either hunted rabbits or had some physical or behavioral resemblance to the animal.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fenech can be found in the Maltese Militia List of 1619-1640, which included several individuals bearing this surname. Some of the earliest documented spellings of the name include Fenech, Fenech, and Fenech.

In the 17th century, a notable figure named Martinu Fenech (1640-1712) was a prominent Maltese architect and military engineer. He was responsible for designing several fortifications and structures in Malta, including the Santa Margherita Lines and the Vendôme Tower.

Another historical figure with the surname Fenech was Giuseppe Fenech (1768-1845), a Maltese priest and author who wrote several works on Maltese history and culture. His most notable work was "Lingua Punica Melitensis: A Phoenician-Greek-Maltese Vocabulary" (1804), which was one of the earliest attempts to document and study the Maltese language.

In the 19th century, Salvatore Fenech (1815-1888) was a Maltese politician and lawyer who served as the Prime Minister of Malta from 1876 to 1878. He played a significant role in the development of Malta's political and judicial systems during the British colonial period.

Another prominent figure with the surname Fenech was Guido Fenech (1874-1957), a Maltese architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in Malta, including the Valletta Opera House and the Auberge de Bavière in Valletta.

More recently, John Fenech (1913-2007) was a Maltese politician and lawyer who served as the President of Malta from 1976 to 1981. He was also a member of the Maltese Parliament and played a significant role in the country's transition to independence from British rule.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fenech families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fenech 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. Royal Navy leads with 1 Fenechs recorded in 1881 and an index of 909.09x.

County Total Index
Royal Navy 1 909.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Royal Navy in Royal Navy leads with 1 Fenechs recorded in 1881 and an index of 1000.00x.

Place Total Index
Royal Navy 1 1000.00x

Top male names

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

Name Count
Emmanuel 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Fenech households.

Occupation Count
Stoker 1

FAQ

Fenech surname: questions and answers

How common is the Fenech surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 280 in 2016. That gives Fenech a modern rank of #15,491.

What does the Fenech surname mean?

Maltese surname meaning "little fennel plant".

What does the Fenech map show?

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