NameCensus.

UK surname

Fenna

In the 1881 census there were 123 people recorded with the Fenna surname, ranking it #17,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 302, ranked #14,660, up from #17,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, North Meols and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wirral, Bath and North East Somerset and South Lakeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fenna is 322 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 145.5%.

1881 census count

123

Ranked #17,506

Modern count

302

2016, ranked #14,660

Peak year

2011

322 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fenna had 123 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 302 in 2016, ranked #14,660.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 224 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Fenna surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fenna surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fenna 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 115 #15,634
1861 historical 108 #19,856
1881 historical 123 #17,506
1891 historical 118 #21,540
1901 historical 179 #16,227
1911 historical 224 #13,914
1997 modern 273 #14,417
1998 modern 278 #14,620
1999 modern 281 #14,578
2000 modern 269 #14,983
2001 modern 258 #15,194
2002 modern 263 #15,277
2003 modern 271 #14,787
2004 modern 263 #15,189
2005 modern 266 #15,007
2006 modern 281 #14,500
2007 modern 283 #14,579
2008 modern 284 #14,687
2009 modern 289 #14,809
2010 modern 316 #14,198
2011 modern 322 #13,907
2012 modern 311 #14,173
2013 modern 314 #14,273
2014 modern 315 #14,334
2015 modern 300 #14,758
2016 modern 302 #14,660

Geography

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Where Fennas are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, North Meols, Manchester, West Derby and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wirral, Bath and North East Somerset, South Lakeland and Bury. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 North Meols Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 West Derby Lancashire
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wirral 008 Wirral
2 Wirral 002 Wirral
3 Bath and North East Somerset 010 Bath and North East Somerset
4 South Lakeland 002 South Lakeland
5 Bury 005 Bury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fenna

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fenna

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fenna, 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 Fenna surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Fenna 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Fenna is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fenna is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fenna falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Fenna families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fenna 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. Cheshire leads with 69 Fennas recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.05x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 69 26.05x
Lancashire 32 2.25x
Durham 10 2.80x
Yorkshire 6 0.50x
Shropshire 3 2.89x
Surrey 2 0.34x
Leicestershire 1 0.75x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liscard in Cheshire leads with 16 Fennas recorded in 1881 and an index of 335.43x.

Place Total Index
Liscard 16 335.43x
Monks Coppenhall 11 110.11x
Bredbury 7 457.52x
Gorton 7 52.32x
Hollingworth 7 642.20x
Over Darwen 7 61.57x
Bradford 6 20.85x
Great Boughton 6 659.34x
Mainsforth 6 12000.00x
Salford 6 14.33x
Church Coppenhall 5 423.73x
Willaston In Nantwich 5 609.76x
Byers Green 4 396.04x
Liverpool 4 4.63x
Sound 4 3636.36x
Birkenhead 3 14.21x
Ardwick 2 15.58x
Aughton 2 141.84x
Lambeth 2 1.91x
Selattyn 2 425.53x
West Derby 2 4.80x
Burland 1 370.37x
Layton With Warbreck 1 19.16x
Leicester St Nicholas 1 133.33x
Oxton 1 66.67x
Romiley 1 133.33x
Timperley 1 108.70x
Warrington 1 5.92x
Whitchurch 1 49.75x
Wirswall 1 2000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Elizabeth 7
Ellen 5
Sarah 4
Ann 3
Lucy 2
Margaret 2
Martha 2
Susan 2
A.E. 1
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Annie 1
Annis 1
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Christina 1
Elanor 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Ester 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Florance 1
Hannah 1
Hanny 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Louisa 1
Maggie 1
Margt. 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 13
Thomas 7
William 7
George 5
Edward 4
Joseph 3
Arthur 2
Henry 2
James 2
Authur 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Frek.W. 1
Hy. 1
Jas.R. 1
Patrick 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Townsend 1

FAQ

Fenna surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fenna surname in 1881?

In 1881, 123 people were recorded with the Fenna surname. That placed it at #17,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fenna surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 302 in 2016. That gives Fenna a modern rank of #14,660.

What does the Fenna map show?

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