NameCensus.

UK surname

Fennah

In the 1881 census there were 75 people recorded with the Fennah surname, ranking it #22,893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 117, ranked #28,033, down from #22,893 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Toxteth Park and Chester St Oswald, Little St John, Cathedral Church, St Peter, St Bridget, St Martin, Holy Trinity. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Flintshire, Powys and Derbyshire Dales.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fennah is 150 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 56.0%.

1881 census count

75

Ranked #22,893

Modern count

117

2016, ranked #28,033

Peak year

2000

150 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fennah had 75 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,893 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016, ranked #28,033.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 146 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Fennah surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fennah surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fennah 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 43 #25,518
1861 historical 50 #27,636
1881 historical 75 #22,893
1891 historical 84 #26,229
1901 historical 125 #20,061
1911 historical 146 #18,179
1997 modern 129 #23,143
1998 modern 139 #22,720
1999 modern 142 #22,607
2000 modern 150 #21,781
2001 modern 150 #21,482
2002 modern 142 #22,687
2003 modern 135 #23,155
2004 modern 136 #23,207
2005 modern 134 #23,406
2006 modern 129 #24,165
2007 modern 132 #24,166
2008 modern 134 #24,249
2009 modern 130 #25,176
2010 modern 127 #26,176
2011 modern 118 #27,192
2012 modern 119 #27,100
2013 modern 114 #28,347
2014 modern 118 #27,961
2015 modern 119 #27,684
2016 modern 117 #28,033

Geography

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Where Fennahs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Toxteth Park, Chester St Oswald, Little St John, Cathedral Church, St Peter, St Bridget, St Martin, Holy Trinity, Bidstone and Hawarden. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Flintshire, Powys and Derbyshire Dales. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Chester St Oswald, Little St John, Cathedral Church, St Peter, St Bridget, St Martin, Holy Trinity Cheshire
4 Bidstone Cheshire
5 Hawarden Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Flintshire 013 Flintshire
2 Powys 009 Powys
3 Derbyshire Dales 005 Derbyshire Dales
4 Flintshire 008 Flintshire
5 Flintshire 009 Flintshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fennah

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fennah

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Fennah surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Fennah 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Fennah 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

Fennah 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

Fennah falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fennah is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Fennah families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fennah 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. Flintshire leads with 23 Fennahs recorded in 1881 and an index of 116.99x.

County Total Index
Flintshire 23 116.99x
Cheshire 18 11.15x
Lancashire 16 1.84x
Merionethshire 7 52.28x
Staffordshire 6 2.43x
Denbighshire 2 7.24x
Surrey 2 0.56x
Middlesex 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hawarden in Flintshire leads with 15 Fennahs recorded in 1881 and an index of 974.03x.

Place Total Index
Hawarden 15 974.03x
Kirkdale 9 61.64x
Corwen 7 2058.82x
Birkenhead 6 46.62x
Harborne 6 75.85x
Hawarden Saltney 6 2222.22x
Beswick 5 225.23x
Hoole 3 491.80x
Chester Holy Trinity 2 263.16x
Chester St Oswald 2 68.49x
Egham 2 91.32x
Hawarden Pentrobin 2 645.16x
Abergele 1 126.58x
Bersham 1 84.75x
Brindley 1 2000.00x
Chester St Mary On Hill 1 71.94x
Everton 1 3.61x
Great Boughton 1 178.57x
Harrow 1 89.29x
Lower Bebington 1 104.17x
Monks Coppenhall 1 16.42x
Penketh 1 322.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Martha 4
Elizabeth 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Annie 2
Catherine 2
Jane 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Charlotte 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Ester 1
Florence 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
Thomas 6
Joseph 5
Edward 4
Samuel 3
Adam 2
Frederick 2
William 2
Abraham 1
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Chas.P. 1
Clement 1
Geo. 1
George 1
Henry 1
James 1
Richd. 1
Robinson 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Fennah surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fennah surname in 1881?

In 1881, 75 people were recorded with the Fennah surname. That placed it at #22,893 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fennah surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016. That gives Fennah a modern rank of #28,033.

What does the Fennah map show?

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