NameCensus.

UK surname

Fenning

A locational surname derived from the place name Fenning in Norfolk, England.

In the 1881 census there were 322 people recorded with the Fenning surname, ranking it #9,262 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 298, ranked #14,801, down from #9,262 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a and Colchester St Leonard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mid Suffolk, Drylaw and IZ20.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fenning is 360 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 7.5%.

1881 census count

322

Ranked #9,262

Modern count

298

2016, ranked #14,801

Peak year

1891

360 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fenning had 322 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,262 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 298 in 2016, ranked #14,801.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 360 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Fenning surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fenning surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fenning 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 251 #8,761
1861 historical 188 #12,628
1881 historical 322 #9,262
1891 historical 360 #9,614
1901 historical 335 #10,782
1911 historical 348 #10,297
1997 modern 299 #13,563
1998 modern 310 #13,578
1999 modern 323 #13,315
2000 modern 336 #12,921
2001 modern 306 #13,565
2002 modern 315 #13,561
2003 modern 299 #13,850
2004 modern 292 #14,109
2005 modern 294 #14,006
2006 modern 283 #14,432
2007 modern 302 #13,997
2008 modern 309 #13,860
2009 modern 304 #14,287
2010 modern 303 #14,626
2011 modern 301 #14,563
2012 modern 281 #15,198
2013 modern 295 #14,918
2014 modern 297 #14,943
2015 modern 293 #15,005
2016 modern 298 #14,801

Geography

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Where Fennings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a, Colchester St Leonard and Helmingstone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mid Suffolk, Drylaw, IZ20, Broadland and Reading. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a Essex
4 Colchester St Leonard Essex
5 Helmingstone Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mid Suffolk 005 Mid Suffolk
2 Drylaw City of Edinburgh
3 IZ20 East Lothian
4 Broadland 014 Broadland
5 Reading 002 Reading

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fenning

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fenning

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Fenning surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Fenning 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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, Fenning 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

Fenning 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

Fenning falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Fenning

The surname Fenning has its origins in England, and it dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "fenn," which means "fen" or "marsh." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked in a marshy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fenning can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Fenninge" and "Fenninges."

During the 13th century, there are records of individuals bearing the name Fenning in Essex and Suffolk, two counties in eastern England known for their fens and marshlands. Some of the earliest documented examples include Geoffrey Fenning, who lived in Essex in the late 1200s, and Robert Fenning, who was mentioned in records from Suffolk in the same period.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Fenning. One such person was Sir John Fenning (c. 1520-1583), an English politician and member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another was David Fenning (1648-1718), a clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Peterborough in the late 17th century.

In the 18th century, we find James Fenning (1737-1810), a British naval officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He later achieved the rank of Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy. Another notable figure was William Fenning (1775-1846), an English architect and surveyor who designed several buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Lastly, one of the more recent individuals with the surname Fenning was Charles Fenning (1865-1934), a British painter and illustrator who was known for his landscape and coastal scenes. He was particularly renowned for his depictions of the English coastline.

Throughout its history, the surname Fenning has been associated with various place names and locations, particularly in eastern England, where the fens and marshlands were prevalent. Some examples include Fenning in Norfolk, Fenmere in Suffolk, and Fenham in Northumberland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fenning families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fenning 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. Suffolk leads with 71 Fennings recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.62x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 71 18.62x
Essex 61 9.87x
Surrey 52 3.41x
Middlesex 39 1.25x
Yorkshire 16 0.52x
Devon 15 2.30x
Leicestershire 13 3.74x
Cornwall 7 1.97x
Norfolk 7 1.45x
Angus 6 2.07x
Kent 6 0.56x
Lancashire 6 0.16x
Bedfordshire 5 3.08x
Sussex 4 0.76x
Hertfordshire 3 1.39x
Somerset 2 0.40x
Westmorland 2 2.91x
Durham 1 0.11x
Gloucestershire 1 0.16x
Hampshire 1 0.16x
Midlothian 1 0.24x
Royal Navy 1 2.68x
Staffordshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hemingstone in Suffolk leads with 21 Fennings recorded in 1881 and an index of 6562.50x.

Place Total Index
Hemingstone 21 6562.50x
Leicester St Margaret 12 14.17x
Colchester St Giles 10 163.67x
Mistley 10 602.41x
Ipswich St Mathew 9 84.19x
Sunbury 9 239.36x
Camberwell 8 4.00x
Shobrooke 8 1159.42x
Skircoat 8 65.36x
Barham 7 1400.00x
Holy Trinity 7 9.38x
Ipswich St Helen 7 154.87x
Lambeth 7 2.56x
Mile End 7 619.47x
Reigate Foreign 7 42.37x
Abberton 6 2307.69x
Ardleigh 6 350.88x
Battersea 6 5.21x
Clapham 6 15.33x
Liff Benvie 6 13.63x
Newington 6 5.19x
North Walsham 6 172.91x
Stoke Newington London 6 24.60x
Chigwell 5 85.76x
Elmsett 5 1086.96x
Falmouth 5 39.84x
Kensington London 5 2.87x
Woburn 5 354.61x
Layer De La Hay 4 540.54x
Otley 4 588.24x
Rotherhithe 4 10.34x
Stoke By Nayland 4 325.20x
Belstead 3 882.35x
Devonport 3 40.05x
Eltham 3 47.92x
St Botolph Aldersgate 3 83.57x
St Pancras London 3 1.19x
Colchester St Peter 2 80.97x
Cullompton 2 70.18x
Enfield 2 9.74x
Great Amwell 2 92.59x
Hadleigh 2 54.05x
Harwich St Nicholas 2 41.93x
Hitcham 2 208.33x
Holbrook 2 240.96x
Penge 2 10.00x
Salford 2 1.83x
Shap 2 131.58x
Southwark St Saviour 2 12.43x
Staines 2 40.32x
Ticehurst 2 61.92x
Westminster St James 2 6.21x
Weston Super Mare 2 15.71x
Brightlingsea 1 28.33x
Caterham 1 14.84x
Chester All Sts 1 200.00x
Chevening 1 86.21x
Colchester St Mary At 1 45.66x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.21x
Exeter Heavitree 1 20.58x
Handsworth 1 3.84x
Hastings St Mary 1 7.61x
Ipswich St Mary Stoke 1 28.25x
Kenwyn 1 10.79x
Little Bentley 1 294.12x
Liverpool 1 0.44x
Monkwearmouth Shore 1 5.50x
Pettaugh 1 476.19x
Preston 1 1.01x
South Leith 1 2.12x
Southampton St Mary 1 2.48x
St Albans St Stephen 1 52.91x
St George In East London 1 3.40x
St Gluvias Penryn 1 35.21x
St Mary Le Strand London 1 87.72x
West Mersea 1 84.75x
Wimbledon 1 5.84x
Withington 1 8.35x
Woolverstone 1 384.62x
Youlton 1 1666.67x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 17
William 17
John 14
Thomas 8
James 7
Charles 6
Richard 6
Alfred 5
Robert 5
Edward 4
Frederick 4
Harry 4
Samuel 4
Henry 3
Edgar 2
Ernest 2
Fenn 2
Francis 2
Fred 2
Fredrick 2
Herbert 2
Peter 2
Philip 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Bertrand 1
Cecil 1
Chas.H. 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Dd. 1
Ellies 1
Frances 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Gilbert 1
Horace 1
Mark 1
Oliver 1
Pat. 1
Robt. 1
Simeon 1
Victor 1
Wiliam 1

FAQ

Fenning surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fenning surname in 1881?

In 1881, 322 people were recorded with the Fenning surname. That placed it at #9,262 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fenning surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 298 in 2016. That gives Fenning a modern rank of #14,801.

What does the Fenning surname mean?

A locational surname derived from the place name Fenning in Norfolk, England.

What does the Fenning map show?

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