NameCensus.

UK surname

Fennings

In the 1881 census there were 65 people recorded with the Fennings surname, ranking it #24,420 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 152, ranked #23,516, up from #24,420 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Hendon and St Leonard Bromley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tower Hamlets, Brentwood and Dover.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fennings is 311 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 133.8%.

1881 census count

65

Ranked #24,420

Modern count

152

2016, ranked #23,516

Peak year

1861

311 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fennings had 65 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,420 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 152 in 2016, ranked #23,516.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 311 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Fennings surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fennings surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fennings 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 83 #19,181
1861 historical 311 #8,151
1881 historical 65 #24,420
1891 historical 204 #14,702
1901 historical 106 #22,076
1911 historical 134 #19,131
1997 modern 122 #23,917
1998 modern 141 #22,517
1999 modern 145 #22,305
2000 modern 142 #22,544
2001 modern 147 #21,756
2002 modern 154 #21,531
2003 modern 152 #21,486
2004 modern 148 #22,000
2005 modern 143 #22,473
2006 modern 138 #23,156
2007 modern 141 #23,137
2008 modern 132 #24,476
2009 modern 134 #24,711
2010 modern 144 #24,147
2011 modern 145 #23,837
2012 modern 146 #23,681
2013 modern 152 #23,438
2014 modern 149 #23,969
2015 modern 151 #23,613
2016 modern 152 #23,516

Geography

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Where Fennings' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Hendon, St Leonard Bromley, Bradford and St Giles Camberwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tower Hamlets, Brentwood, Dover, Harborough and Havering. 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 Hendon Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
3 St Leonard Bromley London (East Districts)
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tower Hamlets 020 Tower Hamlets
2 Brentwood 002 Brentwood
3 Dover 012 Dover
4 Harborough 002 Harborough
5 Havering 013 Havering

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fennings

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fennings

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Fennings surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Fennings household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Fennings is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Fennings 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

Fennings falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Fennings families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fennings 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. Middlesex leads with 27 Fennings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.26x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 27 4.26x
Essex 13 10.39x
Surrey 8 2.59x
Hampshire 7 5.39x
Warwickshire 4 2.50x
Kent 2 0.92x
Sussex 2 1.87x
Cambridgeshire 1 2.49x
Cornwall 1 1.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Northwood in Hampshire leads with 7 Fennings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 378.38x.

Place Total Index
Northwood 7 378.38x
West Ham 7 25.33x
Westminster St Margaret 7 228.76x
Bromley London 6 43.01x
Hendon 5 219.30x
Penge 5 123.46x
Aston 4 9.09x
Mucking 4 8000.00x
Kensington London 3 8.51x
Hastings All Sts 2 198.02x
Milton In Gravesend 2 61.73x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 15.67x
St Stephen Coleman Street 2 909.09x
Walthamstow 2 44.44x
Westminster St James 2 30.67x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 1 57.14x
Paddington London 1 4.29x
St George Hanover Square 1 8.95x
Uny Lelant 1 256.41x
Wandsworth 1 16.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alfred 4
Frederick 4
George 3
Charles 2
James 2
Richard 2
Albert 1
Brook 1
David 1
Frank 1
H.R. 1
Herbert 1
R.N. 1
Richd. 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1
William 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 Fennings households.

FAQ

Fennings surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fennings surname in 1881?

In 1881, 65 people were recorded with the Fennings surname. That placed it at #24,420 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fennings surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 152 in 2016. That gives Fennings a modern rank of #23,516.

What does the Fennings map show?

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