NameCensus.

UK surname

Fenty

A surname with origins in Normandy and possibly a topographic name derived from a French locality name.

In the 1881 census there were 38 people recorded with the Fenty surname, ranking it #28,285 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 188, ranked #20,417, up from #28,285 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Lincolnshire, Manchester and Hammersmith and Fulham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fenty is 188 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 394.7%.

1881 census count

38

Ranked #28,285

Modern count

188

2016, ranked #20,417

Peak year

2015

188 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fenty had 38 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,285 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 188 in 2016, ranked #20,417.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 40 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Fenty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fenty surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Fenty 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 17 #30,267
1861 historical 26 #30,677
1881 historical 38 #28,285
1891 historical 40 #31,174
1901 historical 36 #30,099
1997 modern 148 #21,295
1998 modern 153 #21,387
1999 modern 144 #22,405
2000 modern 148 #21,971
2001 modern 150 #21,482
2002 modern 164 #20,687
2003 modern 153 #21,406
2004 modern 154 #21,432
2005 modern 150 #21,786
2006 modern 152 #21,721
2007 modern 155 #21,726
2008 modern 159 #21,598
2009 modern 167 #21,383
2010 modern 178 #20,965
2011 modern 172 #21,248
2012 modern 176 #20,915
2013 modern 169 #21,826
2014 modern 183 #20,880
2015 modern 188 #20,417
2016 modern 188 #20,417

Geography

Back to top

Where Fentys 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 North East Lincolnshire, Manchester and Hammersmith and Fulham. 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 North East Lincolnshire 020 North East Lincolnshire
2 North East Lincolnshire 022 North East Lincolnshire
3 Manchester 024 Manchester
4 Hammersmith and Fulham 005 Hammersmith and Fulham
5 North East Lincolnshire 010 North East Lincolnshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Fenty

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Fenty

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Fenty surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Fenty household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Fenty is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fenty 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

Fenty falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fenty is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Fenty

The surname Fenty is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "fen" meaning a marsh or low-lying wetland. It is believed to have originated as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a fen or marshland area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Fenty can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Fenne" in reference to a place name. This suggests that the name has been in use since at least the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in various records with spellings such as "Fenny" and "Fenni". These variations likely reflect the regional differences in pronunciation and spelling at the time.

A notable early bearer of the surname was Sir John Fenty, a knight who lived in the late 13th century. He is mentioned in several historical documents from the reign of King Edward I.

During the 16th century, the surname Fenty was particularly prevalent in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, where many marshlands and fens existed. The parish records of these regions contain numerous entries of Fenty families.

In the 17th century, a family of Fentys settled in the village of Tenterden, Kent. One member, Thomas Fenty, was a prominent landowner and served as a churchwarden in the local parish church in the late 1600s.

Another notable figure was William Fenty, born in 1712 in Lincolnshire. He was a successful merchant and philanthropist who donated funds for the construction of several churches and schools in his hometown.

In the 19th century, the surname Fenty can be found in various parts of England, including London, where a family of Fentys owned a successful brewery in the 1850s.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Fenty was Sir Charles Fenty, a renowned explorer and naturalist born in 1824 in Dorset. He is known for his expeditions to South America and his contributions to the field of botany.

While the surname Fenty is not among the most common in England, it has a long and rich history that can be traced back to the marshlands and fens of medieval times.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Fenty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fenty 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 35 Fentys recorded in 1881 and an index of 102.01x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 35 102.01x
Lanarkshire 1 0.83x
Lancashire 1 0.23x
Middlesex 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tyrie in Aberdeenshire leads with 14 Fentys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3255.81x.

Place Total Index
Tyrie 14 3255.81x
Strichen 8 2666.67x
Turriff 5 909.09x
Longside 4 975.61x
Aberdour 2 740.74x
New Deer 2 322.58x
Govan 1 3.38x
Hammersmith London 1 10.95x
Oldham 1 7.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Caroline 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 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 Fenty households.

FAQ

Fenty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fenty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 38 people were recorded with the Fenty surname. That placed it at #28,285 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fenty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 188 in 2016. That gives Fenty a modern rank of #20,417.

What does the Fenty surname mean?

A surname with origins in Normandy and possibly a topographic name derived from a French locality name.

What does the Fenty map show?

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