NameCensus.

UK surname

Fergusson

A Scottish surname derived from "son of Ferguson", meaning "son of the angry one".

In the 1881 census there were 1,530 people recorded with the Fergusson surname, ranking it #2,743 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,808, ranked #3,499, down from #2,743 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Girvan, Strachur and Stralachlan and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Thornhill, Glenkens and Gatehouse.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fergusson is 1,822 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.2%.

1881 census count

1,530

Ranked #2,743

Modern count

1,808

2016, ranked #3,499

Peak year

2014

1,822 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fergusson had 1,530 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,743 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,808 in 2016, ranked #3,499.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,659 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Fergusson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fergusson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fergusson 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 1,582 #1,822
1861 historical 1,644 #1,739
1881 historical 1,530 #2,743
1891 historical 1,419 #3,072
1901 historical 1,659 #3,105
1911 historical 772 #5,620
1997 modern 1,664 #3,571
1998 modern 1,741 #3,564
1999 modern 1,791 #3,495
2000 modern 1,798 #3,461
2001 modern 1,737 #3,500
2002 modern 1,799 #3,450
2003 modern 1,764 #3,455
2004 modern 1,745 #3,492
2005 modern 1,710 #3,523
2006 modern 1,752 #3,457
2007 modern 1,733 #3,520
2008 modern 1,744 #3,526
2009 modern 1,747 #3,585
2010 modern 1,774 #3,606
2011 modern 1,755 #3,598
2012 modern 1,763 #3,532
2013 modern 1,810 #3,519
2014 modern 1,822 #3,518
2015 modern 1,803 #3,518
2016 modern 1,808 #3,499

Geography

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Where Fergussons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Girvan, Strachur and Stralachlan, London parishes, Moulin and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Thornhill, Glenkens, Gatehouse, Rhins South and Coupar Angus and Meigle. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Girvan Ayr
2 Strachur and Stralachlan Argyll
3 London parishes London 3
4 Moulin Perth
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Thornhill Dumfries and Galloway
2 Glenkens Dumfries and Galloway
3 Gatehouse Dumfries and Galloway
4 Rhins South Dumfries and Galloway
5 Coupar Angus and Meigle Perth and Kinross

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fergusson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fergusson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fergusson, 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 Fergusson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Fergusson 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Fergusson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fergusson 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

Fergusson 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 Fergusson 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 Fergusson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Fergusson

The surname Fergusson is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic name Fearghus, which means "man of force" or "virile man." The name is believed to have originated in the 12th century in the Western Isles and Highlands of Scotland.

In its early form, the name was often spelled as Fergus or Fergussius. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various Scottish charters and records from the 13th and 14th centuries, such as the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists several individuals with the surname Fergusson.

The name is also associated with several notable historical figures, such as Fergus Mór mac Eirc, a legendary king of Dál Riata in the 6th century, and Fergus of Galloway, a 12th-century lord who played a significant role in the political affairs of Scotland during his time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Fergusson was Dominus Fergusius de Ardrossan, who lived in the 13th century and was the Lord of Ardrossan in Ayrshire, Scotland. Another notable figure was Sir John Fergusson, a Scottish knight who fought alongside King Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century.

In the 16th century, the Fergussons of Craigdarroch in Dumfriesshire were a prominent family, with Robert Fergusson (1572-1644) serving as a member of the Scottish Parliament and his son, Sir John Fergusson (1609-1677), being a renowned Scottish judge and Senator of the College of Justice.

Other notable individuals with the surname Fergusson include Robert Fergusson (1750-1774), a Scottish poet who was considered a precursor to Robert Burns, and Sir William Fergusson (1808-1877), a Scottish surgeon who made significant contributions to the field of modern surgery.

Throughout history, the Fergusson surname has been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Fergusonhill in Ayrshire, Fergushill in Lanarkshire, and Ferguslie in Renfrewshire, reflecting the widespread distribution of the name across different regions of the country.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fergusson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fergusson 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. Ayrshire leads with 185 Fergussons recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.72x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 185 16.72x
Lanarkshire 146 3.05x
Perthshire 132 19.89x
Dumfriesshire 131 40.10x
Middlesex 112 0.76x
Kirkcudbrightshire 96 44.84x
Midlothian 54 2.73x
Renfrewshire 53 4.62x
Lancashire 51 0.29x
Yorkshire 42 0.29x
Wigtownshire 41 20.88x
Angus 37 2.70x
Fife 36 4.11x
Kent 34 0.67x
Staffordshire 33 0.66x
Surrey 29 0.40x
Dunbartonshire 23 5.79x
Northumberland 23 1.05x
Aberdeenshire 22 1.61x
Argyllshire 22 5.34x
Peeblesshire 21 30.19x
Banffshire 16 5.22x
Wiltshire 14 1.07x
Durham 13 0.30x
Essex 10 0.34x
Warwickshire 10 0.27x
Flintshire 8 2.01x
Hampshire 8 0.26x
Leicestershire 8 0.49x
Somerset 8 0.34x
Cheshire 7 0.21x
Inverness-shire 7 1.59x
Suffolk 7 0.39x
Worcestershire 7 0.36x
Glamorgan 6 0.23x
Kincardineshire 6 3.33x
Channel Islands 5 1.14x
Cumberland 5 0.39x
Gloucestershire 5 0.17x
Isle of Man 5 1.82x
Selkirkshire 5 3.74x
Clackmannanshire 4 3.28x
Lincolnshire 4 0.17x
Monmouthshire 4 0.37x
Sussex 3 0.12x
West Lothian 3 1.35x
Berkshire 2 0.18x
Derbyshire 2 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.10x
Buteshire 1 1.12x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.17x
Devon 1 0.03x
Hertfordshire 1 0.10x
Norfolk 1 0.04x
Roxburghshire 1 0.37x
Royal Navy 1 0.57x
Shetland 1 0.66x
Stirlingshire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 43 Fergussons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.64x.

Place Total Index
Govan 43 3.64x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 34 4.27x
Moulin 29 276.45x
Glasgow 26 3.06x
Barony 25 2.07x
Bothwell 23 17.73x
Dailly 22 194.86x
East Greenock 22 20.33x
Logierait 22 188.36x
Dalmellington 21 64.54x
Mauchline 21 165.09x
Girvan 20 71.99x
Kirkoswald 20 221.24x
Torthorwald 20 398.41x
Annan 19 67.71x
Kelton 19 108.02x
Peebles 19 92.41x
Girthon 15 208.33x
Irongray 14 352.64x
Lanark 14 36.38x
Sanquhar 14 121.95x
Tynemouth 14 11.88x
Westminster St Margaret 14 19.62x
Westminster St James 13 8.55x
Ballantrae 12 163.93x
Bonhill 12 18.81x
Borgue 12 208.70x
Dundee 12 2.35x
Glencairn 12 136.67x
Kirkmaiden 12 96.54x
Tinwald 12 275.23x
Closeburn 11 144.36x
Edinburgh St Georges 11 26.76x
Fordyce 11 49.84x
Kilbirnie 11 41.38x
Kirkmahoe 11 173.50x
Maybole 11 32.64x
St Quivox 11 29.40x
Aberdeen Old Machar 10 3.50x
Enfield 10 10.31x
Everton 10 1.79x
Kinnel 10 282.49x
Paddington London 10 1.84x
Portpatrick 10 151.98x
Troqueer 10 35.61x
Ayr 9 17.23x
Burton Upon Trent 9 7.71x
Dunkeld Dowally 9 412.84x
Forgan 9 53.67x
Hackney London 9 1.09x
Thornaby 9 16.44x
Willenhall 9 9.63x
Aston 8 0.78x
Barking 8 9.37x
Berwick Upon Tweed 8 17.16x
Blackburn 8 1.71x
Cathcart 8 12.90x
Collace 8 384.62x
Glassary 8 36.07x
Holywell 8 16.03x
Kirkpatrick Durham 8 120.12x
Leicester St Margaret 8 2.00x
Methven 8 82.22x
St Marylebone London 8 1.01x
St Pancras London 8 0.67x
Trowbridge 8 13.84x
West Greenock 8 3.89x
Bowmore 7 73.84x
Bradford 7 8.52x
Callander 7 63.99x
Cargill 7 101.30x
Cumbernauld 7 32.14x
Dundonald 7 17.15x
Inkberrow 7 89.63x
Ipswich St Margaret 7 11.45x
Kingston On Thames 7 4.04x
Kingussie Insh 7 69.10x
St Andrews 7 17.57x
Bradford 6 1.69x
Deptford St Paul 6 1.54x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 32
William 31
James 21
George 15
Charles 13
Henry 11
Robert 10
Thomas 10
Alexander 7
Alfred 6
David 6
Frederick 4
Samuel 4
Andrew 3
Donald 3
Edward 3
Herbert 2
Matthew 2
Michael 2
Neil 2
Peter 2
Willian 2
Alfrd. 1
Archibald 1
Arthur 1
Augustus 1
Benjn. 1
Chas.Ed. 1
Drummond 1
Duncan 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Ewen 1
Foster 1
Fredk.W.T. 1
Geo. 1
Harold 1
Home 1
J.W.R. 1
Jarvis 1
Jno. 1
Joseph 1
Norman 1
Patrick 1
Patt 1
Pete 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Rob. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Fergusson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fergusson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,530 people were recorded with the Fergusson surname. That placed it at #2,743 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fergusson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,808 in 2016. That gives Fergusson a modern rank of #3,499.

What does the Fergusson surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from "son of Ferguson", meaning "son of the angry one".

What does the Fergusson map show?

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