NameCensus.

UK surname

Fermor

In the 1881 census there were 260 people recorded with the Fermor surname, ranking it #10,781 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 418, ranked #11,472, down from #10,781 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Tunbridge, Bidborough and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wealden, Wycombe and Tonbridge and Malling.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fermor is 437 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 60.8%.

1881 census count

260

Ranked #10,781

Modern count

418

2016, ranked #11,472

Peak year

1999

437 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fermor had 260 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,781 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 418 in 2016, ranked #11,472.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 401 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Fermor surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fermor surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fermor 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 116 #15,545
1861 historical 99 #21,294
1881 historical 260 #10,781
1891 historical 253 #12,645
1901 historical 329 #10,927
1911 historical 401 #9,262
1997 modern 404 #10,931
1998 modern 424 #10,880
1999 modern 437 #10,717
2000 modern 432 #10,771
2001 modern 422 #10,773
2002 modern 435 #10,736
2003 modern 427 #10,720
2004 modern 423 #10,816
2005 modern 424 #10,691
2006 modern 413 #10,959
2007 modern 408 #11,203
2008 modern 412 #11,210
2009 modern 433 #11,031
2010 modern 426 #11,396
2011 modern 417 #11,462
2012 modern 417 #11,346
2013 modern 426 #11,350
2014 modern 425 #11,432
2015 modern 429 #11,252
2016 modern 418 #11,472

Geography

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Where Fermors are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes, Rotherfield and Withyham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wealden, Wycombe and Tonbridge and Malling. 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 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
2 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 Rotherfield Sussex
5 Withyham Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wealden 008 Wealden
2 Wycombe 007 Wycombe
3 Tonbridge and Malling 013 Tonbridge and Malling
4 Tonbridge and Malling 012 Tonbridge and Malling
5 Tonbridge and Malling 009 Tonbridge and Malling

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fermor

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fermor

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fermor, 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 Fermor surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Fermor 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

London Fringe

Within London, Fermor is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Fermor is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fermor falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Fermor families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fermor 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. Sussex leads with 116 Fermors recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.13x.

County Total Index
Sussex 116 27.13x
Kent 73 8.44x
Middlesex 29 1.14x
Surrey 19 1.54x
Berkshire 8 4.20x
Hertfordshire 8 4.58x
Hampshire 3 0.58x
Staffordshire 2 0.23x
Wiltshire 2 0.89x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Withyam in Sussex leads with 53 Fermors recorded in 1881 and an index of 2896.17x.

Place Total Index
Withyam 53 2896.17x
Rotherfield 21 558.51x
Ulcombe 20 3508.77x
Harrietsham 19 3220.34x
Plumpton 15 3750.00x
Canterbury St Mary 10 172.12x
Hackney London 9 6.33x
Bushey 8 192.31x
Camberwell 8 4.94x
Tonbridge 8 25.63x
Speldhurst 7 158.73x
Hastings St Andrew 6 392.16x
Hastings St Mary 6 56.39x
Winkfield 6 189.87x
Shipbourne 5 1136.36x
St George Hanover Square 5 11.19x
Battersea 4 4.29x
Kensington London 4 2.84x
Buxted 3 179.64x
Stoke Newington London 3 15.19x
Tottenham 3 7.43x
Wonersh 3 194.81x
Ashmansworth 2 1111.11x
Brighton 2 2.32x
Burton Upon Trent 2 9.99x
Hastings St Mary In The 2 21.93x
Hastings St Michael 2 666.67x
Keymer 2 66.23x
Lyneham 2 227.27x
Reigate Foreign 2 14.95x
Wrotham 2 69.69x
Aldershot 1 5.74x
Bermondsey 1 1.32x
Canterbury St Alphage 1 108.70x
Chelsea London 1 1.31x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.67x
Croydon 1 1.46x
Edenbridge 1 58.82x
Frant 1 33.00x
Hampstead London 1 2.53x
Hartfield 1 74.07x
Maresfield 1 55.56x
Paddington London 1 1.07x
Sonning 1 47.62x
Speen 1 32.15x
St Luke London 1 2.46x
Wivelsfield 1 59.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 8
Mary 7
Sarah 7
Eliza 6
Ellen 6
Emily 6
Harriett 5
Jane 5
Alice 4
Ann 4
Maria 4
E. 3
Edith 3
Esther 3
Fanny 3
Ada 2
Anna 2
Annie 2
Charlotte 2
Emma 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Kate 2
Martha 2
Rose 2
Susan 2
Ansley 1
Barbara 1
Caroline 1
Eliz. 1
Elizh. 1
Eunice 1
Eveline 1
Flora 1
Fredrica 1
Gertrude 1
H. 1
Harriott 1
Henrietta 1
Isabel 1
Jesse 1
Jonsin 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Mahala 1
Margaret 1
Mildred 1
Phebe 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 15
William 15
John 12
Henry 11
Frederick 7
Charles 6
Edward 6
Alfred 5
Arthur 5
Herbert 5
David 3
Ernest 3
George 3
Joseph 3
Thomas 3
Alexander 2
Fredk. 2
Harry 2
Obed 2
Robert 2
Timothy 2
Albert 1
Bertram 1
Carles 1
Elbert 1
F. 1
Frank 1
H. 1
Harold 1
Henery 1
Hogben 1
Horace 1
Iden 1
Israel 1
Jesse 1
Mary 1
Obed. 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Rowland 1
Thos. 1
Uriah 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Fermor surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fermor surname in 1881?

In 1881, 260 people were recorded with the Fermor surname. That placed it at #10,781 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fermor surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 418 in 2016. That gives Fermor a modern rank of #11,472.

What does the Fermor map show?

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