NameCensus.

UK surname

Ferrington

A habitational surname derived from place names containing elements meaning "fern" and "farmstead".

In the 1881 census there were 112 people recorded with the Ferrington surname, ranking it #18,501 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 126, ranked #26,686, down from #18,501 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors, Shawbury, Moreton Corbet and Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Telford and Wrekin, Polwarth and Cheshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ferrington is 181 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.5%.

1881 census count

112

Ranked #18,501

Modern count

126

2016, ranked #26,686

Peak year

1861

181 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ferrington had 112 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,501 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 126 in 2016, ranked #26,686.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 181 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Ferrington surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ferrington surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ferrington 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 181 #12,997
1881 historical 112 #18,501
1891 historical 173 #16,600
1901 historical 164 #17,144
1911 historical 170 #16,510
1997 modern 144 #21,660
1998 modern 148 #21,841
1999 modern 154 #21,455
2000 modern 150 #21,781
2001 modern 156 #20,974
2002 modern 157 #21,261
2003 modern 157 #21,026
2004 modern 140 #22,793
2005 modern 138 #22,999
2006 modern 139 #23,044
2007 modern 141 #23,137
2008 modern 139 #23,635
2009 modern 142 #23,791
2010 modern 143 #24,247
2011 modern 141 #24,294
2012 modern 137 #24,731
2013 modern 130 #26,074
2014 modern 128 #26,490
2015 modern 126 #26,654
2016 modern 126 #26,686

Geography

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Where Ferringtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors, Shawbury, Moreton Corbet, Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace, Oswestry and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Telford and Wrekin, Polwarth, Cheshire East and Newcastle-under-Lyme. 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 Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors Shropshire
2 Shawbury, Moreton Corbet Shropshire
3 Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace Shropshire
4 Oswestry Shropshire
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Telford and Wrekin 010 Telford and Wrekin
2 Polwarth City of Edinburgh
3 Telford and Wrekin 006 Telford and Wrekin
4 Cheshire East 039 Cheshire East
5 Newcastle-under-Lyme 013 Newcastle-under-Lyme

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ferrington

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ferrington

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

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Ferrington surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Ferrington 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Ferrington 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

Ferrington is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ferrington falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Ferrington

The surname "FERRINGTON" is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Yorkshire, during the medieval period. This name is derived from the Old English words "ferr" meaning "from afar" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement." It likely referred to a settlement or village that was located at a considerable distance from a larger town or city.

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. In this document, the name is listed as "Ferintun," which is an early spelling variation.

In the 13th century, records show a Richard de Ferington residing in the village of Ferrington, located in the West Riding of Yorkshire. This village likely took its name from the surname itself, or vice versa, as was common during that period.

During the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as "Feringtone," "Ferryngton," and "Feryngton." This variation in spelling was common before the standardization of English orthography.

One notable individual with this surname was Sir Thomas Ferrington (1554-1628), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Yorkshire. He played a significant role in the local government and was knighted by King James I in 1617.

Another prominent figure was John Ferrington (1682-1745), a renowned English architect who designed several churches and country houses in the Palladian style. His most notable work is the St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, completed in 1720.

In the 18th century, the surname was also found in Scotland, where a branch of the family settled. One example is William Ferrington (1736-1811), a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who made important contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

During the 19th century, the surname gained international recognition with the exploits of Captain James Ferrington (1812-1887), a British naval officer who served in the Crimean War and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery in battle.

Another notable figure was Elizabeth Ferrington (1841-1920), a pioneering English nurse and social reformer who advocated for improved healthcare and working conditions for the poor in London's East End.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ferrington families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ferrington 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. Shropshire leads with 76 Ferringtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 80.53x.

County Total Index
Shropshire 76 80.53x
Middlesex 15 1.37x
Yorkshire 5 0.46x
Lancashire 3 0.23x
Norfolk 3 1.79x
Staffordshire 3 0.81x
Leicestershire 2 1.65x
Banffshire 1 4.41x
Cheshire 1 0.41x
Durham 1 0.31x
Montgomeryshire 1 4.00x
Northumberland 1 0.62x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wellington in Shropshire leads with 14 Ferringtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 264.15x.

Place Total Index
Wellington 14 264.15x
Islington London 12 11.33x
Oswestry Rural 7 482.76x
Shrewsbury St Chad 6 181.27x
Stanton Upon Hine Heath 6 2400.00x
Ercall Magna 5 735.29x
Hodnet 5 675.68x
Madeley 5 144.51x
Meole Brace 5 1020.41x
Shawbury 5 1388.89x
Pontesbury 4 347.83x
Whitchurch 4 218.58x
Barnsley 3 26.88x
Shrewsbury St Mary 3 80.65x
West Bromwich 3 14.21x
Dawley 2 58.31x
Leicester St Nicholas 2 289.86x
Toxteth Park 2 4.56x
Banff 1 50.76x
Berrington 1 270.27x
Birkenhead 1 5.20x
Chelsea London 1 3.04x
Crostwick 1 1666.67x
East Chevington 1 185.19x
Haughmond Demesne 1 2000.00x
Llanidloes 1 53.76x
Ormesby 1 34.36x
Salford 1 2.62x
Shoreditch London 1 2.11x
Shrewsbury St Julian 1 42.92x
Southery 1 227.27x
Stapleton 1 1000.00x
Stow Bardolph 1 200.00x
Warmsworth 1 625.00x
Wem 1 71.43x
Westminster St John 1 7.52x
Westoe 1 5.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 8
William 8
George 7
Richard 7
Thomas 7
Joseph 6
Francis 3
Henry 3
James 3
Edwin 2
Walter 2
Charles 1
Edward 1
Forcham 1
Forgham 1
Frederick 1
Mathew 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1

FAQ

Ferrington surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ferrington surname in 1881?

In 1881, 112 people were recorded with the Ferrington surname. That placed it at #18,501 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ferrington surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 126 in 2016. That gives Ferrington a modern rank of #26,686.

What does the Ferrington surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from place names containing elements meaning "fern" and "farmstead".

What does the Ferrington map show?

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