NameCensus.

UK surname

Fettes

A Scottish surname derived from a location near Edinburgh.

In the 1881 census there were 270 people recorded with the Fettes surname, ranking it #10,484 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 368, ranked #12,649, down from #10,484 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kincardine O'Neil, Dunnichen and Arbroath and St. Vigeans. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fochabers, Aultmore, Clochan and Ordiquish, Rural Keith and Strathisla and Stanley and Murthly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fettes is 381 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.3%.

1881 census count

270

Ranked #10,484

Modern count

368

2016, ranked #12,649

Peak year

2009

381 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fettes had 270 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,484 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 368 in 2016, ranked #12,649.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 318 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Fettes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fettes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fettes 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 183 #11,166
1861 historical 172 #13,619
1881 historical 270 #10,484
1891 historical 296 #11,215
1901 historical 318 #11,187
1911 historical 58 #27,001
1997 modern 344 #12,319
1998 modern 359 #12,321
1999 modern 353 #12,522
2000 modern 358 #12,356
2001 modern 360 #12,127
2002 modern 353 #12,512
2003 modern 347 #12,479
2004 modern 347 #12,516
2005 modern 363 #12,037
2006 modern 357 #12,253
2007 modern 369 #12,098
2008 modern 379 #11,960
2009 modern 381 #12,174
2010 modern 376 #12,548
2011 modern 371 #12,546
2012 modern 345 #13,093
2013 modern 353 #13,104
2014 modern 366 #12,823
2015 modern 363 #12,793
2016 modern 368 #12,649

Geography

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Where Fettes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kincardine O'Neil, Dunnichen, Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Gateshead and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fochabers, Aultmore, Clochan and Ordiquish, Rural Keith and Strathisla, Stanley and Murthly, Nairn West and Maidstone. 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 Kincardine O'Neil Aberdeen
2 Dunnichen Forfar
3 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fochabers, Aultmore, Clochan and Ordiquish Moray
2 Rural Keith and Strathisla Moray
3 Stanley and Murthly Perth and Kinross
4 Nairn West Highland
5 Maidstone 005 Maidstone

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fettes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fettes

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

Fettes is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Fettes

The surname Fettes is of Scottish origin, with its roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Scottish word "fet," which means "foot" or "base," suggesting a connection to a geographical feature or a place name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Fife Retours, a collection of legal documents from the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1602, a man named John Fettes is mentioned as a resident of the town of Crail, located in the East Neuk of Fife.

The name Fettes may also be linked to the place name "Fettes," which was a small village near Edinburgh, Scotland. This connection is supported by the existence of the Fettes College, a prestigious independent school established in 1870 on the grounds of the former Fettes estate.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the name Fettes was Sir William Fettes (1638-1701), a Scottish merchant and philanthropist. He bequeathed a substantial sum of money for the establishment of a hospital and school in Edinburgh, which ultimately led to the founding of the Fettes College.

Another prominent individual with the surname Fettes was Thomas Fettes (1803-1876), a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Dean Terrace and the former Philosophical Institution.

In the realm of literature, one of the earliest recorded uses of the name Fettes can be found in Sir Walter Scott's novel "The Antiquary," published in 1816. The novel features a character named Fettes, though it is unclear whether this was a fictional name or based on a real person.

The name Fettes has also been associated with other historical figures, such as James Fettes (1820-1890), a Scottish engineer and inventor, and William Fettes (1825-1892), a Scottish businessman and founder of the Fettes Rankin & Co. brewery in Edinburgh.

While the surname Fettes may not be as common as some other Scottish names, it has left an indelible mark on the history and culture of Scotland, particularly in the city of Edinburgh, where it is closely tied to notable institutions and architectural landmarks.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fettes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fettes 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 85 Fettes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.85x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 85 34.85x
Angus 85 34.84x
Kincardineshire 24 74.84x
Banffshire 11 20.14x
Perthshire 10 8.46x
Lanarkshire 9 1.06x
Northumberland 9 2.30x
Renfrewshire 9 4.41x
Fife 8 5.13x
Yorkshire 7 0.27x
Midlothian 4 1.13x
Isle of Man 3 6.13x
Surrey 3 0.23x
Morayshire 2 4.89x
Royal Navy 1 3.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberdeen Old Machar in Aberdeenshire leads with 40 Fettes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 78.55x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen Old Machar 40 78.55x
St Vigeans 33 250.57x
Dundee 22 24.15x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 21 46.02x
Fetteresso 11 218.69x
West Greenock 9 24.57x
Clunie 8 1538.46x
Cupar 8 117.99x
Montrose 8 54.09x
Glasgow 7 4.63x
Kinneff Catterline 7 777.78x
Redcar 7 338.16x
Dunnichen 6 465.12x
Forfar 6 45.42x
Glass 6 645.16x
Keith 6 103.09x
Byker 5 25.81x
Premnay 5 595.24x
Aberlemno 4 444.44x
Botriphnie 4 634.92x
Kincardine O Neil 4 229.89x
Arbroath 3 37.08x
Cabrach 3 483.87x
Laurencekirk 3 161.29x
Onchan 3 21.29x
Blairgowrie 2 42.74x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 1.41x
Fordoun 2 111.11x
Govan 2 0.95x
Huntly 2 50.38x
Lambeth 2 0.87x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 2 8.55x
Rothes 2 100.00x
Craig 1 42.37x
Croydon 1 1.40x
Duddingston 1 14.12x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 14.39x
Edzell 1 133.33x
Fettercairn 1 73.53x
Gartly 1 125.00x
Leochel Cushnie 1 90.91x
Monifieth 1 11.60x
Newhills 1 20.04x
North Shields 1 12.79x
Rathven 1 9.75x
Tullynessle Forbes 1 112.36x
Tweedmouth 1 20.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Margaret 2
Eleanor 1
Gertrude 1
Helen 1
Jenny 1
Marjory 1
Queenie 1
Rabina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 2
David 2
Alexander 1
Ebenezer 1
James 1
John 1
Robert 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 Fettes households.

FAQ

Fettes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fettes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 270 people were recorded with the Fettes surname. That placed it at #10,484 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fettes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 368 in 2016. That gives Fettes a modern rank of #12,649.

What does the Fettes surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a location near Edinburgh.

What does the Fettes map show?

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