NameCensus.

UK surname

Fettis

An occupational surname derived from the Old French "faitiz" meaning made or shaped.

In the 1881 census there were 80 people recorded with the Fettis surname, ranking it #22,225 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 84, ranked #32,726, down from #22,225 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Ealing and Gateshead.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fettis is 104 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 5.0%.

1881 census count

80

Ranked #22,225

Modern count

84

2016, ranked #32,726

Peak year

1998

104 bearers

Map years

1

1998 to 1998

Key insights

  • Fettis had 80 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,225 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 84 in 2016, ranked #32,726.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 94 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Fettis surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fettis surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fettis 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 44 #25,328
1861 historical 64 #25,747
1881 historical 80 #22,225
1891 historical 81 #26,632
1901 historical 92 #23,800
1911 historical 94 #23,391
1997 modern 98 #27,179
1998 modern 104 #26,981
1999 modern 99 #27,906
2000 modern 85 #29,598
2001 modern 83 #29,617
2002 modern 92 #29,040
2003 modern 88 #29,506
2004 modern 88 #29,758
2005 modern 82 #30,617
2006 modern 80 #31,149
2007 modern 82 #31,295
2008 modern 82 #31,597
2009 modern 88 #31,352
2010 modern 95 #31,000
2011 modern 88 #31,801
2012 modern 88 #32,064
2013 modern 89 #32,248
2014 modern 88 #32,495
2015 modern 85 #32,693
2016 modern 84 #32,726

Geography

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Where Fettis' 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 County Durham, Ealing, Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Gloucestershire. 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 County Durham 010 County Durham
2 Ealing 040 Ealing
3 Gateshead 024 Gateshead
4 North Tyneside 025 North Tyneside
5 South Gloucestershire 003 South Gloucestershire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fettis

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fettis

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Fettis surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Fettis household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Fettis is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Fettis 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

Fettis falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Fettis

The surname Fettis is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the late medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a now-lost place name, possibly originating from the Old English words "fet" meaning fat or fertile, and "hys" meaning a house or dwelling place. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived in a fertile area or a well-provisioned house.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fettis can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a John Fettys is mentioned. The name appeared with various spellings, such as Fettyes and Fettyes, reflecting the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that time.

In the 15th century, the Fettis surname appeared in several historical records, including the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1438, where a William Fettys is mentioned. This record was a legal document related to land transactions, indicating that the Fettis family may have held property in Essex during that period.

Notable individuals with the surname Fettis include Sir John Fettis, a prominent landowner and military commander who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century. Another notable figure was Robert Fettis, a merchant and alderman in the City of London, who lived from 1520 to 1592.

During the 16th century, the Fettis name was also found in Yorkshire, with records showing a William Fettis holding lands in the village of Holme-on-Spalding-Moor in 1567. This suggests that the family had spread to different parts of England by that time.

In the 17th century, a notable figure was Sir Thomas Fettis, a member of Parliament for the borough of Thetford in Norfolk. He was born in 1612 and served as an influential figure in local politics until his death in 1682.

By the 18th century, the Fettis surname had also spread to Scotland, with records showing a family residing in the Scottish Borders region. One notable individual from this period was James Fettis, a prominent Scottish merchant and landowner who lived from 1735 to 1801.

While the Fettis surname may have originated from a specific location, it has since become dispersed across various regions of the United Kingdom and beyond, with individuals bearing this name contributing to various facets of society throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fettis families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fettis 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. Northumberland leads with 37 Fettis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.48x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 37 31.48x
Angus 30 40.99x
Durham 7 2.98x
Surrey 2 0.52x
Yorkshire 2 0.26x
Aberdeenshire 1 1.37x
Dunbartonshire 1 4.71x
Perthshire 1 2.82x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Montrose in Angus leads with 18 Fettis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 405.41x.

Place Total Index
Montrose 18 405.41x
Westgate 17 233.52x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 7 68.76x
Newstead 5 12500.00x
Brechin 4 138.89x
Dun 4 2666.67x
Dundee 4 14.64x
West Chevington 4 2857.14x
Newcastle On Tyne St 3 49.26x
Lambeth 2 2.90x
Linthorpe 2 42.83x
South Charlton 2 6666.67x
Wallsend 2 53.62x
Amble 1 188.68x
Blairgowrie 1 71.43x
Dumbarton 1 33.90x
Heaton 1 256.41x
Rock 1 1428.57x
Skene 1 204.08x
Wooler 1 243.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Ann 2
Hannah 2
Isabella 2
Jane 2
Margt. 2
Dorothy 1
Elizabeth 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
William 4
Robert 3
George 2
Joseph 2
Ralph 2
Benjamin 1
Benjamine 1
Edward 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
James 1
Jos. 1
Robt. 1
Thomas 1
Wm. 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 Fettis households.

FAQ

Fettis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fettis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 80 people were recorded with the Fettis surname. That placed it at #22,225 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fettis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 84 in 2016. That gives Fettis a modern rank of #32,726.

What does the Fettis surname mean?

An occupational surname derived from the Old French "faitiz" meaning made or shaped.

What does the Fettis map show?

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