NameCensus.

UK surname

Fishburn

An English surname derived from a geographical location describing a place with a stream inhabited by fish.

In the 1881 census there were 360 people recorded with the Fishburn surname, ranking it #8,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 526, ranked #9,642, down from #8,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Northallerton (Brompton, Northallerton, Romanby ), Lazenby, Scarborough and Guiseley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham and Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fishburn is 596 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.1%.

1881 census count

360

Ranked #8,596

Modern count

526

2016, ranked #9,642

Peak year

2002

596 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fishburn had 360 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 526 in 2016, ranked #9,642.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 546 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Fishburn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fishburn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fishburn 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 243 #8,983
1861 historical 272 #9,167
1881 historical 360 #8,596
1891 historical 402 #8,842
1901 historical 477 #8,343
1911 historical 546 #7,331
1997 modern 547 #8,694
1998 modern 566 #8,726
1999 modern 572 #8,712
2000 modern 575 #8,648
2001 modern 572 #8,561
2002 modern 596 #8,501
2003 modern 583 #8,497
2004 modern 547 #8,897
2005 modern 564 #8,641
2006 modern 552 #8,786
2007 modern 551 #8,894
2008 modern 544 #9,041
2009 modern 578 #8,825
2010 modern 589 #8,912
2011 modern 561 #9,118
2012 modern 543 #9,264
2013 modern 543 #9,432
2014 modern 543 #9,497
2015 modern 529 #9,623
2016 modern 526 #9,642

Geography

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Where Fishburns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Northallerton (Brompton, Northallerton, Romanby ), Lazenby, Scarborough, Guiseley, Stockton-on-Tees (Stockton-on-Tees), Stainton (Thornaby ), Norton and Houghton-le-Spring. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, Wigan and Sunderland. 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 Northallerton (Brompton, Northallerton, Romanby ), Lazenby Yorkshire, North Riding
2 Scarborough Yorkshire, North Riding
3 Guiseley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Stockton-on-Tees (Stockton-on-Tees), Stainton (Thornaby ), Norton Durham
5 Houghton-le-Spring Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stockton-on-Tees 024 Stockton-on-Tees
2 County Durham 025 County Durham
3 County Durham 048 County Durham
4 Wigan 012 Wigan
5 Sunderland 036 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fishburn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fishburn

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Fishburn is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fishburn is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fishburn falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Fishburn

The surname Fishburn has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the medieval period. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words 'fisc' meaning fish and 'burna' meaning stream or brook, suggesting it may have originally referred to someone who lived near a stream where fishing took place.

Fishburn is a locational surname, which means it likely originated from a place name. There are several villages and hamlets in England named Fishburn, including those in Yorkshire, County Durham, and Northumberland. It's possible that the earliest bearers of the name hailed from one of these locations.

The earliest recorded instances of the Fishburn surname date back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a John de Fisseburn is mentioned as residing in Yorkshire. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1301, where a Thomas de Fissheburn is listed.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the Fishburn surname. One of the earliest was Sir Richard Fishburn (c.1350-1420), a wealthy merchant and alderman from York who served as Lord Mayor of the city in 1392.

Another prominent figure was John Fishburn (1437-1501), an English cleric who served as the Archdeacon of Norfolk from 1486 until his death. He is mentioned in several ecclesiastical records from the period.

In the 17th century, there was Thomas Fishburn (1616-1688), an English mathematician and astronomer who published works on navigation and astronomy. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1663.

Moving into the 19th century, Robert Fishburn (1801-1877) was a notable English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Yorkshire, including the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Beverley.

Finally, one of the more recent individuals with the Fishburn surname was John Fishburn (1909-1987), a British author and historian who wrote extensively on the history of Yorkshire and the English countryside.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fishburn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fishburn 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. Yorkshire leads with 188 Fishburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.37x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 188 5.37x
Durham 119 11.33x
Lancashire 21 0.50x
Northumberland 10 1.90x
Sussex 9 1.51x
Middlesex 7 0.20x
Suffolk 3 0.70x
Norfolk 2 0.37x
Devon 1 0.14x
Kent 1 0.08x
Lincolnshire 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. Scarborough in Yorkshire leads with 15 Fishburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.18x.

Place Total Index
Scarborough 15 47.18x
Hetton Le Hole 14 105.18x
Stockton On Tees 12 23.70x
Yeadon 12 151.90x
Coundon Grange 11 478.26x
Great Langton 10 6250.00x
Guiseley 10 223.21x
Norton 10 259.07x
Tynemouth 10 35.54x
Hastings St Mary 9 60.73x
Northallerton 9 201.34x
Wingate 9 125.00x
Croft 8 1230.77x
Holbeck 8 34.51x
Hunslet 8 14.66x
Leeds 8 4.05x
Salford 8 6.49x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 7 58.48x
Brompton In 7 448.72x
Haughton Le Skerne 7 804.60x
Hornby In Northallerton 7 2258.06x
Calverley Cum Farsley 6 60.36x
Darlington 6 14.79x
Kirkleatham 6 127.12x
Kyo 6 121.46x
Richmond 6 109.69x
Spotland 6 12.88x
Stockley 6 451.13x
Armley 5 32.40x
Bishopwearmouth 5 5.55x
Falsgrave 5 96.90x
Middlesbrough 5 10.97x
Rawdon 5 121.36x
Stranton 5 14.14x
Hartlepool 4 26.79x
Haswell 4 53.12x
Kildwick 4 125.39x
Lepton 4 109.29x
Trimdon 4 107.82x
Welbury 4 1739.13x
Willington 4 65.90x
Wortley In Bramley 4 14.44x
Ainderby Steeple 3 1111.11x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 3 9.20x
Ecclesall Bierlow 3 4.22x
Harton 3 72.29x
Hurworth 3 163.04x
Ince In Makerfield 3 15.38x
Pittington 3 101.69x
Poplar London 3 4.50x
Wortham 3 260.87x
Ecclesfield 2 7.79x
Eston 2 26.25x
Lynesack Softley 2 70.42x
St Marylebone London 2 1.06x
Stokesley 2 91.74x
Thornaby 2 15.30x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 2 16.58x
Warham St Mary 2 2500.00x
Brandon Byshottles 1 7.60x
Chapel Allerton 1 19.08x
Cowthorpe 1 666.67x
Gainsborough 1 7.51x
Kensington London 1 0.51x
Lancaster 1 4.01x
Lee 1 5.72x
Middleton In Pickering 1 294.12x
North Stainley Cum 1 200.00x
Pickering 1 22.68x
Thirsk 1 24.75x
Tormoham 1 3.22x
Whitby 1 8.48x
Whitechapel London 1 2.87x
Wigan 1 1.71x
York St Lawrence 1 27.40x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 26
Elizabeth 21
Sarah 16
Jane 8
Annie 7
Ann 6
Hannah 6
Kate 5
Margaret 5
Maria 5
Isabella 4
Anne 3
Charlotte 3
Dinah 3
Dorothy 3
Eliza 3
Emily 3
Martha 3
Ada 2
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Eleanor 2
Elizebth. 2
Elizth. 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Flora 2
Isabell 2
Margret 2
Alice 1
Alver 1
Amelia 1
Anabs 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
E.Jane 1
Eleaner 1
Elenr 1
Elizb. 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
George 1
Georgina 1
Harriet 1
Janan 1
Julia 1
Lilly 1
Lily 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 31
George 17
Thomas 15
William 15
Joseph 13
James 10
Robert 8
Alfred 5
Charles 5
Wm. 5
Christopher 4
Henry 4
Anthony 3
Richard 3
Samuel 3
Thos. 3
Arthur 2
Geo. 2
Harry 2
Jos. 2
Stephen 2
Albert 1
Aquilla 1
Barnett 1
Earnest 1
Ed. 1
Edward 1
Elijah 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Jas. 1
Jim 1
Jno. 1
Jonathan 1
Launcelot 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Nehemiah 1
Philip 1
Ralp. 1
Ralph 1
Rbt. 1
Robinson 1
Samuell 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Fishburn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fishburn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 360 people were recorded with the Fishburn surname. That placed it at #8,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fishburn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 526 in 2016. That gives Fishburn a modern rank of #9,642.

What does the Fishburn surname mean?

An English surname derived from a geographical location describing a place with a stream inhabited by fish.

What does the Fishburn map show?

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