NameCensus.

UK surname

Fitness

In the 1881 census there were 120 people recorded with the Fitness surname, ranking it #17,756 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 91, ranked #32,109, down from #17,756 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Erith, Tunbridge, Bidborough and King's Lynn St Margaret. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gravesham, Dartford and Tonbridge and Malling.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fitness is 141 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 24.2%.

1881 census count

120

Ranked #17,756

Modern count

91

2016, ranked #32,109

Peak year

1891

141 bearers

Map years

4

1881 to 1911

Key insights

  • Fitness had 120 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,756 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 91 in 2016, ranked #32,109.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 141 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Fitness surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fitness surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fitness 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 63 #22,069
1861 historical 93 #22,009
1881 historical 120 #17,756
1891 historical 141 #19,108
1901 historical 126 #19,970
1911 historical 141 #18,571
1997 modern 83 #29,216
1998 modern 89 #29,026
1999 modern 95 #28,465
2000 modern 90 #29,068
2001 modern 86 #29,281
2002 modern 85 #29,867
2003 modern 90 #29,260
2004 modern 93 #29,065
2005 modern 93 #29,133
2006 modern 90 #29,893
2007 modern 91 #30,061
2008 modern 94 #29,950
2009 modern 98 #29,906
2010 modern 100 #30,225
2011 modern 96 #30,721
2012 modern 97 #30,798
2013 modern 101 #30,591
2014 modern 95 #31,792
2015 modern 95 #31,749
2016 modern 91 #32,109

Geography

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Where Fitness' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Erith, Tunbridge, Bidborough, King's Lynn St Margaret, London parishes and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gravesham, Dartford, Tonbridge and Malling, Brighton and Hove and Bolton. 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 Erith Kent
2 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 King's Lynn St Margaret Norfolk
4 London parishes London 3
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gravesham 001 Gravesham
2 Dartford 012 Dartford
3 Tonbridge and Malling 005 Tonbridge and Malling
4 Brighton and Hove 026 Brighton and Hove
5 Bolton 002 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fitness

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fitness

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Fitness surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Fitness household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Fitness 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

Fitness is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fitness falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Fitness families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fitness 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. Kent leads with 45 Fitness' recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.27x.

County Total Index
Kent 45 11.27x
Surrey 26 4.56x
Norfolk 12 6.67x
Essex 11 4.76x
Middlesex 9 0.77x
Bedfordshire 6 9.90x
Leicestershire 3 2.31x
Northamptonshire 3 2.73x
Sussex 2 1.01x
Warwickshire 2 0.68x
Yorkshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 15 Fitness' recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.70x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 15 14.70x
Wrotham 13 984.85x
Camberwell 11 14.71x
West Ham 11 21.57x
South Lynn 9 443.35x
Maidstone 7 58.87x
Gillingham 6 72.90x
Tonbridge 6 41.67x
Kensington London 5 7.68x
Toddington 5 574.71x
Chelsea London 4 11.34x
Penshurst 4 597.01x
Barrow Upon Soar 3 280.37x
Great Yarmouth 3 20.12x
Sellinge 3 1153.85x
Brighton 2 5.02x
Folkestone 2 25.81x
Newborough 2 714.29x
Solihull 2 94.34x
Speldhurst 2 98.52x
Bedford St Paul 1 24.04x
Halstead 1 526.32x
Holy Trinity St Mary 1 56.50x
Ightham 1 200.00x
Northampton St Giles 1 23.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Edward 7
John 7
Charles 5
James 4
William 4
Alfred 3
George 3
Richard 3
Arthur 2
Harry 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Augustus 1
Caleb 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.E. 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Mark 1
Orlando 1
Owen 1
Philip 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1

FAQ

Fitness surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fitness surname in 1881?

In 1881, 120 people were recorded with the Fitness surname. That placed it at #17,756 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fitness surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 91 in 2016. That gives Fitness a modern rank of #32,109.

What does the Fitness map show?

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