NameCensus.

UK surname

Fitt

A habitational surname derived from the village of Fitt in Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 778 people recorded with the Fitt surname, ranking it #4,768 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 855, ranked #6,547, down from #4,768 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Shipdham, St George Tombland, St Peter Mountergate, St John Timberhill, All Saints, St Michael at Thorn, St Ju and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ashfield, Norwich and King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fitt is 1,067 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9.9%.

1881 census count

778

Ranked #4,768

Modern count

855

2016, ranked #6,547

Peak year

1911

1,067 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fitt had 778 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,768 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 855 in 2016, ranked #6,547.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,067 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Fitt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fitt surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fitt 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 452 #5,452
1861 historical 446 #5,796
1881 historical 778 #4,768
1891 historical 853 #4,797
1901 historical 1,000 #4,762
1911 historical 1,067 #4,337
1997 modern 928 #5,824
1998 modern 972 #5,809
1999 modern 959 #5,911
2000 modern 934 #6,015
2001 modern 927 #5,944
2002 modern 939 #5,989
2003 modern 910 #6,032
2004 modern 898 #6,097
2005 modern 875 #6,156
2006 modern 875 #6,169
2007 modern 875 #6,227
2008 modern 885 #6,210
2009 modern 894 #6,305
2010 modern 914 #6,316
2011 modern 884 #6,413
2012 modern 868 #6,420
2013 modern 886 #6,416
2014 modern 870 #6,536
2015 modern 867 #6,500
2016 modern 855 #6,547

Geography

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Where Fitts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Shipdham, St George Tombland, St Peter Mountergate, St John Timberhill, All Saints, St Michael at Thorn, St Ju, London parishes, Lambeth and St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ashfield, Norwich, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Broadland. 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 Shipdham Norfolk
2 St George Tombland, St Peter Mountergate, St John Timberhill, All Saints, St Michael at Thorn, St Ju Norfolk
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ashfield 001 Ashfield
2 Norwich 006 Norwich
3 Norwich 005 Norwich
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 012 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 Broadland 006 Broadland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fitt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fitt

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

Fitt 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

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

Meaning and origin of Fitt

The surname FITT is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "fit," which means "foot" or "agile." This suggests that the name may have originally been a nickname for someone with an unusual foot or an agile person.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname FITT can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a person named William Fitt is mentioned. In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Fyt, Fyte, and Fytte, reflecting the variations in spelling during that period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the FITT surname was John Fitt, a merchant from London who lived in the early 14th century. He is mentioned in several historical records from that time, including the Plea Rolls of the City of London in 1330.

In the 15th century, the name FITT was associated with several places in England, such as Fittleton in Wiltshire and Fitwell in Yorkshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in different regions.

One notable figure with the FITT surname was Sir Thomas Fitt (1510-1583), a prominent English politician and landowner from Gloucestershire. He served as a Member of Parliament and was appointed as a Justice of the Peace by Queen Elizabeth I.

Another notable bearer of the FITT name was Richard Fitt (1670-1734), an English author and clergyman who wrote several works on theology and philosophy. He was born in Northamptonshire and served as a rector in various parishes in the county.

In the 18th century, the FITT surname was also found in Scotland, with a notable figure being James Fitt (1730-1795), a Scottish merchant and banker who was involved in the tobacco trade and founded a successful banking company in Glasgow.

The surname FITT continued to be found throughout England and Scotland in the following centuries, with various individuals making contributions in various fields, such as literature, politics, and business.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fitt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fitt 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. Norfolk leads with 329 Fitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.27x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 329 28.27x
Middlesex 151 1.99x
Surrey 71 1.93x
Hampshire 58 3.74x
Hertfordshire 27 5.17x
Yorkshire 23 0.31x
Kent 20 0.77x
Lancashire 16 0.18x
Durham 13 0.58x
Glamorgan 13 0.99x
Suffolk 11 1.19x
Essex 10 0.67x
Lincolnshire 7 0.58x
Worcestershire 7 0.71x
Sussex 5 0.39x
Derbyshire 4 0.34x
Northumberland 4 0.36x
Monmouthshire 2 0.37x
Berkshire 1 0.18x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.22x
Devon 1 0.06x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.10x
Warwickshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Heigham in Norfolk leads with 36 Fitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 57.63x.

Place Total Index
Heigham 36 57.63x
Bethnal Green London 29 8.82x
Shipdham 27 683.54x
Islington London 21 2.86x
Lambeth 21 3.18x
Norwich St Saviour 19 465.69x
Shoreditch London 19 5.79x
Wood Dalling 19 1520.00x
Mile End Old Town London 17 10.55x
Norwich St Michael At 17 251.85x
Mattishall 15 643.78x
Swansea Town 13 12.03x
Tottenham 13 10.78x
Norwich St Paul 12 172.17x
Stalham 12 538.12x
Dersingham 11 418.25x
Camberwell 10 2.07x
Deptford St Paul 10 5.02x
Litcham 10 478.47x
Norwich St James 10 109.53x
St Pancras London 10 1.64x
Cheriton 9 566.04x
Fareham 9 48.26x
Drypool 8 69.69x
Great Yarmouth 8 8.30x
Hackney London 8 1.89x
Hemel Hempstead 8 34.03x
Norwich St Lawrence 8 503.14x
Paddington London 8 2.87x
Welwyn 8 176.99x
West Derby 8 3.04x
Banningham 7 1111.11x
Gunthorpe 7 1228.07x
Hoe 7 1372.55x
Ipswich St Margaret 7 22.38x
Kings Norton 7 7.90x
Kingston On Thames 7 7.90x
Norwich Liberty Of Town 7 897.44x
Bermondsey 6 2.66x
Charlton Next Woolwich 6 22.28x
Farringdon 6 394.74x
New Malton 6 66.89x
Newchurch 6 170.45x
Newington 6 2.15x
Norwich St Martin At Oak 6 84.75x
Ware 6 40.11x
Whitworth 6 36.39x
Yaxham 6 472.44x
Attleborough 5 85.03x
Aylsham 5 72.15x
Battersea 5 1.80x
East Dereham 5 34.01x
Eston 5 30.60x
Everton 5 1.75x
Hertford St John 5 64.27x
North Walsham 5 59.59x
Norwich St Clement 5 37.06x
Norwich St Julian 5 102.04x
Sparsholt 5 446.43x
Stoke 5 28.74x
Sunbury 5 55.01x
Windlestone 5 793.65x
Acton 4 9.01x
Barking 4 9.15x
Derby St Werburgh 4 5.85x
East Bradenham 4 470.59x
Elsing 4 396.04x
Headley 4 94.79x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 4 11.45x
New Buckenham 4 275.86x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 4 52.98x
Petersfield 4 93.68x
Weeke 4 85.11x
Aldershot 3 5.77x
Portsea 3 0.99x
Snettisham 3 93.17x
St Faith Winchester 3 41.49x
Wallsend 3 8.40x
Whitechapel London 3 4.02x
Wimbledon 3 7.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 38
James 36
George 25
John 25
Henry 21
Charles 17
Edward 16
Arthur 15
Thomas 13
Alfred 12
Robert 12
Frederick 8
Samuel 7
Albert 6
Matthew 6
Fred 5
Harry 5
Joseph 5
Walter 5
Benjamin 4
Ernest 4
Herbert 4
Noah 4
Edgar 3
Fredrick 3
Nathaniel 3
Saml. 3
Stephen 3
Barnard 2
Cornelius 2
Francis 2
Fredk.W. 2
Horace 2
Hy. 2
Jacob 2
Jos.W. 2
Percy 2
Robt. 2
Septimus 2
Sydney 2
Thos. 2
Willie 2
Christopher 1
Edwen 1
Elijah 1
Elizabeth 1
Felix 1
Frampton 1
Hugh 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Fitt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fitt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 778 people were recorded with the Fitt surname. That placed it at #4,768 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fitt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 855 in 2016. That gives Fitt a modern rank of #6,547.

What does the Fitt surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from the village of Fitt in Scotland.

What does the Fitt map show?

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