NameCensus.

UK surname

Fitzer

Of German origin, a metonymic occupational surname for someone who makes chains or sieves.

In the 1881 census there were 107 people recorded with the Fitzer surname, ranking it #18,982 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 116, ranked #28,197, down from #18,982 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick, St James Clerkenwell and St Matthew Bethnal Green. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Derbyshire, Tonbridge and Malling and Wychavon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fitzer is 140 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.4%.

1881 census count

107

Ranked #18,982

Modern count

116

2016, ranked #28,197

Peak year

1911

140 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fitzer had 107 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,982 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 116 in 2016, ranked #28,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 140 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Fitzer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fitzer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fitzer 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 95 #17,707
1861 historical 78 #23,836
1881 historical 107 #18,982
1891 historical 122 #21,053
1901 historical 124 #20,163
1911 historical 140 #18,657
1997 modern 119 #24,302
1998 modern 122 #24,556
1999 modern 115 #25,620
2000 modern 107 #26,700
2001 modern 109 #26,059
2002 modern 117 #25,494
2003 modern 108 #26,486
2004 modern 108 #26,741
2005 modern 116 #25,564
2006 modern 118 #25,556
2007 modern 114 #26,491
2008 modern 125 #25,249
2009 modern 125 #25,823
2010 modern 125 #26,448
2011 modern 121 #26,789
2012 modern 110 #28,514
2013 modern 112 #28,675
2014 modern 117 #28,109
2015 modern 117 #27,982
2016 modern 116 #28,197

Geography

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Where Fitzers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick, St James Clerkenwell, St Matthew Bethnal Green, Leigh and St Mary Newington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Derbyshire, Tonbridge and Malling, Wychavon, Bromsgrove and Herefordshire. 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 Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick Worcestershire
2 St James Clerkenwell London (Central Districts)
3 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)
4 Leigh Worcestershire
5 St Mary Newington London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Derbyshire 008 South Derbyshire
2 Tonbridge and Malling 009 Tonbridge and Malling
3 Wychavon 004 Wychavon
4 Bromsgrove 013 Bromsgrove
5 Herefordshire 005 Herefordshire, County of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fitzer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fitzer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fitzer, 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 Fitzer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Fitzer 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Challenged Inner London Communities

Within London, Fitzer is most associated with areas classed as Challenged Inner London Communities, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Resident in some of Inner London’s most over-crowded communities, many families have children and marriage/civil partnership rates are above the Supergroup average. Other adults such as students live in communal establishments. Few residents have Level 4 educational qualifications, levels of unemployment are above the Supergroup average, and employment is concentrated in service occupations such as distribution, hotels and restaurants. Relative to the Supergroup average, fewer residents identify as being of mixed/multiple ethnicities, Black or Other Asian.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fitzer 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

Fitzer 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 Fitzer 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 - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Fitzer, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Fitzer

The surname Fitzer is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "fitz" or "fitz-", which means "son of". It is believed to have originated as a patronymic name in England during the Middle Ages, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name Fitzer was William Fitz-Ralph, a renowned English philosopher and theologian who lived from around 1270 to 1360. He served as the Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland and was a prominent figure in the academic and religious circles of his time.

Another notable individual with the surname Fitzer was Sir John Fitzwater, a English nobleman who lived during the 14th century. He was a prominent military commander and served as the Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1326.

In the 15th century, the name Fitzer appeared in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire and the Hearth Tax Rolls of Yorkshire. These records provide valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of the surname during that period.

During the 16th century, the Fitzer surname was found in the Parish Registers of several English counties, including Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. One notable bearer of the name from this era was Robert Fitzer, a merchant and alderman in the city of Lincoln, who lived from around 1520 to 1585.

In the 17th century, the name Fitzer continued to be widely used in England, with several individuals bearing the surname making notable contributions to various fields. One such person was Thomas Fitzer, a prominent English clergyman and scholar who lived from 1608 to 1688. He served as the Rector of St. Margaret's Church in Westminster and was known for his published works on theology and philosophy.

As the centuries passed, the Fitzer surname spread across various regions of England and eventually to other parts of the world, carried by generations of individuals who made their mark in various walks of life.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fitzer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fitzer 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. Middlesex leads with 47 Fitzers recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.50x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 47 4.50x
Warwickshire 24 9.12x
Worcestershire 17 12.48x
Surrey 7 1.38x
Devon 6 2.76x
Kent 2 0.56x
Berkshire 1 1.28x
Hertfordshire 1 1.39x
Lancashire 1 0.08x
Suffolk 1 0.79x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 15 Fitzers recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.70x.

Place Total Index
Aston 15 20.70x
Bethnal Green London 10 22.06x
Shoreditch London 9 19.89x
Birmingham 8 9.12x
Dunterton 6 15000.00x
Worcester St Andrew 6 1304.35x
Bow London 5 37.65x
Leigh 5 303.03x
Penge 5 74.96x
Worcester St Clement 5 574.71x
Chelsea London 4 12.72x
Mile End Old Town London 4 18.01x
St Marylebone London 4 7.18x
Paddington London 3 7.82x
Westminster St Margaret 3 59.64x
Newington 2 5.19x
Westerham 2 243.90x
Barking 1 151.52x
Cheshunt 1 39.84x
Everton 1 2.53x
Great Faringdon 1 88.50x
Hackney London 1 1.71x
Hornsey 1 7.58x
Inkberrow 1 181.82x
Leamington Priors 1 15.43x
Norton Folgate London 1 294.12x
St George Hanover Square 1 5.44x
St Pancras London 1 1.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 6
Sarah 6
Alice 5
Mary 4
Eliza 3
Emma 3
Louisa 3
Ann 2
I. 2
Jessie 2
Julia 2
Adelina 1
Beatrice 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Jane 1
Jemima 1
Lucinda 1
Maria 1
Maude 1
Rachel 1
Sarahann 1
Sophia 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
William 6
George 4
Thos. 3
Harry 2
Henry 2
James 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Aurthur 1
Chas. 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
H. 1
Hen. 1
Herbert 1
J. 1
J.H. 1
Jas. 1
Richard 1
Thomas 1

FAQ

Fitzer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fitzer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 107 people were recorded with the Fitzer surname. That placed it at #18,982 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fitzer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 116 in 2016. That gives Fitzer a modern rank of #28,197.

What does the Fitzer surname mean?

Of German origin, a metonymic occupational surname for someone who makes chains or sieves.

What does the Fitzer map show?

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