NameCensus.

UK surname

Fitzhenry

Son of Henry, derived from the Norman French "fils" meaning son.

In the 1881 census there were 97 people recorded with the Fitzhenry surname, ranking it #20,127 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 268, ranked #16,003, up from #20,127 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, Davenham and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Paisley Central, St. Helens and Sefton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fitzhenry is 290 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 176.3%.

1881 census count

97

Ranked #20,127

Modern count

268

2016, ranked #16,003

Peak year

2010

290 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fitzhenry had 97 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,127 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 268 in 2016, ranked #16,003.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 156 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Fitzhenry surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fitzhenry surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fitzhenry 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 41 #25,926
1861 historical 57 #26,718
1881 historical 97 #20,127
1891 historical 121 #21,169
1901 historical 144 #18,505
1911 historical 156 #17,421
1997 modern 253 #15,152
1998 modern 262 #15,203
1999 modern 269 #15,040
2000 modern 265 #15,143
2001 modern 264 #14,958
2002 modern 244 #16,085
2003 modern 250 #15,605
2004 modern 254 #15,540
2005 modern 251 #15,590
2006 modern 251 #15,696
2007 modern 264 #15,344
2008 modern 262 #15,550
2009 modern 275 #15,349
2010 modern 290 #15,096
2011 modern 285 #15,140
2012 modern 267 #15,791
2013 modern 281 #15,487
2014 modern 280 #15,621
2015 modern 273 #15,789
2016 modern 268 #16,003

Geography

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Where Fitzhenrys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George in the East, Davenham, Wigan, Wimbledon and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Paisley Central, St. Helens, Sefton, Barnsley and Cornwall. 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 St George in the East London (East Districts)
2 Davenham Cheshire
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Wimbledon Surrey
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Paisley Central Renfrewshire
2 St. Helens 022 St. Helens
3 Sefton 027 Sefton
4 Barnsley 024 Barnsley
5 Cornwall 045 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fitzhenry

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fitzhenry

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Fitzhenry surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Fitzhenry household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Fitzhenry 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

Fitzhenry is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fitzhenry falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fitzhenry 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Fitzhenry

The surname FITZHENRY is of Anglo-Norman origin, derived from the Old French words "fils" (son) and "Henri" (Henry), literally meaning "son of Henry". It emerged in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many Norman-French families settled in the country and adopted localized versions of their names.

The name FITZHENRY is closely associated with the Irish counties of Limerick, Cork, and Tipperary, where several prominent families bearing this surname resided during the medieval period. It is believed that the first FITZHENRY ancestors arrived in Ireland as part of the Anglo-Norman invasion in the late 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the FITZHENRY name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a certain Robertus Fitz Henrici (Robert FitzHenry) is listed as a taxpayer. Another early reference appears in the Annals of Loch Cé, an Irish chronicle from the 13th century, which mentions a Meiler FitzHenry as a prominent figure in the territory of Munster.

In the 14th century, the FITZHENRY family gained significant influence and wealth in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Limerick and Cork. One notable member was Sir John FitzHenry (c. 1350 - c. 1420), a powerful landowner and military commander who played a crucial role in suppressing the Gaelic Irish clans of Munster during the Hiberno-Norman wars.

Another prominent individual was Maurice FitzHenry (c. 1420 - 1489), a wealthy merchant and alderman of Cork City. He served as Mayor of Cork on multiple occasions and was renowned for his patronage of the Church and various charitable causes.

In the 16th century, the FITZHENRY surname gained further prominence with the rise of Morough FitzHenry (c. 1510 - c. 1580), a powerful chieftain and landowner in County Limerick. He played a pivotal role in the Desmond Rebellions against English rule in Ireland, leading his clan in resistance against the Tudor forces.

During the 17th century, the FITZHENRY name remained associated with prominent families in Munster, such as the FitzHenrys of Kilbane in County Limerick and the FitzHenrys of Crotta in County Cork. One notable figure from this period was Edmond FitzHenry (c. 1620 - c. 1690), a wealthy landowner and military commander who fought alongside the Jacobite forces during the Williamite War in Ireland.

Throughout the following centuries, the FITZHENRY surname continued to be represented by notable individuals across various fields, including politics, academia, and the arts. However, the name's strongest associations remain rooted in its historical ties to the counties of Munster and its influential role in the medieval and early modern history of Ireland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fitzhenry families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fitzhenry 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. Lancashire leads with 37 Fitzhenrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.51x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 37 3.51x
Middlesex 33 3.72x
Worcestershire 8 6.90x
Surrey 7 1.62x
Durham 3 1.14x
Brecknockshire 2 11.27x
Warwickshire 1 0.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St George In East London in Middlesex leads with 11 Fitzhenrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 131.74x.

Place Total Index
St George In East London 11 131.74x
Liverpool 10 15.63x
Toxteth Park 9 25.24x
Everton 7 20.85x
Yardley 7 235.69x
Shadwell London 6 241.94x
Wigan 6 40.76x
Ashtead 5 1785.71x
Islington London 5 5.81x
Stoke Newington London 4 57.89x
Hammersmith London 3 13.72x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 3 26.22x
Llanelly 2 94.34x
Manchester 2 4.22x
Aston 1 1.62x
Clapham 1 9.01x
Clitheroe 1 32.26x
Crumpsall 1 40.32x
Fulham London 1 7.77x
Great Bolton 1 7.17x
Kings Norton 1 9.62x
Merton 1 131.58x
St George Hanover Square 1 6.39x
Tottenham 1 7.07x
Whitechapel London 1 11.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Jane 5
Bridget 3
Caroline 2
Elizabeth 2
Esther 2
Frances 2
Maria 2
Sarah 2
Annie 1
Bridgett 1
Constance 1
Ellen 1
Florence 1
H.C. 1
Hellen 1
Johanna 1
Kate 1
Lucy 1
M.E. 1
Martha 1
Susan 1
Teresa 1
Winefred 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
Thomas 6
William 4
Edward 3
James 3
George 2
Nicholas 2
Albert 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Danl. 1
E.W.S. 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Harry 1
Jas. 1
Jas.D. 1
Martin 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Miles 1
Norman 1
R.W.S. 1
Samuel 1

FAQ

Fitzhenry surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fitzhenry surname in 1881?

In 1881, 97 people were recorded with the Fitzhenry surname. That placed it at #20,127 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fitzhenry surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 268 in 2016. That gives Fitzhenry a modern rank of #16,003.

What does the Fitzhenry surname mean?

Son of Henry, derived from the Norman French "fils" meaning son.

What does the Fitzhenry map show?

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