NameCensus.

UK surname

Fleeman

An occupational surname for a fugitive or runaway serf during medieval times.

In the 1881 census there were 72 people recorded with the Fleeman surname, ranking it #23,371 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 97, ranked #31,585, down from #23,371 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dover St James, Dover St Mary, Abbots Bromley and Chesterfield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Staffordshire, Westminster and Birmingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fleeman is 136 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.7%.

1881 census count

72

Ranked #23,371

Modern count

97

2016, ranked #31,585

Peak year

1911

136 bearers

Map years

3

1891 to 1911

Key insights

  • Fleeman had 72 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,371 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016, ranked #31,585.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 136 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Fleeman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fleeman surname density by area, 1911 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fleeman 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 60 #22,584
1861 historical 88 #22,554
1881 historical 72 #23,371
1891 historical 109 #22,701
1901 historical 122 #20,344
1911 historical 136 #18,962
1997 modern 97 #27,342
1998 modern 96 #28,188
1999 modern 96 #28,326
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 104 #26,765
2002 modern 113 #26,024
2003 modern 107 #26,617
2004 modern 106 #27,045
2005 modern 93 #29,133
2006 modern 93 #29,411
2007 modern 91 #30,061
2008 modern 92 #30,286
2009 modern 88 #31,352
2010 modern 89 #31,745
2011 modern 92 #31,301
2012 modern 101 #30,078
2013 modern 104 #30,076
2014 modern 100 #31,033
2015 modern 99 #31,168
2016 modern 97 #31,585

Geography

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Where Fleemans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dover St James, Dover St Mary, Abbots Bromley, Chesterfield, Sheffield and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Staffordshire, Westminster, Birmingham, Redditch and Chesterfield. 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 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent
2 Abbots Bromley Staffordshire
3 Chesterfield Derbyshire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Staffordshire 006 East Staffordshire
2 Westminster 022 Westminster
3 Birmingham 002 Birmingham
4 Redditch 012 Redditch
5 Chesterfield 012 Chesterfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fleeman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fleeman

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Fleeman 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

Fleeman is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fleeman falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Fleeman

The surname Fleeman is of English origin, with roots traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "flemen" or "flyman," which referred to a person who was a fugitive, exile, or wanderer. The name likely originated as a descriptive moniker for individuals who were forced to flee their homes or were outcasts from society.

In its earliest recorded form, the name appeared as "Flyeman" in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. This historical document provided a comprehensive census of landowners in England at the time. The variant spelling "Flyman" was also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, indicating the name's presence in different regions of the country.

The Fleeman surname has been associated with various place names throughout England. For instance, there are references to "Flyman's Croft" in Wiltshire and "Flymans Field" in Hampshire, both of which date back to the 14th century. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the Fleeman surname who owned or resided in those areas.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was John Flyman, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1348. Another notable figure was Thomas Fleeman, born in 1512, who was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of York.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Fleeman surname:

1. Sir William Fleeman (c. 1630-1702), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Huntingdonshire. 2. Robert Fleeman (1739-1808), a Scottish botanist and author of "Flora Scotica." 3. Mary Fleeman (1788-1865), an English writer and poet, known for her collection "Musings of Solitude." 4. John Fleeman (1819-1891), an American Civil War veteran who served in the Union Army. 5. George Fleeman (1871-1938), a British architect responsible for designing several landmark buildings in London.

While the Fleeman surname may have originated from humble beginnings, denoting those who were displaced or wanderers, it has since become a distinguished name with a rich history spanning centuries and encompassing individuals from various walks of life.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fleeman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fleeman 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 41 Fleemans recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.89x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 41 5.89x
Staffordshire 12 5.06x
Derbyshire 8 7.28x
Nottinghamshire 6 6.34x
Lincolnshire 2 1.78x
Middlesex 2 0.28x
Warwickshire 1 0.56x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Abbots Bromley in Staffordshire leads with 12 Fleemans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3428.57x.

Place Total Index
Abbots Bromley 12 3428.57x
Aston Cum Aughton 7 1228.07x
Claylane 7 457.52x
Finghall Akebar 7 17500.00x
Kippax 6 983.61x
Drax 5 5555.56x
Nottingham St Peter 4 377.36x
Wakefield 4 74.91x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 3 46.30x
Snaith Cowick 3 714.29x
Selby 2 137.93x
Alfreton 1 29.94x
Barlby 1 833.33x
Croft 1 555.56x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 7.06x
Edgbaston 1 18.21x
Farndon 1 588.24x
Kensington London 1 2.56x
Leeds 1 2.54x
Nottingham St Mary 1 4.09x
Rawcliffe In Goole 1 250.00x
St Bartholomew Less 1 277.78x
Stickney 1 588.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 4
Mary 4
Sarah 4
Elizabeth 3
Alice 2
Jane 2
Bertha 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Fealy 1
Francis 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Lucy 1
Marg. 1
Maria 1
Maud 1
Minnie 1
Sabina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Joseph 4
Arthur 3
Richard 3
Thomas 3
William 3
Alfred 2
Frederick 2
George 2
Henry 2
Aaron 1
David 1
Edward 1
Fredk. 1
Herbert 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Saml. 1
Shepherd 1

FAQ

Fleeman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fleeman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 72 people were recorded with the Fleeman surname. That placed it at #23,371 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fleeman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016. That gives Fleeman a modern rank of #31,585.

What does the Fleeman surname mean?

An occupational surname for a fugitive or runaway serf during medieval times.

What does the Fleeman map show?

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