NameCensus.

UK surname

Fleming

An occupational surname referring to a person from Flanders or one who was a Fleming or Flemish.

In the 1881 census there were 12,501 people recorded with the Fleming surname, ranking it #336 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 20,391, ranked #292, up from #336 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cardenden, Copeland and Cheviot East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fleming is 20,610 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 63.1%.

1881 census count

12,501

Ranked #336

Modern count

20,391

2016, ranked #292

Peak year

2010

20,610 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fleming had 12,501 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #336 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 20,391 in 2016, ranked #292.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 15,411 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Fleming surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fleming surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fleming 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 8,215 #336
1861 historical 8,694 #315
1881 historical 12,501 #336
1891 historical 13,062 #333
1901 historical 15,411 #336
1911 historical 8,238 #604
1997 modern 19,347 #296
1998 modern 19,918 #301
1999 modern 20,099 #301
2000 modern 20,056 #297
2001 modern 19,504 #299
2002 modern 20,066 #296
2003 modern 19,733 #295
2004 modern 19,638 #295
2005 modern 19,493 #294
2006 modern 19,461 #295
2007 modern 19,657 #296
2008 modern 19,729 #296
2009 modern 20,192 #294
2010 modern 20,610 #294
2011 modern 20,199 #295
2012 modern 19,779 #297
2013 modern 20,262 #297
2014 modern 20,455 #295
2015 modern 20,416 #294
2016 modern 20,391 #292

Geography

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Where Flemings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cardenden, Copeland, Cheviot East, Stonehouse and Biggar, Symington, Thankerton and Dolphinton. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cardenden Fife
2 Copeland 004 Copeland
3 Cheviot East Scottish Borders
4 Stonehouse South Lanarkshire
5 Biggar, Symington, Thankerton and Dolphinton South Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fleming

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fleming

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Fleming 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

Fleming 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

Fleming falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Fleming

The surname Fleming originates from the medieval Flemish people, who inhabited parts of present-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. The name is derived from the Old French word "Flamenc," meaning "Fleming" or "Flemish person." Flemings were known for their skills in agriculture, trade, and textile production.

The earliest recorded instances of the Fleming surname can be traced back to the 12th century. In the Domesday Book, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are several mentions of individuals with the name Fleming, indicating their presence in the country at that time.

During the Middle Ages, many Flemings migrated to other parts of Europe, including England, Scotland, and Ireland, where they established settlements and contributed to the local economies. One notable example is Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders, who became King of Jerusalem in 1174 during the Crusades.

In England, the Fleming surname has a long history, with records showing individuals bearing the name as early as the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded examples is Robert Fleming, who was a prominent merchant and alderman in London in the late 13th century.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Fleming, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. He was granted lands in Renfrewshire, and his descendants became influential landowners and politicians in Scotland.

In the 16th century, Abraham Fleming (1552-1607) was a notable English writer, translator, and editor who published works on history, geography, and literature. His contemporary, Paul Fleming (1609-1640), was a German poet and physician who achieved fame for his baroque poetry.

The Fleming surname has also been associated with place names, such as Flemington in New Jersey, which was named after a Flemish settler named Walter Remine (or Reman), and Fleming County in Kentucky, which was named after Colonel John Fleming, a Revolutionary War veteran.

Overall, the surname Fleming has a rich history spanning several centuries and countries, reflecting the influence and contributions of the Flemish people in various aspects of European society, from agriculture and trade to warfare and literature.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fleming families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fleming 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. Lanarkshire leads with 2,447 Flemings recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.23x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 2,447 6.23x
Lancashire 1,275 0.89x
Yorkshire 882 0.73x
Middlesex 749 0.62x
Renfrewshire 650 6.91x
Angus 579 5.15x
Midlothian 515 3.17x
Stirlingshire 368 8.22x
Surrey 345 0.58x
Durham 334 0.92x
Ayrshire 296 3.26x
Fife 282 3.92x
Cumberland 272 2.60x
Perthshire 256 4.70x
Hampshire 251 1.01x
Dunbartonshire 189 5.79x
West Lothian 186 10.17x
Kent 169 0.41x
Staffordshire 158 0.39x
Westmorland 150 5.62x
Essex 141 0.59x
Cheshire 140 0.52x
Northumberland 139 0.77x
Warwickshire 112 0.37x
Suffolk 106 0.72x
Roxburghshire 92 4.18x
Glamorgan 86 0.41x
Dumfriesshire 76 2.83x
Gloucestershire 72 0.30x
Aberdeenshire 70 0.62x
Wigtownshire 65 4.03x
Peeblesshire 62 10.86x
Derbyshire 59 0.31x
Banffshire 52 2.07x
Berwickshire 51 3.47x
Argyllshire 50 1.48x
Berkshire 48 0.53x
Worcestershire 47 0.30x
Wiltshire 43 0.40x
Devon 39 0.15x
Buteshire 37 5.03x
Northamptonshire 36 0.32x
Leicestershire 33 0.25x
Cornwall 28 0.20x
Selkirkshire 25 2.28x
Somerset 25 0.13x
Monmouthshire 23 0.26x
Morayshire 23 1.22x
East Lothian 21 1.31x
Isle of Man 20 0.89x
Lincolnshire 20 0.10x
Sussex 19 0.09x
Buckinghamshire 18 0.25x
Clackmannanshire 18 1.80x
Kirkcudbrightshire 18 1.02x
Norfolk 18 0.10x
Kinross-shire 17 5.54x
Nottinghamshire 15 0.09x
Inverness-shire 14 0.39x
Hertfordshire 13 0.16x
Royal Navy 12 0.83x
Bedfordshire 10 0.16x
Ross-shire 10 0.30x
Flintshire 9 0.28x
Merionethshire 8 0.36x
Dorset 7 0.09x
Cambridgeshire 6 0.08x
Sutherland 6 0.64x
Caithness 5 0.30x
Channel Islands 4 0.11x
Herefordshire 4 0.08x
Carmarthenshire 3 0.06x
Kincardineshire 3 0.20x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.08x
Oxfordshire 2 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.05x
Shropshire 2 0.02x
Anglesey 1 0.05x
Denbighshire 1 0.02x
Nairnshire 1 0.27x
Radnorshire 1 0.10x
Shetland 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 482 Flemings recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.85x.

Place Total Index
Barony 482 4.85x
Govan 473 4.87x
Glasgow 327 4.69x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 274 4.19x
Dundee 231 5.50x
Liverpool 218 2.49x
Avondale 216 94.10x
Hamilton 162 14.80x
Abbey 148 10.31x
Falkirk 126 12.02x
Lambeth 104 0.98x
Bathgate 103 25.95x
Cambusnethan 96 11.01x
Halifax 90 5.10x
Liff Benvie 90 5.27x
Portsea 89 1.83x
West Greenock 89 5.27x
Old Monkland 87 5.58x
Everton 78 1.70x
Camberwell 72 0.93x
Leeds 71 1.05x
Manchester 68 1.05x
Oldham 68 1.46x
Islington London 65 0.55x
Rutherglen 65 11.29x
St Marylebone London 63 0.97x
St Pancras London 57 0.58x
Bethnal Green London 56 1.06x
Alyth 55 37.51x
Maryhill 54 7.03x
Newington 53 1.18x
Barrow In Furness 52 2.65x
Paisley High Church 52 6.94x
Kirkdale 51 2.10x
Cambuslang 48 12.13x
Bothwell 47 4.41x
Hackney London 47 0.69x
Birmingham 45 0.44x
Dalserf 45 11.49x
West Ham 45 0.85x
Mile End Old Town London 44 1.70x
East Greenock 43 4.84x
Gorleston 43 11.45x
Kilmarnock 43 3.98x
New Monkland 43 3.71x
Shotts 43 9.15x
Bermondsey 41 1.13x
Kensington London 41 0.61x
Aston 40 0.47x
Paisley Middle Church 40 7.30x
Bishopwearmouth 39 1.26x
Hulme 39 1.30x
Kilsyth 38 13.31x
New Kilpatrick 38 12.25x
Shoreditch London 38 0.72x
Arbroath 37 9.93x
Cadder 37 12.76x
Aberdeen Old Machar 36 1.53x
Kirkintilloch 36 8.12x
Eaglesham 35 60.73x
Kilrenny 35 26.33x
Slamannan 35 14.28x
St George Hanover Square 35 1.64x
Chorlton On Medlock 34 1.49x
Willington 34 16.29x
Carnwath 32 13.18x
Cathcart 32 6.29x
Denny 32 13.44x
Neilston 32 6.78x
Uphall 32 15.92x
Stirling 31 5.49x
Cardiff St Mary 30 2.58x
Bradford 29 1.00x
Port Glasgow 29 6.38x
Renfrew 29 9.34x
Shettleston 29 8.25x
Toxteth Park 29 0.59x
Tynemouth 29 3.00x
Cumbernauld 28 15.66x
Loudoun 28 12.82x
Paisley Low Church 28 9.40x
West Derby 28 0.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 491
Elizabeth 201
Sarah 156
Margaret 146
Jane 129
Ann 123
Ellen 108
Annie 99
Alice 79
Catherine 77
Emma 65
Hannah 60
Eliza 59
Agnes 44
Martha 42
Charlotte 38
Emily 37
Bridget 35
Kate 35
Maria 34
Harriet 33
Louisa 32
Edith 31
Frances 30
Isabella 29
Ada 27
Anne 26
Fanny 22
Florence 22
Julia 22
Clara 21
Caroline 19
Grace 16
Harriett 15
Rose 15
Janet 14
Jessie 14
Lucy 14
Matilda 13
Susan 13
Eleanor 12
Esther 11
Maud 11
Minnie 11
Helen 10
Anna 9
Elizth. 9
Margt. 9
Sophia 9
Gertrude 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 469
William 328
James 280
Thomas 219
George 157
Robert 103
Joseph 95
Henry 82
Edward 76
Charles 75
Patrick 49
Richard 48
Michael 46
Alfred 44
Arthur 36
Frederick 36
Samuel 33
David 28
Albert 26
Walter 23
Francis 21
Thos. 19
Harry 18
Herbert 17
Peter 17
Wm. 17
Alexander 16
Frank 16
Andrew 15
Daniel 13
Martin 13
Ernest 12
Isaac 12
Hugh 10
Benjamin 7
Chas. 7
Edwin 7
Mark 7
Percy 7
Stephen 7
Fred 6
Geo. 6
Sidney 6
Jno. 5
Lawrence 5
Nicholas 5
W. 5
Willm. 5
Austin 4
Matthew 4

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Fleming households.

FAQ

Fleming surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fleming surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12,501 people were recorded with the Fleming surname. That placed it at #336 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fleming surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 20,391 in 2016. That gives Fleming a modern rank of #292.

What does the Fleming surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person from Flanders or one who was a Fleming or Flemish.

What does the Fleming map show?

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