NameCensus.

UK surname

Fogg

An occupational surname for someone who bred, raised, or sold birds, or a nickname for an eccentric person.

In the 1881 census there were 1,742 people recorded with the Fogg surname, ranking it #2,481 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,295, ranked #2,827, down from #2,481 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Leek, Manchester and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Lincoln and Bolton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fogg is 2,398 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.7%.

1881 census count

1,742

Ranked #2,481

Modern count

2,295

2016, ranked #2,827

Peak year

2010

2,398 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fogg had 1,742 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,481 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,295 in 2016, ranked #2,827.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,379 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Fogg surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fogg surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fogg 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 1,074 #2,610
1861 historical 987 #2,820
1881 historical 1,742 #2,481
1891 historical 1,754 #2,603
1901 historical 2,071 #2,587
1911 historical 2,379 #2,155
1997 modern 2,258 #2,749
1998 modern 2,347 #2,758
1999 modern 2,373 #2,752
2000 modern 2,387 #2,721
2001 modern 2,347 #2,712
2002 modern 2,387 #2,725
2003 modern 2,336 #2,720
2004 modern 2,270 #2,777
2005 modern 2,256 #2,764
2006 modern 2,250 #2,775
2007 modern 2,252 #2,792
2008 modern 2,264 #2,808
2009 modern 2,349 #2,783
2010 modern 2,398 #2,787
2011 modern 2,351 #2,804
2012 modern 2,324 #2,786
2013 modern 2,344 #2,809
2014 modern 2,335 #2,830
2015 modern 2,314 #2,826
2016 modern 2,295 #2,827

Geography

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Where Foggs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Leek, Manchester, London parishes, Bolton-le-Moors and Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, Lincoln and Bolton. 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 Leek Staffordshire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 London parishes London 2
4 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
5 Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 009 Doncaster
2 Lincoln 010 Lincoln
3 Bolton 019 Bolton
4 Bolton 002 Bolton
5 Bolton 006 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fogg

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fogg

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Fogg surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Fogg household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Fogg is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fogg is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fogg 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 Fogg is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Fogg

The surname Fogg is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "fog" meaning "long grass" or "aftermath." It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near an area with long grass or a meadow.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Fogga." This entry suggests that the name was used as a locational surname, referring to someone from a place called Fogg or Fogga.

In the 13th century, the name is found in various records as "Fogge" and "Fogghe." During this time, it was particularly prevalent in the counties of Lincolnshire and Norfolk.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William Fogge, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1188. Another notable figure was Sir John Fogge, a prominent English soldier and landowner who lived in the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the name was sometimes associated with the place name "Foggathorp" or "Foggathorp," which was a hamlet in Lincolnshire. This connection suggests that some bearers of the Fogg surname may have originated from this specific location.

A famous individual with the surname Fogg was Sir John Fogg, an English diplomat and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was born in 1534 and died in 1590.

Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas Fogg, a 17th-century English clergyman and author. He was born in 1616 and published several religious works, including "The Mariner's Companion" and "A Prospect of the Heavenly Inheritance."

In the 18th century, the surname Fogg was associated with Robert Fogg, a renowned clockmaker and inventor from Newcastle upon Tyne. He lived from 1714 to 1788 and was known for his innovative clock designs.

During the 19th century, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Fogg was Phileas Fogg, the fictional protagonist of Jules Verne's novel "Around the World in Eighty Days," published in 1873. Although a fictional character, Phileas Fogg has become a recognizable name associated with the Fogg surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fogg families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fogg 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 828 Foggs recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.11x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 828 4.11x
Cheshire 210 5.60x
Yorkshire 163 0.97x
Derbyshire 113 4.25x
Middlesex 87 0.51x
Staffordshire 80 1.40x
Essex 56 1.67x
Nottinghamshire 33 1.44x
Kent 30 0.52x
Gloucestershire 17 0.51x
Lincolnshire 17 0.63x
Northumberland 17 0.67x
Durham 13 0.26x
Leicestershire 13 0.69x
Surrey 13 0.16x
Renfrewshire 10 0.76x
Warwickshire 8 0.19x
Fife 7 0.70x
Wiltshire 6 0.40x
Oxfordshire 5 0.48x
Hampshire 3 0.09x
Devon 2 0.06x
Royal Navy 2 0.99x
Bedfordshire 1 0.11x
Cumberland 1 0.07x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.27x
Lanarkshire 1 0.02x
Midlothian 1 0.04x
Northamptonshire 1 0.06x
Shropshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leek Lowe in Staffordshire leads with 59 Foggs recorded in 1881 and an index of 77.40x.

Place Total Index
Leek Lowe 59 77.40x
Ashton Under Lyne 56 12.72x
Oldham 45 6.92x
Saddleworth 41 31.60x
Warrington 41 17.17x
Little Bolton 39 15.06x
Tonge With Haulgh 35 89.26x
Great Bolton 32 11.99x
Birkenhead 31 10.38x
Wigan 30 10.66x
Hyde 29 26.23x
Manchester 26 2.87x
Barnton 21 234.90x
Radcliffe 21 21.63x
Castleton 20 9.94x
Chesterfield 20 20.08x
Dukinfield 20 11.55x
Salford 20 3.38x
Islington London 19 1.15x
Sheffield 19 3.55x
Toxteth Park 19 2.79x
Derby St Werburgh 18 11.73x
West Derby 18 3.05x
Liverpool 17 1.39x
Worsley 17 13.69x
Widnes 16 11.01x
Barnsley 15 8.65x
Halliwell 15 20.46x
Little Lever 15 58.23x
Tottington Lower End 15 15.67x
Derby St Peter 14 16.54x
Thornton In Fylde 13 29.51x
Burton Extra 12 36.53x
Farnsfield 12 197.69x
Fyfield 12 441.18x
Cheadle 11 15.37x
Hulme 11 2.62x
Leicester St Margaret 11 2.40x
Nether Hallam 11 4.83x
Raby 11 791.37x
Werneth 11 93.70x
Withington 11 16.95x
Buxton 10 44.46x
Chadderton 10 10.16x
Chelsea London 10 1.96x
Great Lever 10 46.79x
Heaton Norris 10 8.72x
Sharples 10 45.77x
Upholland 10 38.74x
Whiston 10 63.65x
Abbey 9 4.48x
Bramhall 9 57.99x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 2.81x
Eccleston In Prescot 9 8.90x
Everton 9 1.40x
Hammersmith London 9 2.15x
Kearsley 9 21.24x
Layton With Warbreck 9 12.18x
Millington 9 580.65x
Ovenden 9 12.02x
Pemberton 9 11.21x
Prestwich 9 17.91x
Tealby 9 236.22x
Wallsend 9 11.24x
Willingale Spain 9 750.00x
Writtle 9 65.74x
Aston 8 0.68x
Clifton 8 52.95x
High Ongar 8 129.45x
Ilkeston 8 10.74x
Kirkby 8 98.16x
Kirkdale 8 2.36x
Ramsgate 8 8.46x
Sowerby In Halifax 8 14.55x
Spotland 8 3.57x
Stockport 8 4.15x
Sutton 8 11.84x
Whitstable 8 28.16x
Dartford 7 11.82x
Wharton 7 34.30x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 139
Elizabeth 78
Sarah 61
Ann 44
Alice 33
Hannah 30
Jane 30
Annie 29
Ellen 27
Emma 22
Eliza 18
Margaret 17
Martha 17
Emily 12
Catherine 10
Esther 10
Harriet 10
Ada 9
Edith 8
Frances 8
Kate 8
Louisa 8
Nancy 8
Amelia 7
Clara 7
Lucy 7
Betty 6
Charlotte 6
Fanny 6
Isabella 6
Maria 6
Agnes 5
Anne 5
Bertha 5
Florence 5
Selina 5
Sophia 5
Susan 5
Betsy 4
Elizth. 4
Lydia 4
Rebecca 4
Rose 4
Caroline 3
Dorothy 3
Eliz. 3
Harriett 3
Mabel 3
Polly 3
Rosa 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 105
William 93
James 91
Thomas 73
George 56
Joseph 42
Henry 36
Charles 28
Samuel 27
Robert 25
Edward 17
Richard 17
Harry 14
Walter 11
Albert 10
Peter 10
Francis 9
Alfred 8
Arthur 8
Herbert 8
Edwin 7
Frederick 7
Ernest 6
Wm. 6
Geo. 5
Isaac 5
Thos. 4
Chas. 3
Clifford 3
Frederic 3
Joshua 3
Lawrence 3
Saml. 3
Sampson 3
Wilfred 3
Douglas 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Harold 2
Jas. 2
Jno. 2
Job 2
Percy 2
Tom 2
Buckley 1
Carl 1
Carlos 1
Elias 1
Emanuel 1
Emma 1

FAQ

Fogg surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fogg surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,742 people were recorded with the Fogg surname. That placed it at #2,481 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fogg surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,295 in 2016. That gives Fogg a modern rank of #2,827.

What does the Fogg surname mean?

An occupational surname for someone who bred, raised, or sold birds, or a nickname for an eccentric person.

What does the Fogg map show?

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