NameCensus.

UK surname

Folwell

A geographical surname derived from a location meaning "foul well" or "dirty well."

In the 1881 census there were 267 people recorded with the Folwell surname, ranking it #10,573 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 373, ranked #12,515, down from #10,573 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Charlton-near-Dover, Dover St James, Dover St Mary and St Dunstan Stepney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Oadby and Wigston, Kettering and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Folwell is 427 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.7%.

1881 census count

267

Ranked #10,573

Modern count

373

2016, ranked #12,515

Peak year

2002

427 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Folwell had 267 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,573 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 373 in 2016, ranked #12,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 375 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Folwell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Folwell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Folwell 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 141 #13,507
1861 historical 117 #18,635
1881 historical 267 #10,573
1891 historical 232 #13,429
1901 historical 300 #11,647
1911 historical 375 #9,747
1997 modern 405 #10,908
1998 modern 409 #11,172
1999 modern 412 #11,203
2000 modern 422 #10,960
2001 modern 412 #10,980
2002 modern 427 #10,900
2003 modern 411 #11,044
2004 modern 409 #11,095
2005 modern 378 #11,692
2006 modern 386 #11,537
2007 modern 386 #11,676
2008 modern 390 #11,693
2009 modern 407 #11,556
2010 modern 418 #11,582
2011 modern 414 #11,533
2012 modern 375 #12,292
2013 modern 383 #12,314
2014 modern 382 #12,408
2015 modern 378 #12,405
2016 modern 373 #12,515

Geography

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Where Folwells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Charlton-near-Dover, Dover St James, Dover St Mary, St Dunstan Stepney, Blakesley, Pattishall and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Oadby and Wigston, Kettering, County Durham, Northampton and Dover. 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 Charlton-near-Dover Kent
2 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent
3 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
4 Blakesley, Pattishall Northamptonshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Oadby and Wigston 006 Oadby and Wigston
2 Kettering 003 Kettering
3 County Durham 066 County Durham
4 Northampton 008 Northampton
5 Dover 008 Dover

Forenames

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First names often paired with Folwell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Folwell

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Folwell is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Folwell 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

Folwell 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 Folwell 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 Folwell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Folwell

The surname Folwell originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "fol," meaning foolish or foolhardy, and "well," referring to a spring or stream. This combination suggests the name may have referred to someone who lived near a foolhardy or reckless stream or body of water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Follewelle." This record indicates that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name was found in various spellings, such as "Follewelle," "Follewill," and "Folwill," in records from counties like Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. These variations reflect the linguistic changes and regional dialects of the time.

One notable bearer of the Folwell name was Sir John Folwell, a knight who lived in the late 14th century. He served as a member of the royal household under King Richard II and was granted lands in Gloucestershire for his service.

During the 16th century, the name appeared in its more modern spelling of "Folwell" in parish records from Northamptonshire and Leicestershire. A notable figure from this period was Robert Folwell (c. 1530-1594), a prosperous merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire.

In the 17th century, the Folwell family had established themselves as prominent landowners and gentry in various parts of England. One noteworthy individual was Sir Thomas Folwell (1618-1687), who served as a member of Parliament and was involved in the English Civil War.

Another notable bearer of the name was John Folwell (1786-1863), a prominent Quaker minister and abolitionist from Pennsylvania, United States. He was a vocal advocate for the abolition of slavery and played a significant role in the Underground Railroad.

Throughout its history, the Folwell surname has been associated with various place names, including Folwell in Gloucestershire, Folwell Park in Nottinghamshire, and Folwell Lane in Derbyshire, reflecting the family's long-standing ties to these regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Folwell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Folwell 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. Northamptonshire leads with 80 Folwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.66x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 80 32.66x
Leicestershire 68 23.55x
Kent 54 6.08x
Middlesex 30 1.15x
Gloucestershire 14 2.74x
Surrey 12 0.95x
Nottinghamshire 6 1.71x
Hampshire 2 0.37x
Warwickshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cold Higham in Northamptonshire leads with 30 Folwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 9375.00x.

Place Total Index
Cold Higham 30 9375.00x
Charlton 27 457.63x
Leicester St Margaret 22 31.24x
Mile End Old Town London 21 37.89x
Weston Favell 20 4081.63x
Wigston Magna 17 443.86x
Bristol St Paul In 14 102.87x
Fleckney 13 1884.06x
Greens Norton 10 1282.05x
Pattishall 10 1234.57x
Lambeth 9 3.96x
Ickham Well 7 1372.55x
Northampton St Sepulchre 6 48.15x
Selston 6 153.06x
Belgrave 5 76.69x
Great Glenn 5 649.35x
Leicester Newarke 5 331.13x
Bromley London 4 6.98x
Canterbury St Mildred 4 189.57x
St George Hanover Square 4 8.72x
Harbledown 3 468.75x
Staplegate 3 1304.35x
Bridge 2 263.16x
Haslemere 2 200.00x
Kingstone 2 769.23x
Lee 2 15.50x
Abington 1 909.09x
Barham 1 111.11x
Birmingham 1 0.46x
Chartham 1 45.25x
Glen Parva 1 147.06x
Newington 1 1.04x
Portsea 1 0.96x
Portsmouth 1 8.14x
Preston Next Wingham 1 250.00x
Rothersthorpe 1 476.19x
Sheldwich 1 175.44x
Towcester 1 39.53x
West Haddon 1 126.58x
Westminster St Margaret 1 7.96x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Elizabeth 11
Sarah 10
Ann 6
Annie 6
Eliza 6
Ada 5
Charlotte 5
Frances 4
Edith 3
Ellen 3
Emily 3
Emma 3
Florence 3
Amelia 2
Eliz. 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Helen 2
Juliet 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Pauline 2
Ruth 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Anne 1
Anney 1
Blanch 1
Caroline 1
Catharine 1
Clara 1
Damaris 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Honor 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lizzie 1
Margaret 1
Margret 1
Marian 1
Martha 1
Nora 1
Rebecca 1
Rosanna 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Folwell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Folwell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 267 people were recorded with the Folwell surname. That placed it at #10,573 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Folwell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 373 in 2016. That gives Folwell a modern rank of #12,515.

What does the Folwell surname mean?

A geographical surname derived from a location meaning "foul well" or "dirty well."

What does the Folwell map show?

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