NameCensus.

UK surname

Foo

A fairly common East Asian surname originating from China.

In the 1881 census there were 11 people recorded with the Foo surname, ranking it #32,081 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 411, ranked #11,654, up from #32,081 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Bromley and Manchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Foo is 422 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 3636.4%.

1881 census count

11

Ranked #32,081

Modern count

411

2016, ranked #11,654

Peak year

2013

422 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Foo had 11 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,081 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 411 in 2016, ranked #11,654.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 11 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Foo surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Foo surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Foo 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 3 #32,890
1881 historical 11 #32,081
1901 historical 7 #33,435
1997 modern 290 #13,832
1998 modern 310 #13,578
1999 modern 326 #13,238
2000 modern 339 #12,857
2001 modern 322 #13,098
2002 modern 354 #12,490
2003 modern 325 #13,104
2004 modern 333 #12,927
2005 modern 342 #12,579
2006 modern 355 #12,316
2007 modern 368 #12,125
2008 modern 381 #11,918
2009 modern 396 #11,815
2010 modern 411 #11,723
2011 modern 411 #11,617
2012 modern 407 #11,584
2013 modern 422 #11,436
2014 modern 420 #11,567
2015 modern 413 #11,622
2016 modern 411 #11,654

Geography

Back to top

Where Foos are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, Bromley and Manchester. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 010 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Bromley 005 Bromley
3 Kensington and Chelsea 016 Kensington and Chelsea
4 Kensington and Chelsea 013 Kensington and Chelsea
5 Manchester 055 Manchester

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Foo

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Foo

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Foo surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Foo 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Foo 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

Foo is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Foo falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Foo 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
Asian - Chinese

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

Meaning and origin of Foo

The surname FOO is believed to have its origins in the Middle English word "foo", which was a term used to refer to an enemy or opponent. The name can be traced back to the 13th century in England, particularly in the northern regions around Yorkshire and Lancashire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name FOO can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where a man named John Foo is listed as a taxpayer. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 13th century.

During the 14th century, the surname FOO appears in several historical records, including the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1322, where a William Foo is mentioned. The name is also present in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332, indicating its spread to neighboring counties.

In the 15th century, the name FOO can be found in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence between members of the affluent Paston family in Norfolk. One letter, dated around 1472, mentions a certain John Foo, who was involved in a legal dispute over land ownership.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname FOO. However, it is possible that the name evolved from more ancient place names or occupational titles recorded in the survey.

Notable individuals with the surname FOO include:

1. Sir Thomas Foo (c. 1550 - 1621), an English politician and Member of Parliament who served during the reign of King James I. 2. Margaret Foo (1628 - 1693), a Puritan author and poet from Massachusetts Bay Colony, known for her religious writings and hymns. 3. Captain James Foo (1714 - 1777), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. 4. Sir Henry Foo (1801 - 1879), a prominent British industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the textile industry in Yorkshire. 5. Emily Foo (1867 - 1944), an American suffragette and activist who played a significant role in securing women's right to vote in the United States.

While the surname FOO may have evolved over centuries, its roots can be traced back to the Middle English language and the northern counties of England, where it first gained prominence as a surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Foo families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Foo 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. Middlesex leads with 7 Foos recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.53x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 7 6.53x
Lancashire 3 2.36x
Staffordshire 1 2.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 6 Foos recorded in 1881 and an index of 69.52x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 6 69.52x
West Derby 3 80.65x
Limehouse London 1 84.75x
Wolstanton Oldcott 1 769.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Adele 1
Ann 1
Catherine 1
Ellen 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Ah 3
Edgar 1
Fernand 1
Gaston 1
Octave 1
Raoul 1

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 Foo households.

FAQ

Foo surname: questions and answers

How common was the Foo surname in 1881?

In 1881, 11 people were recorded with the Foo surname. That placed it at #32,081 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Foo surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 411 in 2016. That gives Foo a modern rank of #11,654.

What does the Foo surname mean?

A fairly common East Asian surname originating from China.

What does the Foo map show?

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