NameCensus.

UK surname

Fookes

Fookes is a locational surname originating from a place called "Fowk" in England.

In the 1881 census there were 210 people recorded with the Fookes surname, ranking it #12,440 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 178, ranked #21,160, down from #12,440 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fingringhoe, East Donyland, Wivenhoe and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wealden, Braintree and North Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fookes is 294 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 15.2%.

1881 census count

210

Ranked #12,440

Modern count

178

2016, ranked #21,160

Peak year

1911

294 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fookes had 210 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,440 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 178 in 2016, ranked #21,160.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 294 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Fookes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fookes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fookes 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 123 #14,886
1861 historical 103 #20,650
1881 historical 210 #12,440
1891 historical 203 #14,754
1901 historical 265 #12,652
1911 historical 294 #11,622
1997 modern 187 #18,398
1998 modern 194 #18,451
1999 modern 196 #18,464
2000 modern 203 #18,043
2001 modern 196 #18,146
2002 modern 184 #19,275
2003 modern 176 #19,623
2004 modern 180 #19,424
2005 modern 176 #19,667
2006 modern 173 #19,995
2007 modern 172 #20,321
2008 modern 178 #20,094
2009 modern 180 #20,341
2010 modern 176 #21,101
2011 modern 180 #20,649
2012 modern 182 #20,440
2013 modern 183 #20,722
2014 modern 186 #20,664
2015 modern 182 #20,856
2016 modern 178 #21,160

Geography

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Where Fookes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Fingringhoe, East Donyland, Wivenhoe, London parishes, Portsmouth, Portsea and Brickhill, Bow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wealden, Braintree, North Dorset and Medway. 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 Fingringhoe, East Donyland Essex
2 Wivenhoe Essex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
5 Brickhill, Bow Buckinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wealden 014 Wealden
2 Braintree 012 Braintree
3 North Dorset 005 North Dorset
4 North Dorset 008 North Dorset
5 Medway 030 Medway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fookes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fookes

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fookes, 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 Fookes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Fookes 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Fookes is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fookes 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

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

Meaning and origin of Fookes

The surname Fookes originates from England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "foc," meaning fool or jester. The name was likely given as a nickname to someone who entertained others or acted foolishly.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fookes can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it is spelled "Fok." This suggests that the name was initially more common in the county of Cambridgeshire.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records with different spellings, such as "Foke," "Fooke," and "Fouke." These variations were common during that time due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

The Fookes surname is also linked to the village of Foxton in Cambridgeshire. It is believed that some individuals may have taken the name from this place name, which was originally spelled "Foxetune" in the Domesday Book of 1086.

One notable individual with the surname Fookes was Sir John Fookes (c. 1510-1572), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1567. Another was William Fookes (c. 1580-1652), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records across England, particularly in counties like Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk. Some examples include Robert Fookes (baptized in 1623 in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire) and John Fookes (baptized in 1641 in Thetford, Norfolk).

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Fookes surname continued to be present in various parts of England. Notable individuals from this period include Joseph Fookes (1776-1849), an English engraver and artist, and Richard Fookes (1848-1914), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London.

Throughout its history, the Fookes surname has been relatively uncommon but has maintained a presence across various regions of England, particularly in the areas around Cambridgeshire and East Anglia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fookes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fookes 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. Bedfordshire leads with 37 Fookes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.72x.

County Total Index
Bedfordshire 37 34.72x
Hampshire 36 8.53x
Middlesex 25 1.21x
Cornwall 20 8.58x
Surrey 15 1.50x
Dorset 12 8.88x
Northamptonshire 12 6.20x
Kent 10 1.42x
Buckinghamshire 9 7.23x
Wiltshire 8 4.40x
Devon 6 1.40x
Essex 6 1.48x
Derbyshire 5 1.55x
Yorkshire 5 0.25x
Norfolk 2 0.63x
Sussex 2 0.58x
Royal Navy 1 4.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 26 Fookes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.45x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 26 31.45x
Elstow 14 3589.74x
Newington 10 13.15x
Peterborough 10 71.33x
Leighton Buzzard 9 196.51x
St Cleer 9 445.54x
Cardington 8 919.54x
Avington 7 5000.00x
East Lulworth 7 2692.31x
Pewsey 7 522.39x
Philleigh 7 3684.21x
Poplar London 7 18.02x
Bow Brickhill 6 1875.00x
Plymouth St Andrew 6 18.18x
Fingrinhoe 5 2173.91x
Long Eaton 5 117.65x
Dartford 4 55.71x
Leeds 4 3.47x
Luton 4 21.68x
Milton Abbas 4 606.06x
Deal 3 50.08x
Falmouth 3 36.36x
Hammersmith London 3 5.92x
Holy Trinity Less London 3 576.92x
Minster In Sheppey 3 25.80x
Stoke 3 63.42x
Ampthill 2 125.79x
Little Brickhill 2 1176.47x
Overton 2 198.02x
St Luke London 2 6.06x
Wellingborough 2 20.56x
Bermondsey 1 1.63x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.12x
Brighton 1 1.43x
Camberwell 1 0.76x
Elmstead 1 153.85x
Fordington 1 34.36x
Great Yarmouth 1 3.82x
Hackney London 1 0.87x
Heigham 1 5.89x
Hornsey 1 3.84x
Islington London 1 0.50x
Liskeard 1 25.64x
Martyr Worthy 1 555.56x
Newport Pagnell 1 38.46x
Royal Navy 1 4.77x
Shadwell London 1 17.36x
Sheffield 1 1.54x
St Bartholomew Less 1 94.34x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.76x
St George In East London 1 5.17x
St George Martyr London 1 23.98x
St Pancras London 1 0.60x
Subdeanery 1 38.02x
Warminster 1 25.06x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Elizabeth 10
Annie 8
Alice 5
Eliza 5
Jane 5
Ann 4
Emma 4
Fanny 4
Martha 4
Sarah 4
Catherine 3
Julia 3
Louisa 3
Anne 2
Ellen 2
Harriet 2
Selina 2
Ada 1
Adaline 1
Amelia 1
Beatrice 1
Caroline 1
Cecila 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Elenor 1
Eliz 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Grace 1
Laughton 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Matilda 1
Minne 1
Miriam 1
Nellie 1
Rebecca 1
Susan 1
Teresa 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 15
Charles 9
Henry 8
Edward 7
George 6
James 5
Joseph 5
Robert 5
Arthur 3
Ernest 3
Harry 3
John 3
Thomas 3
Albert 2
Eli 2
Walter 2
Alfred 1
Courtenay 1
Donald 1
Edgar 1
Emery 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.C. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Jesse 1
Leonard 1
Lewis 1
Montague 1
Percival 1
Silvanus 1
Thos. 1
Vyvyan 1
W. 1

FAQ

Fookes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fookes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 210 people were recorded with the Fookes surname. That placed it at #12,440 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fookes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 178 in 2016. That gives Fookes a modern rank of #21,160.

What does the Fookes surname mean?

Fookes is a locational surname originating from a place called "Fowk" in England.

What does the Fookes map show?

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