NameCensus.

UK surname

Forden

From a Welsh surname meaning someone who lived near a ford or shallow river crossing.

In the 1881 census there were 104 people recorded with the Forden surname, ranking it #19,296 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 88, ranked #32,396, down from #19,296 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Whitby and Earsham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Arun, Rochdale and Sefton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Forden is 250 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 15.4%.

1881 census count

104

Ranked #19,296

Modern count

88

2016, ranked #32,396

Peak year

1861

250 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2006

Key insights

  • Forden had 104 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,296 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 88 in 2016, ranked #32,396.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 250 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Forden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Forden surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Forden 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 111 #16,006
1861 historical 250 #9,877
1881 historical 104 #19,296
1891 historical 141 #19,108
1901 historical 122 #20,344
1911 historical 127 #19,749
1997 modern 115 #24,834
1998 modern 113 #25,731
1999 modern 124 #24,508
2000 modern 108 #26,549
2001 modern 98 #27,672
2002 modern 106 #26,985
2003 modern 102 #27,383
2004 modern 101 #27,813
2005 modern 102 #27,689
2006 modern 108 #27,015
2007 modern 107 #27,557
2008 modern 106 #28,016
2009 modern 117 #26,927
2010 modern 121 #27,005
2011 modern 119 #27,063
2012 modern 96 #30,949
2013 modern 96 #31,381
2014 modern 94 #31,909
2015 modern 90 #32,245
2016 modern 88 #32,396

Geography

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Where Fordens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Whitby, Earsham, Manchester and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Arun, Rochdale, Sefton and Weymouth and Portland. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Whitby Yorkshire, North Riding
3 Earsham Norfolk
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Arun 014 Arun
2 Rochdale 009 Rochdale
3 Sefton 031 Sefton
4 Weymouth and Portland 008 Weymouth and Portland
5 Rochdale 002 Rochdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Forden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Forden

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Forden is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

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

Forden 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

Forden 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 Forden is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Forden

The surname Forden has its origins in England, first appearing in the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ford" meaning a shallow place where a river could be crossed, and "dun" meaning a hill or down. This suggests the name likely referred to someone who lived near a ford by a hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1199, where it is spelled "de Fordun". This indicates the name was originally a locational surname, given to families residing near a particular ford by a hill. Over time, the spelling evolved to the modern form of Forden.

In the 13th century, the Forden name appeared in various records across central and northern England. This includes several entries in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire between 1246 and 1273. There are also references to individuals with the surname in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1283.

Notable individuals with the Forden surname throughout history include Sir John Forden (c.1470-1533), a Member of Parliament for Lyme Regis in the early 16th century. Another was Thomas Forden (1635-1706), an English Jesuit priest and educator who served as the President of the English College in Rome.

In the 17th century, the Forden name can be found in parish records from the village of Forden in Shropshire, suggesting a possible connection between the surname and this location. One prominent figure was Richard Forden (1624-1658), an English clergyman who served as the Rector of Forden.

Moving into the 18th century, William Forden (1709-1786) was a notable English mathematician and astronomer. He published several works on navigation and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1766. Additionally, John Forden (1765-1841) was a renowned English landscape painter and engraver, known for his picturesque views of the English countryside.

As the name spread across England and into other parts of the British Isles, variations in spelling emerged, such as Fordan, Fordon, and Fording. However, the core meaning and origin of the surname remained rooted in the concept of a ford near a hill or down.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Forden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Forden 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. Yorkshire leads with 26 Fordens recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.59x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 26 2.59x
Lancashire 19 1.58x
Cheshire 16 7.15x
Middlesex 12 1.18x
Monmouthshire 8 10.91x
Sussex 7 4.09x
Hampshire 3 1.44x
Lincolnshire 3 1.85x
Staffordshire 3 0.88x
Wiltshire 2 2.23x
Cornwall 1 0.87x
Norfolk 1 0.64x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.73x
Warwickshire 1 0.39x
Worcestershire 1 0.75x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whitby in Yorkshire leads with 10 Fordens recorded in 1881 and an index of 294.99x.

Place Total Index
Whitby 10 294.99x
Bedwellty 8 61.78x
Castleton 6 49.92x
Mile End Old Town London 6 27.79x
Spotland 6 44.84x
Whitwell On The Hill 6 8571.43x
Birkenhead 5 28.01x
Monks Coppenhall 5 59.17x
Tranmere 4 48.60x
Walberton 4 1904.76x
Great Grimsby 3 29.15x
Leeds 3 5.29x
Pendleton In Salford 3 20.92x
West Meon 3 1071.43x
York St Martin Mklgt W 3 1304.35x
Downton 2 170.94x
Hornsey 2 15.59x
Sheriff Hutton W 2 689.66x
Stoke Upon Trent 2 5.51x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 3.80x
Atherstone 1 76.34x
Billington 1 204.08x
Bradford 1 4.11x
Brighton 1 2.90x
Ecclesfield 1 13.57x
Falmouth 1 24.63x
Gimingham 1 1000.00x
Hulme 1 3.98x
Kensington London 1 1.77x
Kings Norton 1 8.42x
Newhaven 1 71.94x
Odd Rode 1 90.09x
Paddington London 1 2.68x
Salford 1 2.82x
Sandon 1 555.56x
St Anne Soho London 1 17.27x
Thurgarton 1 909.09x
Westminster St Margaret 1 20.45x
Withyam 1 136.99x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 1 50.25x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
George 6
William 5
Alfred 4
Charles 4
James 3
Dennis 2
Patrick 2
Samuel 2
Thomas 2
Aaron 1
Arthur 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
G.W. 1
Jonathan 1
Lawrence 1
Leonard 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Octavus 1
Richard 1
Septimus 1

FAQ

Forden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Forden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 104 people were recorded with the Forden surname. That placed it at #19,296 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Forden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 88 in 2016. That gives Forden a modern rank of #32,396.

What does the Forden surname mean?

From a Welsh surname meaning someone who lived near a ford or shallow river crossing.

What does the Forden map show?

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