NameCensus.

UK surname

Fordy

In the 1881 census there were 94 people recorded with the Fordy surname, ranking it #20,467 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 125, ranked #26,827, down from #20,467 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Darlington, Warkworth and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Carlisle and IZ16.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fordy is 145 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.0%.

1881 census count

94

Ranked #20,467

Modern count

125

2016, ranked #26,827

Peak year

1901

145 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fordy had 94 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,467 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 125 in 2016, ranked #26,827.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 145 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Fordy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fordy surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fordy 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 61 #22,412
1861 historical 67 #25,342
1881 historical 94 #20,467
1891 historical 112 #22,291
1901 historical 145 #18,426
1911 historical 142 #18,487
1997 modern 135 #22,499
1998 modern 140 #22,615
1999 modern 142 #22,607
2000 modern 141 #22,648
2001 modern 136 #22,855
2002 modern 138 #23,094
2003 modern 129 #23,783
2004 modern 118 #25,317
2005 modern 111 #26,260
2006 modern 108 #27,015
2007 modern 109 #27,253
2008 modern 106 #28,016
2009 modern 107 #28,483
2010 modern 106 #29,305
2011 modern 107 #28,979
2012 modern 112 #28,174
2013 modern 114 #28,347
2014 modern 122 #27,358
2015 modern 122 #27,245
2016 modern 125 #26,827

Geography

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Where Fordys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Darlington, Warkworth, Gateshead, Newcastle St John and Rothbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Carlisle, IZ16, Hambleton and Stockton-on-Tees. 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 Darlington Durham
2 Warkworth Northumberland
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Newcastle St John Northumberland
5 Rothbury Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
2 Carlisle 001 Carlisle
3 IZ16 West Dunbartonshire
4 Hambleton 003 Hambleton
5 Stockton-on-Tees 015 Stockton-on-Tees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fordy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fordy

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

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Fordy is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Fordy 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

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

1881 census detail

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Fordy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fordy 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. Northumberland leads with 55 Fordys recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.32x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 55 40.32x
Durham 31 11.37x
Lancashire 8 0.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stockton On Tees in Durham leads with 12 Fordys recorded in 1881 and an index of 91.25x.

Place Total Index
Stockton On Tees 12 91.25x
North Sunderland 9 2903.23x
Flotterton 8 26666.67x
Liverpool 8 12.11x
Rothbury 8 2051.28x
Darlington 7 66.48x
Elswick 7 64.28x
Ford 6 731.71x
Warkworth 6 2727.27x
Rothley 5 12500.00x
Bedlington 4 87.91x
Bishopwearmouth 3 12.82x
Beadnell 2 2000.00x
Merrington 2 384.62x
Byker 1 14.84x
Coxlodge 1 96.15x
Felton 1 476.19x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 8.47x
Snitter 1 2500.00x
Thropton 1 1250.00x
Westgate 1 11.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 6
Margaret 5
Mary 5
Elizabeth 3
Barbra 2
Catherine 2
Cathrine 2
Eleanor 2
Florence 2
Isabella 2
Jane 2
Sarah 2
Anne 1
Barbara 1
Elizth. 1
Ethel 1
Frances 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Minnie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
William 10
James 4
Robert 4
Andrew 3
Henry 3
Edward 2
Michael 2
Alfred 1
Allan 1
Charles 1
Felix 1
George 1
Harry 1
Joseph 1
Matthew 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Fordy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fordy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 94 people were recorded with the Fordy surname. That placed it at #20,467 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fordy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 125 in 2016. That gives Fordy a modern rank of #26,827.

What does the Fordy map show?

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