NameCensus.

UK surname

Fordyce

From a place name derived from the Old English words "ford" meaning ford and "dic" meaning ditch.

In the 1881 census there were 657 people recorded with the Fordyce surname, ranking it #5,456 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 995, ranked #5,822, down from #5,456 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Rathven. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Luncarty and Dunkeld, Howe of Alford and Heldon West, Fogwatt to Inchberry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fordyce is 995 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.4%.

1881 census count

657

Ranked #5,456

Modern count

995

2016, ranked #5,822

Peak year

2016

995 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fordyce had 657 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,456 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 995 in 2016, ranked #5,822.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 758 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Fordyce surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fordyce surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fordyce 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 438 #5,615
1861 historical 477 #5,465
1881 historical 657 #5,456
1891 historical 675 #5,778
1901 historical 758 #5,892
1911 historical 106 #21,948
1997 modern 944 #5,748
1998 modern 971 #5,815
1999 modern 978 #5,807
2000 modern 989 #5,738
2001 modern 948 #5,828
2002 modern 988 #5,755
2003 modern 955 #5,813
2004 modern 974 #5,719
2005 modern 968 #5,679
2006 modern 954 #5,777
2007 modern 958 #5,803
2008 modern 977 #5,754
2009 modern 965 #5,930
2010 modern 967 #6,038
2011 modern 959 #6,028
2012 modern 961 #5,923
2013 modern 981 #5,912
2014 modern 992 #5,900
2015 modern 985 #5,886
2016 modern 995 #5,822

Geography

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Where Fordyces are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Rathven, Glasgow and Unst. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Luncarty and Dunkeld, Howe of Alford, Heldon West, Fogwatt to Inchberry, Turriff and Broomhill. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Rathven Banff
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Unst Shetland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Luncarty and Dunkeld Perth and Kinross
2 Howe of Alford Aberdeenshire
3 Heldon West, Fogwatt to Inchberry Moray
4 Turriff Aberdeenshire
5 Broomhill Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fordyce

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fordyce

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Fordyce surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Fordyce household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Fordyce is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fordyce is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Fordyce

The surname Fordyce originated in Scotland in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "ford" and "wick," meaning a settlement or dwelling near a ford or shallow river crossing. The name was initially found in the county of Banffshire, located in the northeastern part of Scotland.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Fordyce surname can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, where a "Walter de Fordyce" is listed as a landholder in Banffshire. The name is also found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

In the 15th century, the Fordyce family held lands in the parish of Fordyce in Banffshire. The parish took its name from the nearby village of Fordyce, which was once an important market town. The earliest recorded spelling of the place name was "Fordice," as seen in the Registrum Episcopatus Aberdonensis from 1440.

One notable historical figure bearing the Fordyce surname was George Fordyce (1736-1802), a Scottish physician and lecturer on medicine. He was born in Aberdeen and became a prominent figure in medical education in London, where he taught at the Royal College of Physicians.

Another notable Fordyce was James Fordyce (1720-1796), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and author. He was born in Northamptonshire, England, and served as a pastor in various churches before becoming a popular preacher and lecturer in London.

Sir William Fordyce (1724-1792) was a Scottish physician and chemist who made significant contributions to the study of chemistry and mineralogy. He was born in Edinburgh and served as a professor of chemistry at the University of Edinburgh.

John Fordyce (1642-1679) was a Scottish minister and theologian who was persecuted for his religious beliefs during the Killing Times in Scotland. He was born in Aberdeenshire and became a prominent figure in the Covenanter movement.

In the 19th century, Alexander Dingwall Fordyce Saltoun (1805-1885) was a Scottish landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Banffshire from 1835 to 1857. He was born in Banffshire and inherited the Fordyce estates through his mother's family.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fordyce families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fordyce 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 163 Fordyces recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.72x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 163 27.72x
Banffshire 118 89.58x
Lanarkshire 77 3.75x
Midlothian 64 7.52x
Perthshire 31 10.88x
Shetland 27 41.63x
West Lothian 19 19.87x
Middlesex 16 0.25x
Angus 15 2.55x
Renfrewshire 15 3.05x
Morayshire 12 12.16x
Ayrshire 11 2.31x
Durham 11 0.58x
Surrey 9 0.29x
Dunbartonshire 7 4.10x
Northumberland 7 0.74x
Fife 6 1.60x
Lincolnshire 6 0.59x
Roxburghshire 6 5.22x
Hampshire 5 0.38x
Clackmannanshire 3 5.72x
Kincardineshire 3 3.88x
Stirlingshire 3 1.28x
Sussex 3 0.28x
Yorkshire 3 0.05x
Argyllshire 2 1.13x
Dorset 2 0.48x
Peeblesshire 2 6.70x
Berkshire 1 0.21x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.26x
Devon 1 0.08x
Lancashire 1 0.01x
Warwickshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gamrie in Banffshire leads with 33 Fordyces recorded in 1881 and an index of 224.34x.

Place Total Index
Gamrie 33 224.34x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 28 8.18x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 24 21.81x
Huntly 24 250.78x
Govan 21 4.13x
Rathven 19 76.80x
Boyndie 17 389.91x
Whitburn 17 123.01x
Carluke 16 85.79x
Dunbarney 15 914.63x
North Leith 14 35.56x
Turriff 13 136.99x
Cullen 12 245.90x
Oyne 12 574.16x
Unst 12 253.16x
Peterhead 11 35.37x
Aberdour 10 215.98x
Barony 10 1.92x
Crawford 10 261.10x
Banff 9 78.67x
Elgin 9 46.90x
Alyth 8 104.30x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 8 9.78x
Islington London 8 1.30x
Monquhitter 8 131.36x
St Fergus 8 240.24x
St Quivox 8 49.78x
Edinburgh St Marys 7 42.32x
Fordyce 7 73.84x
Kintore 7 136.99x
Madderty 7 608.70x
Udny 7 196.63x
Bermondsey 6 3.17x
Bressay Burra Quarff 6 212.01x
Eastwood 6 19.80x
Forfar 6 18.83x
Great Grimsby 6 9.31x
Hawick 6 23.31x
King Edward 6 88.50x
Lerwick Gulberwick 6 59.76x
Cathcart 5 18.78x
Christchurch 5 17.72x
Dyce 5 197.63x
Edinburgh St Stephens 5 29.85x
Liff Benvie 5 5.60x
Marnoch 5 70.72x
Newhills 5 41.53x
Old Kilpatrick 5 24.79x
Wandell Lamington 5 724.64x
Wiston Robertson 5 406.50x
Anstruther Wester 4 273.97x
East Greenock 4 8.61x
Glasgow 4 1.10x
Kemnay 4 112.36x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 4 32.21x
Aberdeen Old Machar 3 2.44x
Cadder 3 19.78x
Edinburgh St Georges 3 17.00x
Hastings St Leonards 3 19.06x
Kilmarnock 3 5.30x
Monw Wearmouth Shore 3 165.75x
Old Deer 3 26.93x
Rotherhithe 3 3.82x
South Leith 3 3.13x
St George In East London 3 5.02x
Banchory Devenick 2 27.70x
Bellie 2 44.84x
Deskford 2 106.38x
Fetlar North Yell 2 212.77x
Foveran 2 44.94x
Insch 2 59.70x
Keith 2 14.25x
Kensington London 2 0.57x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 4.08x
Portland 2 8.92x
Richmond 2 20.35x
Roseneath 2 61.16x
Rothiemay 2 66.89x
Stirling 2 6.77x
Tillicoultry 2 17.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Elizabeth 4
Jane 4
Isabella 3
Barbara 2
Catherine 2
Christine 2
Grace 2
Ann 1
Annie 1
Bridget 1
Dame 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Henrietta 1
Jannet 1
Lilly 1
Maria 1
S...ury 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Fordyce surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fordyce surname in 1881?

In 1881, 657 people were recorded with the Fordyce surname. That placed it at #5,456 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fordyce surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 995 in 2016. That gives Fordyce a modern rank of #5,822.

What does the Fordyce surname mean?

From a place name derived from the Old English words "ford" meaning ford and "dic" meaning ditch.

What does the Fordyce map show?

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