NameCensus.

UK surname

Forfar

In the 1881 census there were 175 people recorded with the Forfar surname, ranking it #13,982 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 179, ranked #21,086, down from #13,982 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Alloa, Govan Combination and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Brechin East, Portsmouth and Isle of Wight.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Forfar is 190 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.3%.

1881 census count

175

Ranked #13,982

Modern count

179

2016, ranked #21,086

Peak year

1997

190 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Forfar had 175 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,982 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 179 in 2016, ranked #21,086.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 181 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Forfar surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Forfar surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Forfar 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 88 #18,569
1861 historical 113 #19,151
1881 historical 175 #13,982
1891 historical 162 #17,390
1901 historical 181 #16,107
1911 historical 109 #21,611
1997 modern 190 #18,199
1998 modern 179 #19,372
1999 modern 175 #19,798
2000 modern 173 #19,889
2001 modern 175 #19,484
2002 modern 168 #20,396
2003 modern 157 #21,026
2004 modern 152 #21,628
2005 modern 158 #21,052
2006 modern 152 #21,721
2007 modern 158 #21,464
2008 modern 163 #21,238
2009 modern 170 #21,095
2010 modern 176 #21,101
2011 modern 172 #21,248
2012 modern 175 #20,984
2013 modern 182 #20,795
2014 modern 180 #21,115
2015 modern 182 #20,856
2016 modern 179 #21,086

Geography

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Where Forfars are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Alloa, Govan Combination, Toxteth Park, St. Ninians and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Brechin East, Portsmouth, Isle of Wight, Northfield and Piershill and Wirral. 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 Alloa Clackmannan
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 St. Ninians Stirling
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Brechin East Angus
2 Portsmouth 014 Portsmouth
3 Isle of Wight 012 Isle of Wight
4 Northfield and Piershill City of Edinburgh
5 Wirral 036 Wirral

Forenames

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First names often paired with Forfar

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Forfar

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Forfar, 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 Forfar surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Forfar 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Forfar is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Forfar 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

Forfar 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 Forfar is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Forfar families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Forfar 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. Lancashire leads with 25 Forfars recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.23x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 25 1.23x
Lanarkshire 23 4.17x
Stirlingshire 22 34.94x
Middlesex 16 0.94x
Midlothian 9 3.94x
Buteshire 8 77.37x
Cheshire 8 2.12x
Dumfriesshire 8 21.21x
Surrey 8 0.96x
Angus 7 4.43x
Dunbartonshire 7 15.26x
Hampshire 6 1.71x
Westmorland 6 16.00x
Clackmannanshire 5 35.46x
Essex 5 1.48x
Kinross-shire 4 92.59x
Fife 2 1.98x
Sussex 2 0.70x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.92x
Devon 1 0.28x
Perthshire 1 1.31x
Royal Navy 1 4.92x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Ninians in Stirlingshire leads with 13 Forfars recorded in 1881 and an index of 208.33x.

Place Total Index
St Ninians 13 208.33x
Toxteth Park 12 17.50x
Liverpool 10 8.13x
Barony 9 6.44x
Birkenhead 8 26.63x
Rothesay 8 159.68x
Battersea 7 11.14x
Cumbernauld 7 278.88x
Montrose 7 73.07x
Portsea 6 8.75x
Undermilbeck 6 483.87x
Alloa 5 73.10x
Falkirk 5 33.92x
Govan 5 3.66x
Kensington London 5 5.27x
West Ham 5 6.72x
Glasgow 4 4.08x
Mile End Old Town London 4 11.01x
Orwell 4 336.13x
South Leith 4 15.55x
Bromley London 3 7.99x
Hamilton 3 19.48x
Kirkmahoe 3 410.96x
Larbert 3 79.79x
Lochmaben 3 181.82x
West Derby 3 5.06x
Bothwell 2 13.36x
Dalton 2 588.24x
Dunfermline 2 12.87x
Edinburgh Canongate 2 34.36x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 2.17x
Hastings St Mary 2 27.93x
Edmonton 1 7.27x
Exeter St David 1 32.89x
Fala Soutra 1 555.56x
Holy Trinity Less London 1 232.56x
Lambeth 1 0.67x
Longforgan 1 92.59x
Royal Navy 1 5.75x
St Andrewthe Less 1 8.10x
St George In East London 1 6.23x
St Marylebone London 1 1.10x
Stirling 1 12.59x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Forfar 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
Alice 3
E. 2
Eliza 2
Hannah 2
Sarah 2
Ann 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Christ. 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Emma 1
Isabela 1
Janet 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
M. 1
Margaret 1
Nellie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 12
James 3
John 3
Robert 3
Thomas 3
Francis 2
Geo. 2
Hugh 2
Richard 2
Wm. 2
Alan 1
Alfred 1
Charles 1
Douglas 1
Earnest 1
George 1
Henry 1
Pat.Thos. 1
Stanley 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1

FAQ

Forfar surname: questions and answers

How common was the Forfar surname in 1881?

In 1881, 175 people were recorded with the Forfar surname. That placed it at #13,982 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Forfar surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 179 in 2016. That gives Forfar a modern rank of #21,086.

What does the Forfar map show?

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