NameCensus.

UK surname

Formstone

In the 1881 census there were 83 people recorded with the Formstone surname, ranking it #21,808 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 173, ranked #21,561, up from #21,808 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Gresford, Wrexham and Aldford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wrexham, Barnsley and Waverley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Formstone is 212 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 108.4%.

1881 census count

83

Ranked #21,808

Modern count

173

2016, ranked #21,561

Peak year

1998

212 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Formstone had 83 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,808 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 173 in 2016, ranked #21,561.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 158 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Formstone surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Formstone surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Formstone 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 10 #31,497
1861 historical 66 #25,487
1881 historical 83 #21,808
1891 historical 73 #27,677
1901 historical 145 #18,426
1911 historical 158 #17,277
1997 modern 202 #17,514
1998 modern 212 #17,479
1999 modern 212 #17,611
2000 modern 196 #18,431
2001 modern 199 #17,996
2002 modern 205 #18,009
2003 modern 188 #18,810
2004 modern 188 #18,919
2005 modern 183 #19,194
2006 modern 182 #19,402
2007 modern 181 #19,680
2008 modern 180 #19,946
2009 modern 182 #20,201
2010 modern 184 #20,521
2011 modern 191 #19,871
2012 modern 160 #22,260
2013 modern 172 #21,575
2014 modern 173 #21,639
2015 modern 173 #21,542
2016 modern 173 #21,561

Geography

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Where Formstones are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Gresford, Wrexham, Aldford, Manchester and Middlesborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wrexham, Barnsley, Waverley and Cheshire West and Chester. 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 Gresford Denbighshire
2 Wrexham Denbighshire
3 Aldford Cheshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Middlesborough Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wrexham 020 Wrexham
2 Barnsley 022 Barnsley
3 Wrexham 014 Wrexham
4 Waverley 011 Waverley
5 Cheshire West and Chester 047 Cheshire West and Chester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Formstone

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Formstone

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Formstone surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Formstone household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Formstone 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

Formstone 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

Formstone falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Formstone 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 Formstone, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Formstone families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Formstone 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. Cheshire leads with 33 Formstones recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.25x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 33 18.25x
Denbighshire 30 96.96x
Lancashire 11 1.13x
Yorkshire 7 0.86x
Shropshire 3 4.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gresford Gwersyllt in Denbighshire leads with 21 Formstones recorded in 1881 and an index of 2187.50x.

Place Total Index
Gresford Gwersyllt 21 2187.50x
Bersham 9 681.82x
Great Boughton 8 1290.32x
Aldersey 7 23333.33x
Middlesbrough 7 66.23x
Saighton 7 7000.00x
Hulme 6 29.57x
Thornton In Fylde 5 234.74x
Buerton In Chester 3 15000.00x
Shifnal 3 156.25x
Chester Holy Trinity 2 235.29x
Lyme Handley 2 2500.00x
Beeston 1 1111.11x
Butley 1 666.67x
Handley 1 1250.00x
Norley 1 500.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ellen 5
Emma 4
Elizabeth 3
Elizth. 3
Martha 3
Mary 3
Harriet 2
Jane 2
Louisa 2
Lydia 2
Ann 1
Bridget 1
Dora 1
Emily 1
Margaret 1
Rosette 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
William 5
George 4
James 4
Joseph 4
Thomas 3
Fredk. 2
Wm. 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Archey 1
Davey 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Hermy 1
Jas. 1
Jos. 1
Levi 1
Robert 1
Saml. 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Formstone households.

FAQ

Formstone surname: questions and answers

How common was the Formstone surname in 1881?

In 1881, 83 people were recorded with the Formstone surname. That placed it at #21,808 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Formstone surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 173 in 2016. That gives Formstone a modern rank of #21,561.

What does the Formstone map show?

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