NameCensus.

UK surname

Fort

A toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near or worked at a fortified place or stronghold.

In the 1881 census there were 722 people recorded with the Fort surname, ranking it #5,047 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 718, ranked #7,566, down from #5,047 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, London parishes and Kildwick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Burnley, Bradford and West Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fort is 893 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.6%.

1881 census count

722

Ranked #5,047

Modern count

718

2016, ranked #7,566

Peak year

1891

893 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fort had 722 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,047 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 718 in 2016, ranked #7,566.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 893 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Fort surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fort surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Fort 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 508 #4,924
1861 historical 651 #4,122
1881 historical 722 #5,047
1891 historical 893 #4,613
1901 historical 835 #5,436
1911 historical 830 #5,320
1997 modern 684 #7,373
1998 modern 702 #7,463
1999 modern 732 #7,274
2000 modern 710 #7,412
2001 modern 688 #7,468
2002 modern 724 #7,318
2003 modern 684 #7,529
2004 modern 701 #7,391
2005 modern 689 #7,441
2006 modern 684 #7,510
2007 modern 665 #7,735
2008 modern 660 #7,817
2009 modern 701 #7,639
2010 modern 727 #7,562
2011 modern 703 #7,676
2012 modern 713 #7,499
2013 modern 720 #7,578
2014 modern 737 #7,486
2015 modern 731 #7,474
2016 modern 718 #7,566

Geography

Back to top

Where Forts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, London parishes, Kildwick and Preston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Burnley, Bradford and West Dorset. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Kildwick Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Preston Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Burnley 004 Burnley
2 Bradford 004 Bradford
3 Burnley 005 Burnley
4 Burnley 001 Burnley
5 West Dorset 001 West Dorset

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Fort

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Fort

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fort, 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 Fort surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Fort 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Fort is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fort 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

Fort falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Fort

The surname FORT originates from England and France, and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "fort," meaning "strong" or "fortified place." The name was often given to people who lived near a fort or castle, or who were tasked with guarding and defending these structures.

In England, the surname FORT first appeared in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were records of landowners and their holdings. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Fort, who was listed as a landowner in Gloucestershire in the late 13th century.

During the Middle Ages, the FORT surname was also found in various parts of France, particularly in the northern regions. One notable example is Jehan Fort, a French soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War against the English in the 14th century.

The FORT surname has been associated with several place names, such as Fort William in Scotland, which was named after William III of England, and Fort Lauderdale in Florida, named after a British soldier named Major William Lauderdale.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname FORT. One of the most famous was Benjamin Franklin's wife, Deborah Read Fort (1708-1774), who was a skilled businesswoman and a respected figure in colonial Philadelphia.

Another notable bearer of the FORT surname was Sir Sampson Fort (1585-1639), an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1629. He was a wealthy businessman and was knighted by King Charles I.

In the literary world, the American poet and novelist Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) had a close friend and correspondent named Samuel Bowles Fort (1828-1886), who was a publisher and editor of the Springfield Republican newspaper.

During the American Civil War, John Franklin Fort (1822-1901) was a Union Army officer who served as a brigadier general and played a significant role in several battles, including the Battle of Missionary Ridge.

Lastly, one of the earliest known bearers of the FORT surname was Robert Fort (c. 1170-1235), an English nobleman and landowner who served as the Sheriff of Warwickshire and Leicestershire in the early 13th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Fort families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fort 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 237 Forts recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.91x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 237 2.91x
Yorkshire 139 2.04x
Middlesex 132 1.92x
Somerset 37 3.35x
Durham 28 1.37x
Surrey 24 0.72x
Kent 12 0.51x
Essex 10 0.74x
Gloucestershire 8 0.59x
Hampshire 8 0.57x
Midlothian 8 0.87x
Devon 7 0.49x
Wiltshire 7 1.15x
Cheshire 6 0.40x
Warwickshire 6 0.35x
Stirlingshire 5 1.97x
Shropshire 4 0.67x
West Lothian 4 3.87x
Worcestershire 4 0.45x
Leicestershire 3 0.39x
Lincolnshire 3 0.27x
Berkshire 2 0.39x
Norfolk 2 0.19x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.24x
Dorset 1 0.22x
Glamorgan 1 0.08x
Lanarkshire 1 0.05x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.64x
Morayshire 1 0.94x
Renfrewshire 1 0.19x
Staffordshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kildwick in Yorkshire leads with 30 Forts recorded in 1881 and an index of 483.87x.

Place Total Index
Kildwick 30 483.87x
Blackburn 27 12.45x
Higher Booths 25 170.18x
Thorne Coffin 20 7692.31x
Silsden 18 895.52x
Habergham Eaves 17 22.82x
Paddington London 17 6.73x
Padiham 17 86.34x
Islington London 16 2.40x
Colne 15 61.78x
Sherburn 15 241.16x
Bingley 13 30.00x
Lower Booths 13 89.04x
Westminster St James 13 18.41x
Hackney London 11 2.86x
Lambeth 11 1.84x
Manningham 11 13.12x
Abram 10 160.00x
Preston 10 4.59x
St Pancras London 10 1.81x
Great Little Marsden 9 24.11x
Barnoldswick 8 84.21x
Martock 8 111.27x
Northowram 8 16.76x
Plumstead 8 10.24x
Poplar London 8 6.17x
Alderbury 7 245.61x
Esh 7 47.07x
Hapton 7 137.52x
Hornsey 7 8.06x
Ickenham 7 744.68x
Shoreditch London 7 2.35x
Tottington Higher End 7 75.43x
Aldershot 6 12.73x
Birmingham 6 1.04x
Camberwell 6 1.37x
Cheltenham 6 5.77x
Liverpool 6 1.21x
Middop 6 4000.00x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 6 61.73x
Stockport 6 7.69x
Theydon Garnon 6 193.55x
Westleigh 6 32.43x
Wigan 6 5.27x
Williton 6 162.16x
Ashworth 5 1470.59x
Bradleys Both 5 413.22x
Bury 5 5.37x
Everton 5 1.93x
Falkirk 5 8.43x
Ince In Makerfield 5 13.19x
Lancaster 5 10.31x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 4.54x
Rastrick 5 26.46x
Sawley In Clitheroe 5 1190.48x
Stansfield 5 19.97x
Bow London 4 4.58x
Carriden 4 85.29x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 1.08x
Foulridge 4 193.24x
Kensington London 4 1.05x
Leeds 4 1.04x
Lower Mitton 4 50.63x
Oldham 4 1.52x
Oswestry Town 4 21.05x
St Luke London 4 3.63x
West Derby 4 1.68x
Addingham 3 59.06x
Croydon 3 1.62x
Dalkeith 3 16.53x
Gainsborough 3 11.59x
Morton In Keighley 3 56.07x
Newington 3 1.18x
Spitalfields London 3 5.81x
Streatlam Stainton 3 375.00x
Thornton In Craven 3 54.95x
Clifton 2 32.73x
Heysham 2 134.23x
Ightenhill Park 2 416.67x
Manchester 2 0.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 61
Elizabeth 25
Jane 20
Alice 18
Margaret 16
Sarah 14
Ann 13
Ellen 11
Hannah 11
Emma 9
Martha 9
Eliza 8
Isabella 8
Harriet 7
Edith 5
Lucy 5
Annie 4
Catherine 4
Emily 4
Esther 4
Maria 4
Rose 4
Agnes 3
Amelia 3
Beatrice 3
Florence 3
Grace 3
Louisa 3
Minnie 3
Nancy 3
Ada 2
Clara 2
Eleanor 2
Ethel 2
Frances 2
Mabel 2
Matilda 2
Tanthe 2
Adelaide 1
Betsy 1
Betty 1
Cordila 1
Deborah 1
Eliz. 1
Ella 1
Gertrude 1
Gwendoline 1
Han.Maria 1
Helen 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 41
William 30
Thomas 26
Robert 21
James 18
George 16
Henry 15
Richard 14
Joseph 9
Alfred 8
Charles 8
Samuel 7
Albert 6
Arthur 5
Edmund 4
Edward 4
Nicholas 4
Stephen 4
Benjamin 3
Ernest 3
Mark 3
Sidney 3
A. 2
Augustus 2
Chas. 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Henery 2
Herbert 2
Joshua 2
Levi 2
Matthew 2
Parkinson 2
Walter 2
Anthony 1
C.R. 1
Cornelius 1
Craven 1
Fenwick 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
H. 1
Hartley 1
Joel 1
Jonathan 1
Leon 1
Lorenzo 1
Luke 1
Wm.Hubert 1

FAQ

Fort surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fort surname in 1881?

In 1881, 722 people were recorded with the Fort surname. That placed it at #5,047 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fort surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 718 in 2016. That gives Fort a modern rank of #7,566.

What does the Fort surname mean?

A toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near or worked at a fortified place or stronghold.

What does the Fort map show?

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