NameCensus.

UK surname

Fortey

In the 1881 census there were 105 people recorded with the Fortey surname, ranking it #19,183 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 328, ranked #13,831, up from #19,183 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Marcle, Much, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Worcester and Solihull.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fortey is 372 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 212.4%.

1881 census count

105

Ranked #19,183

Modern count

328

2016, ranked #13,831

Peak year

1998

372 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fortey had 105 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,183 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 328 in 2016, ranked #13,831.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 330 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Fortey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fortey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fortey 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 40 #26,118
1861 historical 68 #25,196
1881 historical 105 #19,183
1891 historical 156 #17,842
1901 historical 222 #14,169
1911 historical 330 #10,669
1997 modern 343 #12,349
1998 modern 372 #12,008
1999 modern 370 #12,124
2000 modern 368 #12,130
2001 modern 357 #12,205
2002 modern 368 #12,168
2003 modern 358 #12,208
2004 modern 354 #12,358
2005 modern 348 #12,410
2006 modern 354 #12,339
2007 modern 365 #12,205
2008 modern 352 #12,631
2009 modern 349 #12,995
2010 modern 354 #13,135
2011 modern 346 #13,192
2012 modern 328 #13,625
2013 modern 338 #13,508
2014 modern 335 #13,720
2015 modern 333 #13,676
2016 modern 328 #13,831

Geography

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Where Forteys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Marcle, Much, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes and St Woollos (incl. Newport). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Worcester and Solihull. 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 Marcle, Much Herefordshire
2 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Woollos (incl. Newport) Monmouthshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 018 Herefordshire, County of
2 Worcester 002 Worcester
3 Solihull 008 Solihull
4 Herefordshire 010 Herefordshire, County of
5 Herefordshire 008 Herefordshire, County of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fortey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fortey

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Fortey is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fortey 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

Fortey falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Fortey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fortey 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. Warwickshire leads with 33 Forteys recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.15x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 33 13.15x
Worcestershire 22 16.94x
Middlesex 14 1.41x
Gloucestershire 8 4.10x
Monmouthshire 8 11.13x
Surrey 7 1.44x
Lancashire 6 0.51x
Shropshire 3 3.49x
Kent 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 24 Forteys recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.70x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 24 28.70x
St Giles In Fields London 10 204.92x
Aston 9 13.03x
Hallow 9 1406.25x
Llanfoist 8 1600.00x
Battersea 6 16.39x
Kings Norton 6 51.50x
Clifton 5 50.71x
Redmarley 5 1470.59x
Wavertree 5 132.28x
St Marylebone London 3 5.65x
Ludlow St Lawrence 2 116.96x
Winchcomb 2 206.19x
Claines 1 28.01x
Lambeth 1 1.15x
Madresfield 1 1111.11x
Margate St John Baptist 1 16.10x
Paddington London 1 2.73x
Pauntley 1 1428.57x
Thornton In Fylde 1 38.76x
Whitton 1 3333.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 6
Mary 5
Eliza 4
Emily 3
Edith 2
Elizabeth 2
Elizth. 2
Ellen 2
Harriet 2
Isabella 2
Allice 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Jane 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Mercey 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Henry 6
Thomas 6
John 5
William 5
Charles 4
Edward 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
James 2
Joseph 2
Samuel 2
Benjn. 1
David 1
Edw. 1
Frances 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
George 1
Jasper 1
Robert 1
S. 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Fortey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fortey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 105 people were recorded with the Fortey surname. That placed it at #19,183 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fortey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 328 in 2016. That gives Fortey a modern rank of #13,831.

What does the Fortey map show?

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