NameCensus.

UK surname

Fortune

An English surname derived from the Old French word "fortune," meaning chance, luck, or prosperity.

In the 1881 census there were 1,562 people recorded with the Fortune surname, ranking it #2,707 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,453, ranked #2,685, up from #2,707 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kildwick, Edinburgh and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kelso North, Caerphilly and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fortune is 2,478 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.0%.

1881 census count

1,562

Ranked #2,707

Modern count

2,453

2016, ranked #2,685

Peak year

2014

2,478 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fortune had 1,562 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,707 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,453 in 2016, ranked #2,685.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,907 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Fortune surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fortune surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Fortune 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 1,144 #2,464
1861 historical 1,184 #2,393
1881 historical 1,562 #2,707
1891 historical 1,735 #2,622
1901 historical 1,907 #2,769
1911 historical 1,452 #3,321
1997 modern 2,267 #2,739
1998 modern 2,358 #2,748
1999 modern 2,407 #2,716
2000 modern 2,393 #2,715
2001 modern 2,329 #2,725
2002 modern 2,430 #2,689
2003 modern 2,343 #2,711
2004 modern 2,340 #2,712
2005 modern 2,291 #2,730
2006 modern 2,300 #2,722
2007 modern 2,333 #2,717
2008 modern 2,343 #2,728
2009 modern 2,399 #2,729
2010 modern 2,441 #2,748
2011 modern 2,441 #2,722
2012 modern 2,389 #2,724
2013 modern 2,453 #2,710
2014 modern 2,478 #2,705
2015 modern 2,460 #2,696
2016 modern 2,453 #2,685

Geography

Back to top

Where Fortunes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kildwick, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Keighley and Pewsham, Chippenham, Langley Burrell, Hardenhuish, Kington, Slaughterford, Biddestone St Nicholas an. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kelso North, Caerphilly, Bradford, IZ14 and North Somerset. 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 Kildwick Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Pewsham, Chippenham, Langley Burrell, Hardenhuish, Kington, Slaughterford, Biddestone St Nicholas an Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kelso North Scottish Borders
2 Caerphilly 004 Caerphilly
3 Bradford 058 Bradford
4 IZ14 East Lothian
5 North Somerset 007 North Somerset

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Fortune

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Fortune

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Fortune is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fortune is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fortune falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fortune is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Fortune

The surname Fortune has its origins in Anglo-Norman French and is derived from the word 'fortun', meaning luck or chance. It is believed to have originated in England during the 12th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name was likely initially used as a nickname for someone who was considered fortunate or lucky.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Fortune can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mention a Robert Fortune. Another early record is from the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1284, where a William Fortune is mentioned.

The name Fortune is also found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners in England during the reign of King Edward I. This suggests that the name was already well-established by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname Fortune appears in various records, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John Fortune is mentioned in 1317. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also include a reference to a Thomas Fortune.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Fortune was Sir John Fortune, a prominent English soldier and landowner who lived during the 15th century. He served as a member of the household of King Henry VI and was granted lands in Buckinghamshire.

Another notable figure with the surname Fortune was Sir Andrew Fortune, a Scottish merchant and diplomat who lived in the 16th century. He was born around 1537 and served as the Scottish Ambassador to France and Denmark.

In the 17th century, the surname Fortune appears in various parish records and court documents across England. One example is George Fortune, a merchant from London who was involved in the Virginia Company, which established the first permanent English settlement in North America at Jamestown in 1607.

During the 18th century, the surname Fortune was found in various parts of the British Isles, including Scotland and Ireland. One notable bearer of the name was Robert Fortune, a Scottish botanist and plant hunter who lived from 1812 to 1880. He is credited with introducing numerous plant species from China to the West, including the tea plant Camellia sinensis.

Another well-known figure with the surname Fortune was Malcolm Fortune, a Scottish author and historian who lived from 1834 to 1900. He wrote extensively on Scottish history and culture, including works such as "The Scots in France" and "The Scots of Gascony".

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Fortune families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fortune 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. Yorkshire leads with 287 Fortunes recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.90x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 287 1.90x
Midlothian 146 7.14x
Lancashire 123 0.68x
Wiltshire 107 7.93x
Berwickshire 76 41.11x
Middlesex 65 0.43x
Lanarkshire 64 1.30x
Durham 62 1.37x
East Lothian 58 28.68x
Northumberland 54 2.38x
Somerset 46 1.87x
Fife 44 4.87x
Pembrokeshire 38 7.83x
Surrey 35 0.47x
Kent 30 0.58x
Roxburghshire 25 9.04x
Cheshire 22 0.65x
West Lothian 19 8.26x
Ayrshire 17 1.49x
Banffshire 17 5.37x
Montgomeryshire 15 4.29x
Cambridgeshire 14 1.45x
Gloucestershire 14 0.47x
Caithness 13 6.22x
Glamorgan 12 0.45x
Perthshire 12 1.75x
Dunbartonshire 11 2.68x
Warwickshire 10 0.26x
Devon 9 0.28x
Renfrewshire 9 0.76x
Angus 8 0.57x
Cumberland 7 0.53x
Essex 7 0.23x
Hampshire 7 0.22x
Monmouthshire 7 0.63x
Berkshire 6 0.52x
Selkirkshire 6 4.34x
Derbyshire 5 0.21x
Kirkcudbrightshire 5 2.26x
Royal Navy 5 2.75x
Sussex 5 0.19x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.28x
Kinross-shire 4 10.37x
Ross-shire 4 0.95x
Staffordshire 4 0.08x
Wigtownshire 4 1.97x
Brecknockshire 3 0.98x
Shropshire 3 0.23x
Suffolk 3 0.16x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.22x
Inverness-shire 2 0.44x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.10x
Oxfordshire 2 0.21x
Stirlingshire 2 0.36x
Cornwall 1 0.06x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.30x
Flintshire 1 0.24x
Peeblesshire 1 1.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 60 Fortunes recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.29x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 60 7.29x
Keighley 44 27.29x
Kildwick 39 283.22x
Dunse 33 188.25x
Pewsham 32 1600.00x
Silsden 30 672.65x
Govan 23 1.88x
Calne 22 79.14x
Barony 21 1.68x
Bradford 19 5.19x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 17 32.86x
Bishopwearmouth 17 4.36x
Chippenham 17 60.05x
Liverpool 17 1.55x
South Leith 17 7.39x
North Leith 16 16.91x
Ovenden 16 23.76x
Bowling 15 10.01x
Toxteth Park 15 2.45x
Whitekirk Tynninghame 15 271.25x
Bassingbourn 14 98.52x
Everton 14 2.42x
Anstruther Easter 13 199.39x
Dukinfield 13 8.35x
Gorton 13 7.63x
Pembroke St Mary 13 20.81x
Linlithgow 12 40.71x
Camberwell 11 1.13x
Clevedon 11 43.05x
Coldingham 11 66.19x
Glasgow 11 1.25x
Hownam 11 802.92x
Pudsey 11 13.60x
Carham 10 170.07x
Christian Malford 10 243.90x
Dunbar 10 35.27x
Great Bolton 10 4.17x
Hartlepool 10 15.49x
Kirkcaldy 10 22.31x
Laycock 10 163.40x
St Quivox 10 25.89x
Swindon 10 9.55x
Temple 10 123.00x
Buckland In Dover 9 52.14x
Fordyce 9 39.51x
Otley 9 24.50x
St George Bloomsbury 9 10.28x
Thurso 9 27.61x
Byker 8 7.13x
Gateshead 8 2.35x
Old Kilpatrick 8 16.50x
Ormesby 8 19.68x
Pembroke St Michael 8 113.80x
Rathven 8 13.45x
St John Near Swansea 8 24.34x
Tynemouth 8 6.58x
Walcot 8 6.11x
Acklington 7 569.11x
Baltonsborough 7 190.74x
Chirnside 7 88.38x
Edrom 7 88.38x
Freckleton 7 117.65x
Inveresk 7 12.64x
Kensington London 7 0.82x
Makerston 7 351.76x
Newtown 7 31.29x
Penicuik 7 25.19x
Redgorton 7 92.11x
Ruswarp 7 41.59x
St Pancras London 7 0.57x
St Woollos 7 5.68x
Tranent 7 25.62x
West Rounton 7 614.04x
Bingley 6 6.23x
Elie 6 169.01x
Hutton Rudby 6 132.74x
Plumstead 6 3.46x
Prestonkirk 6 59.35x
Skelton In Guisbrough 6 14.66x
Westgate 6 4.27x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 70
William 66
James 36
Thomas 30
George 29
Charles 20
Henry 18
Robert 14
Alfred 12
Edward 12
Samuel 11
Richard 9
Arthur 8
David 8
Joseph 8
Ernest 5
Frank 5
Frederick 4
Fredrick 4
Harry 4
Patrick 4
Tom 4
Albert 3
Christopher 3
Daniel 3
Fred 3
Herbert 3
Thos. 3
Willie 3
Aaron 2
Benjamin 2
Denton 2
Jeptha 2
Jeremiah 2
Jonathan 2
Joshua 2
Mark 2
Peter 2
Sam 2
Simon 2
W. 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Asquith 1
Atkinson 1
Eli 1
Elija 1
Ellis 1
Emmott 1
Wright 1

FAQ

Fortune surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fortune surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,562 people were recorded with the Fortune surname. That placed it at #2,707 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fortune surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,453 in 2016. That gives Fortune a modern rank of #2,685.

What does the Fortune surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old French word "fortune," meaning chance, luck, or prosperity.

What does the Fortune map show?

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