NameCensus.

UK surname

Foston

A habitational surname derived from the place name Foston, referring to someone from that location.

In the 1881 census there were 98 people recorded with the Foston surname, ranking it #19,999 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 275, ranked #15,720, up from #19,999 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Roulston, Middle Rasen, Buslingthorpe and Willingham, South. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kingston upon Hull.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Foston is 280 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 180.6%.

1881 census count

98

Ranked #19,999

Modern count

275

2016, ranked #15,720

Peak year

2002

280 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Foston had 98 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,999 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 275 in 2016, ranked #15,720.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 207 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Foston surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Foston surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Foston 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 47 #24,810
1861 historical 207 #11,687
1881 historical 98 #19,999
1891 historical 119 #21,415
1901 historical 113 #21,296
1911 historical 143 #18,401
1997 modern 275 #14,335
1998 modern 274 #14,759
1999 modern 279 #14,670
2000 modern 263 #15,228
2001 modern 260 #15,113
2002 modern 280 #14,660
2003 modern 271 #14,787
2004 modern 267 #15,038
2005 modern 273 #14,708
2006 modern 271 #14,880
2007 modern 275 #14,888
2008 modern 273 #15,113
2009 modern 275 #15,349
2010 modern 273 #15,764
2011 modern 274 #15,571
2012 modern 271 #15,628
2013 modern 266 #16,098
2014 modern 274 #15,877
2015 modern 273 #15,789
2016 modern 275 #15,720

Geography

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Where Fostons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Roulston, Middle Rasen, Buslingthorpe, Willingham, South, Driffield and Sheepshead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kingston upon Hull. 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 Roulston Lincolnshire
2 Middle Rasen, Buslingthorpe Lincolnshire
3 Willingham, South Lincolnshire
4 Driffield Yorkshire, East Riding
5 Sheepshead Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kingston upon Hull 010 Kingston upon Hull, City of
2 Kingston upon Hull 011 Kingston upon Hull, City of
3 Kingston upon Hull 007 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 Kingston upon Hull 026 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 Kingston upon Hull 009 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Foston

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Foston

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Foston, 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 Foston surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Foston 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Foston is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Foston is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Foston falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Foston

The surname Foston originates from England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the place name Foston, which is found in several counties in England, including Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk.

The name Foston itself is believed to be derived from the Old English words "fos" and "tun," meaning "a homestead or village near a marshy area." This suggests that the original bearers of the name lived near or in a settlement located near a marshy or boggy area.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Foston can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1176, where a certain Robertus de Foston is listed. The Pipe Rolls were financial records kept by the English Exchequer, and the inclusion of the name indicates that the name was already established by that time.

In the 13th century, the surname Foston appeared in several historical records, such as the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1208, where a Thomas de Foston is mentioned. The Feet of Fines were legal documents recording land transactions, and their presence suggests that the Foston family had acquired property or land holdings in the region.

Notable individuals with the surname Foston include:

1. Thomas Foston (c. 1370-1445), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1422 to 1423.

2. Robert Foston (c. 1460-1525), an English theologian and academic who held the position of Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge in the early 16th century.

3. William Foston (c. 1520-1585), an English merchant and trader who was involved in the export of wool to the Netherlands during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

4. Henry Foston (c. 1600-1670), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious treatises, including "The Christian's Duty" and "The Way to Eternal Life."

5. Elizabeth Foston (1675-1745), an English philanthropist and benefactor who donated significant funds to establish schools and almshouses in her hometown of Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.

Throughout history, the surname Foston has also been associated with various place names, such as Foston in Derbyshire, Foston in Leicestershire, and Foston-on-the-Wolds in Yorkshire. These place names further reinforce the locational origin of the surname and its connection to specific geographic regions in England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Foston families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Foston 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. Lincolnshire leads with 47 Fostons recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.75x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 47 30.75x
Yorkshire 31 3.27x
Lancashire 9 0.79x
Leicestershire 6 5.66x
Norfolk 3 2.04x
Middlesex 1 0.10x
Staffordshire 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Rasen in Lincolnshire leads with 11 Fostons recorded in 1881 and an index of 13750.00x.

Place Total Index
West Rasen 11 13750.00x
Great Driffield 10 515.46x
Pendleton In Salford 9 66.62x
Normanby By Spital 8 6153.85x
Sculcoates 8 53.26x
Holy Trinity 7 30.73x
South Kelsey 6 3000.00x
Sheepshed 5 344.83x
Alford 3 315.79x
East Walton 3 5000.00x
Shipley 3 60.98x
South Willingham 3 2727.27x
St Nicholas Lincoln 3 205.48x
Tealby 3 1428.57x
Hempholme 2 6666.67x
Market Rasen 2 235.29x
Rowston 2 2857.14x
Walcott 2 833.33x
East Keal 1 769.23x
Frampton 1 344.83x
Heckington 1 172.41x
Leicester St Margaret 1 3.87x
Pool 1 526.32x
Ruskington 1 256.41x
St George Bloomsbury 1 18.25x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 2.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Charlotte 4
Fanny 4
Sarah 4
Alice 3
Kate 3
Ada 2
Ann 2
Ethel 2
Martha 2
Rhoda 2
Betsy 1
Elisa 1
Elizabeth 1
Emila 1
Hope 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Lousia 1
Lucy 1
Rose 1
Sophia 1
Susannah 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Foston surname: questions and answers

How common was the Foston surname in 1881?

In 1881, 98 people were recorded with the Foston surname. That placed it at #19,999 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Foston surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 275 in 2016. That gives Foston a modern rank of #15,720.

What does the Foston surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from the place name Foston, referring to someone from that location.

What does the Foston map show?

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