NameCensus.

UK surname

Fothergill

A surname of English origin derived from a placename meaning "hill where the fodder was grown."

In the 1881 census there were 1,702 people recorded with the Fothergill surname, ranking it #2,527 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,080, ranked #3,109, down from #2,527 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) and Batley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ryedale, Richmondshire and Eden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fothergill is 2,182 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.2%.

1881 census count

1,702

Ranked #2,527

Modern count

2,080

2016, ranked #3,109

Peak year

2002

2,182 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fothergill had 1,702 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,527 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,080 in 2016, ranked #3,109.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,113 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Fothergill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fothergill surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fothergill 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 1,143 #2,465
1861 historical 1,041 #2,692
1881 historical 1,702 #2,527
1891 historical 1,885 #2,438
1901 historical 2,084 #2,574
1911 historical 2,113 #2,366
1997 modern 2,079 #2,955
1998 modern 2,124 #3,009
1999 modern 2,151 #2,999
2000 modern 2,158 #2,970
2001 modern 2,143 #2,932
2002 modern 2,182 #2,942
2003 modern 2,126 #2,950
2004 modern 2,089 #3,002
2005 modern 2,057 #3,000
2006 modern 2,044 #3,025
2007 modern 2,061 #3,039
2008 modern 2,058 #3,065
2009 modern 2,114 #3,055
2010 modern 2,127 #3,113
2011 modern 2,115 #3,083
2012 modern 2,080 #3,078
2013 modern 2,109 #3,095
2014 modern 2,104 #3,128
2015 modern 2,086 #3,112
2016 modern 2,080 #3,109

Geography

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Where Fothergills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon), Batley, Wakefield and Dewsbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ryedale, Richmondshire, Eden, Gateshead and Kirklees. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland
3 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Dewsbury Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ryedale 007 Ryedale
2 Richmondshire 005 Richmondshire
3 Eden 007 Eden
4 Gateshead 001 Gateshead
5 Kirklees 018 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fothergill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fothergill

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Fothergill surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Fothergill household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Fothergill 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

Fothergill 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

Fothergill 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 Fothergill 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 Fothergill, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Fothergill

The surname Fothergill is of English origin, having its roots in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "fothr" or "fother," meaning a load or burden, and "gill," referring to a narrow valley or ravine. Thus, the name likely originated as a topographic surname, describing someone who lived near a ravine or narrow valley where goods were transported or carried.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Records of 1379, where a William Fothergill is mentioned. The name also appears in the Lancashire Wills and Inventories from the 16th century, suggesting its presence in that region as well.

A notable early bearer of the name was Richard Fothergill (1588-1623), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the principal of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford. Another significant figure was John Fothergill (1676-1744), a renowned Quaker minister and writer from Wensleydale, Yorkshire.

The Fothergill name gained further prominence with the life of John Fothergill (1712-1780), a pioneering English physician and botanist. He was a member of the Royal Society and made significant contributions to the study of plant life and medicine. His nephew, Samuel Fothergill (1715-1772), was also a prominent Quaker minister and abolitionist who advocated for the abolition of slavery.

In the 19th century, one of the most notable individuals with the Fothergill surname was Jesse Fothergill (1835-1915), an English businessman and philanthropist. He established the Fothergill Trust, which aimed to provide affordable housing for workers in Yorkshire.

Other historical figures bearing the name include William Fothergill (1809-1868), an English civil engineer who worked on railroad projects in South America, and Thomas Fothergill (1808-1886), an English businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Kendal.

The Fothergill name has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Fothergill Beck in Yorkshire and Fothergill Farm in Lancashire, further highlighting its connection to the region's geography and topography.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fothergill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fothergill 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 617 Fothergills recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.72x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 617 3.72x
Lancashire 264 1.33x
Durham 158 3.17x
Northumberland 116 4.65x
Westmorland 103 27.98x
Middlesex 75 0.45x
Kent 63 1.10x
Warwickshire 38 0.90x
Gloucestershire 36 1.10x
Essex 34 1.03x
Cheshire 30 0.81x
Monmouthshire 25 2.06x
Surrey 25 0.31x
Lincolnshire 17 0.63x
Cumberland 12 0.83x
Derbyshire 11 0.42x
Glamorgan 11 0.38x
Sussex 10 0.35x
Kinross-shire 8 18.89x
Isle of Man 7 2.25x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.31x
Pembrokeshire 7 1.32x
Devon 6 0.17x
Lanarkshire 6 0.11x
Channel Islands 5 1.01x
Perthshire 5 0.67x
Oxfordshire 4 0.39x
Renfrewshire 3 0.23x
Shropshire 3 0.21x
Worcestershire 2 0.09x
Angus 1 0.06x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.10x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.14x
Cornwall 1 0.05x
Hampshire 1 0.03x
Midlothian 1 0.04x
Northamptonshire 1 0.06x
Royal Navy 1 0.50x
Staffordshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ossett Cum Gawthorpe in Yorkshire leads with 67 Fothergills recorded in 1881 and an index of 113.00x.

Place Total Index
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 67 113.00x
Dewsbury 56 32.90x
Hunslet 38 14.68x
Ravenstonedale 32 623.78x
Leeds 30 3.20x
Birmingham 29 2.06x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 24 39.82x
Hawes 22 202.77x
Tynemouth 21 15.74x
Batley 20 12.68x
Horton In Bradford 20 7.72x
Salford 20 3.42x
Bishop Auckland 19 28.42x
Islington London 19 1.17x
Milton In Gravesend 19 22.17x
Asby 18 633.80x
Birkenhead 18 6.11x
Liverpool 18 1.49x
Radcliffe 18 18.79x
West Ham 18 2.47x
Bishopwearmouth 16 3.74x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 16 5.17x
Gravesend 16 33.07x
Wakefield 16 12.56x
Westoe 16 5.66x
Chirton 15 26.60x
Dent 15 216.14x
Morley 15 17.38x
Chorlton On Medlock 14 4.43x
Darlington 13 6.76x
Poplar London 13 4.11x
West Derby 13 2.24x
Brightside Bierlow 12 3.69x
Pemberton 12 15.14x
Stretford 12 10.97x
Blackburn 11 2.08x
Elswick 11 5.53x
Hartlepool 11 15.53x
Haswell 11 30.80x
Kirkby Stephen 11 115.18x
Aldborough In Great 10 341.30x
Barton Upon Irwell 10 6.68x
Holy Trinity 10 2.50x
Willesden 10 6.33x
Coundon Grange 9 82.34x
Kensington London 9 0.97x
Leamington Priors 9 8.66x
Moss Side 9 8.61x
Skelton In York 9 502.79x
Soothill 9 15.01x
Willington 9 31.26x
Beetham 8 141.09x
Brinsworth 8 104.03x
Cardiff St John 8 8.40x
Deptford St Paul 8 1.82x
Farnley In Bramley 8 38.61x
Great Musgrave 8 769.23x
Holbeck 8 7.28x
Honley 8 27.54x
Kinross 8 55.10x
Lambeth 8 0.55x
Longbenton 8 7.58x
Newton 8 5.22x
Norton 8 43.67x
Openshaw 8 8.59x
Stranton 8 4.77x
Westhoughton 8 15.08x
Bedwellty 7 3.27x
Bradford 7 1.74x
Bristol St George 7 4.61x
Christchurch 7 18.69x
Failsworth 7 15.39x
Gilling 7 140.28x
Leake 7 57.05x
Manchester 7 0.78x
Minster In Sheppey 7 7.39x
Nateby 7 700.00x
Olveston 7 75.76x
Skerton 7 42.89x
Thirkleby In Thirsk 7 466.67x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Fothergill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fothergill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,702 people were recorded with the Fothergill surname. That placed it at #2,527 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fothergill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,080 in 2016. That gives Fothergill a modern rank of #3,109.

What does the Fothergill surname mean?

A surname of English origin derived from a placename meaning "hill where the fodder was grown."

What does the Fothergill map show?

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