NameCensus.

UK surname

Foubister

In the 1881 census there were 219 people recorded with the Foubister surname, ranking it #12,122 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 265, ranked #16,130, down from #12,122 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkwall and St.Ola, Evie and Rendall and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Mainland, West Kirkwall and East Kirkwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Foubister is 283 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.0%.

1881 census count

219

Ranked #12,122

Modern count

265

2016, ranked #16,130

Peak year

2010

283 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Foubister had 219 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,122 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 265 in 2016, ranked #16,130.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 250 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Foubister surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Foubister surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Foubister 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 171 #11,730
1861 historical 171 #13,692
1881 historical 219 #12,122
1891 historical 250 #12,762
1901 historical 243 #13,358
1911 historical 3 #33,789
1997 modern 208 #17,219
1998 modern 221 #17,021
1999 modern 226 #16,884
2000 modern 244 #16,004
2001 modern 238 #16,004
2002 modern 244 #16,085
2003 modern 248 #15,695
2004 modern 250 #15,695
2005 modern 251 #15,590
2006 modern 254 #15,560
2007 modern 274 #14,932
2008 modern 273 #15,113
2009 modern 273 #15,436
2010 modern 283 #15,363
2011 modern 277 #15,433
2012 modern 271 #15,628
2013 modern 260 #16,350
2014 modern 252 #16,822
2015 modern 259 #16,409
2016 modern 265 #16,130

Geography

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Where Foubisters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkwall and St.Ola, Evie and Rendall, Edinburgh, Shapinsay and Holm. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Mainland, West Kirkwall, East Kirkwall, Caithness North West and Mearns North and Inverbervie. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Kirkwall and St.Ola Orkney
2 Evie and Rendall Orkney
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Shapinsay Orkney
5 Holm Orkney

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Mainland Orkney Islands
2 West Kirkwall Orkney Islands
3 East Kirkwall Orkney Islands
4 Caithness North West Highland
5 Mearns North and Inverbervie Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Foubister

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Foubister

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Foubister surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Foubister household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Foubister 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

Foubister is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Foubister families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Foubister 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. Orkney leads with 184 Foubisters recorded in 1881 and an index of 782.98x.

County Total Index
Orkney 184 782.98x
Midlothian 15 5.24x
Shetland 15 68.74x
Lanarkshire 3 0.43x
Durham 1 0.16x
Northumberland 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. St Andrews Deerness in Orkney leads with 94 Foubisters recorded in 1881 and an index of 7580.65x.

Place Total Index
St Andrews Deerness 94 7580.65x
Holm 31 3924.05x
Kirkwall St Ola 18 511.36x
Walls Sandness Papa 12 6315.79x
Firth Stenness 10 990.10x
Shapinshay 9 1267.61x
Evie Rendall 8 808.08x
South Leith 7 21.74x
Sandwick 6 681.82x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 3.47x
Birsay Harray 3 175.44x
Edinburgh Old 3 172.41x
Lerwick Gulberwick 3 88.76x
Stromness 2 113.64x
Stronsay Eday 2 129.87x
Barony 1 0.57x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.83x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 16.84x
Glasgow 1 0.82x
Gorbals 1 24.39x
Hoy Graemsay 1 227.27x
Wooler 1 89.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Harriet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Hamilton 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Foubister households.

Occupation Count
Mariners Wife 1
Photographer 1

FAQ

Foubister surname: questions and answers

How common was the Foubister surname in 1881?

In 1881, 219 people were recorded with the Foubister surname. That placed it at #12,122 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Foubister surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 265 in 2016. That gives Foubister a modern rank of #16,130.

What does the Foubister map show?

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