NameCensus.

UK surname

Foulis

A Scottish surname derived from the French surname Fowlis, which originated from a place name.

In the 1881 census there were 225 people recorded with the Foulis surname, ranking it #11,931 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 257, ranked #16,485, down from #11,931 in 1881.

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

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Foulis is 264 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.2%.

1881 census count

225

Ranked #11,931

Modern count

257

2016, ranked #16,485

Peak year

2014

264 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Foulis had 225 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,931 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 257 in 2016, ranked #16,485.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 259 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Foulis surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Foulis surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Foulis 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 114 #15,716
1861 historical 141 #16,072
1881 historical 225 #11,931
1891 historical 259 #12,399
1901 historical 232 #13,769
1911 historical 74 #25,423
1997 modern 222 #16,508
1998 modern 239 #16,179
1999 modern 247 #15,932
2000 modern 238 #16,290
2001 modern 236 #16,094
2002 modern 252 #15,714
2003 modern 226 #16,766
2004 modern 229 #16,684
2005 modern 225 #16,831
2006 modern 225 #16,941
2007 modern 218 #17,477
2008 modern 226 #17,238
2009 modern 231 #17,331
2010 modern 251 #16,749
2011 modern 245 #16,874
2012 modern 255 #16,296
2013 modern 253 #16,642
2014 modern 264 #16,288
2015 modern 260 #16,361
2016 modern 257 #16,485

Geography

Back to top

Where Foulis' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkwall and St.Ola, Gateshead, Edinburgh, Westray and Papa Westray and Balmerino. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Kirkwall, East Mainland, East Kirkwall, Drumchapel North and Berwickshire East. 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 Gateshead Durham
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Westray and Papa Westray Orkney
5 Balmerino Fife

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Kirkwall Orkney Islands
2 East Mainland Orkney Islands
3 East Kirkwall Orkney Islands
4 Drumchapel North Glasgow City
5 Berwickshire East Scottish Borders

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Foulis

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Foulis

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Foulis, 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 Foulis surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Foulis 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, Foulis 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

Foulis is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Foulis 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 Foulis is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Foulis

The surname Foulis originated in Scotland during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Norman French word "fouailles," meaning "fallen leaves" or "foliage." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a forested area or a place with an abundance of fallen leaves.

The earliest recorded mention of the Foulis name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England after his conquest of Scotland. This historic document includes the name "Willelmus de Fowlis," indicating that the surname was already established by the late 13th century.

The Foulis family held lands in the counties of Angus and Perthshire, with their ancestral seat being the Barony of Foulis near the town of Longforgan. The name is also associated with the historic Foulis Castle, which dates back to the 12th century and was once the residence of the influential Foulis family.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the Foulis surname was Sir Reginald de Foulis, who lived in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. He was a prominent Scottish knight and landowner who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Scottish Wars of Independence.

Another significant figure was Sir James Foulis (1470-1549), who served as Lord Lyon King of Arms, the chief officer of heraldry in Scotland. He played a crucial role in establishing and maintaining the heraldic traditions of the Scottish nobility.

In the 16th century, Robert Foulis (1510-1585) was a renowned Scottish printer and publisher. He established one of the first printing presses in Scotland and was responsible for publishing some of the earliest works of Scottish literature.

Sir John Foulis (1609-1679) was a prominent lawyer and judge who served as Lord of Session, the highest civil court in Scotland. He was known for his expertise in Scottish law and his influential legal writings.

Sir William Foulis (1768-1842) was a Scottish architect and co-founder of the Royal Scottish Academy. He designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the iconic Calton Hill monuments and the original National Monument on Calton Hill.

These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the Foulis surname, which has its roots in the medieval period and is deeply intertwined with the history and traditions of Scotland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Foulis families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Foulis 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 70 Foulis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 291.18x.

County Total Index
Orkney 70 291.18x
Midlothian 54 18.45x
Fife 25 19.33x
Angus 18 8.89x
Lanarkshire 18 2.55x
Lancashire 12 0.46x
Renfrewshire 7 4.13x
Ayrshire 5 3.06x
Middlesex 5 0.23x
Kent 4 0.54x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.99x
Buteshire 2 15.11x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 3.16x
Selkirkshire 1 5.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westray Papa Westray in Orkney leads with 38 Foulis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1989.53x.

Place Total Index
Westray Papa Westray 38 1989.53x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 17 14.44x
Kirkwall St Ola 14 388.89x
St Andrews 14 237.69x
Penicuik 10 251.26x
Dundee 9 11.91x
Firth Stenness 9 873.79x
North Leith 9 66.42x
St Andrews Deerness 8 634.92x
St Vigeans 7 64.04x
Barrow In Furness 6 17.02x
Cambuslang 6 84.27x
Cupar 6 106.76x
Inveresk 6 75.76x
Barony 5 2.80x
Edinburgh St Stephens 5 86.81x
Hamilton 5 25.37x
Largs 5 129.87x
St Luke London 5 14.27x
Deptford St Paul 4 6.96x
North Meols 4 15.76x
South Leith 4 12.14x
Cathcart 3 32.75x
East Greenock 3 18.76x
Govan 2 1.14x
Logie 2 689.66x
Rothesay 2 31.20x
Strathmiglo 2 129.03x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 2.37x
Deerness 1 10000.00x
Dunfermline 1 5.03x
Dunnichen 1 93.46x
Edinburgh St Andrews 1 41.32x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 16.47x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 17.57x
Liverpool 1 0.64x
Mains 1 58.14x
Melrose 1 20.08x
Paisley Middle Church 1 10.14x
Preston 1 1.44x
Turriff 1 30.58x
Urr 1 24.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Margaret 2
Mary 2
Alice 1
Anne 1
Eleanor 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Henry 2
James 2
William 2
Thomas 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 Foulis households.

FAQ

Foulis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Foulis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 225 people were recorded with the Foulis surname. That placed it at #11,931 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Foulis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 257 in 2016. That gives Foulis a modern rank of #16,485.

What does the Foulis surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the French surname Fowlis, which originated from a place name.

What does the Foulis map show?

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