UK surname
An English surname derived from the Anglo-Norman French word "folk", meaning people or folk.
In the 1881 census there were 302 people recorded with the Foulks surname, ranking it #9,673 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 43, ranked #35,285, down from #9,673 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Conway, Toxteth Park and Stony Stratford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Foulks is 429 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 85.8%.
1881 census count
302
Ranked #9,673
Modern count
43
2016, ranked #35,285
Peak year
1851
429 bearers
Map years
6
1851 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Foulks surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Foulks surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 429 | #5,706 |
| 1861 | historical | 411 | #6,248 |
| 1881 | historical | 302 | #9,673 |
| 1891 | historical | 256 | #12,522 |
| 1901 | historical | 205 | #14,884 |
| 1911 | historical | 136 | #18,962 |
| 1997 | modern | 58 | #31,831 |
| 1998 | modern | 65 | #31,477 |
| 1999 | modern | 54 | #32,660 |
| 2000 | modern | 58 | #32,317 |
| 2001 | modern | 64 | #31,602 |
| 2002 | modern | 60 | #32,388 |
| 2003 | modern | 56 | #32,797 |
| 2004 | modern | 56 | #33,067 |
| 2005 | modern | 56 | #33,264 |
| 2006 | modern | 55 | #33,688 |
| 2007 | modern | 56 | #33,875 |
| 2008 | modern | 55 | #34,165 |
| 2009 | modern | 61 | #33,915 |
| 2010 | modern | 59 | #34,273 |
| 2011 | modern | 57 | #34,393 |
| 2012 | modern | 39 | #35,415 |
| 2013 | modern | 43 | #35,271 |
| 2014 | modern | 42 | #35,350 |
| 2015 | modern | 42 | #35,322 |
| 2016 | modern | 43 | #35,285 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Conway, Toxteth Park, Stony Stratford, Manchester and Morley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conway | Carnarvonshire |
| 2 | Toxteth Park | Lancashire |
| 3 | Stony Stratford | Northamptonshire |
| 4 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 5 | Morley | Derbyshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Foulks surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Foulks, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Foulks surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Foulks household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Foulks is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Foulks is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Foulks, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Foulks is of English origin, deriving from the medieval English given name Fulk or Fulke, itself an Old Germanic name with roots in the word "folk" meaning "people". The name first appeared in England during the Norman Conquest of the 11th century.
Foulks traces its origins to counties in the southern and central regions of England, particularly Wiltshire, Somerset, and Gloucestershire. Early spellings of the name included Folke, Folkys, Foulx, and Fowlks. It is believed that some of the earliest bearers of the name were of Norman descent, brought to England by William the Conqueror in 1066.
One of the earliest known historical references to the name Foulks can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners and tenants in England. The name appears as "Fulcus" and "Fulco" in various counties, indicating its presence in the country shortly after the Norman Conquest.
Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Foulks include Sir Fulk FitzWarin (c. 1170 – c. 1258), a renowned medieval knight and Marcher Lord in the Welsh Marches. Another early bearer of the name was John Foulks (c. 1385 – c. 1450), a prominent merchant and alderman in the City of London.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Foulks surname was associated with several prominent families in counties like Somerset and Gloucestershire. One such individual was Sir Martin Foulks (1560 – 1638), a Member of Parliament and Sheriff of Somerset in 1621.
In the 18th century, Edward Foulks (1713 – 1786) was a notable English architect and surveyor who worked on several significant projects, including the construction of the Old Admiralty Buildings in London.
As the Foulks family spread throughout England, the name became associated with various place names, such as Foulkscourt in Wiltshire and Foulksmill in Somerset, reflecting the influence and presence of individuals bearing the surname in those areas.
The Foulks surname has a rich history rooted in medieval England, with connections to Norman heritage, notable individuals, and geographic locations across various counties. Its evolution over centuries reflects the journey and contributions of those who carried this name.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Foulks surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 39 Foulks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.12x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 39 | 1.12x |
| Flintshire | 29 | 36.75x |
| Derbyshire | 28 | 6.09x |
| Caernarfonshire | 25 | 21.06x |
| Cheshire | 22 | 3.39x |
| Denbighshire | 20 | 18.03x |
| Montgomeryshire | 19 | 28.24x |
| Shropshire | 19 | 7.49x |
| Middlesex | 16 | 0.54x |
| Staffordshire | 16 | 1.61x |
| Yorkshire | 13 | 0.45x |
| Merionethshire | 12 | 22.34x |
| Buckinghamshire | 7 | 3.94x |
| Leicestershire | 5 | 1.54x |
| Surrey | 5 | 0.35x |
| Bedfordshire | 4 | 2.63x |
| Glamorgan | 4 | 0.78x |
| Gloucestershire | 3 | 0.52x |
| Kent | 3 | 0.30x |
| Berkshire | 2 | 0.91x |
| Hertfordshire | 2 | 0.99x |
| Nottinghamshire | 2 | 0.51x |
| Warwickshire | 2 | 0.27x |
| Cornwall | 1 | 0.30x |
| Essex | 1 | 0.17x |
| Orkney | 1 | 3.10x |
| Worcestershire | 1 | 0.26x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holywell in Flintshire leads with 16 Foulks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 161.45x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Foulks surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 21 |
| Elizabeth | 18 |
| Sarah | 11 |
| Hannah | 7 |
| Jane | 7 |
| Margaret | 7 |
| Ann | 6 |
| Alice | 4 |
| Anne | 3 |
| Catherine | 3 |
| Eliza | 3 |
| Ada | 2 |
| Annie | 2 |
| Cathrine | 2 |
| Ellen | 2 |
| Emma | 2 |
| Florence | 2 |
| Frances | 2 |
| Laura | 2 |
| Louisa | 2 |
| Caroline | 1 |
| Catharine | 1 |
| Charlotte | 1 |
| Clara | 1 |
| Deaina | 1 |
| Deborah | 1 |
| Edith | 1 |
| Edna | 1 |
| Elizh. | 1 |
| Elliza | 1 |
| Emily | 1 |
| Emly | 1 |
| Esther | 1 |
| Fanny | 1 |
| Gay | 1 |
| Georgina | 1 |
| Harriet | 1 |
| Harriett | 1 |
| Henrietta | 1 |
| Jessie | 1 |
| Lettisher | 1 |
| Lilian | 1 |
| Lucy | 1 |
| M. | 1 |
| Margret | 1 |
| Maria | 1 |
| Marry | 1 |
| Martha | 1 |
| Pauline | 1 |
| Phoebe | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Foulks surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| William | 28 |
| Thomas | 21 |
| John | 20 |
| Edward | 11 |
| Richard | 8 |
| Joseph | 7 |
| Robert | 6 |
| Henry | 5 |
| Edwin | 3 |
| Evan | 3 |
| Frederick | 3 |
| Owen | 3 |
| Albert | 2 |
| Alfred | 2 |
| Arthur | 2 |
| Charles | 2 |
| David | 2 |
| Francis | 2 |
| George | 2 |
| J. | 2 |
| James | 2 |
| Morris | 2 |
| Samuel | 2 |
| Benjamin | 1 |
| Benjamine | 1 |
| Chas. | 1 |
| E. | 1 |
| Gabriel | 1 |
| Gorge | 1 |
| Hamlet | 1 |
| Herbert | 1 |
| Hugh | 1 |
| Hy. | 1 |
| J.R. | 1 |
| Matthew | 1 |
| Morley | 1 |
| Peter | 1 |
| Richd.Lewis | 1 |
| Stephen | 1 |
| Trevor | 1 |
| Wythen | 1 |
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 Foulks households.
FAQ
In 1881, 302 people were recorded with the Foulks surname. That placed it at #9,673 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 43 in 2016. That gives Foulks a modern rank of #35,285.
An English surname derived from the Anglo-Norman French word "folk", meaning people or folk.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Foulks bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.