NameCensus.

UK surname

Foulston

In the 1881 census there were 182 people recorded with the Foulston surname, ranking it #13,647 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 211, ranked #18,904, down from #13,647 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Doncaster, St John Hackney and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Oadby and Wigston, North Lincolnshire and Westminster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Foulston is 292 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.9%.

1881 census count

182

Ranked #13,647

Modern count

211

2016, ranked #18,904

Peak year

1911

292 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Foulston had 182 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,647 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 211 in 2016, ranked #18,904.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 292 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Foulston surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Foulston surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Foulston 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 133 #14,106
1861 historical 148 #15,452
1881 historical 182 #13,647
1891 historical 188 #15,609
1901 historical 211 #14,647
1911 historical 292 #11,674
1997 modern 222 #16,508
1998 modern 218 #17,159
1999 modern 216 #17,364
2000 modern 217 #17,296
2001 modern 204 #17,736
2002 modern 219 #17,288
2003 modern 228 #16,663
2004 modern 224 #16,918
2005 modern 219 #17,126
2006 modern 227 #16,842
2007 modern 213 #17,744
2008 modern 208 #18,171
2009 modern 217 #18,070
2010 modern 219 #18,319
2011 modern 226 #17,792
2012 modern 220 #18,034
2013 modern 220 #18,324
2014 modern 217 #18,645
2015 modern 212 #18,842
2016 modern 211 #18,904

Geography

Back to top

Where Foulstons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Doncaster, St John Hackney, Sheffield, London parishes and Kelsey, North. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Oadby and Wigston, North Lincolnshire, Westminster, Kingston upon Hull and North Kesteven. 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 Doncaster Yorkshire, West Riding
2 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 London parishes London 2
5 Kelsey, North Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Oadby and Wigston 005 Oadby and Wigston
2 North Lincolnshire 002 North Lincolnshire
3 Westminster 011 Westminster
4 Kingston upon Hull 007 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 North Kesteven 013 North Kesteven

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Foulston

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Foulston

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Foulston, 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 Foulston surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Foulston 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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Foulston is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Foulston is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Foulston families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Foulston 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 96 Foulstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.52x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 96 5.52x
Lincolnshire 36 12.82x
Middlesex 18 1.03x
Surrey 5 0.58x
Warwickshire 5 1.13x
Cumberland 4 2.65x
Derbyshire 4 1.46x
Wiltshire 4 2.58x
Essex 2 0.58x
Lancashire 2 0.10x
Cheshire 1 0.26x
Kent 1 0.17x
Leicestershire 1 0.51x
Staffordshire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Doncaster in Yorkshire leads with 26 Foulstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 204.56x.

Place Total Index
Doncaster 26 204.56x
North Kelsey 21 4117.65x
Monk Bretton 12 681.82x
Sheffield 12 21.66x
Hackney London 11 11.17x
Nether Hallam 8 33.98x
Sutton 8 404.04x
Leeds 7 7.13x
Althorpe 6 937.50x
Thorne 6 277.78x
Birmingham 5 3.39x
Croydon 5 10.53x
Ecclesall Bierlow 4 11.30x
Heytesbury 4 701.75x
Holy Trinity 4 9.56x
Normanton 4 172.41x
Arlecdon 3 74.63x
Clerkenwell London 3 7.24x
Stallingborough 3 1034.48x
Westminster St Margaret 3 35.42x
Garforth 2 150.38x
Keelby 2 444.44x
Windle 2 17.06x
Barnsley 1 5.57x
Belton 1 87.72x
Brightside Bierlow 1 2.93x
Chorley In Macclesfield 1 84.75x
Dogdyke 1 769.23x
East Ham 1 15.55x
Eltham 1 28.49x
Grays Thurrock 1 31.06x
Greasbrough 1 43.48x
Great Clifton 1 169.49x
Hemsworth 1 100.00x
Lichfield St Michael 1 53.76x
Loughborough 1 11.33x
Paddington London 1 1.55x
Rotherham 1 10.19x
South Kelsey 1 270.27x
Sutton Stoneferry 1 20.08x
Waddingham 1 232.56x
Womersley 1 434.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 16
George 11
William 11
Joseph 7
Thomas 7
Arthur 6
Henry 4
James 4
Stephen 4
Charles 3
Harry 2
Richard 2
Alfred 1
Archibald 1
Edward 1
Ezra 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Gladstone 1
Hy. 1
Samuel 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Foulston surname: questions and answers

How common was the Foulston surname in 1881?

In 1881, 182 people were recorded with the Foulston surname. That placed it at #13,647 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Foulston surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 211 in 2016. That gives Foulston a modern rank of #18,904.

What does the Foulston map show?

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