NameCensus.

UK surname

Fowlds

A variant of the surname meaning "one who lived near a wooded place".

In the 1881 census there were 83 people recorded with the Fowlds surname, ranking it #21,808 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 162, ranked #22,512, down from #21,808 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fenwick, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Harborough, Mauchline and Barnsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fowlds is 167 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 95.2%.

1881 census count

83

Ranked #21,808

Modern count

162

2016, ranked #22,512

Peak year

2000

167 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fowlds had 83 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,808 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 162 in 2016, ranked #22,512.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 114 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Fowlds surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fowlds surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fowlds 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 87 #18,695
1861 historical 68 #25,196
1881 historical 83 #21,808
1891 historical 95 #24,694
1901 historical 108 #21,836
1911 historical 114 #21,064
1997 modern 144 #21,660
1998 modern 156 #21,144
1999 modern 165 #20,535
2000 modern 167 #20,332
2001 modern 157 #20,884
2002 modern 154 #21,531
2003 modern 152 #21,486
2004 modern 152 #21,628
2005 modern 141 #22,688
2006 modern 145 #22,420
2007 modern 141 #23,137
2008 modern 145 #22,929
2009 modern 140 #24,033
2010 modern 148 #23,697
2011 modern 149 #23,408
2012 modern 163 #21,989
2013 modern 161 #22,521
2014 modern 162 #22,624
2015 modern 164 #22,325
2016 modern 162 #22,512

Geography

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Where Fowlds' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Fenwick, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Chester St Oswald, Little St John, Cathedral Church, St Peter, St Bridget, St Martin, Holy Trinity and Dundonald. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Harborough, Mauchline, Barnsley, Bournemouth and Allerdale. 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 Fenwick Ayr
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Chester St Oswald, Little St John, Cathedral Church, St Peter, St Bridget, St Martin, Holy Trinity Cheshire
5 Dundonald Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Harborough 005 Harborough
2 Mauchline East Ayrshire
3 Barnsley 014 Barnsley
4 Bournemouth 021 Bournemouth
5 Allerdale 003 Allerdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fowlds

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fowlds

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Fowlds 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

Fowlds 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

Fowlds falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fowlds 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 Fowlds, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Fowlds

The surname Fowlds is believed to have originated in Scotland, specifically in the regions of Berwickshire and Roxburghshire, during the 12th or 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "fugol" meaning "bird" and "hyll" meaning "hill," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a hill frequented by birds or worked as a fowler, someone who caught birds for food or sport.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fowlds can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of documents recording the names of Scottish landowners who were required to swear allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Fowldes" in these rolls, suggesting that this spelling variation was in use during that time.

In the 15th century, the name Fowlds was associated with the lands of Fowlden or Fowldone in Berwickshire, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname. A notable bearer of the name during this period was John Fowlds, who was recorded as a landowner in Berwickshire in 1451.

The Fowlds family continued to be prominent in the Scottish Borders region throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. One of the most notable figures from this time was Sir James Fowlds (1580-1642), a Scottish landowner and Member of Parliament who played a significant role in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

As the Fowlds family spread throughout Scotland and beyond, various spelling variations emerged, including Fouldes, Fowldis, and Foulls. In the 18th century, a branch of the family settled in County Antrim, Ireland, where the name was sometimes anglicized to "Folds."

Other notable individuals with the surname Fowlds include:

1. Robert Fowlds (1766-1840), a Scottish-born artist and engraver who worked in London. 2. George Fowlds (1815-1899), a Scottish inventor and engineer who patented several improvements to steam engines and boilers. 3. James Fowlds (1842-1923), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the South Australian House of Assembly. 4. William Fowlds (1847-1934), a Scottish-born Australian artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits. 5. John Fowlds (1873-1944), a Scottish-born Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fowlds families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fowlds 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 29 Fowlds' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.62x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 29 3.62x
Ayrshire 17 28.06x
Cheshire 8 4.48x
Surrey 7 1.77x
Lancashire 5 0.52x
Shropshire 5 7.15x
Renfrewshire 4 6.38x
Midlothian 3 2.77x
Nottinghamshire 2 1.83x
Flintshire 1 4.60x
Lanarkshire 1 0.38x
Middlesex 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Keighley in Yorkshire leads with 28 Fowlds' recorded in 1881 and an index of 327.49x.

Place Total Index
Keighley 28 327.49x
Kilmarnock 8 110.96x
Lambeth 7 9.92x
Chester St Oswald 5 154.32x
Oswestry Town 5 223.21x
Riccarton Hurlford 5 471.70x
West Derby 5 17.79x
Paisley High Church 4 80.16x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 3 145.63x
South Leith 3 24.59x
Fenwick 2 625.00x
Irvine 2 119.05x
Nottingham St Mary 2 7.09x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 6.13x
Glasgow 1 2.15x
Mold Leeswood 1 204.08x
St Martin In Fields 1 20.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 6
Martha 3
Ellen 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Mary 2
Alice 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Emily 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Mable 1
Maud 1
Minivia 1
Olive 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
James 4
John 3
Daniel 2
David 2
Jeremiah 2
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fowler 1
George 1
Harrad 1
Hiram 1
Richard 1
Shadrick 1
Walter 1
Wm. 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 Fowlds households.

FAQ

Fowlds surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fowlds surname in 1881?

In 1881, 83 people were recorded with the Fowlds surname. That placed it at #21,808 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fowlds surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 162 in 2016. That gives Fowlds a modern rank of #22,512.

What does the Fowlds surname mean?

A variant of the surname meaning "one who lived near a wooded place".

What does the Fowlds map show?

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