NameCensus.

UK surname

Fowlie

A surname derived from a nickname for a person with bird-like qualities or mannerisms.

In the 1881 census there were 439 people recorded with the Fowlie surname, ranking it #7,455 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 524, ranked #9,666, down from #7,455 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rathen, New Deer and Old Deer. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Deer and Mormond, Turriff and Howe of Alford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fowlie is 595 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.4%.

1881 census count

439

Ranked #7,455

Modern count

524

2016, ranked #9,666

Peak year

1901

595 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fowlie had 439 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,455 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 524 in 2016, ranked #9,666.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 595 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Fowlie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fowlie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fowlie 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 265 #8,395
1861 historical 312 #8,127
1881 historical 439 #7,455
1891 historical 530 #7,073
1901 historical 595 #7,117
1911 historical 59 #26,914
1997 modern 521 #9,026
1998 modern 551 #8,921
1999 modern 534 #9,184
2000 modern 507 #9,530
2001 modern 497 #9,516
2002 modern 535 #9,178
2003 modern 526 #9,151
2004 modern 528 #9,144
2005 modern 527 #9,099
2006 modern 542 #8,918
2007 modern 519 #9,300
2008 modern 527 #9,259
2009 modern 550 #9,169
2010 modern 559 #9,245
2011 modern 541 #9,400
2012 modern 523 #9,555
2013 modern 523 #9,697
2014 modern 535 #9,594
2015 modern 532 #9,567
2016 modern 524 #9,666

Geography

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Where Fowlies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rathen, New Deer, Old Deer, Aberdour and Fyvie. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Deer and Mormond, Turriff, Howe of Alford, Longside and Rattray and Huntly. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Rathen Aberdeen
2 New Deer Aberdeen
3 Old Deer Aberdeen
4 Aberdour Aberdeen
5 Fyvie Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Deer and Mormond Aberdeenshire
2 Turriff Aberdeenshire
3 Howe of Alford Aberdeenshire
4 Longside and Rattray Aberdeenshire
5 Huntly Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fowlie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fowlie

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

Fowlie 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

Fowlie falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Fowlie

The surname Fowlie has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "feuillé," meaning "leafy" or "foliage." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone who lived near a dense, leafy area or perhaps worked with foliage in some capacity.

The earliest records of the name can be found in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls of the late 13th century, where it appears as "Fowlye." This spelling variation is likely a result of the name's transition from Old French to the Scottish dialect. The name's connection to Scotland is further solidified by the presence of the town of Fowlis in Perthshire, which may have influenced the surname's spelling and pronunciation.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir John Fowlie, a Scottish nobleman who lived in the late 14th century. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Robert III and played a role in the Wars of Scottish Independence.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the University of St. Andrews, with a student named Robert Fowlie enrolling in 1566. This suggests that the name had gained some recognition and status by that time.

During the 17th century, the Fowlie family established themselves in the Scottish Borders region. Notable members from this period include James Fowlie, a Presbyterian minister who was a vocal supporter of the Covenanters during the religious conflicts of the 1600s.

As the Fowlie name spread throughout Scotland, it also found its way to other parts of the British Isles. In the 18th century, a prominent English architect named William Fowlie designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Exchange and the Mansion House.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir John Fowlie, an Irish-born British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. He was born in 1786 and died in 1865.

While the Fowlie surname has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Scottish migration and the British Empire. However, its origins can be traced back to the 13th century and the Old French word "feuillé," reflecting the name's connection to foliage and the natural world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fowlie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fowlie 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 349 Fowlies recorded in 1881 and an index of 88.40x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 349 88.40x
Banffshire 37 41.84x
Midlothian 13 2.28x
Surrey 7 0.34x
Lanarkshire 6 0.44x
Durham 4 0.32x
Kent 4 0.28x
Lancashire 4 0.08x
Suffolk 3 0.58x
Yorkshire 3 0.07x
Kincardineshire 2 3.85x
Hampshire 1 0.11x
Northumberland 1 0.16x
Perthshire 1 0.52x
Renfrewshire 1 0.30x
Ross-shire 1 0.85x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. New Deer in Aberdeenshire leads with 75 Fowlies recorded in 1881 and an index of 1048.95x.

Place Total Index
New Deer 75 1048.95x
Gamrie 22 222.90x
Aberdeen Old Machar 21 25.48x
Aberdour 21 675.24x
Fyvie 21 326.09x
Rathen 19 458.94x
Peterhead 15 71.84x
Tyrie 15 302.42x
Ellon 13 239.41x
Rayne 13 691.49x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 12 16.24x
Turriff 12 188.38x
Alford 11 511.63x
Inverkeithny 10 740.74x
Old Deer 9 120.32x
Strichen 9 262.39x
Fraserburgh 8 72.01x
Methlick 8 253.16x
Auchterless 7 223.64x
Chapel Of Garioch 7 249.11x
Foveran 6 200.67x
Kingston On Thames 6 12.02x
Longside 6 127.39x
Newhills 6 74.26x
Udny 6 251.05x
Meldrum 5 150.15x
Bishopwearmouth 4 3.67x
Dyce 4 235.29x
Edinburgh New North 4 80.48x
Kintore 4 116.62x
South Leith 4 6.22x
Banff 3 39.06x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 3 30.80x
Edinburgh St Andrews 3 63.56x
Monymusk 3 177.51x
Wakefield 3 9.25x
Banchory Ternan 2 44.54x
Barrow In Furness 2 2.91x
Cambusnethan 2 6.53x
Cruden 2 39.37x
Deptford St Paul 2 1.78x
Fordyce 2 31.45x
Glasgow 2 0.82x
Govan 2 0.59x
North Meols 2 4.04x
Auchindoir Kearn 1 45.05x
Beckenham 1 5.26x
Caterham 1 10.89x
Crimond 1 81.97x
Daviot 1 133.33x
Edinburgh Canongate 1 6.88x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 8.44x
Insch 1 44.44x
Inverurie 1 22.37x
Keig 1 88.50x
Kilmadock 1 22.73x
Kinellar 1 117.65x
Millbrook 1 4.54x
Monquhitter 1 24.45x
New Machar 1 45.05x
Newcastle On Tyne 1 147.06x
Oyne 1 71.43x
Paisley High Church 1 3.80x
Premnay 1 73.53x
Uig 1 18.83x
Woolwich 1 1.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Ann 1
Bessie 1
Elizabeth 1
Ethel 1
Florence 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Lena 1
Margaret 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Martha 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
James 2
Alexander 1
George 1
Hy.George 1
Jas. 1
Norman 1
Walter 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 Fowlie households.

FAQ

Fowlie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fowlie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 439 people were recorded with the Fowlie surname. That placed it at #7,455 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fowlie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 524 in 2016. That gives Fowlie a modern rank of #9,666.

What does the Fowlie surname mean?

A surname derived from a nickname for a person with bird-like qualities or mannerisms.

What does the Fowlie map show?

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