NameCensus.

UK surname

Foxwell

A surname denoting someone who lived near a fox's den or burrow.

In the 1881 census there were 527 people recorded with the Foxwell surname, ranking it #6,503 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 807, ranked #6,859, down from #6,503 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Pilton, North Wootton, Shepton Mallet, Croscombe. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, Mendip and Caerphilly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Foxwell is 925 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.1%.

1881 census count

527

Ranked #6,503

Modern count

807

2016, ranked #6,859

Peak year

1999

925 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Foxwell had 527 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,503 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 807 in 2016, ranked #6,859.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 807 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Foxwell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Foxwell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Foxwell 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 359 #6,583
1861 historical 364 #7,023
1881 historical 527 #6,503
1891 historical 532 #7,053
1901 historical 689 #6,361
1911 historical 807 #5,445
1997 modern 880 #6,074
1998 modern 904 #6,142
1999 modern 925 #6,078
2000 modern 911 #6,124
2001 modern 889 #6,132
2002 modern 909 #6,154
2003 modern 878 #6,193
2004 modern 862 #6,285
2005 modern 822 #6,459
2006 modern 827 #6,448
2007 modern 835 #6,473
2008 modern 833 #6,533
2009 modern 843 #6,604
2010 modern 842 #6,743
2011 modern 848 #6,627
2012 modern 815 #6,740
2013 modern 832 #6,737
2014 modern 816 #6,870
2015 modern 827 #6,748
2016 modern 807 #6,859

Geography

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Where Foxwells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Pilton, North Wootton, Shepton Mallet, Croscombe and North Nibley, Wotton-under-Edge. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, Mendip, Caerphilly and Torfaen. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Pilton, North Wootton, Shepton Mallet, Croscombe Somerset
4 London parishes London 3
5 North Nibley, Wotton-under-Edge Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 006 Forest of Dean
2 Mendip 009 Mendip
3 Caerphilly 006 Caerphilly
4 Torfaen 003 Torfaen
5 Mendip 006 Mendip

Forenames

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First names often paired with Foxwell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Foxwell

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Foxwell is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Foxwell is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Foxwell falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Foxwell

The surname Foxwell is of English origin, derived from a locality name. It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, likely between the 11th and 13th centuries. The name is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "fox" and "well," referring to a well or spring located near the den of a fox.

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a person named William Foxwell is mentioned. Additionally, there are references to individuals with the surname Foxwell in various tax records and church registers from the 14th and 15th centuries in counties such as Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire.

While the name does not appear in the Domesday Book, which was compiled in 1086, there are records of place names like Foxhole and Foxden from that period, which may have influenced the formation of the surname Foxwell.

Notable individuals with the surname Foxwell throughout history include:

1. Thomas Foxwell (c. 1560-1635), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Chedsey, Somerset.

2. John Foxwell (c. 1590-1665), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Lyme Regis in 1640.

3. William Foxwell (c. 1630-1701), an English merchant and politician who represented Bridgwater in the House of Commons from 1679 to 1685.

4. Henry Foxwell (1758-1838), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

5. Edward Foxwell (1817-1892), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the former Royal Naval College at Greenwich.

The name Foxwell has also been associated with various place names, such as Foxwell in Somerset, Foxwell Court in Gloucestershire, and Foxwell Green in Wiltshire, further reinforcing its connection to the English countryside and its potential origins as a locational surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Foxwell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Foxwell 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. Somerset leads with 132 Foxwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.95x.

County Total Index
Somerset 132 15.95x
Gloucestershire 94 9.32x
Middlesex 59 1.15x
Surrey 41 1.64x
Devon 34 3.18x
Dorset 20 5.93x
Sussex 18 2.08x
Lancashire 17 0.28x
Hampshire 16 1.52x
Hertfordshire 15 4.23x
Monmouthshire 14 3.77x
Brecknockshire 10 9.73x
Warwickshire 9 0.69x
Essex 6 0.59x
Herefordshire 6 2.85x
Leicestershire 6 1.05x
Cheshire 5 0.44x
Wiltshire 5 1.10x
Worcestershire 5 0.74x
Denbighshire 4 2.06x
Kent 4 0.23x
Oxfordshire 2 0.63x
Berkshire 1 0.26x
Cornwall 1 0.17x
Glamorgan 1 0.11x
Norfolk 1 0.13x
Yorkshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Shepton Mallet in Somerset leads with 32 Foxwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 344.83x.

Place Total Index
Shepton Mallet 32 344.83x
Wotton Under Edge 27 454.55x
Croscombe 23 2254.90x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 20 21.07x
Pennington In Leigh 17 145.30x
Bedminster 13 16.72x
Watford 12 43.68x
Stonehouse 11 191.97x
Cheltenham 10 12.86x
Islington London 10 2.01x
Paddington London 10 5.29x
Wonersh 10 319.49x
Llangattock 9 107.53x
Lyme Regis 9 222.77x
Ottery St Mary 9 128.21x
Southampton St Mary 9 13.58x
St Pancras London 9 2.18x
Trevethin 9 25.64x
Amberley 8 620.16x
Axminster 8 20000.00x
Kilmersdon 8 195.60x
Rotherhithe 8 12.59x
Stoke Damerel 8 10.68x
Stroud 8 40.77x
Camberwell 7 2.13x
Battersea 6 3.17x
Bromley London 6 5.31x
Emborough 6 1935.48x
Hammersmith London 6 4.74x
Hinckley 6 44.38x
Otterford 6 845.07x
Pitminster 6 246.91x
Southampton Holy Rood 6 566.04x
Walthamstow 6 16.43x
Aston 5 1.40x
Bedwellty 5 7.62x
Berkeley Breadstone 5 1923.08x
Bridgewater 5 22.26x
Clayhidon 5 480.77x
Garway 5 531.91x
Shepperton 5 220.26x
Clapham 4 6.22x
Hastings Holy Trinity 4 62.60x
Kensington London 4 1.40x
Llangollen Dinbren 4 2857.14x
Midsomer Norton 4 51.28x
Painswick 4 56.10x
Sutton In Macclesfield 4 33.96x
Warwick St Mary 4 35.52x
Weston Super Mare 4 19.15x
Aylesbeare 3 193.55x
Burnham 3 47.54x
Castle Cary 3 83.10x
Great Hadham 3 131.00x
Lydney 3 57.58x
St Marylebone London 3 1.09x
Storrington 3 126.05x
Tamerton Foliott 3 145.63x
Thorncombe 3 154.64x
Wells St Cuthbert In 3 236.22x
Weston Bamfylde 3 1666.67x
Whitchurch 3 337.08x
Worle 3 175.44x
Brighton 2 1.14x
Churchstanton 2 152.67x
Clevedon 2 23.26x
Deptford St Paul 2 1.48x
Dunkeswell 2 289.86x
Lavington West 2 625.00x
Melksham 2 25.35x
Mile End Old Town London 2 1.83x
Oxford St Mary Magdalen 2 53.19x
Slimbridge 2 133.33x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 1.93x
Worcester St Peter 2 15.74x
Cheadle 1 4.61x
Hackney London 1 0.35x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 4.61x
North Nibley 1 69.44x
Pilton 1 50.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 31
Sarah 20
Eliza 12
Elizabeth 12
Ellen 11
Emma 10
Charlotte 9
Emily 9
Ann 6
Jane 6
Alice 5
Annie 5
Louisa 5
Clara 4
Elizth. 4
Hannah 4
Martha 4
Ada 3
Caroline 3
Catherine 3
Fanny 3
Helen 3
Lucy 3
Mabel 3
Maria 3
Rosa 3
Rose 3
Eleanor 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Henrietta 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Lilly 2
Lily 2
Margaret 2
Matilda 2
Minnie 2
Mitilda 2
Sophia 2
Susan 2
Susannah 2
Amy 1
Bessy 1
Blanche 1
Elisa 1
Elizabet 1
Elizath. 1
Jessie 1
Tom 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 32
John 20
James 18
George 17
Charles 14
Henry 14
Edward 12
Joseph 10
Thomas 9
Arthur 7
Frederick 7
Albert 5
Alfred 5
Ernest 5
Francis 5
Harry 5
Walter 5
Frank 4
Benjamin 3
David 3
Frederic 3
Richard 3
Robert 3
Tom 3
A.W. 2
Benjn. 2
Edwin 2
Fred 2
Job 2
Mark 2
Sydney 2
C. 1
Cable 1
Caleb 1
Chas. 1
Courteney 1
Davied 1
Edmid 1
Fredrick 1
Gilbert 1
H.S. 1
Lewellin 1
Matthew 1
Nathaniel 1
Noah 1
Orlando 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Phillip 1
Wm.Jno. 1

FAQ

Foxwell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Foxwell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 527 people were recorded with the Foxwell surname. That placed it at #6,503 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Foxwell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 807 in 2016. That gives Foxwell a modern rank of #6,859.

What does the Foxwell surname mean?

A surname denoting someone who lived near a fox's den or burrow.

What does the Foxwell map show?

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