NameCensus.

UK surname

Foy

A topographic surname of Norman origin referring to someone who lived near a beech tree or beech wood.

In the 1881 census there were 2,061 people recorded with the Foy surname, ranking it #2,137 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,927, ranked #1,722, up from #2,137 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool and St. Helens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Foy is 3,972 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 90.5%.

1881 census count

2,061

Ranked #2,137

Modern count

3,927

2016, ranked #1,722

Peak year

2010

3,972 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Foy had 2,061 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,137 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,927 in 2016, ranked #1,722.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,785 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Foy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Foy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Foy 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 1,132 #2,492
1861 historical 1 #34,435
1881 historical 2,061 #2,137
1891 historical 423 #8,465
1901 historical 2,785 #2,001
1997 modern 3,762 #1,730
1998 modern 3,931 #1,720
1999 modern 3,934 #1,729
2000 modern 3,869 #1,745
2001 modern 3,761 #1,755
2002 modern 3,872 #1,750
2003 modern 3,811 #1,745
2004 modern 3,838 #1,730
2005 modern 3,779 #1,737
2006 modern 3,792 #1,722
2007 modern 3,840 #1,719
2008 modern 3,878 #1,714
2009 modern 3,953 #1,722
2010 modern 3,972 #1,752
2011 modern 3,906 #1,754
2012 modern 3,827 #1,752
2013 modern 3,898 #1,756
2014 modern 3,924 #1,752
2015 modern 3,907 #1,738
2016 modern 3,927 #1,722

Geography

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Where Foys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Toxteth Park, Manchester and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool and St. Helens. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liverpool 017 Liverpool
2 St. Helens 007 St. Helens
3 Liverpool 030 Liverpool
4 Liverpool 059 Liverpool
5 St. Helens 019 St. Helens

Forenames

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First names often paired with Foy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Foy

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Foy, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Foy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Foy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Foy 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

Foy is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Foy falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Foy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Foy, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Foy

The surname Foy has its origins in medieval France, where it first emerged in the region of Normandy during the 11th century. Derived from the Old French word "fouee," meaning a small forest or thicket, the name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked in a wooded area.

One of the earliest known references to the Foy surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners and tenants in England following the Norman Conquest. The name appears as "Foy" and "Foye," suggesting it had already taken root in both France and England by this time.

In the 12th century, the name Foy was documented in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1166, where a certain Robert Foy was mentioned. During this period, the surname also appeared in different spellings, such as "Foye," "Foix," and "Foyez," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

One notable figure bearing the Foy surname was Sir Thomas Foy (c. 1409-1483), a prominent English knight and courtier during the Wars of the Roses. He served under King Edward IV and was appointed Lieutenant of the Tower of London in 1471.

Another historical figure was François de Foix (1512-1594), a French nobleman and diplomat who played a significant role in the French Wars of Religion. He served as the Ambassador of France to England and was a prominent figure in the court of King Henry IV.

In the 17th century, the Foy surname gained recognition through the exploits of Captain William Foy (c. 1630-1692), an English privateer and sailor who gained fame for his daring exploits during the Anglo-Dutch Wars.

The name Foy also has connections to various place names, including the town of Foy in the Vendée department of western France, as well as Foy-Notre-Dame and Foy-Saint-Sulpice, both located in the Seine-Maritime region of Normandy.

Throughout history, several other individuals with the Foy surname have made notable contributions, such as James Foy (1796-1865), an Irish-born American architect who designed several prominent buildings in New York City, and Sir Raphael Foy (1897-1958), a British Army officer who served in both World Wars and was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Foy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Foy 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. Lancashire leads with 911 Foys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.18x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 911 3.18x
Middlesex 206 0.85x
Lanarkshire 191 2.45x
Yorkshire 173 0.72x
Staffordshire 121 1.49x
Surrey 86 0.73x
Cheshire 85 1.60x
Angus 75 3.36x
Cumberland 70 3.37x
Hampshire 54 1.09x
Warwickshire 53 0.87x
Durham 49 0.68x
Kent 48 0.58x
Derbyshire 33 0.87x
Ayrshire 27 1.50x
Dunbartonshire 21 3.24x
Channel Islands 20 2.80x
Flintshire 18 2.78x
Lincolnshire 17 0.44x
West Lothian 16 4.40x
Perthshire 15 1.39x
Northumberland 14 0.39x
Berkshire 13 0.72x
Renfrewshire 13 0.70x
Glamorgan 12 0.29x
Fife 11 0.77x
Midlothian 10 0.31x
Shropshire 10 0.48x
Somerset 10 0.26x
Argyllshire 9 1.34x
Leicestershire 9 0.34x
Sussex 9 0.22x
Stirlingshire 8 0.90x
Devon 7 0.14x
Essex 5 0.11x
Monmouthshire 5 0.29x
Royal Navy 5 1.74x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.27x
East Lothian 4 1.25x
Hertfordshire 4 0.24x
Gloucestershire 3 0.06x
Norfolk 3 0.08x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.09x
Oxfordshire 3 0.20x
Worcestershire 2 0.06x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.07x
Dorset 1 0.06x
Isle of Man 1 0.22x
Northamptonshire 1 0.04x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.13x
Ross-shire 1 0.15x
Westmorland 1 0.19x
Wiltshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 89 Foys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.91x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 89 6.91x
Liverpool 82 4.72x
Glasgow 59 4.26x
Barony 50 2.53x
Warrington 50 14.73x
Govan 47 2.44x
Birmingham 46 2.27x
Dundee 43 5.15x
Wigan 38 9.50x
Chorley 33 20.54x
Blackburn 32 4.20x
Hulme 32 5.35x
Preston 31 4.05x
Sheffield 31 4.07x
Leeds 30 2.22x
Toxteth Park 29 2.99x
Stoke Upon Trent 27 3.13x
Salford 26 3.09x
Everton 25 2.74x
West Derby 25 2.99x
Liff Benvie 23 6.78x
Croston 22 148.75x
Great Bolton 22 5.80x
Bradford 21 15.67x
Cleator 21 24.29x
Little Bolton 21 5.71x
Oldham 21 2.27x
Twickenham 20 19.33x
Kensington London 17 1.27x
Lambeth 17 0.81x
Wolstanton Oldcott 17 57.63x
Castleton 16 5.60x
Harrington 16 63.82x
Kilmarnock 16 7.45x
Battersea 15 1.69x
Enfield 15 9.48x
Frimley 15 44.80x
Shoreditch London 15 1.43x
Macclesfield 14 5.91x
Edgeworth 13 84.53x
New Monkland 13 5.64x
Rutherglen 13 11.36x
Tonge 13 21.65x
Hackney London 12 0.89x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 12 3.86x
Parr 12 11.72x
Portsea 12 1.24x
St Marylebone London 12 0.93x
St Peter Port 12 9.07x
Bilston 11 6.97x
Chelsea London 11 1.51x
Hawarden 11 21.59x
Newchurch 11 4.70x
Poplar London 11 2.42x
Swansea Town 11 3.19x
Wednesbury 11 5.41x
Aldershot 10 6.04x
Bermondsey 10 1.39x
Deptford St Paul 10 1.58x
Heskin 10 317.46x
Ince In Makerfield 10 7.51x
Pemberton 10 8.76x
Romsey Infra 10 59.70x
Scarborough 10 4.60x
Spotland 10 3.14x
Worsley 10 5.67x
Bathgate 9 11.41x
Birkdale 9 12.43x
Broughton In Salford 9 3.44x
Derby St Werburgh 9 4.13x
Greenwich 9 2.34x
New Kilpatrick 9 14.59x
Woolwich 9 2.96x
Beswick 8 10.93x
Derby St Peter 8 6.65x
Louth 8 9.05x
Old Windsor 8 38.17x
Perth St Pauls 8 31.91x
Stockport 8 2.92x
Wath On Dearne 8 16.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 208
Ellen 68
Elizabeth 64
Ann 62
Bridget 54
Margaret 53
Catherine 51
Sarah 49
Annie 30
Alice 28
Jane 26
Kate 14
Hannah 13
Maria 13
Eliza 11
Emma 11
Julia 10
Anne 8
Emily 8
Martha 8
Agnes 7
Charlotte 7
Sophia 7
Ada 6
Winifred 6
Amelia 5
Caroline 5
Esther 5
Fanny 5
Louisa 5
Rose 5
Susannah 5
Betsy 4
Constance 4
Florence 4
Frances 4
Harriett 4
Helen 4
Isabella 4
Maggie 4
Margt. 4
Nancy 4
Rachel 4
Rebecca 4
Eleanor 3
Harriet 3
Margret 3
Matilda 3
Minnie 3
Selina 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 160
Thomas 116
James 113
William 80
Patrick 67
Michael 60
Edward 35
George 33
Martin 31
Joseph 28
Charles 23
Peter 22
Henry 20
Arthur 15
Robert 14
Frederick 13
Francis 10
Thos. 10
Alfred 8
Albert 7
Walter 7
Bernard 6
Samuel 6
Anthony 5
Frank 5
Harry 5
Matthew 5
Richard 5
Edwin 4
Lawrence 4
Dennis 3
Fredk. 3
Hugh 3
Lawrance 3
Stephen 3
Timothy 3
Wm. 3
Alexander 2
Andrew 2
Benjamin 2
Bryan 2
Dominic 2
Henery 2
Herbert 2
Micheal 2
Owen 2
Pat 2
Philip 2
Reuben 2
Roger 2

FAQ

Foy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Foy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,061 people were recorded with the Foy surname. That placed it at #2,137 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Foy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,927 in 2016. That gives Foy a modern rank of #1,722.

What does the Foy surname mean?

A topographic surname of Norman origin referring to someone who lived near a beech tree or beech wood.

What does the Foy map show?

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