NameCensus.

UK surname

Fozzard

A surname derived from the medieval word "foss" meaning "ditch" or "trench".

In the 1881 census there were 227 people recorded with the Fozzard surname, ranking it #11,858 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 242, ranked #17,177, down from #11,858 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Batley and Pontefract. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Wakefield and Gwynedd.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fozzard is 370 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.6%.

1881 census count

227

Ranked #11,858

Modern count

242

2016, ranked #17,177

Peak year

1901

370 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fozzard had 227 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,858 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 242 in 2016, ranked #17,177.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 370 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Fozzard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fozzard surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fozzard 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 92 #18,050
1861 historical 90 #22,312
1881 historical 227 #11,858
1891 historical 270 #12,027
1901 historical 370 #10,017
1911 historical 335 #10,584
1997 modern 269 #14,543
1998 modern 261 #15,241
1999 modern 276 #14,762
2000 modern 264 #15,191
2001 modern 248 #15,606
2002 modern 256 #15,565
2003 modern 249 #15,653
2004 modern 245 #15,894
2005 modern 233 #16,434
2006 modern 236 #16,384
2007 modern 231 #16,835
2008 modern 235 #16,777
2009 modern 242 #16,789
2010 modern 244 #17,056
2011 modern 256 #16,383
2012 modern 253 #16,377
2013 modern 260 #16,350
2014 modern 254 #16,726
2015 modern 256 #16,524
2016 modern 242 #17,177

Geography

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Where Fozzards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Batley, Pontefract, Wakefield and Dewsbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Wakefield, Gwynedd, Selby and Calderdale. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Pontefract Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Dewsbury Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 058 Bradford
2 Wakefield 010 Wakefield
3 Gwynedd 009 Gwynedd
4 Selby 010 Selby
5 Calderdale 003 Calderdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fozzard

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fozzard

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Fozzard surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Fozzard household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Fozzard 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

Fozzard 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

Fozzard 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 Fozzard is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Fozzard

The surname Fozzard is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the county of Yorkshire, where it was likely derived from a topographic name referring to someone who lived near a foss, an old English word meaning a ditch or small stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where it appears as "Fossard." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational name, referring to someone who worked or lived near a ditch or waterway.

As time passed, the name evolved through various spelling variations, including Fossard, Fozzard, and Fozard. These variations were common in the era before standardized spellings became widespread, with names often being recorded phonetically by scribes.

In the late 16th century, records show the presence of a family with the surname Fozzard in the village of Adwick-le-Street, near Doncaster, Yorkshire. One notable member of this family was William Fozzard, who was born in 1592 and served as a local landowner and magistrate.

Another early reference to the name can be found in the Parish Records of Rotherham, Yorkshire, where a John Fozzard was recorded as having been born in 1618. This further solidifies the name's connection to the Yorkshire region.

Throughout the centuries, the Fozzard surname has been borne by several notable individuals. One such person was Richard Fozzard (1721-1793), a prominent English clergyman who served as the Rector of Wigan Parish Church in Lancashire for over 40 years.

In the 19th century, James Fozzard (1832-1901) made his mark as a successful businessman and industrialist in the city of Manchester. He established the Fozzard Textile Company, which became a leading manufacturer of cotton goods during the Industrial Revolution.

Another individual of note was Sarah Fozzard (1876-1957), a British suffragette and activist who fought for women's rights and played a key role in the campaign for universal suffrage in the early 20th century.

While the name Fozzard may not be as common today as it once was in Yorkshire and the surrounding areas, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of English surnames, with its origins deeply rooted in the history and geography of the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fozzard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fozzard 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 182 Fozzards recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.29x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 182 8.29x
Lancashire 20 0.76x
Surrey 9 0.83x
Middlesex 8 0.36x
Leicestershire 4 1.63x
Devon 2 0.43x
Durham 1 0.15x
Suffolk 1 0.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Knottingley in Yorkshire leads with 36 Fozzards recorded in 1881 and an index of 932.64x.

Place Total Index
Knottingley 36 932.64x
Leeds 23 18.56x
West Ardsley 20 757.58x
Wetherby 17 1188.81x
Hunslet 12 35.08x
Crumpsall 11 177.71x
Oldham 9 10.61x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 9 114.80x
Rotherhithe 9 32.89x
Kirkheaton 7 196.63x
Wortley In Bramley 7 40.28x
Lofthouse Cum Carlton 6 224.72x
Otley 6 112.57x
Swillington 6 967.74x
Bromley London 5 10.26x
Dewsbury 5 22.22x
Yeadon 5 101.01x
Featherstone 4 162.60x
Leicester St Martin 4 242.42x
Rigton 4 1379.31x
Limehouse London 3 12.34x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 3 29.44x
Barnsley 2 8.84x
Cawood 2 238.10x
Kingstonupon Hull 2 113.64x
York St Maurice 2 48.43x
Cridling Stubbs 1 476.19x
Devonport 1 18.87x
East Ardsley 1 52.63x
Lowestoft 1 7.85x
Plymouth Charles The 1 4.93x
Saddleworth 1 5.91x
Seaton Carew 1 75.76x
Wakefield 1 5.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 21
Sarah 12
Elizabeth 10
Ann 7
Hannah 7
Jane 6
Eliza 4
Ellen 4
Martha 3
Ada 2
Christiana 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Rachel 2
Adelaide 1
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Anna 1
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Betty 1
Charlote 1
Claris 1
Clarissa 1
Dorcas 1
Emma 1
Eva 1
Florrie 1
Frances 1
Infant 1
Isabel 1
Isabella 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Louisa 1
Lue 1
Maria 1
Nancy 1
Rhoda 1
Sabina 1
Sara 1
Selina 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 14
John 13
James 12
Joseph 9
Thomas 6
George 4
Walter 4
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Edwin 3
Adam 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Herbert 2
Leonard 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Armytage 1
Beckett 1
Cain 1
Christopher 1
Edgar 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Harry 1
Jesiah 1
Joe 1
Johnny 1
Josephus 1
Maria 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Percy 1
Robert 1
Rolland 1
Saml. 1
Tim 1
Timothy 1
Trevor 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Fozzard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fozzard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 227 people were recorded with the Fozzard surname. That placed it at #11,858 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fozzard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 242 in 2016. That gives Fozzard a modern rank of #17,177.

What does the Fozzard surname mean?

A surname derived from the medieval word "foss" meaning "ditch" or "trench".

What does the Fozzard map show?

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