NameCensus.

UK surname

Fyall

A topographic surname referring to someone living near a fen or marshy area.

In the 1881 census there were 145 people recorded with the Fyall surname, ranking it #15,838 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 255, ranked #16,576, down from #15,838 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkcaldy Dysart and Abbotshall, St. Monance and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Anstruther, St Monans and Pittenweem and Troon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fyall is 279 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 75.9%.

1881 census count

145

Ranked #15,838

Modern count

255

2016, ranked #16,576

Peak year

2009

279 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fyall had 145 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,838 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 255 in 2016, ranked #16,576.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 222 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Fyall surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fyall surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fyall 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 127 #14,547
1861 historical 143 #15,906
1881 historical 145 #15,838
1891 historical 191 #15,437
1901 historical 222 #14,169
1911 historical 45 #28,332
1997 modern 241 #15,638
1998 modern 250 #15,675
1999 modern 257 #15,506
2000 modern 254 #15,578
2001 modern 248 #15,606
2002 modern 246 #15,988
2003 modern 245 #15,822
2004 modern 248 #15,779
2005 modern 254 #15,480
2006 modern 254 #15,560
2007 modern 262 #15,399
2008 modern 277 #14,940
2009 modern 279 #15,184
2010 modern 265 #16,115
2011 modern 262 #16,098
2012 modern 244 #16,793
2013 modern 250 #16,778
2014 modern 251 #16,865
2015 modern 247 #16,941
2016 modern 255 #16,576

Geography

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Where Fyalls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkcaldy Dysart and Abbotshall, St. Monance, Gateshead, Edinburgh 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 Anstruther, St Monans and Pittenweem, Troon, Tillicoultry and Kettle and Ladybank. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Kirkcaldy Dysart and Abbotshall Fife
2 St. Monance Fife
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Anstruther Fife
2 St Monans and Pittenweem Fife
3 Troon South Ayrshire
4 Tillicoultry Clackmannanshire
5 Kettle and Ladybank Fife

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fyall

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fyall

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Fyall surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Fyall household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Fyall 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

Fyall is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fyall falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Fyall

The surname FYALL is believed to have originated in England, and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name that is no longer in existence or has undergone significant changes in spelling over the centuries.

One possible origin of the name FYALL is from the Old English words "fyel" or "fyl," meaning "a muddy place" or "a pool." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a muddy or marshy area. Alternatively, it could be a variant of the Old English name "Fyldea," which means "a field."

In terms of historical references, the earliest known record of the name FYALL appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1196, where a person named William Fyall is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were financial records kept by the English Exchequer during the reign of King Richard I.

Another notable early reference to the name FYALL can be found in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1301, which lists a Robert Fyall as a taxpayer. These rolls were tax records compiled by the English government to collect subsidies for military campaigns.

Among the earliest recorded individuals with the surname FYALL was John Fyall, who was born in Gloucestershire, England, around 1520. He was a prominent landowner and farmer in the region during the 16th century.

In the 17th century, a notable figure with the surname FYALL was William Fyall (1630-1698), who was a merchant and ship owner from Bristol, England. He played a significant role in the city's maritime trade and was involved in the transatlantic slave trade.

Another individual of note was Elizabeth Fyall (1675-1745), who was a renowned philanthropist and benefactor from London. She established several charitable foundations and endowed schools for underprivileged children.

In the 18th century, Thomas Fyall (1720-1789) was a respected scholar and linguist from Oxford, England. He authored several books on language and grammar, and served as a professor at the University of Oxford.

Moving into the 19th century, one prominent figure with the surname FYALL was Sir Henry Fyall (1805-1882), a British army officer and colonial administrator. He served as the Governor of the Bahamas from 1860 to 1865 and played a key role in the development of the islands during that period.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fyall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fyall 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. Fife leads with 103 Fyalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 123.03x.

County Total Index
Fife 103 123.03x
Angus 13 9.92x
Perthshire 10 15.75x
Midlothian 9 4.75x
Durham 5 1.19x
Renfrewshire 4 3.65x
Middlesex 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Monance in Fife leads with 68 Fyalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 6800.00x.

Place Total Index
St Monance 68 6800.00x
Dundee 13 26.58x
Burntisland 11 470.09x
Abbotshall 7 223.64x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 9.18x
Errol 6 508.47x
St Leonards 6 1621.62x
Markinch 4 140.85x
Port Glasgow 4 75.47x
St Andrews 4 104.99x
Westoe 4 16.77x
Ceres 2 198.02x
Collace 1 500.00x
Dairsie 1 294.12x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 25.45x
Kinnoull 1 59.88x
Monkwearmouth Shore 1 12.18x
Perth St Pauls 1 68.03x
Scone 1 88.50x
South Leith 1 4.69x
St George Hanover 1 5.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 2
Effy 1
Elizth. 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 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 Fyall households.

FAQ

Fyall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fyall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 145 people were recorded with the Fyall surname. That placed it at #15,838 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fyall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 255 in 2016. That gives Fyall a modern rank of #16,576.

What does the Fyall surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone living near a fen or marshy area.

What does the Fyall map show?

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