NameCensus.

UK surname

Fyffe

A Scottish locational surname derived from the lands of Fyfe in Aberdeenshire, likely meaning "beautiful place."

In the 1881 census there were 585 people recorded with the Fyffe surname, ranking it #5,965 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 791, ranked #6,984, down from #5,965 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Monifieth, London parishes and Arbroath and St. Vigeans. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hilltown, Carnoustie East and Invergowrie, Longforgan and Abernyte.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fyffe is 795 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.2%.

1881 census count

585

Ranked #5,965

Modern count

791

2016, ranked #6,984

Peak year

2015

795 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fyffe had 585 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,965 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 791 in 2016, ranked #6,984.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 658 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Fyffe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fyffe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fyffe 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 226 #9,487
1861 historical 274 #9,111
1881 historical 585 #5,965
1891 historical 628 #6,158
1901 historical 658 #6,581
1911 historical 127 #19,749
1997 modern 655 #7,624
1998 modern 678 #7,665
1999 modern 672 #7,748
2000 modern 683 #7,633
2001 modern 657 #7,732
2002 modern 693 #7,574
2003 modern 671 #7,647
2004 modern 681 #7,569
2005 modern 680 #7,516
2006 modern 691 #7,433
2007 modern 704 #7,393
2008 modern 725 #7,288
2009 modern 751 #7,235
2010 modern 791 #7,095
2011 modern 775 #7,123
2012 modern 775 #7,041
2013 modern 780 #7,118
2014 modern 794 #7,046
2015 modern 795 #6,969
2016 modern 791 #6,984

Geography

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Where Fyffes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Monifieth, London parishes, Arbroath and St. Vigeans, 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 Hilltown, Carnoustie East, Invergowrie, Longforgan and Abernyte, Law and Downfield. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Monifieth Forfar
2 London parishes London 3
3 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hilltown Dundee City
2 Carnoustie East Angus
3 Invergowrie, Longforgan and Abernyte Perth and Kinross
4 Law Dundee City
5 Downfield Dundee City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fyffe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fyffe

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Fyffe is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fyffe is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fyffe 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 Fyffe is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Fyffe

The surname Fyffe originated in Scotland and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "fif", meaning a military fifer or piper. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have been pipers or musicians in the Scottish military.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Fif" and "Fyfe", indicating that the spelling was not yet standardized.

In the 14th century, the name was associated with the town of Fife in Scotland, and it's likely that some bearers of the name took it as a locational surname. Fife itself is derived from the Gaelic word "fib", meaning "refuge" or "shelter".

Notable people with the surname Fyffe include Robert Fyffe (1578-1643), a Scottish theologian and author; James Fyffe (1697-1758), a Scottish merchant and landowner; and Alexander Fyffe (1816-1892), a Scottish-American painter known for his portraits and landscapes.

In the 17th century, the name appears in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in New England, indicating that some bearers of the name had emigrated from Scotland to the American colonies. One such individual was John Fyffe (1620-1678), a Scottish immigrant who settled in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir David Fyffe (1770-1849), a Scottish lawyer and Judge of the Court of Session in Edinburgh. He was also a Member of Parliament for the Inverness Burghs constituency.

As the name spread throughout Scotland and beyond, various spellings emerged, including Fyfe, Fife, Fiffe, and Fyffe. However, the latter spelling became the most common in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fyffe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fyffe 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. Angus leads with 387 Fyffes recorded in 1881 and an index of 73.45x.

County Total Index
Angus 387 73.45x
Perthshire 40 15.67x
Aberdeenshire 22 4.18x
Fife 19 5.64x
Lanarkshire 17 0.92x
Middlesex 16 0.28x
Surrey 14 0.51x
Midlothian 11 1.44x
Gloucestershire 10 0.90x
Warwickshire 7 0.49x
Clackmannanshire 6 12.77x
Hampshire 6 0.51x
Renfrewshire 6 1.36x
Essex 4 0.36x
Inverness-shire 3 1.77x
Kincardineshire 3 4.33x
Lancashire 3 0.04x
Caithness 2 2.57x
Royal Navy 2 2.95x
Sussex 2 0.21x
Hertfordshire 1 0.26x
Kinross-shire 1 6.95x
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. Dundee in Angus leads with 207 Fyffes recorded in 1881 and an index of 105.24x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 207 105.24x
Liff Benvie 41 51.26x
Monifieth 27 145.08x
Barry 15 237.34x
Barony 13 2.79x
Longforgan 11 304.71x
St Vigeans 11 38.68x
St Andrews 10 65.27x
Arbroath 9 51.55x
Clifton 9 15.96x
Abroath St Vigeans 8 370.37x
Bermondsey 8 4.73x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 8 2.61x
Edzell 8 496.89x
Kirriemuir 8 61.54x
Monikie 8 289.86x
Farnell 7 578.51x
Old Stratford 7 86.21x
Aberdeen Old Machar 6 5.46x
Airlie 6 355.03x
Clackmannan 6 67.57x
Errol 6 126.85x
Glengairn 6 2222.22x
Kincardine O Neil 6 159.57x
Lintrathen 6 480.00x
Portsea 6 2.63x
Auchterhouse 5 384.62x
Blairgowrie 5 49.51x
Brechin 5 24.14x
Fowlis Easter 5 819.67x
Kirkden 5 151.52x
Poplar London 5 4.66x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 5 62.11x
Camberwell 4 1.10x
Cambuslang 4 21.58x
Caputh 4 99.50x
Eastwood 4 14.74x
Leuchars 4 93.90x
West Ham 4 1.61x
Fordoun 3 77.32x
Kemback 3 180.72x
Little Dunkeld 3 69.28x
North Meols 3 4.54x
Perth East Church 3 12.46x
Precinct Of Savoy London 3 1200.00x
South Uist 3 25.32x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 2 2.03x
Brighton 2 1.03x
Coupar Angus 2 40.08x
Forfar 2 7.01x
Kinnel 2 147.06x
Wick 2 7.95x
Wimbledon 2 6.43x
Alyth 1 14.56x
Anstruther Wester 1 76.34x
Bromley London 1 0.80x
Carmyllie 1 44.64x
Duddingston 1 6.54x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 6.33x
Glencorse 1 34.13x
Inverurie 1 16.78x
Islington London 1 0.18x
Kinross 1 20.28x
Meigle 1 52.63x
Midmar 1 49.26x
Neilston 1 4.52x
Newtyle 1 55.87x
Panbride 1 36.50x
Pittenweem 1 24.10x
Royal Navy 1 1.73x
Scone 1 22.08x
Southcoates 1 3.20x
Strathmartine 1 42.74x
Tannadice 1 40.82x
Watford 1 3.29x
West Greenock 1 1.26x
Westbury On Trym 1 2.65x
Westminster St Margaret 1 3.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Isabella 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Catherine 2
Jessie 2
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Caroline 1
Eliza 1
Elizth.G. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Hester 1
Julia 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Marian 1
Martha 1
Mary 1
Minnie 1
Nellie 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
John 5
James 4
Andrew 2
Charles 2
Ebenezer 2
George 2
Robert 2
Allan 1
Baby 1
Bertram 1
Edward 1
Gratian 1
Henry 1
Laurence 1
Reginald 1
Rollestone 1

FAQ

Fyffe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fyffe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 585 people were recorded with the Fyffe surname. That placed it at #5,965 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fyffe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 791 in 2016. That gives Fyffe a modern rank of #6,984.

What does the Fyffe surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname derived from the lands of Fyfe in Aberdeenshire, likely meaning "beautiful place."

What does the Fyffe map show?

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