NameCensus.

UK surname

Fyvie

A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Fyvie in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 130 people recorded with the Fyvie surname, ranking it #16,911 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 355, ranked #13,020, up from #16,911 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cluny, New Deer and Fyvie. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Renfrew South, Aboyne and South Deeside and Bucksburn North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fyvie is 358 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 173.1%.

1881 census count

130

Ranked #16,911

Modern count

355

2016, ranked #13,020

Peak year

2011

358 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fyvie had 130 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,911 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 355 in 2016, ranked #13,020.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 196 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Fyvie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fyvie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fyvie 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 80 #19,558
1861 historical 89 #22,419
1881 historical 130 #16,911
1891 historical 156 #17,842
1901 historical 196 #15,329
1911 historical 9 #32,754
1997 modern 323 #12,888
1998 modern 326 #13,146
1999 modern 340 #12,870
2000 modern 352 #12,510
2001 modern 334 #12,789
2002 modern 333 #13,062
2003 modern 320 #13,239
2004 modern 321 #13,284
2005 modern 338 #12,698
2006 modern 323 #13,205
2007 modern 333 #13,062
2008 modern 335 #13,115
2009 modern 340 #13,244
2010 modern 350 #13,251
2011 modern 358 #12,883
2012 modern 328 #13,625
2013 modern 333 #13,682
2014 modern 345 #13,396
2015 modern 349 #13,189
2016 modern 355 #13,020

Geography

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Where Fyvies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cluny, New Deer, Fyvie, Ellon and Fraserburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Renfrew South, Aboyne and South Deeside, Bucksburn North, Balmedie and Potterton and Renfrew North. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Cluny Aberdeen
2 New Deer Aberdeen
3 Fyvie Aberdeen
4 Ellon Aberdeen
5 Fraserburgh Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Renfrew South Renfrewshire
2 Aboyne and South Deeside Aberdeenshire
3 Bucksburn North Aberdeen City
4 Balmedie and Potterton Aberdeenshire
5 Renfrew North Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fyvie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fyvie

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fyvie, 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 Fyvie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Fyvie 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Fyvie is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fyvie is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fyvie falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Fyvie

The surname "FYVIE" is of Scottish origin, deriving from the parish and village of Fyvie in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The name is thought to have its roots in the Gaelic words "fiodh" meaning "wood" and "buidhe" meaning "yellow," referring to the wooded area with a yellowish hue.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 12th century, appearing in the Chartulary of Arbroath Abbey, an ancient manuscript containing charters and deeds relating to the Abbey. The name was spelled as "Fyuyn" in this early document.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Fyvie was William de Fyvie, who was granted lands in the parish of Fyvie by King Alexander II of Scotland in 1238. The Fyvie family went on to become a prominent noble family in the area, with their ancestral seat being the imposing Fyvie Castle, which dates back to the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, a series of medieval financial records, as "Fyvy." The rolls mention a certain Andrew de Fyvy, who was a landowner in Aberdeenshire.

Another notable figure with the surname Fyvie was Sir Henry Fyvie (c. 1480-1547), a Scottish diplomat and courtier who served as Lord Treasurer of Scotland under King James V. He played a significant role in the negotiations between Scotland and England during the tumultuous period of the Anglo-Scottish Wars.

During the 16th century, the surname was also found in the form "Fivy" and "Fivie" in various Scottish records. One such individual was Alexander Fyvie (c. 1550-1612), a Scottish poet and author who wrote several works on religious themes.

In the 17th century, the spelling "Fyvie" became more standardized, and the name continued to be associated with the parish and castle of the same name in Aberdeenshire. Sir Alexander Fyvie (c. 1620-1689) was a Scottish landowner and member of the Parliament of Scotland during this period.

Throughout the centuries, the Fyvie family maintained their presence and influence in the region, with several members holding prominent positions in the local gentry and nobility. The name has also been carried by individuals in various fields, including academia, military, and the arts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fyvie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fyvie 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 110 Fyvies recorded in 1881 and an index of 94.40x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 110 94.40x
Midlothian 5 2.97x
Banffshire 4 15.33x
Middlesex 3 0.24x
Argyllshire 1 2.85x
Dunbartonshire 1 2.96x
Hertfordshire 1 1.15x
Kincardineshire 1 6.53x
Morayshire 1 5.12x
Perthshire 1 1.77x
Renfrewshire 1 1.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cluny in Aberdeenshire leads with 17 Fyvies recorded in 1881 and an index of 3035.71x.

Place Total Index
Cluny 17 3035.71x
Aberdeen Old Machar 12 49.32x
New Deer 11 521.33x
Tarves 11 1000.00x
Fyvie 9 473.68x
Fraserburgh 8 243.90x
Longside 8 575.54x
Peterhead 7 113.64x
Newhills 6 251.05x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 5 22.94x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 5 125.31x
Hackney London 3 4.25x
Tyrie 3 205.48x
Dyce 2 400.00x
Ellon 2 125.00x
St Fergus 2 303.03x
Strichen 2 198.02x
Banchory Ternan 1 75.76x
Elgin 1 26.32x
Forgue 1 95.24x
Gamrie 1 34.36x
Inveravon 1 90.09x
Inverurie 1 75.76x
Kilbrandon 1 172.41x
Kilmalcolm 1 85.47x
Methlick 1 107.53x
Monymusk 1 200.00x
New Machar 1 153.85x
Old Deer 1 45.25x
Old Kilpatrick 1 25.00x
Perth St Pauls 1 76.34x
Slains 1 185.19x
Totteridge 1 370.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 1
Ethel 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 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 Fyvie households.

FAQ

Fyvie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fyvie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 130 people were recorded with the Fyvie surname. That placed it at #16,911 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fyvie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 355 in 2016. That gives Fyvie a modern rank of #13,020.

What does the Fyvie surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Fyvie in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

What does the Fyvie map show?

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