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Fotheringham Family History

Fotheringham Surname Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from Fotheringham near Forfar, a place which takes its name from a corruption of the name of a family who migrated to Angus from Fotheringhay in Northamptonshire, which was held in the 12th century by the royal family of Scotland as part of the honor of Huntingdon.

The Northamptonshire place appears in Domesday Book as Fodringeia, probably from Old English fōdring ‘grazing’ (a derivative of fōdor ‘fodder’) + ēg ‘island, low-lying land’.

In the case of the Scottish place, the final element was replaced by -hām ‘homestead’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Fotheringham family from?

You can see how Fotheringham families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fotheringham family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Fotheringham families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 61 Fotheringham families living in London. This was about 29% of all the recorded Fotheringham's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Fotheringham families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fotheringham surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Fotheringham ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Bricklayer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Fotheringham. 25% of Fotheringham men worked as a Bricklayer and 86% of Fotheringham women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Fotheringham were Railway Signalman and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Fotheringham | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Bricklayer
    25%
  • Tailor
    25%
  • Incapacitated
    25%
  • Railway Signalman
    25%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    86%
  • Cook
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%

What Fotheringham family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 20,000 census records available for the last name Fotheringham. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fotheringham census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Fotheringham

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Fotheringham. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Fotheringham immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Fotheringham. For the veterans among your Fotheringham ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Fotheringham military records

You've only scratched the surface of Fotheringham family history

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What is the average Fotheringham lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Fotheringham life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1979, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Fotheringham in 1958 was 77, and 90 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fotheringham

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Fotheringham ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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