Explore the Family Name Fairclough
The meaning of Fairclough
English (Lancashire): from one or more lost or unidentified places, probably in Lancashire, named with Middle English fair(e) ‘beautiful’ + clo(u)gh ‘narrow valley, ravine’ (see Clough). Fairclough Farm in Chipping, Lancashire is a candidate for the surname’s origin, although early forms of the placename are lacking. A number of the earliest bearers came from Shevington, Lancashire, where the narrow valley of the River Douglas may perhaps have have been known in the medieval period as Fairclough.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Fairclough in the United States?
The surname Fairclough has seen a significant increase in its popularity over the past two decades, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, Fairclough ranked 28,088th in popularity of surnames in the United States and rose to rank 23,881st in 2010. This represents a nearly 15% increase in rank. Furthermore, the count of individuals with this surname increased by almost one-third, from 803 in 2000 to 1,057 in 2010. The proportion of people with the Fairclough surname per 100k inhabitants also saw an increase of 20%, rising from 0.3 in 2000 to 0.36 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #28,088 | #23,881 | 14.98% |
| Count | 803 | 1,057 | 31.63% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.3 | 0.36 | 20% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Fairclough
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some notable shifts between 2000 and 2010 for those bearing the Fairclough surname. The percentage of Fairclough individuals identifying as White decreased by 13.02% during this period, while those identifying as Black saw an increase of 24.66%. There was also a noticeable rise in the Hispanic representation among the Faircloughs, which more than doubled from 1.74% to 4.07% in the same period. Meanwhile, the percentage of those claiming Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian/Alaskan Native ethnicity was suppressed, dropping to zero. The group identifying with two or more races slightly declined by 5.03%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 69.61% | 60.55% | -13.02% |
| Black | 26.03% | 32.45% | 24.66% |
| Hispanic | 1.74% | 4.07% | 133.91% |
| Two or More Races | 1.99% | 1.89% | -5.03% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.62% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |