NameCensus.

UK surname

Alban

Derived from the Latin name Albanus, likely referring to someone from Alba (the ancient name for Scotland) or Albania.

In the 1881 census there were 79 people recorded with the Alban surname, ranking it #22,357 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 164, ranked #22,314, up from #22,357 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Llanddewi-Aberarth, Llansaintffraid, Manchester and Abergwilly, Llanpumpsaint. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire, St. Helens and Merthyr Tydfil.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Alban is 214 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 107.6%.

1881 census count

79

Ranked #22,357

Modern count

164

2016, ranked #22,314

Peak year

1911

214 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Alban had 79 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,357 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 164 in 2016, ranked #22,314.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 214 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Alban surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Alban surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Alban 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 99 #17,294
1861 historical 90 #22,312
1881 historical 79 #22,357
1891 historical 135 #19,692
1901 historical 154 #17,775
1911 historical 214 #14,333
1997 modern 133 #22,705
1998 modern 140 #22,615
1999 modern 140 #22,789
2000 modern 143 #22,457
2001 modern 135 #22,945
2002 modern 137 #23,198
2003 modern 131 #23,553
2004 modern 140 #22,793
2005 modern 139 #22,887
2006 modern 145 #22,420
2007 modern 154 #21,804
2008 modern 157 #21,766
2009 modern 162 #21,791
2010 modern 177 #21,034
2011 modern 167 #21,642
2012 modern 166 #21,683
2013 modern 161 #22,521
2014 modern 166 #22,277
2015 modern 157 #22,997
2016 modern 164 #22,314

Geography

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Where Albans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Llanddewi-Aberarth, Llansaintffraid, Manchester, Abergwilly, Llanpumpsaint, St John near Swansea and Alconbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carmarthenshire, St. Helens, Merthyr Tydfil and County Durham. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Llanddewi-Aberarth, Llansaintffraid Cardiganshire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Abergwilly, Llanpumpsaint Carmarthenshire
4 St John near Swansea Glamorganshire
5 Alconbury Huntingdonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carmarthenshire 001 Carmarthenshire
2 St. Helens 017 St. Helens
3 St. Helens 008 St. Helens
4 Merthyr Tydfil 005 Merthyr Tydfil
5 County Durham 006 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Alban

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Alban

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Alban 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

Alban 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

Alban falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Alban

The surname Alban is of English origin, derived from the Latin word "Albanus" which means "from Alba", referencing the ancient city of Alba Longa near Rome. The earliest recorded use of this name can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Albanus".

In medieval times, the name Alban was often associated with people from the town of St Albans in Hertfordshire, England. This town was named after the Roman-British martyr Saint Alban, who was believed to have been executed there in the 3rd century AD. The name may have initially referred to people living in or near this town.

One notable historical figure with the surname Alban was Richard Alban, a 14th-century English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Ardfert and Aghadoe in Ireland from 1346 to 1349. Another was William Alban, a 16th-century English printer and publisher who operated in London from around 1540 to 1570.

The surname Alban can also be found in various historical records across Europe, with slight variations in spelling. For example, the French form was often written as "Auban" or "Aubain", while in Germany it appeared as "Alban" or "Albanus".

One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Herlembald Alban, a 12th-century Italian nobleman and military leader from Milan, who fought against the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in the 1160s. Another notable figure was Mathieu Alban, a 15th-century French physician and writer who served as the personal physician to King Louis XI.

In the 17th century, the name Alban was also found in Scotland, where it may have been adopted by families of Norman descent. One example is Sir Andrew Alban, a Scottish courtier and diplomat who served as the Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1643 to 1645.

While the surname Alban is not particularly common today, it has a rich historical legacy spanning various countries and centuries, often associated with notable figures in religious, literary, and political spheres.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Alban families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Alban 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. Cardiganshire leads with 16 Albans recorded in 1881 and an index of 84.08x.

County Total Index
Cardiganshire 16 84.08x
Huntingdonshire 14 90.38x
Carmarthenshire 11 33.44x
Lancashire 11 1.19x
Glamorgan 8 5.89x
Middlesex 8 1.03x
Yorkshire 5 0.65x
Surrey 2 0.53x
Montgomeryshire 1 5.59x
Northumberland 1 0.86x
Pembrokeshire 1 4.03x
Royal Navy 1 10.75x
Sussex 1 0.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Alconbury in Huntingdonshire leads with 14 Albans recorded in 1881 and an index of 7777.78x.

Place Total Index
Alconbury 14 7777.78x
Manchester 10 24.02x
Llanilar 6 2727.27x
Carmarthen St Peter 5 177.94x
Llanddewi Aberarth 5 1315.79x
Llanllawddog 4 2500.00x
St John Near Swansea 4 238.10x
Llansant Ffraid 3 909.09x
Neath 3 108.70x
Croydon 2 9.47x
Hackney London 2 4.57x
Holy Trinity 2 10.75x
Kensington London 2 4.61x
Llanpumpsaint 2 1538.46x
South Crosland 2 246.91x
St Marylebone London 2 4.80x
Aberystwith 1 60.98x
Everton 1 3.39x
Haltwhistle 1 178.57x
Islington London 1 1.32x
Lindfield 1 178.57x
Manafon 1 588.24x
Potter Newton 1 73.53x
Royal Navy 1 12.58x
St Dogmells 1 151.52x
Trefilan 1 1428.57x
Westminster St John 1 10.53x
Ystradyfodwg 1 8.39x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
George 4
Arthur 3
David 3
Evan 3
Thomas 3
Daniel 2
Richard 2
William 2
Alban 1
Charles 1
Conrad 1
Edgar 1
Frederick 1
Henery 1
Jabez 1
James 1
Morgan 1
Samuel 1
Stephen 1

FAQ

Alban surname: questions and answers

How common was the Alban surname in 1881?

In 1881, 79 people were recorded with the Alban surname. That placed it at #22,357 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Alban surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 164 in 2016. That gives Alban a modern rank of #22,314.

What does the Alban surname mean?

Derived from the Latin name Albanus, likely referring to someone from Alba (the ancient name for Scotland) or Albania.

What does the Alban map show?

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