NameCensus.

UK surname

Carlaw

In the 1881 census there were 92 people recorded with the Carlaw surname, ranking it #20,709 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 142, ranked #24,625, down from #20,709 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Gateshead, Edinburgh and Bathgate. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Preston, Cherwell and Windsor and Maidenhead.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Carlaw is 158 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.3%.

1881 census count

92

Ranked #20,709

Modern count

142

2016, ranked #24,625

Peak year

2000

158 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Carlaw had 92 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,709 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016, ranked #24,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 125 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Mature Families.

Carlaw surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Carlaw surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Carlaw 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 118 #15,362
1861 historical 94 #21,883
1881 historical 92 #20,709
1891 historical 124 #20,818
1901 historical 125 #20,061
1911 historical 44 #28,454
1997 modern 144 #21,660
1998 modern 152 #21,481
1999 modern 156 #21,290
2000 modern 158 #21,055
2001 modern 154 #21,122
2002 modern 143 #22,595
2003 modern 148 #21,866
2004 modern 156 #21,261
2005 modern 154 #21,396
2006 modern 154 #21,576
2007 modern 146 #22,596
2008 modern 148 #22,627
2009 modern 151 #22,816
2010 modern 152 #23,282
2011 modern 147 #23,627
2012 modern 144 #23,902
2013 modern 147 #23,977
2014 modern 138 #25,218
2015 modern 141 #24,723
2016 modern 142 #24,625

Geography

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Where Carlaws are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Gateshead, Edinburgh, Bathgate, Muiravonside and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Preston, Cherwell, Windsor and Maidenhead, Canongate, Southside and Dumbiedykes and Armadale. 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 Gateshead Durham
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Bathgate Linlithgow
4 Muiravonside Stirling
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Preston 009 Preston
2 Cherwell 012 Cherwell
3 Windsor and Maidenhead 008 Windsor and Maidenhead
4 Canongate, Southside and Dumbiedykes City of Edinburgh
5 Armadale West Lothian

Forenames

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First names often paired with Carlaw

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Carlaw

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Carlaw, 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

Established Mature Families

Nationally, the Carlaw surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Mature Families, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Carlaw household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Married couples predominate, many with older dependent children. Detached housing is common. Homeownership rates are the highest within this Supergroup. The presence of some students suggests that households are towards the end of a child rearing phase. Many residents have degree level qualifications, and the occupational profile is heavily skewed towards managerial and professional occupations. Residential developments commonly occur on the periphery of major urban cities or conurbations.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Carlaw is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Carlaw is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Carlaw falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Carlaw families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Carlaw 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. Lanarkshire leads with 23 Carlaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.92x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 23 7.92x
Stirlingshire 21 63.44x
West Lothian 20 148.04x
Durham 14 5.24x
Northumberland 12 8.99x
Middlesex 1 0.11x
Midlothian 1 0.83x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 12 Carlaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.72x.

Place Total Index
Govan 12 16.72x
Muiravonside 11 1309.52x
Whitburn 9 461.54x
Barony 8 10.89x
Gateshead 8 40.02x
Bathgate 7 238.91x
Byker 6 90.91x
Heworth 6 114.07x
Falkirk 4 51.61x
Livingstone 4 869.57x
Longbenton 4 70.67x
Polmont 4 327.87x
Bothkennar 2 202.02x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 28.90x
Cambusnethan 1 15.50x
Duddingston 1 41.49x
Glasgow 1 1.94x
Lanark 1 42.74x
Poplar London 1 5.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 3
Elizabeth 2
Mary 2
Esther 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Margaret 1
Marian 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alexander 2
John 2
Thomas 2
William 2
Anthony 1
Eli 1
Henry 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Robert 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 Carlaw households.

FAQ

Carlaw surname: questions and answers

How common was the Carlaw surname in 1881?

In 1881, 92 people were recorded with the Carlaw surname. That placed it at #20,709 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Carlaw surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016. That gives Carlaw a modern rank of #24,625.

What does the Carlaw map show?

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