NameCensus.

UK surname

Laban

A Jewish surname derived from the Biblical figure Laban, meaning "white" or "shining" in Hebrew.

In the 1881 census there were 183 people recorded with the Laban surname, ranking it #13,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 362, ranked #12,810, up from #13,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Burton-on-Trent, St Leonard Shoreditch and St James Clerkenwell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, South Derbyshire and Barnsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Laban is 365 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 97.8%.

1881 census count

183

Ranked #13,596

Modern count

362

2016, ranked #12,810

Peak year

2011

365 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Laban had 183 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 362 in 2016, ranked #12,810.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 251 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Laban surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Laban surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Laban 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 120 #15,144
1861 historical 76 #24,114
1881 historical 183 #13,596
1891 historical 195 #15,211
1901 historical 218 #14,332
1911 historical 251 #12,870
1997 modern 334 #12,591
1998 modern 334 #12,940
1999 modern 324 #13,288
2000 modern 346 #12,670
2001 modern 334 #12,789
2002 modern 339 #12,911
2003 modern 323 #13,161
2004 modern 323 #13,230
2005 modern 326 #13,045
2006 modern 322 #13,234
2007 modern 328 #13,196
2008 modern 344 #12,874
2009 modern 357 #12,766
2010 modern 363 #12,878
2011 modern 365 #12,694
2012 modern 348 #13,020
2013 modern 358 #12,952
2014 modern 363 #12,908
2015 modern 359 #12,906
2016 modern 362 #12,810

Geography

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Where Labans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Burton-on-Trent, St Leonard Shoreditch, St James Clerkenwell, St Werburgh and Walsall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, South Derbyshire, Barnsley and East Staffordshire. 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 Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 St James Clerkenwell London (Central Districts)
4 St Werburgh Derbyshire
5 Walsall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 057 Bradford
2 South Derbyshire 006 South Derbyshire
3 Barnsley 029 Barnsley
4 Bradford 053 Bradford
5 East Staffordshire 009 East Staffordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Laban

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Laban

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Laban surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Laban household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Laban is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Laban 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

Laban falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Laban is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Laban, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Laban

The surname Laban has its origins in the Middle East, with roots dating back to ancient Aramaic and Hebrew. It is believed to have originated from the biblical name Laban, which means "white" or "brilliant" in Aramaic.

In the Old Testament, Laban was the name of the son of Bethuel and the brother of Rebekah, who became the wife of Isaac. This biblical reference is likely one of the earliest mentions of the name Laban, and it may have contributed to its later adoption as a surname.

As a surname, Laban first appeared in various parts of Europe during the Middle Ages. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a manuscript record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name had already been established as a surname by the 11th century.

In the Netherlands, the surname Laban can be traced back to the 16th century. Records show that a Pieter Laban was born in Amsterdam in 1570, and his descendants continued to use the surname in the region.

Notable individuals with the surname Laban include Ferdinand Laban (1726-1793), a German composer and musician who served as the Kapellmeister at the court of Prince-Bishop Clemens Wenceslaus of Trier. Another notable figure was Rudolf Laban (1879-1958), an Austro-Hungarian dance artist and theorist who pioneered the study of human movement and developed the system of dance notation known as Labanotation.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Laban was William Laban, who was born in Massachusetts in 1628. He was one of the early settlers in the colony of New Haven, Connecticut.

Other notable individuals with the surname Laban include John Laban (1766-1846), a British painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits, and Thomas Laban (1828-1901), an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire and represented the All-England Eleven.

Overall, the surname Laban has a rich history spanning multiple continents and cultures, with its roots firmly planted in the ancient Middle East and its branches reaching across Europe and the Americas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Laban families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Laban 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. Derbyshire leads with 51 Labans recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.25x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 51 18.25x
Staffordshire 45 7.47x
Middlesex 35 1.96x
Surrey 13 1.49x
Yorkshire 11 0.62x
Suffolk 7 3.22x
Leicestershire 5 2.53x
Monmouthshire 5 3.87x
Carmarthenshire 2 2.66x
Kent 2 0.33x
Lincolnshire 2 0.70x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.83x
Essex 1 0.28x
Glamorgan 1 0.32x
Northumberland 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Marston Upon Dove in Derbyshire leads with 19 Labans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2111.11x.

Place Total Index
Marston Upon Dove 19 2111.11x
Burnaston 13 11818.18x
Shoreditch London 13 16.80x
Camberwell 12 10.52x
Walsall Foreign 12 38.56x
West Bromwich 11 31.89x
Darlaston 10 120.05x
Derby St Peter 8 89.89x
Pakefield 7 1296.30x
Bethnal Green London 6 7.74x
Clerkenwell London 5 11.87x
Harborne 5 25.89x
Featherstone 4 201.01x
St George In East London 4 23.82x
Burton Upon Trent 3 21.28x
Etwall 3 937.50x
Leicester St Margaret 3 6.22x
Llangeview 3 3333.33x
Newington 3 61.60x
Rushall 3 84.51x
Sheffield 3 5.33x
Brailsford 2 500.00x
Breedon On The Hill 2 333.33x
Buxton 2 84.39x
Chelsea London 2 3.72x
Deptford St Paul 2 4.26x
Kensington London 2 2.02x
Kirton 2 175.44x
Llandingat 2 116.96x
Nottingham St Mary 2 3.21x
Alvaston 1 125.00x
Battersea 1 1.52x
Briton Ferry 1 26.95x
Elvaston 1 294.12x
Hackney London 1 1.00x
Marston Montgomery 1 434.78x
Mynyddyslwyn 1 19.65x
Norton In Malton 1 46.73x
Penkridge 1 64.52x
St George Bloomsbury 1 9.77x
St Marylebone London 1 1.05x
Stanton Newhall 1 111.11x
Tynemouth 1 7.03x
Upper Llanvrechva 1 50.00x
Walthanstow 1 172.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 8
Mary 8
Sarah 6
Maria 5
Eliza 4
Emma 4
Ellen 3
Miriam 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Cornelia 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Francis 2
Hannah 2
Jane 2
Margaret 2
Rachel 2
A.S. 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Bertha 1
Clara 1
Diana 1
Eilza 1
Esther 1
Harriet 1
Hermine 1
Infant 1
Isabella 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Lousia 1
Lucy 1
Martha 1
Nancy 1
Norah 1
Rebecca 1
Ruth 1
S.A. 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 10
William 10
Henry 9
George 8
John 7
Arthur 5
Charles 5
Joseph 5
Herbert 3
Samuel 3
Albert 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Geo. 2
Harry 2
Thomas 2
A. 1
Alfred 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Geo.Edgar 1
Horace 1
Isaac 1
Mark 1
Morgan 1
Richard 1
Rueben 1
Stanley 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Laban surname: questions and answers

How common was the Laban surname in 1881?

In 1881, 183 people were recorded with the Laban surname. That placed it at #13,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Laban surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 362 in 2016. That gives Laban a modern rank of #12,810.

What does the Laban surname mean?

A Jewish surname derived from the Biblical figure Laban, meaning "white" or "shining" in Hebrew.

What does the Laban map show?

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