NameCensus.

UK surname

Lacey

From the Norman French place name "Lacy," derived from the Old French "laz," meaning "lace" or "ribbon of land."

In the 1881 census there were 5,506 people recorded with the Lacey surname, ranking it #807 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,684, ranked #663, up from #807 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bassetlaw, South Somerset and High Peak.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lacey is 10,049 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 75.9%.

1881 census count

5,506

Ranked #807

Modern count

9,684

2016, ranked #663

Peak year

1999

10,049 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lacey had 5,506 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #807 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,684 in 2016, ranked #663.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,296 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Lacey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lacey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lacey 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 3,135 #925
1861 historical 3,155 #918
1881 historical 5,506 #807
1891 historical 5,729 #820
1901 historical 7,195 #765
1911 historical 8,296 #602
1997 modern 9,637 #651
1998 modern 10,008 #644
1999 modern 10,049 #645
2000 modern 9,985 #649
2001 modern 9,789 #648
2002 modern 9,943 #653
2003 modern 9,724 #654
2004 modern 9,712 #653
2005 modern 9,498 #660
2006 modern 9,449 #661
2007 modern 9,581 #658
2008 modern 9,658 #659
2009 modern 9,836 #659
2010 modern 9,938 #663
2011 modern 9,769 #665
2012 modern 9,649 #660
2013 modern 9,834 #660
2014 modern 9,916 #660
2015 modern 9,771 #660
2016 modern 9,684 #663

Geography

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Where Laceys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Hitchenden or Hughenden. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bassetlaw, South Somerset, High Peak, Bridgend and Isle of Wight. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Hitchenden or Hughenden Buckinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bassetlaw 008 Bassetlaw
2 South Somerset 021 South Somerset
3 High Peak 011 High Peak
4 Bridgend 004 Bridgend
5 Isle of Wight 003 Isle of Wight

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lacey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lacey

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Lacey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Lacey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Lacey 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

Lacey is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lacey falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Lacey

The surname Lacey is of Anglo-Norman origin, derived from the Old French word "lacee", meaning "lace" or "braid". It is thought to have originated in the late 11th century when the Normans invaded England and brought their language and culture with them.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lacey can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Laci" or "de Laceio". This suggests that the name was initially a locative surname, referring to someone from a place called Lacy or Laci.

In the 12th century, the Lacey family became prominent landowners in Lincolnshire, England. One notable member was Walter de Lacy, who was granted the lordship of Meath in Ireland by King Henry II in the late 12th century. The Laceys were also associated with the town of Pontefract in Yorkshire, where they held the castle and lands.

By the 13th century, the name had spread across England and had variations in spelling, including Lacy, Lacye, and Lascy. Notable bearers of the name during this period include Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln (1251-1311), and Edmund de Lacy, Bishop of Exeter (c. 1230-1310).

In the 14th century, the Lacey name can be found in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Lacy". Sir John Lacy (c. 1335-1390) was a notable military commander during the Hundred Years' War.

During the 15th century, the Laceys continued to be a prominent family in England, with members such as Thomas Lacy (c. 1370-1455), who was a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire. The name also appeared in Ireland, where the Lacys had established themselves as Anglo-Norman nobility.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Lacey, including John Lacy (1615-1681), an English actor and playwright; Michael Lacey (1844-1936), a Canadian politician; and John Fletcher Lacey (1824-1913), a U.S. Congressman from Iowa.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lacey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lacey 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. Middlesex leads with 788 Laceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.46x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 788 1.46x
Buckinghamshire 407 12.50x
Surrey 382 1.46x
Lancashire 324 0.51x
Nottinghamshire 318 4.38x
Yorkshire 277 0.52x
Norfolk 262 3.17x
Hampshire 239 2.17x
Gloucestershire 237 2.24x
Kent 236 1.28x
Leicestershire 215 3.60x
Somerset 188 2.17x
Lincolnshire 135 1.57x
Derbyshire 132 1.57x
Worcestershire 132 1.88x
Warwickshire 130 0.96x
Devon 118 1.05x
Dorset 99 2.80x
Essex 86 0.81x
Cheshire 81 0.68x
Durham 64 0.40x
Glamorgan 64 0.68x
Berkshire 58 1.44x
Staffordshire 57 0.31x
Bedfordshire 54 1.94x
Hertfordshire 51 1.37x
Northumberland 46 0.57x
Sussex 36 0.40x
Oxfordshire 28 0.84x
Cumberland 27 0.58x
Wiltshire 26 0.55x
Dunbartonshire 22 1.52x
Ayrshire 18 0.45x
Monmouthshire 18 0.46x
Cornwall 15 0.25x
Northamptonshire 15 0.30x
Channel Islands 14 0.88x
Flintshire 14 0.97x
West Lothian 12 1.48x
Cambridgeshire 10 0.29x
Denbighshire 10 0.49x
Rutland 10 2.53x
Brecknockshire 9 0.84x
Caernarfonshire 8 0.37x
Herefordshire 7 0.32x
Renfrewshire 7 0.17x
Lanarkshire 6 0.03x
Royal Navy 6 0.94x
Suffolk 6 0.09x
Shropshire 5 0.11x
Fife 2 0.06x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 0.26x
Midlothian 2 0.03x
Perthshire 2 0.08x
Angus 1 0.02x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wycombe in Buckinghamshire leads with 96 Laceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.57x.

Place Total Index
Wycombe 96 39.57x
Birmingham 81 1.79x
Islington London 81 1.55x
Hughenden 75 225.70x
St Marylebone London 73 2.54x
Liverpool 71 1.83x
Crewkerne 63 68.46x
Nottingham St Mary 59 3.14x
St Pancras London 59 1.36x
Camberwell 56 1.63x
Bristol St George 55 11.26x
Bethnal Green London 52 2.22x
Lambeth 52 1.11x
Birkenhead 51 5.38x
Hackney London 50 1.66x
Leicester St Margaret 49 3.37x
Shoreditch London 49 2.10x
Stoke Prior 43 99.17x
Toxteth Park 43 1.99x
Chesham 41 34.18x
Newington 40 2.01x
Princes Risborough 38 87.16x
Kensington London 36 1.20x
Manchester 36 1.25x
Great Yarmouth 35 5.10x
Ilkeston 35 14.81x
Great Missenden 31 77.31x
Borden 29 124.57x
Cookham 27 21.43x
Leeds 27 0.90x
Keyworth 26 157.67x
Luton 26 5.39x
Paddington London 26 1.31x
Southwark Christchurch 26 10.31x
Chelsea London 25 1.54x
Newark Upon Trent 25 9.59x
West Derby 25 1.34x
Battersea 24 1.21x
Bedminster 24 2.95x
Withycombe Rawleigh 24 41.11x
Aston 23 0.62x
Hammersmith London 23 1.73x
Loughborough 23 8.49x
Bermondsey 22 1.37x
Cowpen 22 11.93x
Horsford 22 171.34x
St Helens 22 27.42x
Wandsworth 22 4.25x
Grasby 21 277.41x
Portsea 21 0.97x
Bitton Oldland 20 18.53x
Deptford St Paul 20 1.41x
Merriott 20 78.86x
Selborne 20 89.05x
Heigham 19 4.28x
Laxton 19 213.48x
Lessingham 19 582.82x
Ordsall 19 34.20x
Shelford Saxondale 19 192.70x
West Ham 19 0.81x
Brading 18 12.27x
Bridport 18 24.75x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 18 1.81x
Heston 18 10.07x
Iron Acton 18 84.43x
Monks Risborough 18 115.31x
Radford 18 4.88x
Wotton Under Edge 18 28.93x
Greenwich 17 1.98x
Leicester St Mary 17 3.53x
Mile End Old Town London 17 1.48x
West Wycombe 17 38.50x
Bromley London 16 1.35x
Heanor 16 12.69x
Manningham 16 2.43x
Plymouth St Andrew 16 1.85x
Roath 16 3.76x
Siston 16 84.79x
St George Hanover Square 16 1.69x
St George In East London 16 3.16x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 349
Elizabeth 197
Sarah 196
Ann 103
Jane 100
Emma 95
Eliza 92
Ellen 90
Alice 80
Annie 66
Emily 65
Margaret 53
Hannah 50
Martha 48
Louisa 42
Charlotte 41
Edith 39
Fanny 39
Florence 37
Ada 35
Catherine 30
Harriet 30
Kate 30
Caroline 27
Maria 25
Clara 22
Julia 22
Lucy 21
Agnes 17
Frances 17
Gertrude 15
Harriett 15
Sophia 15
Susan 15
Minnie 14
Anne 13
Jessie 13
Lizzie 13
Matilda 13
Rosa 13
Rose 13
Bridget 12
Elizth. 12
Ethel 12
Rebecca 12
Amy 11
Anna 11
Ruth 11
Isabella 10
Lydia 10

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 347
John 256
George 206
James 172
Thomas 153
Henry 121
Charles 117
Joseph 81
Robert 76
Alfred 65
Edward 63
Frederick 63
Walter 56
Arthur 55
Albert 52
Samuel 43
Frank 36
Ernest 34
Harry 31
Richard 24
Benjamin 23
Herbert 22
Wm. 21
David 19
Patrick 19
Edwin 18
Tom 15
Peter 14
Daniel 12
Fred 12
Michael 11
Francis 9
Jesse 9
Stephen 9
Jas. 8
Timothy 8
Chas. 7
Isaac 7
Fredrick 6
Geo. 6
Harold 6
Moses 6
Sidney 6
Solomon 6
Jeremiah 5
Martin 5
Oliver 5
Percy 5
Reuben 5
Sydney 5

FAQ

Lacey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lacey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,506 people were recorded with the Lacey surname. That placed it at #807 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lacey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,684 in 2016. That gives Lacey a modern rank of #663.

What does the Lacey surname mean?

From the Norman French place name "Lacy," derived from the Old French "laz," meaning "lace" or "ribbon of land."

What does the Lacey map show?

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