NameCensus.

UK surname

Lagan

A topographic surname derived from the Gaelic word for "long, low ridge".

In the 1881 census there were 85 people recorded with the Lagan surname, ranking it #21,573 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 270, ranked #15,913, up from #21,573 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Jarrow, Gateshead and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Falkirk - Camelon West, Hambleton and Copeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lagan is 273 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 217.6%.

1881 census count

85

Ranked #21,573

Modern count

270

2016, ranked #15,913

Peak year

2013

273 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lagan had 85 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,573 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 270 in 2016, ranked #15,913.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 163 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Lagan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lagan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lagan 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 74 #20,443
1861 historical 127 #17,469
1881 historical 85 #21,573
1891 historical 158 #17,705
1901 historical 163 #17,205
1911 historical 73 #25,541
1997 modern 232 #16,012
1998 modern 242 #16,037
1999 modern 248 #15,884
2000 modern 246 #15,914
2001 modern 238 #16,004
2002 modern 236 #16,455
2003 modern 229 #16,601
2004 modern 232 #16,539
2005 modern 231 #16,529
2006 modern 233 #16,560
2007 modern 242 #16,296
2008 modern 244 #16,346
2009 modern 259 #16,013
2010 modern 258 #16,432
2011 modern 266 #15,937
2012 modern 259 #16,126
2013 modern 273 #15,802
2014 modern 269 #16,059
2015 modern 263 #16,224
2016 modern 270 #15,913

Geography

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Where Lagans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Jarrow, Gateshead, Edinburgh, Manchester and Newcastle St John. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Falkirk - Camelon West, Hambleton, Copeland and Trafford. 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 Jarrow Durham
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Newcastle St John Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Falkirk - Camelon West Falkirk
2 Hambleton 004 Hambleton
3 Copeland 005 Copeland
4 Hambleton 005 Hambleton
5 Trafford 001 Trafford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lagan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lagan

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Lagan is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Lagan 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

Lagan 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 Lagan 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Lagan

The surname Lagan has its origins in Ireland and is believed to have been derived from the Irish Gaelic word "leagan," which means "a hollowed-out place" or "a sunken area." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name or a topographical feature in Ireland, possibly referring to a low-lying area or a valley.

The earliest known recorded instances of the Lagan surname can be traced back to the 17th century in County Down, Ireland. One notable historical reference to the name comes from the Hearth Money Rolls of 1663-1665, which mention a Patrick Lagan residing in the parish of Drumbo.

In the 18th century, the Lagan surname started to appear more frequently in Irish records. One notable individual from this period was John Lagan, a merchant and landowner from County Down who was born around 1720 and died in 1790.

During the 19th century, the Lagan surname continued to be prevalent in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Down and Antrim. In 1837, a William Lagan was born in Belfast, and he later became a prominent businessman and politician, serving as a Member of Parliament for Belfast from 1885 to 1900.

Another notable figure with the Lagan surname was James Lagan, who was born in County Down in 1855. He was a successful industrialist and philanthropist, known for his contributions to the development of Belfast's shipbuilding industry and for his charitable works.

In the 20th century, the Lagan surname continued to be associated with various notable individuals, such as John Lagan, a distinguished Irish architect who was born in 1914 and designed several significant buildings in Belfast and throughout Ireland.

Additionally, the name Lagan is closely linked to the River Lagan, which flows through Belfast and County Down. It is believed that the river may have taken its name from the same root as the surname, further emphasizing the connection between the name and the topography of the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lagan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lagan 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. Lancashire leads with 15 Lagans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.52x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 15 1.52x
Durham 14 5.68x
Lanarkshire 11 4.10x
Kent 9 3.18x
Ross-shire 9 39.53x
Yorkshire 8 0.97x
Midlothian 5 4.50x
Middlesex 4 0.48x
Northumberland 3 2.43x
Essex 2 1.22x
Perthshire 2 5.37x
Dunbartonshire 1 4.49x
Gloucestershire 1 0.62x
Staffordshire 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lochcarron in Ross-shire leads with 9 Lagans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2195.12x.

Place Total Index
Lochcarron 9 2195.12x
Oldham 8 25.20x
Glasgow 7 14.70x
Heworth 7 144.03x
Eston 6 335.20x
Maidstone 5 59.31x
North Leith 5 97.28x
Lesmahagow 4 140.85x
Conside Knitsley 3 156.25x
Islington London 3 3.73x
Little Bolton 3 23.72x
Folkestone 2 36.43x
Medomsley 2 173.91x
Milton In Milton 2 166.67x
Pendleton In Salford 2 17.06x
West Ham 2 5.54x
Billingham 1 238.10x
Bristol 1 666.67x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 6.40x
Heckmondwike 1 37.88x
Horton 1 163.93x
Huddersfield 1 8.35x
Kensington London 1 2.17x
Kilspindie 1 500.00x
Kirkintilloch 1 33.00x
Logie 1 75.19x
Manchester 1 2.26x
North South Gosforth 1 625.00x
Stockton On Tees 1 8.41x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 3.37x
Tynemouth 1 15.13x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Agnes 3
Mary 3
Anne 2
Catherine 2
Eliza 2
Margaret 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Ann 1
Beatrice 1
Elisabeth 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Helen 1
Kebella 1
Louisa 1
Maggie 1
Margt. 1
Rosa 1
Rosean 1
Sarah 1
Susannah 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Lagan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lagan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 85 people were recorded with the Lagan surname. That placed it at #21,573 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lagan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 270 in 2016. That gives Lagan a modern rank of #15,913.

What does the Lagan surname mean?

A topographic surname derived from the Gaelic word for "long, low ridge".

What does the Lagan map show?

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