NameCensus.

UK surname

Laidlaw

Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "area of cleared land".

In the 1881 census there were 2,742 people recorded with the Laidlaw surname, ranking it #1,628 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,201, ranked #2,123, down from #1,628 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Melrose, Langholm and Hawick and Wilton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Mid Calder and Kirknewton and Clovenstone and Wester Hailes.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Laidlaw is 3,239 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.7%.

1881 census count

2,742

Ranked #1,628

Modern count

3,201

2016, ranked #2,123

Peak year

2014

3,239 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Laidlaw had 2,742 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,628 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,201 in 2016, ranked #2,123.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,107 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Laidlaw surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Laidlaw surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Laidlaw 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 1,789 #1,612
1861 historical 1,773 #1,634
1881 historical 2,742 #1,628
1891 historical 2,720 #1,740
1901 historical 3,107 #1,800
1911 historical 734 #5,850
1997 modern 3,037 #2,112
1998 modern 3,166 #2,118
1999 modern 3,208 #2,099
2000 modern 3,178 #2,115
2001 modern 3,035 #2,170
2002 modern 3,179 #2,114
2003 modern 3,072 #2,134
2004 modern 3,037 #2,156
2005 modern 3,028 #2,138
2006 modern 3,038 #2,137
2007 modern 3,074 #2,130
2008 modern 3,040 #2,157
2009 modern 3,131 #2,159
2010 modern 3,195 #2,167
2011 modern 3,177 #2,148
2012 modern 3,159 #2,126
2013 modern 3,197 #2,140
2014 modern 3,239 #2,133
2015 modern 3,200 #2,133
2016 modern 3,201 #2,123

Geography

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Where Laidlaws are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Melrose, Langholm, Hawick and Wilton, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Mid Calder and Kirknewton, Clovenstone and Wester Hailes and South Leith. 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 Melrose Roxburgh
2 Langholm Dumfries
3 Hawick and Wilton Roxburgh
4 Govan Combination Lanark
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 001 Northumberland
2 Mid Calder and Kirknewton West Lothian
3 Northumberland 002 Northumberland
4 Clovenstone and Wester Hailes City of Edinburgh
5 South Leith City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Laidlaw

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Laidlaw

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Laidlaw surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Laidlaw household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Laidlaw 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

Laidlaw 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

Laidlaw falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Laidlaw

The surname Laidlaw originated in the Borders region of Scotland. It is a locational name, derived from the lands of Laidlaw near Jedburgh in Roxburghshire. The name is thought to come from the Old English words "lad" meaning a path and "hlaw" meaning a hill, thus describing a path over a hill.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name is believed to be William de Laidlau, which appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296. These were the rolls of homage to Edward I of England, and included many Scottish names. This suggests the Laidlaw family held lands in this area as far back as the late 13th century.

In 1535, a John Laidlaw is mentioned in the records of the Burgh Court of Jedburgh. He is recorded as being a burgess, or freeman, of the town. This indicates the family had achieved a level of status and prominence by this time.

William Laidlaw (1780-1845) was a renowned Scottish author and scholar. He worked as an amanuensis for Sir Walter Scott and assisted him with several of his works, including Ivanhoe and The Heart of Midlothian. Laidlaw is also known for his own poetry and writings on Scottish culture and history.

Another famous bearer of the name was Thomas Laidlaw (1829-1904), a Scottish-born civil engineer. He emigrated to Australia in the mid-19th century and oversaw the construction of several major railway lines, including the Victorian Railways system.

In the United States, James Laidlaw (1795-1859) was an early settler in Illinois. He emigrated from Scotland in the 1830s and founded the town of Laidlaw, which was later renamed Kankakee. His descendants became prominent landowners and businessmen in the region.

The Laidlaw name can also be found in other parts of the world where Scottish emigrants settled, such as Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa. Notable bearers include Sir Patrick Laidlaw (1831-1916), a Scottish-born businessman and politician who served as Mayor of Cape Town.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Laidlaw families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Laidlaw 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. Midlothian leads with 425 Laidlaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.25x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 425 12.25x
Roxburghshire 350 74.63x
Lanarkshire 272 3.25x
Dumfriesshire 261 45.64x
Selkirkshire 143 61.05x
Northumberland 137 3.56x
Berwickshire 126 40.19x
Durham 117 1.52x
Lancashire 104 0.34x
Peeblesshire 79 64.88x
Ayrshire 67 3.46x
Middlesex 58 0.22x
Cumberland 46 2.06x
Wigtownshire 46 13.38x
Perthshire 44 3.79x
Stirlingshire 36 3.77x
Hampshire 33 0.62x
East Lothian 30 8.75x
Yorkshire 30 0.12x
Renfrewshire 29 1.45x
Fife 26 1.70x
Kent 25 0.28x
Ross-shire 20 2.81x
Surrey 20 0.16x
Kirkcudbrightshire 16 4.27x
Cheshire 15 0.26x
Buteshire 13 8.29x
Dunbartonshire 11 1.58x
Aberdeenshire 7 0.29x
Argyllshire 7 0.97x
Caithness 7 1.97x
Gloucestershire 7 0.14x
West Lothian 7 1.80x
Clackmannanshire 6 2.81x
Angus 5 0.21x
Suffolk 5 0.16x
Banffshire 4 0.74x
Inverness-shire 4 0.52x
Sutherland 4 2.01x
Derbyshire 3 0.07x
Sussex 3 0.07x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.06x
Essex 1 0.02x
Hertfordshire 1 0.06x
Leicestershire 1 0.03x
Royal Navy 1 0.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 185 Laidlaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.26x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 185 13.26x
Govan 94 4.54x
Hawick 87 82.90x
Barony 85 4.01x
Langholm 62 150.85x
Jedburgh 57 124.02x
South Leith 57 14.60x
Galashiels 42 48.50x
Wilton 42 81.63x
Dalkeith 37 54.08x
Selkirk 36 54.55x
Lauder 31 178.88x
Sanguhar 28 367.94x
Gateshead 27 4.68x
Glasgow 27 1.82x
Kelso 27 57.78x
Melrose 25 61.67x
Dumfries 24 42.54x
Peebles 24 66.69x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 22 26.81x
Ettrick 22 625.00x
Christchurch 21 18.25x
Durrisdeer 21 214.07x
Moffat 21 80.46x
Bishopwearmouth 20 3.03x
Cavers 19 162.12x
Eskdalemuir 19 386.97x
Widdrington 18 195.23x
Yarrow 18 316.90x
Ayton 17 93.46x
Jesmond 17 31.37x
West Linton 17 171.20x
Hobkirk 16 270.73x
Everton 15 1.53x
Leeds 15 1.04x
Stirling 15 12.46x
Toxteth Park 15 1.44x
Blantyre 14 16.06x
Dunse 14 47.09x
Innerleithen 14 43.32x
Coldingham 13 46.13x
Falkirk 13 5.82x
Inch 13 38.78x
Islington London 13 0.52x
Melrose 13 22.05x
Roxburgh 13 144.77x
Tweedmouth 13 27.07x
Cockburnspath 12 119.76x
Rothesay 12 15.80x
Edinburgh High Church 11 50.53x
Edinburgh St Stephens 11 16.11x
Great Bolton 11 2.70x
Hoddam 11 79.83x
Kirkhope 11 226.34x
Liberton 11 20.55x
North Leith 11 6.85x
Paisley Middle Church 11 9.42x
Penicuik 11 23.34x
Perth West Church 11 19.95x
Burntisland 10 23.34x
Cheetham 10 4.36x
Contin 10 77.46x
Cullercoates 10 82.58x
Megget 10 1250.00x
Oldhamstocks 10 198.81x
Perth East Church 10 9.13x
Plumstead 10 3.40x
Benfieldside 9 17.77x
Dalmellington 9 15.80x
Dryfesdale 9 34.14x
Dunblane 9 32.36x
Eckford 9 110.84x
Humbie 9 111.25x
Kirkcolm 9 54.64x
Maxton 9 221.67x
Muirkirk 9 19.78x
Old Cumnock 9 20.86x
Stewarton 9 23.47x
Cambusnethan 8 4.30x
Cathcart 8 7.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 44
James 37
John 32
Robert 27
Thomas 20
George 19
Joseph 14
Adam 7
Charles 7
Edward 5
Richard 5
Alexander 4
Walter 4
Wm. 4
Francis 3
Henry 3
Alexr.W. 2
Alfred 2
Andrew 2
Daniel 2
David 2
Gideon 2
Martin 2
Robt. 2
Thos. 2
Catherine 1
Duncan 1
Earnest 1
Ebenezer 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Lewis 1
Mark 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Nicholas 1
Percy 1
Ralph 1
Reginald 1
Samuel 1
Stanley 1
Tom 1
Wallace 1
Wilfred 1
Wm.R. 1

FAQ

Laidlaw surname: questions and answers

How common was the Laidlaw surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,742 people were recorded with the Laidlaw surname. That placed it at #1,628 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Laidlaw surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,201 in 2016. That gives Laidlaw a modern rank of #2,123.

What does the Laidlaw surname mean?

Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "area of cleared land".

What does the Laidlaw map show?

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