NameCensus.

UK surname

Laing

A Scottish locational surname derived from a place of the same name meaning "long".

In the 1881 census there were 6,060 people recorded with the Laing surname, ranking it #728 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 8,591, ranked #769, down from #728 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kennoway and Bonnybank, Cupar West and Springfield and Badenoch and Strathspey North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Laing is 8,758 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.8%.

1881 census count

6,060

Ranked #728

Modern count

8,591

2016, ranked #769

Peak year

2010

8,758 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Laing had 6,060 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #728 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 8,591 in 2016, ranked #769.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,227 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Laing surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Laing surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Laing 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 4,271 #661
1861 historical 4,421 #639
1881 historical 6,060 #728
1891 historical 6,387 #722
1901 historical 7,227 #761
1911 historical 2,275 #2,224
1997 modern 8,017 #795
1998 modern 8,352 #790
1999 modern 8,454 #790
2000 modern 8,450 #787
2001 modern 8,190 #793
2002 modern 8,335 #796
2003 modern 8,155 #795
2004 modern 8,239 #788
2005 modern 8,215 #774
2006 modern 8,292 #770
2007 modern 8,360 #766
2008 modern 8,418 #766
2009 modern 8,602 #771
2010 modern 8,758 #775
2011 modern 8,469 #787
2012 modern 8,305 #785
2013 modern 8,433 #785
2014 modern 8,585 #780
2015 modern 8,495 #779
2016 modern 8,591 #769

Geography

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Where Laings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kennoway and Bonnybank, Cupar West and Springfield, Badenoch and Strathspey North, Stanley and Murthly and Buckhaven, Denbeath and Muiredge. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kennoway and Bonnybank Fife
2 Cupar West and Springfield Fife
3 Badenoch and Strathspey North Highland
4 Stanley and Murthly Perth and Kinross
5 Buckhaven, Denbeath and Muiredge Fife

Forenames

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First names often paired with Laing

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Laing

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Laing, 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 Laing surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Laing 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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Laing 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

Laing 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

Laing falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Laing is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Laing

The surname Laing originated in Scotland, emerging in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old Norse word "lang," meaning "long" or "tall." The surname was likely given as a descriptive name to someone of notable height or stature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Laing name is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which listed those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The rolls mention Johannes de Lange, a resident of Berwickshire.

The Laing name appears in various historical records throughout the centuries, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in the 14th century, where it is spelled "Layng" and "Laynge."

In the 16th century, the Laing family held lands in Fife and Angus, and the name is associated with several notable individuals from that period. One of them was David Laing (1793-1878), a renowned Scottish antiquarian and librarian who made significant contributions to the preservation of Scotland's literary heritage.

Another notable bearer of the Laing surname was Samuel Laing (1780-1868), a British traveler and author who wrote extensively about his journeys in Norway and Sweden. His works provided valuable insights into the culture and history of those regions.

The Laing name is also associated with Malcolm Laing (1762-1818), a Scottish historian and author who wrote extensively on the history of Scotland, including a critical examination of the life and reign of Mary, Queen of Scots.

In the 19th century, the Laing family had a presence in England as well. One of the most prominent figures was Samuel Laing (1812-1897), a British politician and railway entrepreneur who served as the Chairman of the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway.

The Laing surname has also been carried by several notable individuals in more recent times, such as R.D. Laing (1927-1989), a influential Scottish psychiatrist and author, and Norman Laing (1936-2019), a British artist and sculptor known for his large-scale public artworks.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Laing families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Laing 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 742 Laings recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.65x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 742 13.65x
Midlothian 660 8.39x
Fife 586 16.87x
Angus 468 8.61x
Lanarkshire 458 2.41x
Durham 408 2.34x
Stirlingshire 263 12.15x
Northumberland 253 2.90x
Middlesex 192 0.33x
Perthshire 186 7.06x
Morayshire 170 18.64x
Yorkshire 153 0.26x
Lancashire 137 0.20x
Kincardineshire 112 15.67x
Banffshire 110 9.03x
Surrey 85 0.30x
Inverness-shire 83 4.74x
Roxburghshire 73 6.87x
Kent 62 0.31x
Renfrewshire 59 1.30x
Shetland 57 9.51x
West Lothian 52 5.88x
Berwickshire 51 7.18x
Cumberland 47 0.93x
Cheshire 42 0.32x
Clackmannanshire 41 8.46x
Ayrshire 36 0.82x
Essex 33 0.28x
Ross-shire 32 1.99x
Dumfriesshire 29 2.24x
Dunbartonshire 23 1.46x
Caithness 22 2.74x
Selkirkshire 22 4.14x
East Lothian 20 2.57x
Peeblesshire 20 7.24x
Argyllshire 18 1.10x
Devon 17 0.14x
Hampshire 16 0.13x
Nairnshire 14 7.81x
Kinross-shire 13 8.76x
Dorset 11 0.29x
Staffordshire 11 0.06x
Worcestershire 11 0.14x
Kirkcudbrightshire 10 1.18x
Sussex 10 0.10x
Warwickshire 10 0.07x
Buckinghamshire 9 0.25x
Glamorgan 9 0.09x
Suffolk 9 0.13x
Somerset 8 0.08x
Norfolk 7 0.08x
Wigtownshire 7 0.90x
Berkshire 6 0.14x
Royal Navy 5 0.71x
Bedfordshire 3 0.10x
Channel Islands 3 0.17x
Gloucestershire 3 0.03x
Shropshire 3 0.06x
Cornwall 2 0.03x
Lincolnshire 2 0.02x
Northamptonshire 2 0.04x
Brecknockshire 1 0.09x
Buteshire 1 0.28x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.04x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.04x
Denbighshire 1 0.05x
Hertfordshire 1 0.02x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.09x
Leicestershire 1 0.02x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.07x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.01x
Sutherland 1 0.22x

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 292 Laings recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.23x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 292 9.23x
Aberdeen Old Machar 237 20.88x
Dundee 162 7.98x
Barony 134 2.79x
Govan 131 2.79x
Glasgow 103 3.06x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 91 8.95x
Bishopwearmouth 74 4.94x
Liff Benvie 74 8.96x
South Leith 71 8.02x
Westoe 56 5.66x
Falkirk 54 10.66x
Bothkennar 53 82.03x
Keith 53 40.84x
Larbert 51 39.41x
Brechin 44 20.59x
St Andrews 43 27.20x
Forres 41 42.77x
Penicuik 39 36.50x
Elgin 37 20.86x
Dysart 36 15.39x
Kirkcaldy 36 20.89x
Cupar 34 22.50x
Largo 32 70.91x
North Uist 32 46.78x
Stockton On Tees 32 3.80x
Montrose 31 9.41x
Falkland 30 54.89x
Wemyss 30 20.41x
Elswick 29 4.16x
Gateshead 28 2.14x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 27 3.57x
Inverurie 27 43.92x
North Leith 27 7.42x
St Vigeans 25 8.52x
Ceres 24 57.46x
Hawick 24 10.09x
Strathmiglo 24 57.79x
Alloa 23 9.78x
Banchory Ternan 23 37.22x
Forfar 23 7.81x
Perth East Church 23 9.26x
Rattray 23 37.51x
Byker 22 5.10x
Coldingham 22 34.43x
Keig 22 141.12x
Kensington London 22 0.67x
Stirling 22 8.06x
Kincardine O Neil 21 54.10x
Duffus 20 24.88x
Monkwearmouth Shore 20 5.87x
Old Deer 20 19.42x
Plumstead 20 3.00x
Skene 20 55.49x
Tibbermore 20 52.98x
Benholm 19 61.89x
Denny 19 16.50x
Abbey 18 2.59x
Carnbee 18 84.75x
Hackney London 18 0.55x
Lerwick Gulberwick 18 19.40x
Liverpool 18 0.43x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 18 3.45x
Rafford 18 84.43x
Aberlour 17 44.02x
Beath 17 15.48x
Dunfermline 17 3.18x
Meldrum 17 37.13x
Newton 17 64.30x
Whitburn 17 13.31x
Abdie 16 80.93x
Clackmannan 16 17.46x
Coupar Angus 16 31.10x
Cramond 16 26.85x
Edinburgh St Stephens 16 10.34x
Inveresk 16 7.52x
Newington 16 0.74x
Row 16 7.84x
Islington London 15 0.26x
Lambeth 15 0.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 106
James 94
William 87
Thomas 49
Robert 46
George 40
Charles 26
David 24
Alexander 21
Edward 19
Joseph 15
Arthur 13
Henry 10
Hugh 9
Richard 9
Andrew 8
Alfred 7
Samuel 7
Walter 6
Adam 5
Albert 5
Francis 5
Frederick 5
Peter 5
Harry 4
Herbert 4
Malcolm 4
Matthew 4
Percy 4
Thos. 4
Wm. 4
Ernest 3
Frank 3
Ralph 3
Benjamin 2
Farquhar 2
Geo. 2
Hall 2
Jas. 2
Martin 2
Michael 2
Philip 2
Phillip 2
Reginald 2
Robt. 2
Storree 2
Athole 1
Edwd.Jas. 1
Eltis 1
Young 1

FAQ

Laing surname: questions and answers

How common was the Laing surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,060 people were recorded with the Laing surname. That placed it at #728 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Laing surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 8,591 in 2016. That gives Laing a modern rank of #769.

What does the Laing surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname derived from a place of the same name meaning "long".

What does the Laing map show?

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