NameCensus.

UK surname

Laithwaite

In the 1881 census there were 253 people recorded with the Laithwaite surname, ranking it #10,980 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 363, ranked #12,777, down from #10,980 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bolton-le-Moors, Wigan and Leigh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton, Chorley and West Lancashire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Laithwaite is 394 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.5%.

1881 census count

253

Ranked #10,980

Modern count

363

2016, ranked #12,777

Peak year

1901

394 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Laithwaite had 253 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,980 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 363 in 2016, ranked #12,777.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 394 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Laithwaite surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Laithwaite surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Laithwaite 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 123 #14,886
1861 historical 179 #13,127
1881 historical 253 #10,980
1891 historical 304 #11,005
1901 historical 394 #9,579
1911 historical 380 #9,655
1997 modern 368 #11,719
1998 modern 371 #12,027
1999 modern 389 #11,678
2000 modern 392 #11,564
2001 modern 390 #11,420
2002 modern 391 #11,627
2003 modern 352 #12,365
2004 modern 340 #12,707
2005 modern 343 #12,546
2006 modern 337 #12,810
2007 modern 338 #12,925
2008 modern 347 #12,786
2009 modern 358 #12,736
2010 modern 365 #12,825
2011 modern 363 #12,738
2012 modern 347 #13,048
2013 modern 347 #13,260
2014 modern 354 #13,153
2015 modern 357 #12,979
2016 modern 363 #12,777

Geography

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Where Laithwaites are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bolton-le-Moors, Wigan, Leigh and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton, Chorley, West Lancashire, Wigan and Flintshire. 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 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
2 Wigan Lancashire
3 Leigh Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 007 Bolton
2 Chorley 013 Chorley
3 West Lancashire 005 West Lancashire
4 Wigan 020 Wigan
5 Flintshire 009 Flintshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Laithwaite

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Laithwaite

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Laithwaite is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Laithwaite 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

Laithwaite falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Laithwaite families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Laithwaite 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 236 Laithwaites recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.03x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 236 8.03x
Cheshire 5 0.91x
Yorkshire 5 0.20x
Middlesex 3 0.12x
Westmorland 3 5.51x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.60x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Atherton in Lancashire leads with 33 Laithwaites recorded in 1881 and an index of 308.41x.

Place Total Index
Atherton 33 308.41x
Upholland 31 822.28x
Tonge With Haulgh 17 297.20x
Hindley 15 119.71x
Billinge Higher End 11 924.37x
Billinge Chapel End 10 606.06x
Great Bolton 10 25.68x
Little Bolton 10 26.46x
Newton In Makerfield 9 100.00x
Salford 9 10.41x
Turton 7 145.53x
Everton 6 6.40x
North Meols 6 20.85x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 5 56.05x
Great Heaton 5 1562.50x
Lathom 5 140.85x
Oldham 5 5.27x
Ashton In Makerfield 4 47.79x
Hulme 4 6.52x
Middleton In Oldham 4 45.35x
Skelmersdale 4 81.63x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 4 47.28x
Wigan 4 9.74x
Great Budworth 3 309.28x
Heversham With Milnthorpe 3 229.01x
Rainford 3 94.34x
Wavertree 3 31.88x
Winstanley 3 652.17x
Bestwood Park 2 338.98x
Harwood 2 129.87x
Tranmere 2 9.95x
Warrington 2 5.74x
Westhoughton 2 25.48x
Willesden 2 8.57x
Dalton In Furness 1 8.81x
Formby 1 30.03x
Fulham London 1 2.78x
Ince Blundell 1 222.22x
Leyland 1 19.57x
Orrell 1 27.32x
Over Darwen 1 4.26x
Pemberton 1 8.53x
Toxteth Park 1 1.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 20
Ann 15
Alice 14
Elizabeth 13
Sarah 10
Jane 9
Margaret 9
Ellen 5
Emma 3
Isabella 3
Martha 3
Annie 2
Esther 2
Margt. 2
Susan 2
Bertha 1
Beth 1
Betsy 1
Betty 1
Edith 1
Eleann 1
Eliz. 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Florence 1
Margery 1
Margret 1
Marion 1
Matilda 1
Nancy 1
Rosanna 1
Ruth 1
Susanna 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 22
Thomas 16
James 14
William 13
Joseph 8
Richard 7
George 5
Henry 5
Robert 4
Alfred 3
Frederick 2
Samuel 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Colin 1
David 1
Edward 1
Gilbert 1
Jonathan 1
Jonathon 1
Jos. 1
Levi 1
Peter 1
R. 1
Reuben 1
Vincent 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Laithwaite surname: questions and answers

How common was the Laithwaite surname in 1881?

In 1881, 253 people were recorded with the Laithwaite surname. That placed it at #10,980 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Laithwaite surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 363 in 2016. That gives Laithwaite a modern rank of #12,777.

What does the Laithwaite map show?

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