NameCensus.

UK surname

Lambe

A surname derived from the Old French word "lambe", meaning a lambskin or wool, suggesting an occupation associated with wool or textile production.

In the 1881 census there were 279 people recorded with the Lambe surname, ranking it #10,230 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,114, ranked #5,279, up from #10,230 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gwynedd, Uttlesford and Mid Sussex.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lambe is 1,165 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 299.3%.

1881 census count

279

Ranked #10,230

Modern count

1,114

2016, ranked #5,279

Peak year

2010

1,165 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lambe had 279 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,230 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,114 in 2016, ranked #5,279.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 468 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Lambe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lambe surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Lambe 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 266 #8,373
1861 historical 256 #9,667
1881 historical 279 #10,230
1891 historical 395 #8,961
1901 historical 449 #8,717
1911 historical 468 #8,247
1997 modern 1,021 #5,393
1998 modern 1,112 #5,212
1999 modern 1,091 #5,321
2000 modern 1,080 #5,340
2001 modern 1,058 #5,333
2002 modern 1,078 #5,362
2003 modern 1,037 #5,438
2004 modern 1,036 #5,449
2005 modern 1,056 #5,306
2006 modern 1,042 #5,392
2007 modern 1,068 #5,308
2008 modern 1,093 #5,246
2009 modern 1,142 #5,160
2010 modern 1,165 #5,173
2011 modern 1,131 #5,249
2012 modern 1,092 #5,326
2013 modern 1,136 #5,227
2014 modern 1,139 #5,242
2015 modern 1,129 #5,233
2016 modern 1,114 #5,279

Geography

Back to top

Where Lambes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gwynedd, Uttlesford, Mid Sussex, Craigneuk Wishaw and Hounslow. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gwynedd 008 Gwynedd
2 Uttlesford 005 Uttlesford
3 Mid Sussex 017 Mid Sussex
4 Craigneuk Wishaw North Lanarkshire
5 Hounslow 021 Hounslow

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Lambe

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Lambe

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Lambe, 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 Lambe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Lambe 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, Lambe 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

Lambe 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

Lambe falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Lambe

The surname Lambe originates from England in the late 12th century. It is an occupational surname derived from the Old English word "lamb", referring to someone who raised or herded lambs. The name was initially associated with individuals residing in areas known for their sheep farming communities.

One of the earliest documented references to the surname Lambe can be found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1201, which mentions a Thomas Lambe from Oxfordshire. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also record a Simon le Lamb from Cambridgeshire, using the earlier spelling common during that era.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, while the surname itself is not mentioned, there are several entries for place names that may have influenced the development of the Lambe surname. For instance, Lambourne in Berkshire and Lambcross in Somerset, both containing the word "lamb", could have been associated with early bearers of the name.

Notable individuals with the surname Lambe include John Lambe (c. 1450-1537), a prominent English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Ely from 1497 until his death. Another early figure was Sir Nicholas Lambe (c. 1492-1568), a Member of Parliament and landowner in Buckinghamshire.

In the literary world, Charles Lamb (1775-1834) was a renowned English essayist and poet, best known for his Essays of Elia. His sister, Mary Lamb (1764-1847), was a writer and collaborator on several of his works.

Moving into the 20th century, Sir Horace Lambe (1880-1954) was a British civil servant and diplomat who served as the Ambassador to Spain from 1934 to 1939. Lastly, Lionel Lambe (1923-2001) was a Australian cricketer who played Test cricket for Australia in the 1950s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Lambe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lambe 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 59 Lambes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.16x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 59 2.16x
Surrey 32 2.40x
Kent 29 3.11x
Yorkshire 23 0.85x
Devon 17 2.99x
Lancashire 14 0.43x
Staffordshire 13 1.41x
Lincolnshire 10 2.29x
Northamptonshire 10 3.89x
Sussex 10 2.17x
Cumberland 8 3.40x
Herefordshire 7 6.25x
Cornwall 6 1.94x
Midlothian 6 1.64x
Renfrewshire 6 2.83x
Gloucestershire 4 0.75x
Shropshire 4 1.70x
Durham 3 0.37x
Northumberland 3 0.74x
Suffolk 3 0.90x
Argyllshire 2 2.63x
Somerset 2 0.45x
Bedfordshire 1 0.71x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.58x
Derbyshire 1 0.23x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.36x
Lanarkshire 1 0.11x
Leicestershire 1 0.33x
Norfolk 1 0.24x
Royal Navy 1 3.07x
Worcestershire 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barnsley in Yorkshire leads with 15 Lambes recorded in 1881 and an index of 53.72x.

Place Total Index
Barnsley 15 53.72x
Wolverhampton 13 18.34x
Islington London 11 4.16x
Lambeth 11 4.62x
Ealing 10 40.97x
Lewisham 10 20.12x
Minster In Sheppey 10 64.77x
Ermington 7 338.16x
St Marylebone London 7 4.80x
Workington 7 52.01x
Battersea 6 5.97x
Bromley London 6 9.99x
Croydon 6 8.12x
Everton 6 5.81x
Kensington London 6 3.95x
Mylor 6 289.86x
Northampton St Sepulchre 6 45.91x
Paisley High Church 6 35.61x
Bow London 5 14.38x
Brightside Bierlow 5 9.42x
Kirton In Lindsey 5 289.02x
Lustleigh 4 1176.47x
Wellingborough 4 30.96x
Bootle Cum Linacre 3 11.66x
Bramley 3 256.41x
Deptford St Paul 3 4.17x
Dilwyn 3 306.12x
Hunton 3 365.85x
Ipswich St Clement 3 35.46x
Lasswade 3 35.84x
Lewes St John Southover 3 97.09x
Newington 3 2.97x
Rochester St Nicholas 3 103.45x
Stoke Damerel 3 7.54x
Tweedmouth 3 59.17x
Bartestree 2 1052.63x
Bisley 2 41.24x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 11.20x
Camberwell 2 1.15x
Chelsea London 2 2.43x
Fulham London 2 5.05x
Glassary 2 48.78x
Halford 2 869.57x
Lewes All Sts 2 109.29x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 4.57x
St George Hanover Square 2 4.16x
St Pancras London 2 0.91x
Sykehouse 2 526.32x
Westminster St Margaret 2 15.19x
Westoe 2 4.34x
Aubourn 1 500.00x
Blackburn 1 1.16x
Chatteris 1 22.68x
Dumbarton 1 9.78x
East Teignmouth 1 42.92x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 13.18x
Great Bolton 1 2.33x
Hammersmith London 1 1.49x
Hapton 1 49.26x
Harmston 1 312.50x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 2.84x
Hereford St Nicholas 1 65.79x
Kempston 1 31.15x
Kirkandrews On Esk 1 125.00x
Lewes St John 1 196.08x
Manchester 1 0.69x
North Leith 1 5.91x
Pendleton In Salford 1 2.59x
Royal Navy 1 3.59x
Shrewsbury St Julian 1 17.12x
Somerby In Grantham 1 90.09x
St Giles Cripplegate 1 27.55x
St Peterin Eastgate 1 74.07x
Taunton St Mary 1 12.39x
Walcot 1 4.27x
Welton Melton 1 126.58x
Willingdon 1 85.47x
Wilmington 1 434.78x
Wistanstow 1 131.58x
Woolhope 1 142.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Elizabeth 14
Jane 8
Annie 6
Alice 5
Louisa 5
Sarah 5
Ann 4
Eliza 4
Ellen 4
Catherine 3
Emma 3
Ethel 3
Isabella 3
Laura 3
Susan 3
Amelia 2
Beatrice 2
Elisabeth 2
Hannah 2
Kate 2
Maria 2
Matilda 2
Rose 2
Annette 1
Charlotte 1
Clementine 1
Clemintina 1
Constance 1
Deborah 1
Eliz.A. 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Haizel 1
Jaqute 1
Jessy 1
Lilian 1
M.M.C. 1
M.S.E. 1
Mable 1
Margaret 1
Marth 1
Maude 1
Mildred 1
Muriel 1
Wma. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
George 13
Thomas 10
William 10
Henry 7
James 6
Frederick 5
Charles 4
Harry 4
Richard 4
Robert 4
Edward 2
Joseph 2
Peter 2
Arthur 1
David 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Felix 1
Francis 1
Fred. 1
H.O. 1
Isaac 1
Lacon 1
Lawrence 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Patrich 1
Patrick 1
Percy 1
Robt. 1
Roger 1
Roland 1
Samuel 1
Spencer 1
Sydney 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Lambe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lambe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 279 people were recorded with the Lambe surname. That placed it at #10,230 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lambe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,114 in 2016. That gives Lambe a modern rank of #5,279.

What does the Lambe surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French word "lambe", meaning a lambskin or wool, suggesting an occupation associated with wool or textile production.

What does the Lambe map show?

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