NameCensus.

UK surname

Lamberton

A locative surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from the town of Lamberton.

In the 1881 census there were 199 people recorded with the Lamberton surname, ranking it #12,880 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 307, ranked #14,508, down from #12,880 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Malvern Hills, Shepway and Central Bedfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lamberton is 377 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.3%.

1881 census count

199

Ranked #12,880

Modern count

307

2016, ranked #14,508

Peak year

1999

377 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lamberton had 199 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,880 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 307 in 2016, ranked #14,508.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 317 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Lamberton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lamberton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lamberton 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 118 #15,362
1861 historical 176 #13,335
1881 historical 199 #12,880
1891 historical 279 #11,698
1901 historical 317 #11,213
1911 historical 175 #16,246
1997 modern 348 #12,229
1998 modern 352 #12,489
1999 modern 377 #11,954
2000 modern 361 #12,288
2001 modern 356 #12,228
2002 modern 353 #12,512
2003 modern 345 #12,549
2004 modern 339 #12,744
2005 modern 326 #13,045
2006 modern 321 #13,258
2007 modern 325 #13,291
2008 modern 332 #13,207
2009 modern 343 #13,168
2010 modern 342 #13,440
2011 modern 322 #13,907
2012 modern 304 #14,388
2013 modern 306 #14,557
2014 modern 306 #14,647
2015 modern 307 #14,504
2016 modern 307 #14,508

Geography

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Where Lambertons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Gateshead, Glasgow and Kilmarnock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Malvern Hills, Shepway, Central Bedfordshire and Newton North. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Kilmarnock Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Malvern Hills 010 Malvern Hills
2 Shepway 002 Shepway
3 Shepway 014 Shepway
4 Central Bedfordshire 003 Central Bedfordshire
5 Newton North South Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lamberton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lamberton

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Lamberton is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lamberton is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lamberton 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 Lamberton 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 Lamberton, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Lamberton

The surname Lamberton originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "lamb" and "tun," which together mean "farm where lambs are raised." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely involved in sheep farming or lived in an area known for its sheep husbandry.

Lamberton is closely related to the place name Lamberton, a village located in the Scottish Borders region near Berwick-upon-Tweed. Records indicate that this village existed as far back as the 12th century, and it is likely that the surname emerged from this specific location.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Lamberton can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists individuals who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England after his conquest of parts of Scotland. This record includes the name William de Lamberton, who was the Bishop of St. Andrews from 1297 to 1328.

In the 14th century, another notable figure named Lamberton appears in historical records. John Lamberton was a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence. He played a crucial role in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, where the Scots achieved a decisive victory over the English.

During the 16th century, the Lamberton surname gained further prominence with the birth of William Lamberton (c. 1476-1548), a Scottish poet and clergyman. He served as the Bishop of Glasgow and was known for his religious writings and translations of classical works.

Another notable Lamberton was John Philip Lamberton (1838-1908), an American Episcopal bishop who served as the fourth Bishop of Southern Ohio. He was born in Pennsylvania and played a significant role in the growth and development of the Episcopal Church in the United States during the late 19th century.

Throughout history, the Lamberton surname has been associated with various professions, including clergy, military service, and literature. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Scotland, the name has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by descendants of Scottish emigrants and those who adopted the surname for various reasons.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lamberton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lamberton 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. Ayrshire leads with 66 Lambertons recorded in 1881 and an index of 45.66x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 66 45.66x
Lanarkshire 48 7.68x
Kent 29 4.40x
Surrey 14 1.49x
Middlesex 8 0.41x
Dumfriesshire 7 16.41x
Durham 7 1.22x
Renfrewshire 6 4.01x
Berwickshire 4 17.10x
Lancashire 3 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 2 1.63x
Northumberland 2 0.70x
Buteshire 1 8.55x
Lincolnshire 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. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 36 Lambertons recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.30x.

Place Total Index
Govan 36 23.30x
Sorn 20 704.23x
Kilmaurs 12 487.80x
Stewarton 11 384.62x
Canterbury St Mary 10 226.24x
Kilmarnock 9 52.33x
St Lawrence 9 198.68x
Barony 7 4.43x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 7 28.12x
Kilbirnie 6 172.91x
Maybole 6 136.36x
Tynron 6 2142.86x
Camberwell 5 4.05x
Canterbury St Peter 5 675.68x
Glasgow 5 4.51x
Newington 5 7.01x
Paisley High Church 5 41.95x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 10.29x
Westminster St James 4 20.15x
Ayton 3 220.59x
Bury 3 11.46x
Canterbury St Gregory 3 344.83x
Westminster St John 3 12.76x
Canterbury Holy Cross 2 312.50x
Norham 2 312.50x
St Andrewthe Less 2 14.31x
Abbey 1 4.38x
Billingborough 1 126.58x
Dreghorn 1 38.17x
Eyemouth 1 51.28x
Islington London 1 0.53x
Ochiltree 1 101.01x
Penpont 1 128.21x
Rothesay 1 17.64x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Lamberton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lamberton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 199 people were recorded with the Lamberton surname. That placed it at #12,880 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lamberton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 307 in 2016. That gives Lamberton a modern rank of #14,508.

What does the Lamberton surname mean?

A locative surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from the town of Lamberton.

What does the Lamberton map show?

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