NameCensus.

UK surname

Lamont

A Scottish territorial surname referring to someone from a place called Lamont, derived from the Old Norse "lagamaðr" meaning "lawman."

In the 1881 census there were 2,671 people recorded with the Lamont surname, ranking it #1,663 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,331, ranked #1,575, up from #1,663 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Crathie and Braemar, North Bute and Rothesay and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Skye North West, Skye North East and Gretna.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lamont is 4,376 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 62.1%.

1881 census count

2,671

Ranked #1,663

Modern count

4,331

2016, ranked #1,575

Peak year

2010

4,376 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lamont had 2,671 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,663 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,331 in 2016, ranked #1,575.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,302 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Lamont surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lamont surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lamont 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 1,881 #1,534
1861 historical 1,940 #1,504
1881 historical 2,671 #1,663
1891 historical 2,833 #1,674
1901 historical 3,302 #1,691
1911 historical 474 #8,162
1997 modern 3,855 #1,687
1998 modern 4,039 #1,675
1999 modern 4,087 #1,659
2000 modern 4,131 #1,642
2001 modern 3,992 #1,656
2002 modern 4,108 #1,651
2003 modern 4,020 #1,646
2004 modern 4,078 #1,610
2005 modern 4,051 #1,603
2006 modern 4,106 #1,591
2007 modern 4,131 #1,593
2008 modern 4,181 #1,590
2009 modern 4,292 #1,586
2010 modern 4,376 #1,590
2011 modern 4,257 #1,611
2012 modern 4,207 #1,595
2013 modern 4,282 #1,603
2014 modern 4,299 #1,603
2015 modern 4,278 #1,593
2016 modern 4,331 #1,575

Geography

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Where Lamonts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Crathie and Braemar, North Bute and Rothesay, Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Tiree and Coll. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Skye North West, Skye North East, Gretna, Lochaber West and Kennoway and Bonnybank. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Crathie and Braemar Aberdeen
2 North Bute and Rothesay Bute
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Tiree and Coll Argyll

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Skye North West Highland
2 Skye North East Highland
3 Gretna Dumfries and Galloway
4 Lochaber West Highland
5 Kennoway and Bonnybank Fife

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lamont

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lamont

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

Lamont 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

Lamont falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Lamont

The surname Lamont is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic words "lath" meaning "land" and "mont" meaning "hill" or "mound." It likely originated as a topographic name referring to someone who lived on a hillside or near a prominent hill.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 12th century, with a mention of "Lambinus de Monte" in the Ragman Rolls, a historical document containing the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to Edward I of England in the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms such as "de Lamont," "de Lammonte," and "de Lamonte" in various charters and records from the western regions of Scotland, particularly in the areas around Argyll and Bute.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Lamont, who lived during the 16th century and was a prominent Scottish landowner and supporter of the Protestant Reformation. He played a significant role in the conflicts between Protestant and Catholic forces in Scotland during that period.

Another historical figure was Reverend John Lamont, a 17th-century Scottish minister and writer who authored several religious works and was known for his sermons and commentaries on the Bible.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Lamont family settled in the Caribbean island of Grenada, where they established a successful plantation and became influential members of the local society. One member of this branch was George Lamont, who was born in 1786 and served as the Chief Justice of Grenada.

The Lamont surname has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Lamont Farm near Greenock and Lamont Hill in Argyll and Bute, further reinforcing its connection to the Scottish landscape.

Throughout history, the Lamont family has been well-represented in various fields, including politics, religion, law, and literature, showcasing the diverse contributions of individuals bearing this surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lamont families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lamont 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. Lanarkshire leads with 552 Lamonts recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.57x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 552 6.57x
Argyllshire 294 40.66x
Renfrewshire 245 12.17x
Inverness-shire 211 27.20x
Ayrshire 209 10.75x
Aberdeenshire 181 7.52x
Midlothian 143 4.11x
Perthshire 95 8.15x
Buteshire 84 53.37x
Angus 69 2.87x
Lancashire 65 0.21x
Dunbartonshire 58 8.31x
Middlesex 54 0.21x
Wigtownshire 45 13.05x
Stirlingshire 40 4.17x
Cheshire 31 0.54x
Hampshire 31 0.58x
Fife 30 1.95x
Dumfriesshire 26 4.53x
Kirkcudbrightshire 26 6.91x
Kent 19 0.21x
Surrey 19 0.15x
Yorkshire 14 0.05x
Durham 13 0.17x
Orkney 13 4.55x
Ross-shire 13 1.82x
Northumberland 10 0.26x
Sutherland 9 4.51x
Staffordshire 8 0.09x
Caithness 6 1.69x
Warwickshire 6 0.09x
Kincardineshire 5 1.58x
Devon 4 0.07x
Selkirkshire 4 1.70x
Berwickshire 3 0.95x
Essex 3 0.06x
Royal Navy 3 0.97x
Banffshire 2 0.37x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.12x
Clackmannanshire 2 0.93x
Cumberland 2 0.09x
East Lothian 2 0.58x
Sussex 2 0.05x
Berkshire 1 0.05x
Gloucestershire 1 0.02x
Kinross-shire 1 1.52x
Leicestershire 1 0.03x
Morayshire 1 0.25x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.03x
Oxfordshire 1 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.12x
Roxburghshire 1 0.21x
Somerset 1 0.02x

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 253 Lamonts recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.18x.

Place Total Index
Govan 253 12.18x
Barony 174 8.18x
Tyree 94 382.11x
Kilmuir 87 381.41x
Crathie Braemar 83 576.79x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 81 5.79x
Glasgow 80 5.36x
Snizort 62 320.41x
West Greenock 56 15.50x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 49 10.89x
East Greenock 47 24.72x
Rothesay 43 56.42x
Kilfinichen 37 206.82x
Bute North 33 309.86x
Dalry 33 36.07x
Dundee 32 3.56x
Kilwinning 31 49.38x
Kilfinan 28 145.08x
Dunoon 24 161.29x
Kilbarchan 24 39.25x
South Uist 24 44.34x
Forfar 22 16.88x
Renfrew 22 33.09x
Abbey 21 6.84x
Kilmore Kilbride 20 43.57x
Row 20 22.15x
Cadder 19 30.62x
Dunoon Kilmun 18 31.92x
Old Cumnock 18 41.58x
Penicuik 18 38.06x
Southampton St Mary 18 5.38x
Duirinish 16 40.47x
Kilchoman 16 70.52x
Kilmarnock 16 6.91x
Liverpool 16 0.85x
Muiravonside 16 65.74x
Dunfermline 14 5.92x
Eastwood 14 11.29x
St Martins 14 211.48x
Cardross 13 15.51x
Kirkinner 13 91.23x
Kirkpatrick Fleming 13 99.16x
Whithorn 13 49.45x
Cathcart 12 11.02x
Chelsea London 12 1.53x
Auckinleck 11 18.28x
Beith 11 18.96x
Moulin 11 59.72x
Paisley Middle Church 11 9.38x
Troqueer 11 22.30x
Everton 10 1.02x
Irvine 10 18.52x
Largs 10 21.83x
New Kilpatrick 10 15.06x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 10 15.16x
Torosay 10 137.17x
West Derby 10 1.11x
Aberdeen Old Machar 9 1.79x
Campbeltown 9 10.32x
Firth Stenness 9 73.47x
Kilmadock 9 33.57x
Kilmaurs 9 27.21x
Kilmoden 9 301.00x
Kilninian Kilmore 9 40.60x
Lee 9 6.99x
Old Kilpatrick 9 10.91x
Paisley High Church 9 5.62x
Riccarton Hurlford 9 26.39x
Tundergarth 9 214.80x
Wigtown 9 45.71x
Denny 8 15.70x
Duddingston 8 11.45x
Kingarth 8 70.73x
Knockbain 8 47.93x
Liff Benvie 8 2.19x
Mauchline 8 35.79x
New Monkland 8 3.22x
St Pancras London 8 0.38x
Ellon 7 21.15x
St Quivox 7 10.65x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Lamont surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lamont surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,671 people were recorded with the Lamont surname. That placed it at #1,663 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lamont surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,331 in 2016. That gives Lamont a modern rank of #1,575.

What does the Lamont surname mean?

A Scottish territorial surname referring to someone from a place called Lamont, derived from the Old Norse "lagamaðr" meaning "lawman."

What does the Lamont map show?

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