NameCensus.

UK surname

Lancey

A variant spelling of the French surname Lancey, potentially derived from place names.

In the 1881 census there were 152 people recorded with the Lancey surname, ranking it #15,372 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 165, ranked #22,234, down from #15,372 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bratton Fleming and Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Malvern Hills, Swansea and North Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lancey is 174 in 2012. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.6%.

1881 census count

152

Ranked #15,372

Modern count

165

2016, ranked #22,234

Peak year

2012

174 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lancey had 152 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,372 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 165 in 2016, ranked #22,234.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 170 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Lancey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lancey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lancey 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 95 #17,707
1861 historical 143 #15,906
1881 historical 152 #15,372
1891 historical 170 #16,816
1901 historical 149 #18,146
1911 historical 168 #16,620
1997 modern 154 #20,780
1998 modern 161 #20,754
1999 modern 158 #21,102
2000 modern 173 #19,889
2001 modern 166 #20,129
2002 modern 154 #21,531
2003 modern 150 #21,669
2004 modern 158 #21,077
2005 modern 150 #21,786
2006 modern 149 #22,013
2007 modern 148 #22,406
2008 modern 140 #23,511
2009 modern 155 #22,438
2010 modern 158 #22,692
2011 modern 167 #21,642
2012 modern 174 #21,065
2013 modern 170 #21,726
2014 modern 165 #22,356
2015 modern 167 #22,066
2016 modern 165 #22,234

Geography

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Where Lanceys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bratton Fleming, Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton, Berryn Arbor and Ilfracombe. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Malvern Hills, Swansea and North Devon. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bratton Fleming Devon
3 Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton Devon
4 Berryn Arbor Devon
5 Ilfracombe Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Malvern Hills 005 Malvern Hills
2 Swansea 009 Swansea
3 North Devon 003 North Devon
4 Swansea 014 Swansea
5 Swansea 026 Swansea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lancey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lancey

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

Lancey 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

Lancey falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Lancey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Lancey

The surname Lancey has its origins in medieval England, tracing its roots back to the 12th century. It is believed to derive from the Old French word "lancier," which referred to a soldier armed with a lance or spear. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname given to someone who served as a lancer or spearman.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1273, which mentions a William Launce. This spelling variation likely stems from the Old French pronunciation of the name.

During the medieval period, the name Lancey was primarily concentrated in the counties of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, with some instances also found in Somerset and Wiltshire. It is thought that the name may have originated in these regions, possibly associated with specific locations or manors.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir John Lancey, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century. Sir John's exploits were recorded in several contemporary chronicles, cementing the name's association with military prowess.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence between members of the prominent Paston family of Norfolk. These letters mention a John Lancey who was involved in a legal dispute over land ownership.

Another notable figure was William Lancey, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 16th century. He is recorded as having played a significant role in the governance of the city and was involved in various civic affairs.

During the 17th century, the Lancey name was found in the parish records of several villages in Oxfordshire, such as Deddington and Adderbury. One notable entry is the baptism of Thomas Lancey in 1642 in Deddington.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Lancey family settled in the West Midlands county of Staffordshire. John Lancey, born in 1725, was a prominent landowner and magistrate in the region.

As the centuries progressed, the Lancey name spread across various parts of England, with individuals bearing this surname making their mark in various fields, from law and commerce to agriculture and the military.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lancey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lancey 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. Devon leads with 87 Lanceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.19x.

County Total Index
Devon 87 28.19x
Glamorgan 38 14.72x
Gloucestershire 7 2.41x
Middlesex 7 0.47x
Durham 6 1.36x
Surrey 3 0.42x
Hertfordshire 1 0.98x
Kent 1 0.20x
Lancashire 1 0.06x
Norfolk 1 0.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Combmartin in Devon leads with 21 Lanceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3134.33x.

Place Total Index
Combmartin 21 3134.33x
Ilfracombe 19 597.48x
Llansamlet Higher 13 673.58x
Berrynarbor 9 2571.43x
Barnstaple 8 165.29x
Aberdare 7 39.50x
Swansea Town 7 33.08x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 21.91x
East Stonehouse 6 98.68x
Kentisbury 5 2777.78x
Tanfield 5 95.24x
Cardiff St Mary 4 28.13x
Hornsey 4 21.33x
Neath 4 76.19x
Goodleigh 3 2307.69x
Loxhore 3 2727.27x
Stokenham 3 344.83x
Swansea Lower 3 227.27x
Exeter St Leonard 2 238.10x
Fulham London 2 9.30x
Wimbledon 2 24.66x
Bermondsey 1 2.27x
Bideford 1 30.21x
Buckland West 1 526.32x
Chittlehampton 1 131.58x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 3.58x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 14.14x
Hammersmith London 1 2.74x
Heigham 1 8.17x
Highbray 1 909.09x
Lewisham 1 3.71x
Littleham 1 44.25x
Monk Hesleden 1 81.30x
Plymouth Charles The 1 7.35x
Tormoham 1 7.66x
Watford 1 12.63x
Westbury On Trym 1 10.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Sarah 7
Elizabeth 5
Susan 5
Ann 4
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Emily 3
Emma 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Fanny 2
Martha 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Agness 1
Beatrice 1
Betsey 1
Betsy 1
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Esther 1
Eva 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Jane 1
Joanna 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Margarett 1
Maria 1
Ruth 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 13
William 8
James 7
Edward 5
Charles 3
Phillip 3
Richard 3
Albert 2
Harry 2
Robert 2
Thomas 2
Arthur 1
Benjaman 1
Edwin 1
Elizabeth 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Hy. 1
Luther 1
Matthew 1
Nicholas 1
Philip 1
Robt.Cowes 1
Samuel 1
Stanley 1
Theordore 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Lancey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lancey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 152 people were recorded with the Lancey surname. That placed it at #15,372 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lancey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 165 in 2016. That gives Lancey a modern rank of #22,234.

What does the Lancey surname mean?

A variant spelling of the French surname Lancey, potentially derived from place names.

What does the Lancey map show?

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