NameCensus.

UK surname

Lands

A surname possibly derived from landowner or landholder occupation.

In the 1881 census there were 126 people recorded with the Lands surname, ranking it #17,245 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 129, ranked #26,270, down from #17,245 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and St George the Martyr. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Croydon, Milton Keynes and Tonbridge and Malling.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lands is 368 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.4%.

1881 census count

126

Ranked #17,245

Modern count

129

2016, ranked #26,270

Peak year

1861

368 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lands had 126 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,245 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016, ranked #26,270.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 368 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Lands surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lands surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lands 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 182 #11,209
1861 historical 368 #6,935
1881 historical 126 #17,245
1891 historical 233 #13,392
1901 historical 94 #23,588
1911 historical 173 #16,361
1997 modern 112 #25,244
1998 modern 118 #25,041
1999 modern 121 #24,855
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 111 #25,767
2002 modern 117 #25,494
2003 modern 115 #25,538
2004 modern 110 #26,451
2005 modern 113 #25,974
2006 modern 111 #26,565
2007 modern 122 #25,353
2008 modern 122 #25,638
2009 modern 124 #25,957
2010 modern 124 #26,582
2011 modern 127 #25,926
2012 modern 131 #25,439
2013 modern 135 #25,395
2014 modern 137 #25,345
2015 modern 133 #25,729
2016 modern 129 #26,270

Geography

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Where Lands' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, St George the Martyr, St Giles Camberwell and Stockton-on-Tees (Stockton-on-Tees), Stainton (Thornaby ), Norton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Croydon, Milton Keynes, Tonbridge and Malling, Bexley and Southwark. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 St George the Martyr London (South Districts)
4 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)
5 Stockton-on-Tees (Stockton-on-Tees), Stainton (Thornaby ), Norton Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Croydon 006 Croydon
2 Milton Keynes 032 Milton Keynes
3 Tonbridge and Malling 014 Tonbridge and Malling
4 Bexley 020 Bexley
5 Southwark 006 Southwark

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lands

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lands

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

Baseline UK

Group

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Lands surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Lands household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Lands is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lands is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Lands

The surname LANDS is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "land", meaning a tract of land or an estate. The name was likely taken on by individuals who were landowners or lived on a particular piece of land.

During the medieval period, the name was found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Northamptonshire. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Robert de la Lande from Lincolnshire.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in several historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which mention a John Lande from Northamptonshire. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334 also reference a William atte Lande from Yorkshire.

The name LANDS has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Landsend in Cornwall and Landsborough in Yorkshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Notable individuals with the surname LANDS include:

1. William Lands (c. 1470-1545), an English merchant and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Borough of Southwark in the 16th century.

2. John Lands (1636-1704), an English nonconformist minister and author known for his work "A Treatise on the Sabbath".

3. Sir Peregrine Lands (1755-1829), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars.

4. Emily Sarah Lands (1846-1920), a British writer and philanthropist who founded several charitable organizations in London.

5. Alfred Lands (1888-1976), an English cricketer who played for the Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the early 20th century.

While the surname LANDS may have evolved in its spelling and pronunciation over the centuries, it has maintained its roots as a distinctly English name with a rich history tied to the land and estates of medieval and early modern Britain.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lands families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lands 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. Surrey leads with 27 Lands' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.62x.

County Total Index
Surrey 27 4.62x
Middlesex 22 1.83x
Sussex 16 7.91x
Durham 12 3.36x
Devon 10 4.00x
Lancashire 10 0.70x
Nottinghamshire 5 3.09x
Warwickshire 5 1.65x
Kent 3 0.73x
Cambridgeshire 2 2.63x
Norfolk 2 1.08x
Northamptonshire 2 1.77x
Yorkshire 2 0.17x
Cheshire 1 0.38x
Cornwall 1 0.74x
Hampshire 1 0.41x
Royal Navy 1 6.99x
Wiltshire 1 0.94x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 15 Lands' recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.57x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 15 19.57x
Stockton On Tees 12 69.73x
Hulme 9 30.28x
Bermondsey 8 22.40x
Mayfield 8 666.67x
St Luke London 6 31.19x
Warbleton 5 833.33x
Aston 4 4.80x
Nottingham St Peter 4 222.22x
Poplar London 4 17.67x
Brighton 3 7.35x
Gillingham 3 35.55x
Shoreditch London 3 5.77x
West Teignmouth 3 157.07x
Great Yarmouth 2 13.09x
Newington 2 4.51x
Northampton All Sts 2 52.22x
Paddington London 2 4.53x
St George In East London 2 17.71x
St Marylebone London 2 3.12x
Tormoham 2 18.92x
Tottenham 2 10.47x
Upwell 2 357.14x
Birkenhead 1 4.74x
Byfleet 1 192.31x
Churchstow 1 666.67x
East Stonehouse 1 20.33x
Elland Cum Greetland 1 18.66x
Exeter St Thomas The 1 39.22x
Exminster 1 111.11x
Holy Trinity 1 3.50x
Lambeth 1 0.96x
Newark Upon Trent 1 17.21x
Portsea 1 2.07x
Roche 1 144.93x
Royal Navy 1 8.18x
Rugby 1 24.45x
Shrewton 1 357.14x
St Vedast Foster Lane 1 1250.00x
Tavistock 1 35.21x
Tottington Lower End 1 14.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 10
Thomas 7
William 5
Christopher 3
Edward 3
George 3
Joseph 3
Charles 2
Frank 2
Herbert 2
Morris 2
Samuel 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Benjamen 1
Chas. 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
Jacob 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Washing 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Lands surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lands surname in 1881?

In 1881, 126 people were recorded with the Lands surname. That placed it at #17,245 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lands surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016. That gives Lands a modern rank of #26,270.

What does the Lands surname mean?

A surname possibly derived from landowner or landholder occupation.

What does the Lands map show?

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