NameCensus.

UK surname

Langshaw

A locational surname referring to someone from a long, narrow wood or copse.

In the 1881 census there were 201 people recorded with the Langshaw surname, ranking it #12,791 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 217, ranked #18,535, down from #12,791 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Wigan and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Stockton-on-Tees and Stockport.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Langshaw is 361 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.0%.

1881 census count

201

Ranked #12,791

Modern count

217

2016, ranked #18,535

Peak year

1901

361 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Langshaw had 201 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,791 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 217 in 2016, ranked #18,535.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 361 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Langshaw surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Langshaw surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Langshaw 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 173 #11,629
1861 historical 173 #13,553
1881 historical 201 #12,791
1891 historical 279 #11,698
1901 historical 361 #10,196
1911 historical 287 #11,784
1997 modern 221 #16,565
1998 modern 231 #16,555
1999 modern 230 #16,685
2000 modern 222 #17,032
2001 modern 217 #17,059
2002 modern 216 #17,447
2003 modern 207 #17,746
2004 modern 208 #17,758
2005 modern 211 #17,520
2006 modern 206 #17,945
2007 modern 212 #17,803
2008 modern 218 #17,638
2009 modern 226 #17,587
2010 modern 227 #17,895
2011 modern 223 #17,940
2012 modern 216 #18,251
2013 modern 216 #18,543
2014 modern 217 #18,645
2015 modern 217 #18,542
2016 modern 217 #18,535

Geography

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Where Langshaws are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Wigan, Manchester, Leigh and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool, Stockton-on-Tees, Stockport, Manchester and St. Helens. 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 Wigan Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Leigh Lancashire
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liverpool 059 Liverpool
2 Stockton-on-Tees 003 Stockton-on-Tees
3 Stockport 020 Stockport
4 Manchester 045 Manchester
5 St. Helens 019 St. Helens

Forenames

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First names often paired with Langshaw

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Langshaw

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Langshaw surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Langshaw household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Langshaw is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Langshaw 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

Langshaw 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 Langshaw is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Langshaw

The surname Langshaw has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from a place called Langshaw, which was likely a small hamlet or village. The name is a combination of the Old English words "lang" meaning long, and "sceaga" meaning shaw or small wood, indicating that the original bearers of the name hailed from a long wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Langshaw can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire, which date back to 1297. It is mentioned as "Richard de Langshagh," suggesting that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the parish of Giggleswick, Yorkshire, where a certain John Langshaw was baptized in 1578. This provides evidence of the name's continued use and presence in the county.

During the 17th century, the Langshaw surname gained wider recognition with the birth of William Langshaw in 1624. He was a notable English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Buckingham from 1686 until his death in 1697.

Another notable bearer of the Langshaw name was Thomas Langshaw, born in 1663 in Yorkshire. He was a prominent lawyer and served as the Recorder of Doncaster, a position of significant legal authority in the region.

In the 18th century, the name gained further prominence with the birth of James Langshaw (1718-1789), a renowned English engraver and printmaker who worked in London. His works are highly regarded and can be found in various art collections around the world.

As the centuries progressed, the Langshaw surname continued to spread across England, with families bearing the name settling in various counties. While the name has undergone slight variations in spelling over time, such as Langshay and Langshawe, the core form of Langshaw has remained largely unchanged.

It is worth noting that no references to the Langshaw surname have been found in major historical records such as the Domesday Book, suggesting that the name emerged somewhat later in the medieval period.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Langshaw families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Langshaw 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. Lancashire leads with 143 Langshaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.15x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 143 6.15x
Warwickshire 13 2.63x
Surrey 12 1.26x
Middlesex 10 0.51x
Yorkshire 8 0.41x
Cheshire 3 0.69x
Gloucestershire 3 0.78x
Nottinghamshire 3 1.14x
Bedfordshire 2 1.97x
Oxfordshire 2 1.65x
Kent 1 0.15x
Northamptonshire 1 0.54x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westleigh in Lancashire leads with 14 Langshaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 265.15x.

Place Total Index
Westleigh 14 265.15x
Moss Side 12 98.04x
Hulme 10 20.59x
Manchester 10 9.56x
Haigh 9 1111.11x
Liverpool 8 5.66x
Toxteth Park 8 10.15x
Aston 7 5.14x
Broughton In Salford 7 32.91x
Farnworth 7 50.22x
Oldham 7 9.32x
Whalley 7 206.49x
Idlicote 6 7500.00x
Ardwick 5 23.83x
Hampton London 5 155.28x
Ripon 5 110.86x
West Derby 5 7.35x
Wigan 5 15.38x
Hindley 4 40.32x
Kingston On Thames 4 17.43x
Gorton 3 13.72x
Hammersmith London 3 6.21x
Nottingham St Mary 3 4.39x
Warrington 3 10.88x
Bedford St Paul 2 28.74x
Beswick 2 33.61x
Bristol St Augustine 2 32.26x
Frensham 2 142.86x
Great Bolton 2 6.49x
Lambeth 2 1.17x
Little Hulton 2 51.95x
North Meols 2 8.78x
Oxford St Clement 2 65.36x
Sharples 2 79.37x
Sheffield 2 3.23x
Stretford 2 15.63x
Altrincham 1 13.23x
Beddington 1 27.10x
Birkenhead 1 2.90x
Camberwell 1 0.80x
Chatham 1 5.43x
Cheetham 1 5.76x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 2.71x
Clapham 1 4.08x
Clifton 1 5.14x
Edgeworth 1 80.00x
Everton 1 1.35x
Ewell 1 49.51x
Feltham 1 51.02x
High Leigh 1 175.44x
Little Bolton 1 3.34x
Manningham 1 4.18x
Northampton St Giles 1 14.25x
Speke 1 294.12x
St George Martyr London 1 25.19x
Tonge 1 20.49x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Elizabeth 9
Sarah 8
Ellen 5
Ada 4
Emma 4
Alice 3
Ann 3
Eliza 3
Hannah 3
Margaret 3
Annie 2
Edith 2
Jane 2
(Mrs) 1
Aley 1
Betsy 1
Clove 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Georgina 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Isabel 1
Isabella 1
Jannet 1
Lilian 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Nancy 1
Nelly 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 16
James 15
John 9
George 7
Thomas 7
Robert 5
Arthur 3
Roger 3
Samuel 3
Charles 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Joseph 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Cornelius 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Harold 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Hy.P. 1
Jesse 1
Laura 1
Luke 1
Matthew 1
Moses 1
Nathaniel 1
Ralph 1
Richard 1
Rowland 1
Stephen 1
Thos 1
Willm. 1
Willm.C. 1

FAQ

Langshaw surname: questions and answers

How common was the Langshaw surname in 1881?

In 1881, 201 people were recorded with the Langshaw surname. That placed it at #12,791 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Langshaw surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 217 in 2016. That gives Langshaw a modern rank of #18,535.

What does the Langshaw surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a long, narrow wood or copse.

What does the Langshaw map show?

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