NameCensus.

UK surname

Lansdowne

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "down covered in lances".

In the 1881 census there were 130 people recorded with the Lansdowne surname, ranking it #16,911 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 378, ranked #12,393, up from #16,911 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Kingston-on-Thames. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Lakeland, North West Leicestershire and Carlisle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lansdowne is 407 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 190.8%.

1881 census count

130

Ranked #16,911

Modern count

378

2016, ranked #12,393

Peak year

2011

407 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lansdowne had 130 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,911 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 378 in 2016, ranked #12,393.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 277 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Lansdowne surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lansdowne surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lansdowne 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 23 #29,205
1861 historical 63 #25,901
1881 historical 130 #16,911
1891 historical 161 #17,473
1901 historical 277 #12,281
1911 historical 252 #12,834
1997 modern 343 #12,349
1998 modern 357 #12,372
1999 modern 362 #12,316
2000 modern 355 #12,430
2001 modern 352 #12,318
2002 modern 376 #11,989
2003 modern 361 #12,140
2004 modern 366 #12,053
2005 modern 370 #11,875
2006 modern 374 #11,822
2007 modern 375 #11,955
2008 modern 379 #11,960
2009 modern 394 #11,859
2010 modern 405 #11,874
2011 modern 407 #11,709
2012 modern 392 #11,898
2013 modern 397 #11,988
2014 modern 393 #12,168
2015 modern 377 #12,428
2016 modern 378 #12,393

Geography

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Where Lansdownes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Kingston-on-Thames and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Lakeland, North West Leicestershire, Carlisle, Drumry East and Ruchill. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Kingston-on-Thames Surrey
4 London parishes London 3
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Lakeland 010 South Lakeland
2 North West Leicestershire 013 North West Leicestershire
3 Carlisle 009 Carlisle
4 Drumry East Glasgow City
5 Ruchill Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lansdowne

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lansdowne

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Lansdowne is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Lansdowne is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lansdowne 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 Lansdowne is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Lansdowne

The surname Lansdowne originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the county of Somerset. It is derived from the place name "Lansdown," which comes from the Old English words "lan," meaning "lane" or "path," and "dun," meaning "hill." The name essentially refers to a hill or elevated area situated along a lane or path.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named "Ricardus de Lansdon" in Somerset. This suggests that the Lansdowne surname has its roots in the region dating back to the 11th century.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "de Launsdon" and "de Launsdowne," reflecting the spelling variations common in that era. In 1284, a nobleman named William de Launsdowne was recorded as a witness to a legal document in Somerset.

The Lansdowne family played a prominent role in English history, with several notable individuals bearing the surname. One of the most famous was William Petty, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne (1737-1805), a British statesman and Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1782 to 1783.

Another prominent figure was Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne (1780-1863), who served as Lord President of the Council and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in the early 19th century.

In the artistic realm, there was Thomas Lansdowne (1795-1880), an English portrait painter known for his works depicting members of the British aristocracy and royal family.

The surname Lansdowne has also been associated with various places, such as Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, Canada, named after the 4th Marquess of Lansdowne, who served as Governor General of Canada from 1883 to 1888.

Additionally, Lansdowne Road, a famous rugby stadium in Dublin, Ireland, was named after William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne and later the 1st Marquess of Lansdowne.

Throughout history, the Lansdowne surname has carried a sense of prestige and nobility, with its origins rooted in the English countryside and its bearers leaving their mark in various fields, including politics, art, and diplomacy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lansdowne families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lansdowne 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 34 Lansdownes recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.50x.

County Total Index
Surrey 34 5.50x
Middlesex 29 2.29x
Gloucestershire 23 9.25x
Somerset 11 5.39x
Cambridgeshire 8 9.96x
Lancashire 7 0.47x
Yorkshire 6 0.48x
Shropshire 3 2.74x
Glamorgan 2 0.91x
Berkshire 1 1.05x
Durham 1 0.27x
Kent 1 0.23x
Lincolnshire 1 0.49x
Monmouthshire 1 1.09x
Renfrewshire 1 1.02x
Wiltshire 1 0.89x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Elberton in Gloucestershire leads with 13 Lansdownes recorded in 1881 and an index of 18571.43x.

Place Total Index
Elberton 13 18571.43x
Lambeth 9 8.14x
Islington London 8 6.51x
March 8 297.40x
Newington 8 17.08x
Bath St James 6 281.69x
Croydon 6 17.50x
Richmond 6 69.28x
Stainbrough 6 2608.70x
Westbury On Trym 6 71.26x
Southwark Christchurch 5 84.18x
St George Hanover Square 4 17.91x
Charterhouse Hinton 3 1250.00x
Everton 3 6.26x
Kensington London 3 4.26x
Oswestry Town 3 85.47x
St Marylebone London 3 4.43x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 6.08x
Bedminster 2 10.43x
Bethnal Green London 2 3.63x
Clifton 2 15.91x
Hammersmith London 2 6.40x
Llanblethian 2 645.16x
Mangotsfield 2 80.65x
Toxteth Park 2 3.93x
Whitechapel London 2 16.00x
Burton By Lincoln 1 833.33x
Clerkenwell London 1 3.34x
Devizes St Mary 1 88.50x
Friern Barnet 1 35.84x
Greenock Oldor West 1 370.37x
Lambourn 1 106.38x
Lee 1 15.92x
Mile End Old Town London 1 3.71x
Raglan 1 322.58x
St George Bloomsbury 1 13.76x
St Pancras London 1 0.98x
Stockton On Tees 1 5.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Sarah 7
Elizabeth 5
Ellen 4
Louisa 4
Eliza 3
Emily 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Edith 2
Emma 2
Lillian 2
Maria 2
Matilda 2
Ada 1
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Constance 1
Eava 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Florince 1
Harriet 1
Jane 1
Jeanes 1
Josephine 1
Kate 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Mercy 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 8
John 7
James 6
George 5
William 4
Alfred 3
Edward 3
Richard 3
Charles 2
Frederick 2
Herbert 2
Luke 2
Mark 2
Albert 1
Andrew 1
Baron 1
Douglas 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Jane 1
Lewis 1
Percy 1
Samuel 1

FAQ

Lansdowne surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lansdowne surname in 1881?

In 1881, 130 people were recorded with the Lansdowne surname. That placed it at #16,911 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lansdowne surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 378 in 2016. That gives Lansdowne a modern rank of #12,393.

What does the Lansdowne surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "down covered in lances".

What does the Lansdowne map show?

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