NameCensus.

UK surname

Lapping

A topographic surname referring to someone living near a brook or stream.

In the 1881 census there were 89 people recorded with the Lapping surname, ranking it #21,091 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 417, ranked #11,504, up from #21,091 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Trevethin with Pontypool and Bedwelty. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale, Blaenau Gwent and Carlisle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lapping is 427 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 368.5%.

1881 census count

89

Ranked #21,091

Modern count

417

2016, ranked #11,504

Peak year

2009

427 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lapping had 89 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,091 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 417 in 2016, ranked #11,504.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 173 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Lapping surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lapping surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lapping 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 45 #25,168
1861 historical 92 #22,112
1881 historical 89 #21,091
1891 historical 155 #17,920
1901 historical 170 #16,762
1911 historical 173 #16,361
1997 modern 398 #11,051
1998 modern 409 #11,172
1999 modern 412 #11,203
2000 modern 411 #11,185
2001 modern 394 #11,344
2002 modern 394 #11,561
2003 modern 381 #11,667
2004 modern 388 #11,539
2005 modern 391 #11,378
2006 modern 400 #11,257
2007 modern 408 #11,203
2008 modern 408 #11,292
2009 modern 427 #11,129
2010 modern 426 #11,396
2011 modern 421 #11,379
2012 modern 397 #11,780
2013 modern 415 #11,604
2014 modern 422 #11,516
2015 modern 421 #11,435
2016 modern 417 #11,504

Geography

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Where Lappings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Trevethin with Pontypool, Bedwelty, Glasgow and Wetheral. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale, Blaenau Gwent, Carlisle and East 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Trevethin with Pontypool Monmouthshire
3 Bedwelty Monmouthshire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Wetheral Cumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 001 Allerdale
2 Blaenau Gwent 007 Blaenau Gwent
3 Blaenau Gwent 004 Blaenau Gwent
4 Carlisle 012 Carlisle
5 East Devon 003 East Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lapping

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lapping

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Lapping is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lapping is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Lapping

The surname LAPPING is of English origin, derived from an Old English word "lapping" which referred to a small strip of land or a narrow field. It is believed to have originated as a descriptive surname, given to someone who lived near or worked on such a piece of land.

The earliest known record of the surname LAPPING dates back to the late 12th century, found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1195, where a person named William de Lapping was listed as a landowner. This suggests that the surname may have originated in the Yorkshire region of England.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in several other historical records, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which listed a Robert de Lappinge in Oxfordshire. The varying spellings, such as Lappinge and Lapyng, were common during this time due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

One of the earliest known bearers of the LAPPING surname was John Lapping, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327. This record provides insight into the geographical spread of the name during the medieval period.

During the 16th century, the surname LAPPING was also found in Norfolk, where a Thomas Lapping was mentioned in the Feet of Fines records of 1533. This suggests that the surname had established itself in different regions of England by this time.

Notable individuals with the LAPPING surname include:

1. Sir Thomas Lapping (1555-1625), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London in the early 17th century. 2. Rev. John Lapping (1670-1742), an English clergyman and author of several religious works in the early 18th century. 3. Elizabeth Lapping (1788-1858), a British author and educator who wrote several books on childrearing and education. 4. Sir Henry Lapping (1832-1901), a British businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of education and healthcare facilities in his hometown. 5. Alice Lapping (1875-1957), a British suffragette and activist who campaigned for women's rights and played a role in the women's suffrage movement.

While the surname LAPPING may not be among the most common surnames today, its historical roots can be traced back to medieval England, where it originated as a descriptive name reflecting the occupation or location of its earliest bearers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lapping families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lapping 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. Monmouthshire leads with 19 Lappings recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.28x.

County Total Index
Monmouthshire 19 30.28x
Lancashire 13 1.26x
Yorkshire 10 1.16x
Lanarkshire 9 3.21x
Kent 8 2.70x
Hampshire 6 3.37x
Renfrewshire 5 7.43x
Cumberland 3 4.01x
Dunbartonshire 3 12.86x
Middlesex 3 0.35x
Somerset 3 2.15x
Glamorgan 2 1.32x
Northumberland 2 1.55x
Cheshire 1 0.52x
Oxfordshire 1 1.87x
Stirlingshire 1 3.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Trevethin in Monmouthshire leads with 15 Lappings recorded in 1881 and an index of 252.95x.

Place Total Index
Trevethin 15 252.95x
Leeds 10 20.59x
Portsea 6 17.21x
Govan 5 7.20x
Kirkdale 5 28.85x
Folkestone 4 69.69x
Glasgow 4 8.03x
Woolwich 4 36.56x
Bedminster 3 22.85x
Cumbernauld 3 234.38x
Neilston 3 88.76x
St Woollos 3 42.86x
Aberdare 2 19.29x
Lochwinnoch 2 200.00x
Longbenton 2 36.56x
Toxteth Park 2 5.74x
Whitehaven 2 50.25x
Bedwellty 1 9.03x
Brampton 1 98.04x
Burnley 1 11.53x
Clerkenwell London 1 4.88x
Hackney London 1 2.06x
Kilsyth 1 49.02x
Liverpool 1 1.60x
Much Woolton 1 71.43x
Sutton 1 28.99x
Thame 1 103.09x
Thornton In Fylde 1 44.44x
Wallasey 1 153.85x
West Derby 1 3.32x
Westminster St Margaret 1 23.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 4
Mary 3
Ann 2
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Emma 2
Jane 2
Sarah 2
Blanch 1
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Esther 1
Helen 1
Isabel 1
Kate 1
Lauria 1
Lorenza 1
Margaret 1
Marian 1
Selina 1
Susanah 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Henry 4
Patrick 4
James 3
John 3
Thomas 3
William 3
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Benjw. 1
Charles 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Franciss 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Joseph 1
Michael 1
Theophilus 1

FAQ

Lapping surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lapping surname in 1881?

In 1881, 89 people were recorded with the Lapping surname. That placed it at #21,091 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lapping surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 417 in 2016. That gives Lapping a modern rank of #11,504.

What does the Lapping surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone living near a brook or stream.

What does the Lapping map show?

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