NameCensus.

UK surname

Large

An English surname derived from a nickname referring to a person of tall or heavy stature.

In the 1881 census there were 3,085 people recorded with the Large surname, ranking it #1,458 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,380, ranked #1,560, down from #1,458 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and Yalding, Aylesford, Burham, Mereworth, Wateringbury, Nettlestead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Breckland, Kettering and Tunbridge Wells.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Large is 4,836 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.0%.

1881 census count

3,085

Ranked #1,458

Modern count

4,380

2016, ranked #1,560

Peak year

1999

4,836 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Large had 3,085 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,458 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,380 in 2016, ranked #1,560.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,400 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Large surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Large surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Large 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 2,017 #1,438
1861 historical 1,987 #1,463
1881 historical 3,085 #1,458
1891 historical 3,347 #1,428
1901 historical 4,032 #1,397
1911 historical 4,400 #1,172
1997 modern 4,682 #1,395
1998 modern 4,800 #1,412
1999 modern 4,836 #1,412
2000 modern 4,760 #1,429
2001 modern 4,660 #1,427
2002 modern 4,761 #1,432
2003 modern 4,609 #1,445
2004 modern 4,625 #1,435
2005 modern 4,466 #1,469
2006 modern 4,412 #1,486
2007 modern 4,431 #1,493
2008 modern 4,446 #1,500
2009 modern 4,605 #1,480
2010 modern 4,677 #1,497
2011 modern 4,598 #1,495
2012 modern 4,389 #1,530
2013 modern 4,445 #1,542
2014 modern 4,479 #1,539
2015 modern 4,424 #1,544
2016 modern 4,380 #1,560

Geography

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Where Larges are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lambeth, Yalding, Aylesford, Burham, Mereworth, Wateringbury, Nettlestead and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Breckland, Kettering, Tunbridge Wells, Burnley and South Derbyshire. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Yalding, Aylesford, Burham, Mereworth, Wateringbury, Nettlestead Kent
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Breckland 013 Breckland
2 Kettering 002 Kettering
3 Tunbridge Wells 001 Tunbridge Wells
4 Burnley 004 Burnley
5 South Derbyshire 011 South Derbyshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Large

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Large

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Large, 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 Large surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Large 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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Large is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Large is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Large

The surname Large is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "large," meaning "broad" or "wide." The name likely originated in the Middle Ages as a descriptive nickname for someone of large stature or broad build.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Large can be found in various medieval records and documents. One notable example is the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1176, which mention a Robert Large. Another early reference is the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which include a John le Large.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname Large was also found in various forms, such as Larg, Largg, and Lerge, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation at the time. Some of these variations may have been influenced by regional dialects or scribal errors in record-keeping.

The surname Large is also associated with several place names in England, such as Large's Court in Kent and Large's Farm in Suffolk. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the surname Large who owned or resided in those locations.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Large was John Large, who was born in Somerset, England, around 1490. He served as a member of parliament and held various positions in the local government.

Another notable figure was Sir Walter Large, born in Wiltshire in 1565. He was a prominent military commander and served as the Governor of Portsmouth during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Edward Large (1702-1786) was a renowned architect from Yorkshire, known for his work on several churches and country houses in the region.

During the 19th century, William Large (1837-1909) was a successful businessman and philanthropist from Lancashire. He made significant contributions to the development of his local community and funded the construction of several public buildings.

Finally, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Large was the English novelist and poet Thomas Large (1876-1944), whose works explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Large, which has its roots in the descriptive nicknames of medieval England and has since spread across the English-speaking world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Large families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Large 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 387 Larges recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.08x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 387 1.08x
Norfolk 315 6.80x
Kent 257 2.50x
Middlesex 257 0.85x
Cheshire 179 2.69x
Surrey 167 1.14x
Gloucestershire 154 2.61x
Warwickshire 152 2.00x
Yorkshire 146 0.49x
Wiltshire 135 5.07x
Derbyshire 122 2.59x
Worcestershire 82 2.09x
Leicestershire 80 2.40x
Staffordshire 73 0.72x
Suffolk 70 1.91x
Essex 51 0.86x
Bedfordshire 46 2.95x
Somerset 43 0.89x
Nottinghamshire 41 1.01x
Durham 28 0.31x
Berkshire 26 1.15x
Oxfordshire 26 1.40x
Flintshire 23 2.84x
Hampshire 21 0.34x
Glamorgan 20 0.38x
Hertfordshire 18 0.87x
Lincolnshire 18 0.37x
Sussex 18 0.35x
Shropshire 16 0.62x
Herefordshire 15 1.21x
Buckinghamshire 14 0.77x
Cambridgeshire 10 0.52x
Monmouthshire 10 0.46x
Kirkcudbrightshire 9 2.06x
Northumberland 9 0.20x
Northamptonshire 8 0.28x
Royal Navy 8 2.23x
Montgomeryshire 6 0.87x
Denbighshire 4 0.35x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.42x
Angus 3 0.11x
Ayrshire 3 0.13x
Dorset 3 0.15x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.16x
Channel Islands 2 0.22x
Devon 2 0.03x
Lanarkshire 2 0.02x
Midlothian 1 0.02x
Rutland 1 0.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 49 Larges recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.34x.

Place Total Index
Aston 49 2.34x
Lambeth 44 1.68x
Islington London 30 1.03x
Mildenhall 30 76.98x
Toxteth Park 30 2.48x
Holy Trinity 29 4.04x
Brancaster 27 340.05x
Birmingham 26 1.03x
Birkenhead 25 4.72x
Dudley 25 5.23x
Newington 25 2.25x
Nettlestead 24 391.52x
Lower Mitton 22 63.47x
Camberwell 21 1.09x
Windle 21 10.44x
Tonbridge 20 5.40x
Barrow In Furness 19 3.91x
Bunbury 19 208.56x
Eckington 19 16.59x
Hackney London 19 1.13x
Highworth 19 55.80x
Lullington 19 247.40x
Nottingham St Mary 19 1.81x
Salford 19 1.81x
Swindon 19 9.20x
Widnes 19 7.37x
Heigham 18 7.24x
Maidstone 18 5.88x
Manchester 18 1.12x
Crudwell 17 219.35x
Clapton 16 1126.76x
Walpole St Peter 16 136.40x
West Derby 16 1.53x
Wolverhampton 16 2.05x
Bermondsey 15 1.67x
Capel 15 259.52x
Lewisham 15 2.74x
Batheaston 14 84.34x
Battersea 14 1.26x
Bickerstaffe 14 59.85x
Flitcham Cum Appleton 14 291.06x
Leeds 14 0.83x
Luton 14 5.19x
Shoreditch London 14 1.07x
West Ham 14 1.07x
Brailsford 13 193.74x
Castle Donnington 13 46.95x
Chelsea London 13 1.43x
Litchurch 13 6.85x
Newton In Makerfield 13 11.88x
Tetbury 13 38.83x
Broughton In Salford 12 3.67x
Hammersmith London 12 1.62x
Hulme 12 1.61x
Kirkdale 12 2.00x
Leicester St Margaret 12 1.47x
Little Bolton 12 2.61x
Old Buckenham 12 101.18x
Parr 12 9.39x
Poole Keynes 12 845.07x
Stoke Upon Trent 12 1.11x
Swanton Morley 12 168.78x
Terrington St Clement 12 57.39x
West Malling 12 51.88x
Allesley 11 110.11x
Bethnal Green London 11 0.84x
Bickenhill 11 209.13x
Burford 11 68.20x
Cuxton 11 271.60x
Guisbrough 11 16.87x
Hockham 11 209.13x
Monks Coppenhall 11 4.39x
Ramsey 11 140.85x
Sandbach 11 19.40x
St Pancras London 11 0.45x
Great Yarmouth 10 2.61x
Hunstanton 10 63.94x
Knowsley 10 77.46x
Stone 10 7.69x
Woodford 10 14.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 197
Elizabeth 124
Sarah 112
Ann 67
Eliza 57
Ellen 53
Jane 51
Emma 50
Alice 48
Annie 39
Emily 37
Martha 37
Frances 24
Maria 24
Louisa 23
Margaret 22
Hannah 20
Edith 19
Harriet 19
Charlotte 18
Ada 17
Fanny 17
Florence 16
Agnes 15
Kate 15
Clara 13
Susan 13
Caroline 12
Eleanor 11
Sophia 10
Minnie 9
Rose 9
Amelia 8
Anne 8
Catherine 8
Esther 8
Harriett 8
Julia 8
Lucy 8
Rebecca 8
Ruth 8
Gertrude 7
Jessie 7
Anna 6
Selina 6
Susannah 6
Amy 5
Laura 5
Lizzie 5
Matilda 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 186
John 169
Thomas 133
James 114
Henry 91
George 78
Charles 69
Robert 57
Joseph 53
Edward 44
Alfred 39
Arthur 33
Samuel 31
Frederick 28
Harry 26
Walter 25
Albert 22
Richard 16
Herbert 15
Edwin 14
Ernest 14
Francis 10
Daniel 9
Edmund 8
Frank 8
Fredrick 6
Joshua 6
Josiah 6
Stephen 6
Lewis 5
Benjamin 4
David 4
Fred 4
Frederic 4
Fredk. 4
Geo. 4
Matthew 4
Robt. 4
Thos. 4
Abraham 3
Augustus 3
Edgar 3
Harold 3
Jabez 3
Jno. 3
Leonard 3
Philip 3
Rupert 3
Sidney 3
Wallace 3

FAQ

Large surname: questions and answers

How common was the Large surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,085 people were recorded with the Large surname. That placed it at #1,458 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Large surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,380 in 2016. That gives Large a modern rank of #1,560.

What does the Large surname mean?

An English surname derived from a nickname referring to a person of tall or heavy stature.

What does the Large map show?

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