NameCensus.

UK surname

Larmer

A surname derived from an Old French word meaning "farm laborer" or "agricultural worker."

In the 1881 census there were 75 people recorded with the Larmer surname, ranking it #22,893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 80, ranked #33,030, down from #22,893 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Houghton-le-Spring (West Rainton), Pittington (Pittington), St Werburgh and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Waverley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Larmer is 141 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.7%.

1881 census count

75

Ranked #22,893

Modern count

80

2016, ranked #33,030

Peak year

1891

141 bearers

Map years

2

1891 to 1901

Key insights

  • Larmer had 75 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,893 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 80 in 2016, ranked #33,030.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 141 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Mature Families.

Larmer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Larmer surname density by area, 1901 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Larmer 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 42 #25,706
1861 historical 97 #21,503
1881 historical 75 #22,893
1891 historical 141 #19,108
1901 historical 104 #22,310
1911 historical 81 #24,719
1997 modern 103 #26,498
1998 modern 98 #27,923
1999 modern 107 #26,754
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 98 #27,672
2002 modern 103 #27,443
2003 modern 98 #28,046
2004 modern 92 #29,197
2005 modern 81 #30,740
2006 modern 84 #30,665
2007 modern 84 #31,067
2008 modern 82 #31,597
2009 modern 88 #31,352
2010 modern 87 #31,990
2011 modern 93 #31,169
2012 modern 89 #31,934
2013 modern 91 #32,020
2014 modern 87 #32,585
2015 modern 83 #32,847
2016 modern 80 #33,030

Geography

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Where Larmers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Houghton-le-Spring (West Rainton), Pittington (Pittington), St Werburgh, Liverpool, Farnham 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 East Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Waverley, Derby and Bradford. 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 Houghton-le-Spring (West Rainton), Pittington (Pittington) Durham
2 St Werburgh Derbyshire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Farnham Surrey
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Hampshire 006 East Hampshire
2 Isle of Wight 014 Isle of Wight
3 Waverley 003 Waverley
4 Derby 005 Derby
5 Bradford 036 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Larmer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Larmer

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Established Mature Families

Nationally, the Larmer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Mature Families, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Larmer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Married couples predominate, many with older dependent children. Detached housing is common. Homeownership rates are the highest within this Supergroup. The presence of some students suggests that households are towards the end of a child rearing phase. Many residents have degree level qualifications, and the occupational profile is heavily skewed towards managerial and professional occupations. Residential developments commonly occur on the periphery of major urban cities or conurbations.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Larmer is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Larmer 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

Larmer falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Larmer 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 Larmer, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Larmer

The surname LARMER originated in England during the late medieval period, likely in the 14th or 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "lar" meaning learning or instruction, and "mere" meaning a lake or pool. This suggests the name may have referred to someone who lived near a body of water used for teaching or instructional purposes.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the LARMER surname can be found in the Feet of Fines records for Sussex in 1428, where a John Larmer is mentioned. The Feet of Fines were legal documents used to record land transactions, indicating the LARMER family may have held property in that region during that time.

In the 16th century, the LARMER name appears in various parish records across southern England, with spellings such as Larmore, Larmor, and Larmour. This includes a William Larmore christened in Dunchurch, Warwickshire in 1568, and a John Larmor who married Anne Hawkes in Bramshott, Hampshire in 1598.

A notable bearer of the LARMER surname was Sir John Larmer (c.1580-1646), a wealthy merchant and alderman of the City of London. He served as Sheriff of London in 1626 and was knighted by King Charles I in 1633. Sir John Larmer was a benefactor to several charitable causes and endowed schools in his hometown of Upton Grey, Hampshire.

Another prominent individual was Joseph Larmer (1801-1879), a wealthy Victorian landowner and founder of the Larmer Tree Gardens in Tollard Royal, Wiltshire. These ornamental gardens, which opened to the public in 1880, featured a variety of exotic trees and were a popular tourist attraction in the late 19th century.

In the literary world, the LARMER name was borne by James Larmer (1824-1877), an English novelist and playwright. He is best known for his novel "The Little Savage" published in 1865, which explored themes of class and social mobility in Victorian society.

While the LARMER surname is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history dating back to medieval England, with bearers spanning various professions from merchants and landowners to writers and philanthropists.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Larmer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Larmer 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 20 Larmers recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.54x.

County Total Index
Surrey 20 5.54x
Ayrshire 13 23.44x
Durham 13 5.90x
Derbyshire 8 6.89x
Hampshire 6 3.95x
Middlesex 6 0.81x
Lancashire 4 0.45x
Worcestershire 2 2.07x
Cambridgeshire 1 2.13x
Royal Navy 1 11.33x
Warwickshire 1 0.54x
Yorkshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dalmellington in Ayrshire leads with 8 Larmers recorded in 1881 and an index of 490.80x.

Place Total Index
Dalmellington 8 490.80x
Litchurch 8 171.31x
Reigate Foreign 8 204.60x
Pittington 7 1129.03x
Alton 6 526.32x
Hetton Le Hole 6 215.05x
Reigate Borough 6 722.89x
Coylton 5 632.91x
Farnham 5 177.94x
Islington London 5 6.96x
Garston 2 76.92x
Liverpool 2 3.74x
Overbury 2 1176.47x
All Saints Cambridge 1 303.03x
Aston 1 1.94x
Leeds 1 2.41x
Newington 1 3.65x
Royal Navy 1 13.25x
St Pancras London 1 1.68x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Larmer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Larmer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 75 people were recorded with the Larmer surname. That placed it at #22,893 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Larmer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 80 in 2016. That gives Larmer a modern rank of #33,030.

What does the Larmer surname mean?

A surname derived from an Old French word meaning "farm laborer" or "agricultural worker."

What does the Larmer map show?

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