NameCensus.

UK surname

Larsen

A patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin meaning "son of Lars" or "son of Laurence."

In the 1881 census there were 198 people recorded with the Larsen surname, ranking it #12,922 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,151, ranked #5,129, up from #12,922 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Hull Holy Trinity and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stockton-on-Tees, Central Bedfordshire and City Centre West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Larsen is 1,222 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 481.3%.

1881 census count

198

Ranked #12,922

Modern count

1,151

2016, ranked #5,129

Peak year

2010

1,222 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Larsen had 198 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,922 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,151 in 2016, ranked #5,129.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 382 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Larsen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Larsen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Larsen 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
1861 historical 11 #32,452
1881 historical 198 #12,922
1891 historical 223 #13,800
1901 historical 374 #9,930
1911 historical 382 #9,615
1997 modern 1,049 #5,274
1998 modern 1,103 #5,248
1999 modern 1,146 #5,126
2000 modern 1,117 #5,205
2001 modern 1,123 #5,079
2002 modern 1,157 #5,070
2003 modern 1,115 #5,117
2004 modern 1,111 #5,142
2005 modern 1,129 #5,021
2006 modern 1,124 #5,048
2007 modern 1,120 #5,107
2008 modern 1,143 #5,047
2009 modern 1,179 #5,012
2010 modern 1,222 #4,960
2011 modern 1,203 #4,960
2012 modern 1,200 #4,916
2013 modern 1,194 #5,007
2014 modern 1,153 #5,186
2015 modern 1,142 #5,192
2016 modern 1,151 #5,129

Geography

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Where Larsens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Hull Holy Trinity, Gateshead and Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stockton-on-Tees, Central Bedfordshire, City Centre West, County Durham and Waverley. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stockton-on-Tees 018 Stockton-on-Tees
2 Central Bedfordshire 013 Central Bedfordshire
3 City Centre West Aberdeen City
4 County Durham 020 County Durham
5 Waverley 013 Waverley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Larsen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Larsen

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Larsen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Larsen 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Larsen 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

Larsen is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Larsen falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Larsen 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Larsen

The surname Larsen is of Danish origin and is a patronymic name, derived from the personal name Lars. Lars itself is a Scandinavian form of the name Laurentius, which is derived from the Latin name Laurentius, meaning "from Laurentum" or "man from Laurentum". Laurentum was an ancient city in Italy, located near the modern-day town of Tor Pignattara.

The name Larsen first appeared in Denmark during the Middle Ages, when patronymic surnames became common. It indicated that the bearer was the son of a man named Lars. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in Danish parish records from the 16th and 17th centuries.

One notable historical figure with the surname Larsen was Hans Larsen Mink (1533-1593), a Danish admiral and naval hero who fought against the Swedish navy during the Northern Seven Years' War. He is credited with winning several crucial battles and preventing a Swedish invasion of Denmark.

Another prominent Larsen was Jacob Larsen (1828-1918), a Norwegian-American artist who is considered one of the most influential painters of the Golden Age of American landscape painting. His works, such as "The White Mountains" and "Autumn in New England", are highly regarded for their accurate depictions of the American wilderness.

In the literary world, Karen Larsen (1899-1988) was a Danish author and playwright known for her novels and short stories that explored themes of feminism and social issues. Her works, including "The Staircase" and "The Burning Bush", were widely acclaimed and translated into several languages.

Jens Larsen (1902-1988) was a Danish architect who played a significant role in the development of functionalist architecture in Denmark. He designed several notable buildings, including the Bellahøj Housing Estate in Copenhagen, which is considered a masterpiece of Danish functionalist architecture.

Knud Larsen (1865-1922) was a Danish explorer and naval officer who led several expeditions to Greenland and the Arctic regions. He is best known for his successful mapping and exploration of the northeast coast of Greenland, which was previously uncharted territory.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Larsen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Larsen 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 37 Larsens recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.56x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 37 1.56x
Northumberland 29 9.75x
Yorkshire 26 1.31x
Middlesex 20 1.00x
Midlothian 13 4.85x
Durham 10 1.68x
Surrey 9 0.92x
Cheshire 8 1.81x
Glamorgan 6 1.72x
Cornwall 5 2.21x
Devon 5 1.20x
Northamptonshire 5 2.66x
Gloucestershire 4 1.02x
Channel Islands 3 5.06x
Isle of Man 3 8.08x
Lanarkshire 3 0.46x
Monmouthshire 3 2.08x
Fife 2 1.69x
Royal Navy 2 8.39x
Wigtownshire 2 7.53x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.54x
Ayrshire 1 0.67x
Berkshire 1 0.67x
Hampshire 1 0.24x
Hertfordshire 1 0.73x
Inverness-shire 1 1.67x
Kent 1 0.15x
Renfrewshire 1 0.65x
Suffolk 1 0.41x
Sussex 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 22 Larsens recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.27x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 22 15.27x
North Shields 14 235.69x
Leith North 12 2352.94x
Holy Trinity 11 23.08x
Sculcoates 7 22.28x
Kirkdale 6 15.03x
Rotherhithe 6 24.28x
Gorton 5 22.41x
Northampton Priory St 5 44.29x
South Shields 5 94.34x
Bromley London 4 9.09x
Cardiff St Mary 4 20.86x
Chirton 4 59.44x
Newcastle On Tyne St 4 25.94x
Wallasey 4 266.67x
Berkeley 3 137.61x
Hackney London 3 2.68x
Higher Bebington 3 106.01x
Malew 3 92.59x
Newcastle On Tyne 3 937.50x
Newington 3 4.06x
North Bovey 3 1000.00x
Paddington London 3 4.08x
St Sampson 3 112.36x
St Woollos 3 18.60x
Westoe 3 8.89x
Anderston 2 1176.47x
Bootle Cum Linacre 2 10.62x
Falmouth 2 24.97x
Kingstonupon Hull 2 125.79x
Kirkmaiden 2 119.05x
Poplar London 2 5.30x
Scilly Islands 2 487.80x
St Pancras London 2 1.24x
Stranton 2 9.99x
Whitby 2 29.94x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 2.59x
Acton 1 8.53x
Amble 1 74.07x
Ayr 1 14.16x
Berwick Upon Tweed 1 15.87x
Birkenhead 1 2.84x
Burntisland 1 30.21x
Cardiff St John 1 8.80x
Cookham 1 21.37x
Dartmouth Townstall 1 58.82x
Dunfermline 1 5.49x
Gloucester St Owen 1 232.56x
Goole 1 30.12x
Govan 1 0.63x
Greenock Oldor West 1 238.10x
Hampstead London 1 3.21x
Heaton 1 101.01x
Islington London 1 0.52x
Kensington London 1 0.90x
Littlehampton 1 37.17x
Madron Penzance 1 12.15x
Middlesbrough 1 3.88x
Milton In Gravesend 1 9.78x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 3.12x
Rickinghall Superior 1 256.41x
Sawbridgeworth 1 47.85x
Scarborough 1 5.55x
South Leith 1 3.32x
Southampton 1 312.50x
Southcoates 1 9.09x
St Martin In Fields 1 8.35x
Strath 1 54.95x
Swansea 1 256.41x
Toxteth Park 1 1.24x
West Derby 1 1.44x
Westgate 1 5.43x
Whitechapel London 1 5.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Elizabeth 3
Margaret 3
Anna 2
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Florence 2
Hannah 2
Laura 2
Louisa 2
Sarah 2
Thora 2
Ada 1
Alma 1
Alona 1
Ana 1
Ann 1
Augusta 1
Catherine 1
Eleanor 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Harriet 1
Johamed 1
Julia 1
Katherine 1
Katie 1
Lisa 1
Lizzy 1
Maren 1
Margareta 1
Maria 1
Nicoline 1
Sara 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Hans 7
Carl 6
John 6
Lars 5
Niels 5
Peter 5
Jens 4
A. 3
Anton 3
Edward 3
George 3
Henry 3
Ole 3
Thomas 3
Alexander 2
Jacob 2
James 2
Johan 2
Jorgen 2
Laurence 2
Oliver 2
Andres 1
Andrew 1
Berner 1
Bernhard 1
Charles 1
Christen 1
Cristian 1
Edwin 1
Elling 1
Garne 1
Gustaw 1
Gutthom 1
Hendrck 1
Hialmar 1
Jamas 1
Jas.Andreas 1
Joseph 1
L. 1
Lamas 1
Lanritz 1
Laures 1
Lauri 1
Lauritz 1
Lausity 1
Ludvig 1
Martinius 1
Maryenes 1
Michael 1
Valdemar 1

FAQ

Larsen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Larsen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 198 people were recorded with the Larsen surname. That placed it at #12,922 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Larsen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,151 in 2016. That gives Larsen a modern rank of #5,129.

What does the Larsen surname mean?

A patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin meaning "son of Lars" or "son of Laurence."

What does the Larsen map show?

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