NameCensus.

UK surname

Laughland

A surname derived from a location, likely referring to a place where laughter or merriment occurred.

In the 1881 census there were 164 people recorded with the Laughland surname, ranking it #14,624 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 221, ranked #18,321, down from #14,624 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bothwell, Govan Combination and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waveney, Blackhill and Barmulloch East and Irvine Central.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Laughland is 250 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.8%.

1881 census count

164

Ranked #14,624

Modern count

221

2016, ranked #18,321

Peak year

1999

250 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Laughland had 164 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,624 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 221 in 2016, ranked #18,321.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 193 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Laughland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Laughland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Laughland 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 84 #19,067
1861 historical 163 #14,242
1881 historical 164 #14,624
1891 historical 165 #17,143
1901 historical 193 #15,469
1911 historical 63 #26,537
1997 modern 225 #16,352
1998 modern 240 #16,117
1999 modern 250 #15,802
2000 modern 243 #16,053
2001 modern 229 #16,467
2002 modern 235 #16,495
2003 modern 231 #16,504
2004 modern 229 #16,684
2005 modern 237 #16,244
2006 modern 230 #16,690
2007 modern 232 #16,795
2008 modern 242 #16,432
2009 modern 233 #17,241
2010 modern 242 #17,138
2011 modern 236 #17,279
2012 modern 220 #18,034
2013 modern 228 #17,864
2014 modern 231 #17,813
2015 modern 220 #18,346
2016 modern 221 #18,321

Geography

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Where Laughlands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bothwell, Govan Combination, Glasgow, Kilmarnock and Galston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waveney, Blackhill and Barmulloch East, Irvine Central, Fernhill and Cathkin and Stroud. 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 Bothwell Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Kilmarnock Ayr
5 Galston Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waveney 007 Waveney
2 Blackhill and Barmulloch East Glasgow City
3 Irvine Central North Ayrshire
4 Fernhill and Cathkin South Lanarkshire
5 Stroud 006 Stroud

Forenames

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First names often paired with Laughland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Laughland

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Laughland surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Laughland household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Laughland 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

Laughland is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Laughland

The surname Laughland is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Old English words "laf," meaning "remnant" or "leftovers," and "land," referring to a parcel or area of land. It is believed to have first emerged in the Scottish Lowlands during the 12th century.

Laughland was initially a topographic name, given to someone who resided on or near land that was deemed less desirable or less fertile, perhaps due to its location or soil quality. It may have been applied to individuals who settled on the outskirts or fringes of established communities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document containing the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The entry lists a Johnne de Laughland from the region of Berwickshire.

In the 15th century, the name Laughland can be found in various Scottish charters and legal documents, often in association with land grants or property transactions. Some examples include Thomas Laughland, who was granted lands near Jedburgh in 1432, and Robert Laughland, who acquired a parcel of land in East Lothian in 1478.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name became more widespread across Scotland, with notable bearers such as Sir James Laughland (1560-1638), a prominent merchant and landowner in Edinburgh, and Andrew Laughland (1620-1692), a respected clergyman and author from Fife.

Other notable individuals with the surname Laughland include:

1. Robert Laughland (1763-1831), a Scottish physician and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of botany and zoology. 2. Margaret Laughland (1827-1903), a Scottish novelist and poet known for her works depicting life in the Scottish Highlands. 3. James Laughland (1865-1943), a Scottish engineer and inventor who patented several improvements to steam engine designs. 4. William Laughland (1890-1976), a Scottish-born Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. 5. Carolyn Laughland (born 1948), a British author and journalist, best known for her biographies of notable historical figures.

While the surname Laughland is not among the most common in Scotland or elsewhere, it has endured for centuries, reflecting the rich tapestry of Scottish history and the enduring legacy of its land and people.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Laughland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Laughland 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. Ayrshire leads with 94 Laughlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 78.52x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 94 78.52x
Lanarkshire 28 5.41x
Somerset 7 2.72x
Lancashire 6 0.32x
Fife 5 5.28x
Middlesex 5 0.31x
Perthshire 5 6.96x
Glamorgan 4 1.44x
Hampshire 4 1.22x
Stirlingshire 2 3.39x
Dumfriesshire 1 2.83x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 4.32x
Midlothian 1 0.47x
Renfrewshire 1 0.81x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kilmarnock in Ayrshire leads with 43 Laughlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 301.75x.

Place Total Index
Kilmarnock 43 301.75x
Kilmaurs 15 735.29x
Govan 12 9.38x
Stewarton 8 337.55x
Bath St James 7 260.22x
Barony 6 4.58x
Bothwell 6 42.77x
Broughton In Salford 6 34.56x
Loudoun 6 208.33x
Dalrymple 5 666.67x
Dundonald 5 113.38x
Islington London 5 3.22x
Kirkcaldy 5 106.38x
Ayr 4 70.80x
Cardiff St John 4 43.96x
Logie 4 155.04x
Southampton St Mary 4 19.40x
Maybole 3 82.19x
Galston 2 61.16x
Glasgow 2 2.18x
Kirkmichael 2 183.49x
Stirling 2 26.88x
Annan 1 32.89x
Beith 1 28.01x
Cambusnethan 1 8.70x
Carsphairn 1 370.37x
Cathcart 1 14.90x
Edinburgh Canongate 1 18.35x
Logierait 1 79.37x
Maryhill 1 9.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Margaret 2
Ann 1
Bertha 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Jane 1
Katie 1
Lizzie 1
Mabel 1
Maggie 1
Nellie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
William 3
Alfred 1
Frank 1
James 1
Martin 1
Percy 1
Robert 1

FAQ

Laughland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Laughland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 164 people were recorded with the Laughland surname. That placed it at #14,624 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Laughland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 221 in 2016. That gives Laughland a modern rank of #18,321.

What does the Laughland surname mean?

A surname derived from a location, likely referring to a place where laughter or merriment occurred.

What does the Laughland map show?

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