NameCensus.

UK surname

Laughlin

Anglicized form of Irish Ó Lochlainn, meaning "descendant of Lochlann," a Gaelic name derived from "fjord land," referring to Scandinavia.

In the 1881 census there were 446 people recorded with the Laughlin surname, ranking it #7,361 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 704, ranked #7,672, down from #7,361 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sighthill, Kirkshaws and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Laughlin is 889 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.8%.

1881 census count

446

Ranked #7,361

Modern count

704

2016, ranked #7,672

Peak year

2010

889 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Laughlin had 446 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,361 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 704 in 2016, ranked #7,672.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 570 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Laughlin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Laughlin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Laughlin 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 243 #8,983
1861 historical 289 #8,711
1881 historical 446 #7,361
1891 historical 570 #6,671
1901 historical 540 #7,620
1911 historical 364 #9,985
1997 modern 623 #7,941
1998 modern 655 #7,854
1999 modern 637 #8,084
2000 modern 624 #8,197
2001 modern 612 #8,164
2002 modern 615 #8,306
2003 modern 598 #8,358
2004 modern 604 #8,309
2005 modern 608 #8,198
2006 modern 611 #8,170
2007 modern 615 #8,203
2008 modern 623 #8,175
2009 modern 661 #7,969
2010 modern 889 #6,452
2011 modern 707 #7,645
2012 modern 689 #7,692
2013 modern 695 #7,763
2014 modern 720 #7,612
2015 modern 700 #7,710
2016 modern 704 #7,672

Geography

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Where Laughlins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Glasgow and Ipswich Whitton-with-Thurlston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sighthill, Kirkshaws, Bradford, Dover and South Norfolk. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
3 London parishes London 3
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Ipswich Whitton-with-Thurlston Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sighthill Glasgow City
2 Kirkshaws North Lanarkshire
3 Bradford 006 Bradford
4 Dover 002 Dover
5 South Norfolk 015 South Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Laughlin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Laughlin

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Laughlin 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

Laughlin is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Laughlin 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 Laughlin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Laughlin

The surname Laughlin originated in Scotland during the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "lough" meaning lake and "linn" meaning pool or stream, referring to someone who lived near a lake or pool.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England after his conquest of Scotland. The name is spelled "Lochlyn" in this document.

Over time, the spelling evolved to Laughlin, Loughlin, Laughlan, and other variations. The name was particularly common in the Scottish Highlands, especially in the areas around Inverness and Argyll.

In the 16th century, there are records of a John Laughlin who was a landowner in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Another notable figure was Robert Laughlin, a Scottish poet born in 1639 who wrote works in both English and Scots.

The name also spread to Ireland, where it is often rendered as Loughlin or Lochlann. One of the earliest recorded Irish individuals with this name was Domnall Ua Lochlainn, a King of Ailech who ruled in the 12th century.

As the name spread across the British Isles, it also made its way to the Americas with Scottish and Irish immigrants. Some notable bearers of the Laughlin name in North America include:

1. John Laughlin (1766-1838), an American lawyer and politician from Pennsylvania. 2. Samuel Huston Laughlin (1793-1843), an American lawyer and judge from Tennessee. 3. James Laurence Laughlin (1850-1933), an American economist and educator who served as the president of Cornell University. 4. Robert Laughlin (born 1950), an American physicist and Nobel laureate known for his work on the quantum Hall effect. 5. Kathleen Laughlin (born 1964), an American actress and writer known for her work on television shows like "The Guardian" and "V.I.P."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Laughlin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Laughlin 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. Yorkshire leads with 74 Laughlins recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.62x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 74 1.62x
Suffolk 72 12.81x
Middlesex 38 0.82x
Lancashire 36 0.66x
Lanarkshire 33 2.21x
Isle of Man 27 31.51x
Glamorgan 26 3.24x
Surrey 24 1.07x
Cumberland 20 5.03x
Ayrshire 12 3.48x
Hampshire 10 1.06x
Norfolk 9 1.27x
Renfrewshire 9 2.52x
Wigtownshire 9 14.69x
Cambridgeshire 8 2.74x
Dunbartonshire 8 6.45x
Midlothian 7 1.13x
Durham 6 0.44x
Essex 6 0.66x
Northamptonshire 6 1.38x
Sussex 6 0.77x
Angus 4 0.94x
Kent 4 0.25x
Monmouthshire 4 1.20x
Cheshire 3 0.29x
Staffordshire 3 0.19x
Northumberland 2 0.29x
Warwickshire 2 0.17x
Anglesey 1 1.22x
Devon 1 0.10x
Lincolnshire 1 0.14x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.16x
Wiltshire 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Onchan in Isle of Man leads with 20 Laughlins recorded in 1881 and an index of 81.04x.

Place Total Index
Onchan 20 81.04x
Barony 18 4.77x
Leeds 17 6.58x
Llandaff 15 56.12x
Camberwell 14 4.75x
Linthorpe 14 51.30x
Rawcliffe In Goole 12 461.54x
Cardiff St Mary 11 24.86x
Idle 9 42.45x
Ipswich St Margaret 9 47.19x
Kirkcolm 9 306.12x
Bolton In Bradford 8 273.04x
Govan 8 2.17x
Ipswich St Helen 8 120.12x
Portsea 8 4.32x
St Clement Danes 8 107.10x
Whitton 8 800.00x
Willingham 8 320.00x
Barrow In Furness 7 9.40x
Batley 7 16.11x
East Greenock 7 20.73x
Haughley 7 500.00x
Ipswich St Mary At Elms 7 393.26x
Ipswich St Mathew 7 44.44x
Manchester 7 2.84x
Old Kilpatrick 7 47.78x
Everton 6 3.44x
Kirkdale 6 6.51x
Lezayre 6 156.25x
Northampton St Giles 6 36.30x
Woolpit 6 368.10x
Bethnal Green London 5 2.49x
Brighton 5 3.19x
Dreghorn 5 80.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 2.01x
Flowton 5 1851.85x
Fulham London 5 7.47x
Holy Trinity 5 4.55x
Lambeth 5 1.24x
Maybole 5 47.57x
Shropham 5 735.29x
Stowmarket 5 77.04x
West Derby 5 3.12x
West Ham 5 2.49x
Wickham Skeith 5 625.00x
Bedwellty 4 6.79x
Dundee 4 2.51x
Greenford 4 470.59x
St Cuthbert W O 4 20.66x
Welney 4 246.91x
Darlington 3 5.66x
Egremont 3 31.68x
Glasgow 3 1.13x
Hammersmith London 3 2.64x
Plumstead 3 5.72x
Preston Quarter 3 26.95x
St Marylebone London 3 1.22x
Sunderland 3 12.38x
Whitehaven 3 14.17x
Alverstoke 2 5.84x
Arlecdon 2 18.94x
Aston 2 0.62x
Hackney London 2 0.77x
Hyde 2 6.66x
Ipswich St Peter 2 26.42x
Kilmarnock 2 4.87x
Middle Greenock 2 20.49x
Preston 2 1.37x
Rickergate 2 23.78x
Shettleston 2 14.97x
South Leith 2 2.88x
Westminster St John 2 3.56x
Wolverhampton 2 1.67x
Bildeston 1 80.65x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 6.09x
Harwich St Nicholas 1 14.22x
Ipswich St Mary Stoke 1 19.16x
Southowram 1 7.16x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.08x
Withyam 1 30.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 24
William 18
Thomas 17
James 16
Edward 13
Joseph 8
Patrick 8
Peter 7
Michael 6
Charles 4
David 4
Frederick 4
George 4
Henry 4
Jas. 4
Walter 4
Alfred 3
Herbert 3
Benjamin 2
Edwin 2
Jeremiah 2
Robert 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Chas.R. 1
Christopher 1
Dan 1
Daniel 1
Douglas 1
Ebenezer 1
Ed. 1
Edgar 1
Eugune 1
Fitt 1
Francis 1
Fredrick 1
Hugh 1
Israel 1
Jabez 1
Jerry 1
Jno. 1
Joshua 1
MC 1
Mathew 1
Michal 1
Mikeal 1
Owen 1
Perry 1
Philip 1
Reginald 1

FAQ

Laughlin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Laughlin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 446 people were recorded with the Laughlin surname. That placed it at #7,361 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Laughlin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 704 in 2016. That gives Laughlin a modern rank of #7,672.

What does the Laughlin surname mean?

Anglicized form of Irish Ó Lochlainn, meaning "descendant of Lochlann," a Gaelic name derived from "fjord land," referring to Scandinavia.

What does the Laughlin map show?

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