NameCensus.

UK surname

Laughton

Habitational name from a place so named in Yorkshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 1,454 people recorded with the Laughton surname, ranking it #2,862 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,624, ranked #3,831, down from #2,862 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to South Ronaldsay and Burray, London parishes and Irchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, West Oxfordshire and South Kesteven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Laughton is 1,718 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.7%.

1881 census count

1,454

Ranked #2,862

Modern count

1,624

2016, ranked #3,831

Peak year

2002

1,718 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Laughton had 1,454 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,862 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,624 in 2016, ranked #3,831.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,666 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Laughton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Laughton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Laughton 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 1,036 #2,705
1861 historical 1,133 #2,479
1881 historical 1,454 #2,862
1891 historical 1,603 #2,779
1901 historical 1,666 #3,092
1911 historical 1,505 #3,204
1997 modern 1,616 #3,668
1998 modern 1,684 #3,665
1999 modern 1,695 #3,669
2000 modern 1,717 #3,609
2001 modern 1,673 #3,625
2002 modern 1,718 #3,624
2003 modern 1,675 #3,628
2004 modern 1,691 #3,597
2005 modern 1,614 #3,710
2006 modern 1,623 #3,699
2007 modern 1,650 #3,670
2008 modern 1,633 #3,732
2009 modern 1,647 #3,791
2010 modern 1,674 #3,813
2011 modern 1,665 #3,782
2012 modern 1,594 #3,859
2013 modern 1,625 #3,863
2014 modern 1,645 #3,844
2015 modern 1,618 #3,864
2016 modern 1,624 #3,831

Geography

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Where Laughtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around South Ronaldsay and Burray, London parishes, Irchester, Edinburgh and Holm. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley, West Oxfordshire, South Kesteven, East Mainland and East Riding of Yorkshire. 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 South Ronaldsay and Burray Orkney
2 London parishes London 3
3 Irchester Northamptonshire
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Holm Orkney

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 019 Barnsley
2 West Oxfordshire 004 West Oxfordshire
3 South Kesteven 015 South Kesteven
4 East Mainland Orkney Islands
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 042 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Laughton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Laughton

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

Spacious Rural Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Laughton 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

Laughton is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Laughton

The surname Laughton originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from an Old English place name. The name likely comes from the Old English words "hlaw" meaning hill or mound, and "tun" meaning enclosure or settlement, referring to a settlement on a hill.

The earliest known recording of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Lohton." This suggests the name was established by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. Over time, various spellings emerged, including Loughton, Lowton, and the modern Laughton.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Laurence de Laughton, who lived in Yorkshire during the 13th century. Another early bearer was Robert de Loughton, mentioned in records from Lincolnshire in 1273.

The name Laughton is associated with several notable figures throughout history. Sir John Laughton (c.1616-1689) was an English politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1668. John Knox Laughton (1830-1915) was a British naval historian and teacher at the Royal Naval College in Greenwich.

Charles Laughton (1899-1962) was a renowned English stage and film actor known for his roles in movies like "Mutiny on the Bounty" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." He was nominated for several Academy Awards and won the award for Best Actor for his performance in "The Private Life of Henry VIII" in 1933.

Another prominent bearer was Sir John Laughton (1857-1933), a British naval historian and professor at King's College London. He wrote extensively on naval history and was knighted in 1919 for his contributions to the field.

John Laughton (1830-1876) was an English engraver and etcher, known for his landscapes and architectural works. He was elected a member of the Royal Academy in 1869.

The surname Laughton continues to be found predominantly in England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire, where it likely originated from the place names it derived from.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Laughton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Laughton 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 248 Laughtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.76x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 248 1.76x
Orkney 202 129.27x
Lincolnshire 153 6.74x
Middlesex 106 0.75x
Northamptonshire 97 7.26x
Nottinghamshire 73 3.81x
Cambridgeshire 60 6.67x
Warwickshire 52 1.45x
Surrey 49 0.71x
Bedfordshire 47 6.39x
Derbyshire 46 2.07x
Oxfordshire 32 3.65x
Cheshire 31 0.99x
Staffordshire 29 0.60x
Kent 27 0.56x
Lancashire 24 0.14x
Midlothian 20 1.05x
Worcestershire 19 1.02x
Leicestershire 16 1.02x
Monmouthshire 16 1.56x
Suffolk 14 0.81x
Durham 13 0.31x
Hertfordshire 11 1.12x
Devon 8 0.27x
Northumberland 8 0.38x
Buckinghamshire 7 0.82x
Sussex 7 0.29x
Cumberland 6 0.49x
Lanarkshire 6 0.13x
Essex 5 0.18x
Berkshire 4 0.38x
Inverness-shire 4 0.94x
Caithness 2 1.03x
Flintshire 2 0.52x
Hampshire 2 0.07x
Renfrewshire 2 0.18x
Ayrshire 1 0.09x
Buteshire 1 1.16x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.17x
Channel Islands 1 0.24x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.26x
Herefordshire 1 0.17x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.35x
Norfolk 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holm in Orkney leads with 92 Laughtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1755.73x.

Place Total Index
Holm 92 1755.73x
St Andrewthe Less 40 38.92x
Irchester 34 410.13x
Kirkwall St Ola 34 145.30x
Renhold 31 1220.47x
Conisbrough 29 219.70x
South Ronaldshay 26 160.79x
St Pancras London 23 2.01x
Islington London 18 1.31x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 17 101.19x
Shapinshay 17 358.65x
St Andrews Deerness 17 206.81x
Birmingham 16 1.34x
Stonesfield 16 561.40x
Aston 15 1.52x
Bozeat 15 258.62x
Brightside Bierlow 15 5.43x
Ecclesall Bierlow 14 4.89x
Gainsborough 14 26.15x
Sheffield 14 3.12x
Rugby 13 26.83x
Walsall Foreign 13 5.25x
Wellingborough 13 19.35x
Holton Le Clay 12 857.14x
Holy Trinity 12 3.54x
Barnby Moor 11 956.52x
Blaxton 11 1047.62x
Scotter 11 211.54x
Birkenhead 10 4.00x
Chesterfield 10 12.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 10 1.31x
Greenwich 10 4.42x
Haxey 9 93.36x
Laxton 9 382.98x
Mexborough 9 32.21x
Whitwell 9 101.81x
Egmanton 8 701.75x
Kings Norton 8 4.81x
Knaresborough 8 36.18x
Lambeth 8 0.65x
Leeds 8 1.01x
Llanover 8 22.81x
Northampton St Sepulchre 8 11.77x
Owston 8 124.03x
Stamford St George 8 78.43x
Wisbech St Peter 8 17.73x
Blyth 7 233.33x
Bradfield 7 12.90x
Brighton 7 1.45x
Halifax 7 3.39x
Kempston 7 41.92x
Llanvihangel Llantarnam 7 35.75x
Lutterworth 7 72.92x
Mile End Old Town London 7 2.32x
Newington 7 1.33x
Old 7 397.73x
Penge 7 7.72x
Selston 7 32.74x
St Martin Lincoln 7 33.22x
Standground 7 109.38x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 7 10.71x
West Butterwick With 7 199.43x
Westminster St Margaret 7 10.22x
Berkhampstead 6 27.26x
Bramford 6 92.31x
Derby St Peter 6 8.47x
Hammersmith London 6 1.71x
Kingston On Thames 6 3.61x
Knottingley 6 24.25x
Ludborough 6 355.03x
North Shields 6 14.23x
Richmond 6 6.19x
Rickergate 6 23.19x
Rotherham 6 7.56x
South Somercoates 6 289.86x
Stromness 6 51.19x
Westoe 6 2.50x
Chatham 5 3.75x
Claylane 5 16.18x
Normanton 5 26.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 80
George 56
William 56
James 35
Thomas 34
Joseph 31
Charles 19
Arthur 18
Alfred 15
Walter 14
Henry 13
Robert 13
Frederick 12
Samuel 12
Edward 11
Fred 10
Herbert 9
Albert 8
Harry 7
Richard 7
Francis 6
David 5
Thos. 5
Edgar 4
Edwin 4
Frank 4
Chas. 3
Jno. 3
Oliver 3
Stephen 3
Wm. 3
Abel 2
Daniel 2
Edmund 2
Geo. 2
Helmer 2
Jas. 2
Job 2
Leonard 2
Mark 2
Michael 2
Percy 2
Peter 2
Sampson 2
Tom 2
Willm. 2
B. 1
Enos 1
Ephram 1
Wright 1

FAQ

Laughton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Laughton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,454 people were recorded with the Laughton surname. That placed it at #2,862 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Laughton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,624 in 2016. That gives Laughton a modern rank of #3,831.

What does the Laughton surname mean?

Habitational name from a place so named in Yorkshire, England.

What does the Laughton map show?

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