NameCensus.

UK surname

Laurie

A surname derived from the French name Laurier, referring to someone who lived near a laurel tree.

In the 1881 census there were 2,586 people recorded with the Laurie surname, ranking it #1,726 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,663, ranked #2,507, down from #1,726 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Selkirk, Lochaber West and Tweeddale East Area.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Laurie is 2,740 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.0%.

1881 census count

2,586

Ranked #1,726

Modern count

2,663

2016, ranked #2,507

Peak year

2002

2,740 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Laurie had 2,586 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,726 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,663 in 2016, ranked #2,507.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,637 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Laurie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Laurie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Laurie 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 1,585 #1,820
1861 historical 1,721 #1,673
1881 historical 2,586 #1,726
1891 historical 2,424 #1,939
1901 historical 2,637 #2,094
1911 historical 972 #4,651
1997 modern 2,618 #2,431
1998 modern 2,684 #2,463
1999 modern 2,738 #2,441
2000 modern 2,718 #2,439
2001 modern 2,671 #2,428
2002 modern 2,740 #2,424
2003 modern 2,652 #2,449
2004 modern 2,608 #2,480
2005 modern 2,558 #2,490
2006 modern 2,563 #2,487
2007 modern 2,615 #2,467
2008 modern 2,607 #2,487
2009 modern 2,662 #2,500
2010 modern 2,701 #2,521
2011 modern 2,665 #2,521
2012 modern 2,602 #2,535
2013 modern 2,631 #2,555
2014 modern 2,633 #2,558
2015 modern 2,639 #2,539
2016 modern 2,663 #2,507

Geography

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Where Lauries are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Edinburgh, Dumfries and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Selkirk, Lochaber West, Tweeddale East Area, Shawhead and Mid Suffolk. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dumfries Dumfries
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Selkirk Scottish Borders
2 Lochaber West Highland
3 Tweeddale East Area Scottish Borders
4 Shawhead Dumfries and Galloway
5 Mid Suffolk 001 Mid Suffolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Laurie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Laurie

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

Laurie 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

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

Meaning and origin of Laurie

The surname Laurie originated in Scotland and is derived from the ancient French given name Laurence or Laurent, which traces its roots back to the Latin name Laurentius. The name Laurentius was derived from the word "laurus," meaning laurel or bay tree.

Laurie is a habitational name, meaning it likely originated from a place name. One theory suggests it may have come from the lands of Laurie in the parish of Uttershill, near Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland. Another possibility is that it derived from the Norman village of Laury in the department of Calvados, France.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Laurie can be found in the 13th and 14th centuries in Scotland. In the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England, the name appears as Lauri and Laurie.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Laurie was Sir Robert Laurie, who was born around 1360 and served as the Provost of Edinburgh in the late 14th century. Another notable bearer of the name was John Laurie (c. 1530-1605), a Scottish theologian and Principal of the University of St. Andrews.

In the 17th century, the surname Laurie was prominent in the Scottish Borders region. James Laurie (c. 1620-1676) was a Scottish mathematician and surveyor who produced the first accurate map of Scotland in 1663. Samuel Laurie (1628-1677) was a Scottish minister and author who wrote several religious works.

Moving into the 18th century, Reverend James Laurie (1688-1759) was a Scottish minister and author who wrote a history of the Church of Scotland. Sir Peter Laurie (1778-1861) was a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1835.

In the 19th century, James Laurie (1811-1876) was a Scottish journalist and writer who founded the Glasgow Herald newspaper. Sir John Laurie (1835-1921) was a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who became Lord Provost of Edinburgh.

These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Laurie, which has its origins in the ancient Latin name Laurentius and the French names Laurence and Laurent.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Laurie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Laurie 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. Lanarkshire leads with 519 Lauries recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.39x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 519 6.39x
Midlothian 268 7.97x
Middlesex 151 0.60x
Dumfriesshire 146 26.33x
Ayrshire 127 6.76x
Lancashire 109 0.37x
Renfrewshire 100 5.14x
Aberdeenshire 93 4.00x
Kirkcudbrightshire 88 24.22x
Fife 74 4.98x
Roxburghshire 68 14.96x
Stirlingshire 67 7.24x
Selkirkshire 62 27.30x
Berwickshire 55 18.10x
Surrey 49 0.40x
Angus 41 1.76x
Wigtownshire 40 12.00x
Durham 35 0.47x
Perthshire 32 2.84x
Warwickshire 29 0.46x
Kent 28 0.33x
Yorkshire 23 0.09x
Cheshire 22 0.40x
Dunbartonshire 22 3.26x
Buteshire 16 10.52x
Kinross-shire 16 25.22x
Peeblesshire 15 12.71x
Worcestershire 15 0.46x
East Lothian 14 4.21x
Hampshire 14 0.27x
Oxfordshire 14 0.90x
Northumberland 12 0.32x
Suffolk 12 0.39x
Derbyshire 11 0.28x
Essex 11 0.22x
Hertfordshire 11 0.64x
Shetland 11 4.29x
Argyllshire 10 1.43x
Cumberland 9 0.42x
Shropshire 9 0.42x
Monmouthshire 8 0.44x
Northamptonshire 8 0.34x
Sussex 8 0.19x
West Lothian 8 2.12x
Cambridgeshire 7 0.44x
Flintshire 7 1.04x
Kincardineshire 7 2.29x
Clackmannanshire 5 2.41x
Gloucestershire 5 0.10x
Isle of Man 5 1.07x
Sutherland 5 2.59x
Westmorland 5 0.91x
Berkshire 4 0.21x
Inverness-shire 4 0.53x
Morayshire 4 1.03x
Norfolk 4 0.10x
Wiltshire 4 0.18x
Bedfordshire 3 0.23x
Caithness 3 0.87x
Lincolnshire 3 0.07x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.09x
Royal Navy 3 1.00x
Somerset 3 0.07x
Banffshire 2 0.38x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.10x
Cornwall 1 0.04x
Devon 1 0.02x
Dorset 1 0.06x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.20x
Leicestershire 1 0.04x
Staffordshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 166 Lauries recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.27x.

Place Total Index
Govan 166 8.27x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 121 8.94x
Barony 109 5.31x
Glasgow 88 6.11x
Aberdeen Old Machar 43 8.86x
Cambusnethan 40 22.19x
South Leith 36 9.51x
Falkirk 35 16.15x
Galashiels 33 39.31x
Old Monkland 30 9.31x
North Leith 29 18.64x
Selkirk 24 37.52x
Dumfries 23 42.06x
Liverpool 23 1.27x
West Greenock 23 6.59x
Ayr 22 24.81x
Dundee 20 2.30x
Kemnay 19 134.85x
West Derby 19 2.18x
Duddingston 18 26.67x
Melrose 18 45.79x
Toxteth Park 18 1.78x
Dunfermline 17 7.44x
Hawick 17 16.71x
East Greenock 16 8.71x
St Ninians 16 17.44x
Inch 15 46.17x
Islington London 15 0.62x
Kirkmahoe 15 139.41x
Birmingham 14 0.66x
Carlaverock 14 154.70x
St Marylebone London 14 1.04x
Tynron 14 387.81x
Abbey 13 4.38x
Hackney London 13 0.92x
Kirkintilloch 13 14.19x
Maryhill 13 8.18x
Old Cumnock 13 31.09x
St Pancras London 13 0.64x
Stonehouse 13 47.20x
Coldingham 12 43.92x
Kensington London 12 0.86x
Kilmaurs 12 37.55x
Minnigaff 12 87.91x
Port Glasgow 12 12.76x
Tinwald 12 162.16x
Battersea 11 1.19x
Jedburgh 11 24.69x
Penpont 11 107.95x
Pittenweem 11 60.04x
Torthorwald 11 129.26x
Annan 10 21.00x
East Kilbride 10 28.77x
Kirkcudbright 10 33.26x
Lasswade 10 13.01x
Liff Benvie 10 2.83x
Maybole 10 17.49x
Paddington London 10 1.08x
Stewarton 10 26.90x
Colvend 9 81.67x
Coylton 9 33.77x
Everton 9 0.95x
Kelton 9 30.15x
Kinghorn 9 28.54x
Ladykirk 9 239.36x
Lambeth 9 0.41x
Newbottle 9 22.07x
Penicuik 9 19.70x
Tingwall 9 70.26x
Dalmellington 8 14.48x
Edinburgh St Georges 8 11.46x
Hamilton 8 3.53x
Kilbarchan 8 13.54x
Kilmory 8 36.10x
Newburgh 8 42.37x
Orwell 8 45.74x
St George Hanover Square 8 1.81x
St Quivox 8 12.60x
Twickenham 8 7.43x
Wimbledon 8 5.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
James 34
William 34
Robert 27
Thomas 27
John 24
Alexander 10
George 9
Henry 8
Andrew 7
David 7
Joseph 7
Edward 6
Arthur 5
Charles 5
Walter 4
Albert 3
Frank 3
Herbert 3
Percy 3
Alfred 2
Archibald 2
Douglas 2
Edgar 2
Fred 2
Frederick 2
Leonard 2
Milton 2
Patrick 2
Peter 2
Richard 2
Robt. 2
Stanley 2
Ann 1
Anneson 1
Caspar 1
Colin 1
Daniel 1
Ernest 1
Flaming 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Fredric 1
Geo.Wm.E. 1
Jas. 1
Jas.Arthur 1
Kenneth 1
Kenrick 1
Langworthy 1
Malcolm 1
Wm.Walter 1

FAQ

Laurie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Laurie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,586 people were recorded with the Laurie surname. That placed it at #1,726 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Laurie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,663 in 2016. That gives Laurie a modern rank of #2,507.

What does the Laurie surname mean?

A surname derived from the French name Laurier, referring to someone who lived near a laurel tree.

What does the Laurie map show?

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