NameCensus.

UK surname

Lavers

A locative surname for someone residing near bathhouses or lavers.

In the 1881 census there were 706 people recorded with the Lavers surname, ranking it #5,148 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 521, ranked #9,701, down from #5,148 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dartmorth St Petrox, Dartmouth St Saviour, Townstall, Ashprington, Halwell, Blackawton, Stoke Flemin, London parishes and Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, South Hams and Isle of Wight.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lavers is 769 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 26.2%.

1881 census count

706

Ranked #5,148

Modern count

521

2016, ranked #9,701

Peak year

1911

769 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lavers had 706 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,148 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 521 in 2016, ranked #9,701.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 769 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Lavers surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lavers surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Lavers 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 523 #4,797
1861 historical 379 #6,739
1881 historical 706 #5,148
1891 historical 643 #6,038
1901 historical 715 #6,177
1911 historical 769 #5,636
1997 modern 580 #8,342
1998 modern 595 #8,445
1999 modern 594 #8,497
2000 modern 571 #8,693
2001 modern 560 #8,684
2002 modern 558 #8,876
2003 modern 558 #8,740
2004 modern 564 #8,709
2005 modern 549 #8,798
2006 modern 551 #8,799
2007 modern 547 #8,941
2008 modern 529 #9,229
2009 modern 539 #9,313
2010 modern 542 #9,461
2011 modern 526 #9,598
2012 modern 513 #9,684
2013 modern 531 #9,597
2014 modern 531 #9,659
2015 modern 517 #9,777
2016 modern 521 #9,701

Geography

Back to top

Where Lavers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dartmorth St Petrox, Dartmouth St Saviour, Townstall, Ashprington, Halwell, Blackawton, Stoke Flemin, London parishes, Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston, Plympton St Mary and Plymouth St Charles the Martyr. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, South Hams, Isle of Wight, New Forest and Plymouth. 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 Dartmorth St Petrox, Dartmouth St Saviour, Townstall, Ashprington, Halwell, Blackawton, Stoke Flemin Devon
2 London parishes London 3
3 Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston Devon
4 Plympton St Mary Devon
5 Plymouth St Charles the Martyr Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 012 Kensington and Chelsea
2 South Hams 005 South Hams
3 Isle of Wight 007 Isle of Wight
4 New Forest 014 New Forest
5 Plymouth 001 Plymouth

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Lavers

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Lavers

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Lavers surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Lavers 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Lavers 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

Lavers is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Lavers

The surname LAVERS originated in England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word 'laveur', meaning 'washer' or 'launderer'. The name likely referred to someone who worked as a launderer or washerman.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Curia Regis Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1198, where a person named Walter le Lavur is mentioned. This spelling variation suggests that the name was originally an occupational surname.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Laveyr, Lavere, and Laver, in different parts of England, including Oxfordshire, Sussex, and Essex. These early records indicate that the name was widely distributed across various regions.

The Hundred Rolls of 1273 record a Roger le Laver in Oxfordshire, while the Tax Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379 mention a Willelmus Laver. These entries provide further evidence of the name's prevalence during the medieval period.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir Robert Lavers, a prominent English merchant and politician who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries (1558-1628). He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1625.

Another historical figure with the surname LAVERS was John Lavers (1691-1770), an English clergyman and author who published several works on theology and philosophy.

In the 18th century, the name appeared in various parish records, such as the baptism of Mary Lavers in 1712 at St. Mary's Church in Warwick, and the marriage of Thomas Lavers and Elizabeth Smith in 1747 at St. Mary's Church in Newington, Surrey.

The renowned English naturalist and ornithologist John Gould (1804-1881) married Elizabeth Lavers in 1829. Elizabeth Lavers (1804-1841) was the daughter of a wealthy businessman from Middlesex.

In the 19th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of William Lavers (1836-1912), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the former headquarters of the National Telephone Company.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Lavers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lavers 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. Devon leads with 404 Lavers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.98x.

County Total Index
Devon 404 27.98x
Middlesex 98 1.41x
Cornwall 52 6.62x
Kent 25 1.06x
Surrey 25 0.74x
Somerset 18 1.61x
Yorkshire 15 0.22x
Gloucestershire 9 0.66x
Monmouthshire 8 1.60x
Nottinghamshire 8 0.86x
Renfrewshire 8 1.49x
Hampshire 7 0.49x
Hertfordshire 7 1.46x
Buckinghamshire 5 1.19x
Pembrokeshire 4 1.81x
Sussex 4 0.34x
Lancashire 3 0.04x
Royal Navy 3 3.63x
Channel Islands 2 0.97x
Dorset 2 0.44x
Essex 2 0.15x
Berkshire 1 0.19x
Midlothian 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Plymouth St Andrew in Devon leads with 55 Lavers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.46x.

Place Total Index
Plymouth St Andrew 55 49.46x
Plymouth Charles The 54 84.91x
Shoreditch London 26 8.65x
Shaugh Prior 22 1325.30x
Plympton St Mary 20 239.81x
Yealmpton 17 765.77x
Stoke Damerel 16 15.84x
Brixton 15 920.25x
Dartmouth St Saviour 15 364.08x
Ermington 13 247.62x
Plymstock 12 158.73x
Mile End Old Town London 11 7.45x
Ugborough 11 315.19x
Dartmouth St Petrox 10 480.77x
Shillingford St George 10 5882.35x
Camberwell 9 2.03x
Modbury 9 243.90x
Plympton Maurice 9 329.67x
South Brent 9 290.32x
Wolborough 9 49.32x
Bromley London 8 5.24x
Caldicot 8 240.24x
Dartmouth Townstall 8 136.05x
Heston 8 34.74x
Paul 8 56.06x
Clevedon 7 60.29x
Greasley 7 33.19x
Halwell 7 443.04x
Lee 7 20.37x
Liskeard 7 53.27x
Quethiock 7 608.70x
Tormoham 7 11.46x
Devonport 6 36.17x
Harrow 6 56.60x
North Bierley 6 16.17x
Southwark St Olave 6 113.42x
St Budeaux 6 133.63x
St Marylebone London 6 1.62x
Stokenham 6 147.42x
West Greenock 6 6.22x
Bedminster 5 4.77x
Bethnal Green London 5 1.66x
Eton 5 52.58x
Hemel Hempstead 5 23.21x
Islington London 5 0.74x
Kingston 5 446.43x
Paignton 5 45.54x
Sheepstor 5 2380.95x
St Ives 5 32.53x
St Just In Penwith 5 32.83x
Antony 4 52.77x
Bovey Tracey 4 79.21x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 4 3.12x
Brotton 4 44.59x
Compton 4 416.67x
Hackney London 4 1.03x
Holbeton 4 151.52x
Madron 4 63.09x
Madron Penzance 4 14.01x
Malborough 4 69.69x
Ryde 4 13.10x
Sheffield 4 1.83x
Battersea 3 1.18x
Brighton 3 1.27x
Cockington 3 352.94x
Eltham 3 21.63x
Greenwich 3 2.72x
Kingston On Thames 3 3.70x
Long Ditton 3 54.35x
Royal Navy 3 4.25x
St George Hanover Square 3 2.46x
St Mary Magdalene 3 51.99x
St Thomas Apostle 3 123.97x
Tenby St Mary In 3 26.74x
Teynham 3 70.26x
Tonbridge 3 3.51x
Toxteth Park 3 1.08x
Wapping London 3 56.60x
West Teignmouth 3 27.17x
Weston Super Mare 3 10.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 49
Elizabeth 42
Sarah 21
Emma 17
Eliza 12
Ellen 12
Annie 10
Jane 10
Susan 10
Alice 9
Ann 9
Emily 9
Florence 9
Bessie 7
Louisa 6
Maria 6
Edith 5
Fanny 5
Jessie 5
Anne 4
Eleanor 4
Frances 4
Martha 4
Charlotte 3
Clara 3
Elizth. 3
Kate 3
Laura 3
Lizzie 3
Lydia 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Beatrice 2
Caroline 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Hetty 2
Jesse 2
Julia 2
Maud 2
Maude 2
May 2
Pruscilla 2
Rebecca 2
Rosa 2
Selina 2
Susanna 2
Susannah 2
Thirza 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 60
John 47
Richard 23
George 21
Thomas 17
James 15
Charles 12
Robert 11
Alfred 10
Henry 7
Arthur 6
Ernest 6
Frederick 6
Harry 4
Joseph 4
Albert 3
Christopher 3
Samuel 3
Wm. 3
Clifton 2
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Fred 2
Fredrick 2
Geo.Hy. 2
Lewis 2
Philip 2
Sidney 2
Stanley 2
Wm.Alexdr. 2
Alexander 1
Amos 1
Andrew 1
Benjamin 1
Caleb 1
Everard 1
Frak 1
Frances 1
Frank 1
Fred.W. 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Jno. 1
Michael 1
Nathl.W. 1
Percy 1
Phillip 1
Ratrey 1
Richd. 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Lavers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lavers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 706 people were recorded with the Lavers surname. That placed it at #5,148 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lavers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 521 in 2016. That gives Lavers a modern rank of #9,701.

What does the Lavers surname mean?

A locative surname for someone residing near bathhouses or lavers.

What does the Lavers map show?

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