NameCensus.

UK surname

Lawford

A locational surname referring to someone from the English place name Lawford.

In the 1881 census there were 664 people recorded with the Lawford surname, ranking it #5,418 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 807, ranked #6,859, down from #5,418 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ringwood, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Canterbury, Kirklees and New Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lawford is 988 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.5%.

1881 census count

664

Ranked #5,418

Modern count

807

2016, ranked #6,859

Peak year

1911

988 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lawford had 664 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,418 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 807 in 2016, ranked #6,859.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 988 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Lawford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lawford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lawford 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 357 #6,620
1861 historical 418 #6,146
1881 historical 664 #5,418
1891 historical 742 #5,363
1901 historical 880 #5,221
1911 historical 988 #4,579
1997 modern 883 #6,051
1998 modern 909 #6,111
1999 modern 926 #6,070
2000 modern 910 #6,127
2001 modern 904 #6,061
2002 modern 905 #6,170
2003 modern 864 #6,266
2004 modern 848 #6,362
2005 modern 811 #6,540
2006 modern 815 #6,514
2007 modern 821 #6,552
2008 modern 813 #6,653
2009 modern 848 #6,576
2010 modern 863 #6,613
2011 modern 867 #6,516
2012 modern 849 #6,531
2013 modern 858 #6,580
2014 modern 846 #6,682
2015 modern 835 #6,696
2016 modern 807 #6,859

Geography

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Where Lawfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ringwood, London parishes, St Pancras and Birstall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Canterbury, Kirklees and New Forest. 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 Ringwood Hampshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Canterbury 019 Canterbury
2 Kirklees 002 Kirklees
3 New Forest 015 New Forest
4 Kirklees 009 Kirklees
5 Canterbury 017 Canterbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lawford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lawford

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Lawford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Lawford household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Lawford 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

Lawford is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lawford falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Lawford 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 Lawford, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Lawford

The surname Lawford is of English origin, derived from a place name located in the county of Essex. The name is believed to have originated in the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

Lawford is a compound word formed from the Old English words "hlaw" meaning "hill" or "mound" and "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing or ford. It refers to a settlement or village located near a ford across a river, situated on or near a hill or mound.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lawford appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population across England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a manor in Essex called "Lauuafort," which is believed to be the modern-day Lawford.

In the 13th century, records show a William de Lawford, who was a landowner and knight from the village of Lawford in Essex. Another early example is John Lawford, who was a member of the Parliament of England in 1322, representing the county of Essex.

During the 16th century, the surname Lawford began to spread beyond its place of origin as people migrated to other parts of England. One notable figure was William Lawford (c. 1535-1609), an English Protestant clergyman and author who served as the rector of Crambrook in Kent.

In the 17th century, the spelling of the name varied, with forms such as Lauford, Lawforde, and Lawforth appearing in historical records. Robert Lawford (1616-1693) was an English politician who served as a member of the House of Commons and was a supporter of the Parliamentary cause during the English Civil War.

In more recent times, the surname Lawford has been associated with several notable individuals, including the American actor Peter Lawford (1923-1984), who was a member of the famous Rat Pack alongside Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Another famous bearer of the name was the English actress and author Patricia Lawford (1923-2004), who was married to Peter Lawford's cousin.

Overall, the surname Lawford has a rich history rooted in the English countryside, and its origins can be traced back to the Norman Conquest and the Domesday Book. While the name has spread throughout England and beyond over the centuries, its earliest recorded examples remain firmly connected to the village of Lawford in Essex.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lawford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lawford 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. Middlesex leads with 169 Lawfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.59x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 169 2.59x
Surrey 91 2.86x
Hampshire 83 6.20x
Yorkshire 77 1.19x
Kent 33 1.48x
Berkshire 30 6.12x
Bedfordshire 24 7.09x
Sussex 18 1.63x
Warwickshire 15 0.91x
Wiltshire 12 2.08x
Leicestershire 11 1.52x
Gloucestershire 9 0.70x
Herefordshire 9 3.36x
Hertfordshire 9 2.00x
Staffordshire 9 0.41x
Channel Islands 8 4.13x
Lanarkshire 7 0.33x
Dorset 6 1.40x
Shropshire 6 1.06x
Lancashire 5 0.06x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.57x
Cheshire 4 0.28x
Essex 4 0.31x
Glamorgan 4 0.35x
Somerset 4 0.38x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.76x
Carmarthenshire 3 1.09x
Durham 2 0.10x
Norfolk 2 0.20x
Northamptonshire 2 0.33x
Worcestershire 2 0.23x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.38x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.24x
Derbyshire 1 0.10x
Oxfordshire 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. Finchley in Middlesex leads with 43 Lawfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 171.59x.

Place Total Index
Finchley 43 171.59x
Ringwood 40 466.74x
Liversedge 34 117.93x
Battersea 26 10.81x
Islington London 21 3.32x
Lambeth 21 3.69x
St Pancras London 21 3.99x
Luton 17 29.02x
Southwark St Saviour 17 50.61x
Ashbury 16 1045.75x
Leicester St Margaret 11 6.22x
Camberwell 10 2.40x
Heckmondwike 10 48.01x
Eling 9 66.32x
Holdenhurst 9 25.61x
St Marylebone London 9 2.58x
Aldershot 8 17.83x
Hackney London 8 2.18x
St George Hanover Square 8 6.95x
Birmingham 7 1.27x
Brighton 7 3.15x
Cambuslang 7 32.85x
Great Stanmore 7 238.10x
Greenwich 7 6.73x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 5.32x
St Brelade 7 140.56x
Westminster St John 7 8.80x
Ealing 6 10.27x
Hampstead London 6 5.89x
Kinson 6 71.60x
Milford 6 153.45x
Soothill 6 25.65x
South Bersted 6 64.03x
Alderbury 5 184.50x
Castleton 5 6.46x
Hereford All Sts 5 40.72x
Normanton 5 25.69x
Norton In Moors 5 42.81x
Oswestry Town 5 27.65x
Teddington London 5 33.76x
Tottenham 5 4.80x
Aberdare 4 5.12x
Aston 4 0.88x
Batley 4 6.50x
Canterbury St Mary N 4 264.90x
Clifton In Halifax 4 103.36x
Coventry St Michael 4 7.55x
Deptford St Paul 4 2.33x
Folkestone 4 9.25x
Hereford St Owen 4 45.20x
Kensington London 4 1.10x
Lee 4 12.35x
Lewisham 4 3.36x
Newington 4 1.66x
St Anne Soho London 4 10.72x
Winkfield 4 49.14x
Woolwich 4 4.86x
Biddulph 3 24.10x
Bishopstone 3 108.70x
Chelsea London 3 1.52x
Christchurch 3 10.33x
Claughton With Grange 3 45.66x
Dewsbury 3 4.52x
Gomersal 3 9.92x
Hornsey 3 3.63x
Meltham 3 29.79x
Nottingham St Mary 3 1.32x
Pembrey 3 23.68x
South Cerney 3 142.18x
St Albans St Peter 3 19.74x
Bowling 2 3.12x
Charlton Next Woolwich 2 8.60x
Clerkenwell London 2 1.30x
Clewer 2 9.95x
Esher 2 44.84x
Harrold 2 87.34x
Linslade 2 51.68x
Portsea 2 0.76x
Salisbury St Thomas 2 43.67x
Shenley 2 67.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 31
Sarah 24
Elizabeth 20
Alice 15
Ann 15
Emily 15
Ellen 13
Eliza 12
Annie 11
Louisa 9
Emma 8
Caroline 7
Edith 7
Florence 7
Jane 7
Ethel 6
Fanny 6
Martha 6
Ada 5
Frances 5
Hannah 5
Harriet 5
Anne 4
Charlotte 4
Clara 4
Amelia 3
Amy 3
Julia 3
Laura 3
Rosa 3
Carrie 2
Catherine 2
Elizh. 2
Elizth. 2
Gertrude 2
Harriett 2
Infant 2
Janet 2
Jessie 2
Lilian 2
Maria 2
Phoebe 2
Rose 2
Sophia 2
Susan 2
Betty 1
Elenor 1
Elizh.A. 1
Helina 1
Wilhelmina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 33
William 27
Henry 21
James 21
George 19
Charles 17
Arthur 14
Thomas 11
Edward 10
Herbert 7
Richard 7
Alfred 6
Harry 6
Frederick 5
Joseph 5
Robert 5
Frank 4
Albert 3
Andrew 3
Edwin 3
Fred 3
Maurice 3
Samuel 3
Walter 3
Wm. 3
David 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Fredk. 2
Jesse 2
Martin 2
Percy 2
Sidney 2
Sydney 2
Thos. 2
Adrian 1
Bernard 1
Bertie 1
Cecil 1
Dircon 1
E.A. 1
E.G. 1
Ed. 1
Edwd. 1
Edwd.Alfr. 1
H. 1
H.R. 1
Hebert 1
Herman 1
Wm.Geo. 1

FAQ

Lawford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lawford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 664 people were recorded with the Lawford surname. That placed it at #5,418 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lawford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 807 in 2016. That gives Lawford a modern rank of #6,859.

What does the Lawford surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from the English place name Lawford.

What does the Lawford map show?

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