NameCensus.

UK surname

Lawn

A surname possibly derived from a location with grassy meadows.

In the 1881 census there were 756 people recorded with the Lawn surname, ranking it #4,885 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 948, ranked #6,053, down from #4,885 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall, Gwennap and Saxton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Broadland, Bradford and Waveney.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lawn is 976 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.4%.

1881 census count

756

Ranked #4,885

Modern count

948

2016, ranked #6,053

Peak year

2014

976 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lawn had 756 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,885 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 948 in 2016, ranked #6,053.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 850 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Lawn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lawn surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lawn 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 487 #5,127
1861 historical 611 #4,349
1881 historical 756 #4,885
1891 historical 797 #5,051
1901 historical 761 #5,869
1911 historical 850 #5,222
1997 modern 885 #6,039
1998 modern 913 #6,092
1999 modern 925 #6,078
2000 modern 915 #6,105
2001 modern 910 #6,037
2002 modern 908 #6,159
2003 modern 899 #6,094
2004 modern 883 #6,191
2005 modern 858 #6,268
2006 modern 856 #6,283
2007 modern 877 #6,216
2008 modern 910 #6,083
2009 modern 935 #6,065
2010 modern 957 #6,089
2011 modern 958 #6,036
2012 modern 959 #5,932
2013 modern 974 #5,950
2014 modern 976 #5,971
2015 modern 957 #6,035
2016 modern 948 #6,053

Geography

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Where Lawns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall, Gwennap, Saxton, Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Broadland, Bradford, Waveney and Cheshire East. 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 Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Gwennap Cornwall
3 Saxton Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Broadland 014 Broadland
2 Bradford 014 Bradford
3 Broadland 008 Broadland
4 Waveney 011 Waveney
5 Cheshire East 009 Cheshire East

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lawn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lawn

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Lawn, 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 Lawn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Lawn 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Lawn is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lawn 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

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

Meaning and origin of Lawn

The surname Lawn has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "launde," which referred to a glade or a clearing in a forest. This name likely originated as a topographic surname, given to someone who lived near or worked in a such a clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lawn can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de la Launde." This suggests that the name was initially used as a descriptive phrase, meaning "of the launde" or "of the clearing."

The name Lawn can also be traced back to various place names in England, such as Lawn in Derbyshire, Lawn Britton in Wiltshire, and Lawn Farm in Somerset. These place names likely had their roots in the Old English word "launde," and individuals living in or near these areas may have adopted the name Lawn.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Lawn throughout history include:

1. William de la Launde (c. 1280 - c. 1350), an English landowner and knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War. 2. John Lawn (c. 1550 - 1617), an English scholar and clergyman who served as the Bishop of Elphin in Ireland. 3. Andrew Lawn (1683 - 1765), a British naval officer and explorer who commanded several voyages to the West Indies and the Americas. 4. Eleanor Lawn (1782 - 1854), a British author and poet known for her works on nature and rural life. 5. James Lawn (1845 - 1919), a Scottish-born Australian businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of Melbourne.

The surname Lawn has maintained a presence throughout the centuries, with various spellings and variations emerging, such as Lawne, Lawnde, and Launde. While the name is more commonly found in the United Kingdom, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lawn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lawn 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 254 Lawns recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.48x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 254 3.48x
Norfolk 193 17.04x
Middlesex 54 0.73x
Suffolk 43 4.79x
Lancashire 37 0.42x
Cornwall 26 3.12x
Surrey 24 0.67x
Lanarkshire 16 0.67x
Renfrewshire 16 2.80x
Lincolnshire 14 1.19x
Essex 9 0.62x
Nottinghamshire 9 0.91x
Cambridgeshire 7 1.50x
Cumberland 6 0.95x
Gloucestershire 6 0.42x
Leicestershire 6 0.73x
Hampshire 5 0.33x
Devon 4 0.26x
Dunbartonshire 4 2.02x
Hertfordshire 4 0.79x
Huntingdonshire 3 2.05x
Shropshire 3 0.47x
Cheshire 2 0.12x
Kent 2 0.08x
West Lothian 2 1.80x
Bedfordshire 1 0.26x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.34x
Northamptonshire 1 0.14x
Oxfordshire 1 0.22x
Somerset 1 0.08x
Warwickshire 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. Saxton Cum in Yorkshire leads with 35 Lawns recorded in 1881 and an index of 3846.15x.

Place Total Index
Saxton Cum 35 3846.15x
Gwennap 25 158.93x
Middleton 23 1036.04x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 22 88.14x
Great Yarmouth 21 22.39x
Leeds 20 4.85x
Barwick In Elmet 15 268.34x
Holbeck 15 31.02x
Tacolnestone 15 1339.29x
Neilston 14 48.87x
Norwich St Stephen 14 134.74x
Broome 13 1000.00x
Fundenhall 12 1500.00x
Hackney London 12 2.91x
Bergh Apton 11 924.37x
Dalton In Furness 11 32.61x
Fritton 11 1718.75x
Garthorpe 11 774.65x
Thirsk 11 130.64x
Barony 10 1.66x
Croydon 10 5.02x
Suffield 10 1818.18x
Norwich St Clement 9 68.55x
Oulton Cum Woodlesford 9 152.03x
Everton 8 2.87x
Little Linstead 8 1904.76x
Scarborough 8 12.06x
Bethnal Green London 7 2.19x
Bottisham 7 176.32x
Kensington London 7 1.71x
Kirkby Overblow 7 1044.78x
St Pancras London 7 1.18x
Burgh St Margaret 6 431.65x
Cawood 6 214.29x
Cirencester 6 30.67x
Glasgow 6 1.42x
Heigham 6 9.87x
Islington London 6 0.84x
Lotherton Cum Aberford 6 535.71x
Misterton 6 487.80x
Norwich St Margaret 6 340.91x
Penrith 6 25.61x
Rievaulx 6 1052.63x
Runham 6 265.49x
Swillington 6 289.86x
Ulverston 6 23.58x
York St Cuthbert 6 89.82x
Bromley London 5 3.09x
Castleford 5 18.81x
Cottingham 5 31.79x
Great Melton 5 632.91x
Lambeth 5 0.78x
Mettingham 5 543.48x
Southcoates 5 12.34x
Wreningham 5 406.50x
York St Margaret 5 110.38x
Accrington 4 5.03x
Armley 4 12.43x
Castleton 4 4.58x
Clerkenwell London 4 2.30x
Helmsley 4 102.30x
Knottingley 4 31.18x
Lowestoft 4 9.44x
Paddington London 4 1.48x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 3.39x
Somerleyton 4 264.90x
Wortley In Bramley 4 6.92x
Yeadon 4 24.27x
York St Nicholas In 4 97.32x
Brockdish 3 275.23x
Chelmsford 3 12.03x
Dumbarton 3 10.89x
Huntingdon St Mary 3 81.97x
Huttoft 3 198.68x
Ilketshall St Lawrence 3 545.45x
Shrewsbury St Chad 3 13.43x
South Milford 3 112.78x
Springfield 3 47.10x
Tunstall 3 1111.11x
York St Sampson 3 192.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 48
William 39
James 33
George 26
Henry 15
Thomas 15
Charles 14
Robert 14
Edward 13
Arthur 8
Herbert 6
Benjamin 5
Frederick 5
Alfred 4
Isaac 4
Richard 4
Wm. 4
Albert 3
Horace 3
Joseph 3
Samuel 3
Clement 2
David 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Fred 2
Frederic 2
Jesse 2
Levi 2
Nicholas 2
Stephen 2
Wilfred 2
Alexander 1
Allin 1
Antony 1
Benjaman 1
Boswell 1
Christoph 1
Eldred 1
Elfred 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
J. 1
Jacob 1
Jas. 1
Johnson 1
Percy 1
Peter 1

FAQ

Lawn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lawn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 756 people were recorded with the Lawn surname. That placed it at #4,885 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lawn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 948 in 2016. That gives Lawn a modern rank of #6,053.

What does the Lawn surname mean?

A surname possibly derived from a location with grassy meadows.

What does the Lawn map show?

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