NameCensus.

UK surname

Lawrance

A habitational surname referring to someone from Lorraine, France.

In the 1881 census there were 1,951 people recorded with the Lawrance surname, ranking it #2,243 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,314, ranked #4,569, down from #2,243 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Old Deer and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hinckley and Bosworth, Possil Park and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lawrance is 2,926 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 32.6%.

1881 census count

1,951

Ranked #2,243

Modern count

1,314

2016, ranked #4,569

Peak year

1851

2,926 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lawrance had 1,951 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,243 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,314 in 2016, ranked #4,569.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,926 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Lawrance surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lawrance surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lawrance 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 2,926 #994
1861 historical 2,435 #1,199
1881 historical 1,951 #2,243
1891 historical 2,058 #2,248
1901 historical 2,140 #2,515
1911 historical 1,308 #3,645
1997 modern 1,239 #4,585
1998 modern 1,296 #4,584
1999 modern 1,309 #4,573
2000 modern 1,358 #4,409
2001 modern 1,339 #4,371
2002 modern 1,357 #4,409
2003 modern 1,317 #4,434
2004 modern 1,320 #4,424
2005 modern 1,268 #4,536
2006 modern 1,276 #4,517
2007 modern 1,279 #4,545
2008 modern 1,281 #4,569
2009 modern 1,300 #4,609
2010 modern 1,338 #4,576
2011 modern 1,347 #4,505
2012 modern 1,308 #4,551
2013 modern 1,346 #4,507
2014 modern 1,355 #4,511
2015 modern 1,320 #4,570
2016 modern 1,314 #4,569

Geography

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Where Lawrances are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Old Deer, Lambeth and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hinckley and Bosworth, Possil Park, Cornwall, South Kesteven and Wiltshire. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Old Deer Aberdeen
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hinckley and Bosworth 006 Hinckley and Bosworth
2 Possil Park Glasgow City
3 Cornwall 073 Cornwall
4 South Kesteven 008 South Kesteven
5 Wiltshire 008 Wiltshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lawrance

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lawrance

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Lawrance, 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 Lawrance surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Lawrance 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Lawrance is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Lawrance is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lawrance falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Lawrance

The surname Lawrance is of English origin, derived from the medieval given name Laurence or Lawrence, which ultimately traces its roots back to the Latin name Laurentius. This name was initially a Roman family name derived from the word "laurus," meaning "laurel." The laurel wreath was a symbol of victory and honor in ancient Rome, which may have influenced the name's adoption.

Lawrance is a variant spelling of the more common Lawrence, with the "w" being dropped. This spelling variation likely emerged in different regions or due to variations in pronunciation over time. The name first appeared in historical records in England during the Norman Conquest of the 11th century, when it was introduced by Norman settlers.

One of the earliest known references to the name Lawrance can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This document mentions individuals with the name, indicating its presence in the country at that time.

Notable individuals with the surname Lawrance throughout history include:

1. Sir John Lawrance (c. 1510-1558), an English judge and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Mary I.

2. Henry Lawrance (1600-1664), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

3. Thomas Lawrance (1670-1742), an English portrait painter known for his works depicting members of the British aristocracy.

4. John Laurance (1750-1810), an English naturalist and writer who published works on botany and horticulture.

5. Sir Walter Raleigh Lawrence (1792-1837), a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a colonial administrator in Australia.

Some place names and older spellings associated with the surname include Lawrence County in various U.S. states, derived from the name, and the town of Laurencekirk in Scotland, which was historically spelled as "Lauarencekyrk."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lawrance families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lawrance 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 236 Lawrances recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.24x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 236 1.24x
Hertfordshire 156 11.87x
Surrey 120 1.29x
Cornwall 110 5.09x
Kent 100 1.54x
Aberdeenshire 84 4.76x
Staffordshire 82 1.27x
Essex 73 1.94x
Berkshire 69 4.82x
Warwickshire 63 1.31x
Gloucestershire 58 1.55x
Norfolk 54 1.84x
Lincolnshire 53 1.74x
Sussex 45 1.40x
Devon 44 1.11x
Yorkshire 44 0.23x
Leicestershire 40 1.89x
Glamorgan 34 1.02x
Monmouthshire 32 2.32x
Somerset 32 1.04x
Worcestershire 29 1.16x
Nottinghamshire 28 1.09x
Bedfordshire 27 2.73x
Cambridgeshire 26 2.15x
Suffolk 26 1.12x
Lancashire 25 0.11x
Durham 24 0.42x
Wiltshire 23 1.36x
Northamptonshire 22 1.23x
Cumberland 19 1.16x
Buckinghamshire 18 1.56x
Banffshire 17 4.30x
Hampshire 16 0.41x
Shropshire 15 0.91x
Flintshire 12 2.34x
Cheshire 10 0.24x
Herefordshire 9 1.15x
Dorset 8 0.64x
Denbighshire 7 0.97x
Huntingdonshire 7 1.85x
Midlothian 6 0.23x
Montgomeryshire 6 1.37x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.62x
Northumberland 5 0.18x
Perthshire 5 0.58x
Angus 4 0.23x
Lanarkshire 4 0.06x
Derbyshire 3 0.10x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.50x
Roxburghshire 3 0.87x
Royal Navy 3 1.32x
Stirlingshire 3 0.43x
Brecknockshire 2 0.52x
Kincardineshire 2 0.86x
Ross-shire 2 0.38x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.13x
Inverness-shire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 29 Lawrances recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.57x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 29 1.57x
Birmingham 28 1.75x
Sawbridgeworth 26 130.65x
Bethnal Green London 25 3.02x
Lambeth 25 1.50x
Roughton 23 801.39x
Luton 22 12.87x
Mylor 22 152.04x
Kensington London 21 1.98x
Great Coggeshall 20 102.15x
St Albans St Peter 20 45.10x
Rickmansworth 18 49.74x
St Pancras London 18 1.17x
Fraserburgh 17 34.19x
Lonmay 17 106.05x
Renwick 17 1011.90x
River 17 411.62x
Leicester St Margaret 16 3.10x
Shoreditch London 16 1.94x
Wolverhampton 16 3.23x
Aston 14 1.06x
Paddington London 14 2.00x
Acton 13 11.63x
Glentworth 13 541.67x
Horsham 13 20.81x
Ludgvan 13 75.54x
North Walsham 13 61.49x
Oswestry Town 13 24.64x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 12 3.63x
Charlton Kings 12 46.37x
Great Hormead 12 353.98x
Manaccan 12 512.82x
Redmarley 12 183.77x
St Marylebone London 12 1.18x
Abinger 11 142.49x
Braughing 11 163.69x
Constantine 11 87.51x
Deptford St Paul 11 2.19x
Hope 11 43.14x
Old Deer 11 32.87x
St Margarets At Cliffe 11 282.78x
West Chinnock 11 402.93x
West Dean 11 18.10x
Beech Hill 10 546.45x
Codicote 10 127.55x
Colchester St Nicholas 10 294.99x
Kirton In Lindsey 10 82.78x
Lye 10 24.13x
Merthyr Tydfil 10 3.13x
St Keverne 10 84.10x
Wendron 10 33.36x
Wolstanton Knutton 10 25.44x
Abingdon St Helen 9 21.51x
Corsham 9 36.57x
Kettering 9 12.41x
Llanvihangel Llantarnam 9 34.23x
Raydon 9 259.37x
Rotherhithe 9 3.82x
Sidmouth 9 39.61x
St Albans 9 33.42x
St Albans St Michael 9 61.27x
St Giles In Fields London 9 9.62x
Warrington 9 3.35x
Beckenham 8 9.41x
Bredbury 8 32.84x
Bromley London 8 1.91x
Chelsea London 8 1.39x
Enfield 8 6.39x
Ockley 8 194.65x
St Stithians 8 67.23x
Tawstock 8 113.48x
Ticehurst 8 40.65x
Wanborough 8 138.89x
Erith 7 10.92x
Hamstall Ridware 7 280.00x
Herne 7 24.30x
Little Munden 7 228.76x
Rathen 7 37.82x
Ware 7 18.58x
Yoxall 7 82.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 132
John 112
George 70
James 67
Thomas 59
Charles 46
Henry 35
Joseph 33
Edward 28
Richard 25
Alfred 22
Albert 21
Walter 17
Frederick 16
Robert 15
Arthur 13
Samuel 13
Ernest 9
Herbert 8
Edmund 7
Stephen 7
Daniel 6
David 6
Harry 6
Wm. 6
Benjamin 5
Frank 5
Francis 4
Fred 4
Sidney 4
Lewis 3
Mark 3
Percy 3
Alexander 2
Alfd. 2
Allen 2
Andrew 2
Edwd. 2
Edwin 2
Fredk. 2
Hannibal 2
Harold 2
Isaac 2
Jas. 2
Lindsay 2
Luke 2
Martin 2
Matthew 2
Randal 2
Willm. 2

FAQ

Lawrance surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lawrance surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,951 people were recorded with the Lawrance surname. That placed it at #2,243 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lawrance surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,314 in 2016. That gives Lawrance a modern rank of #4,569.

What does the Lawrance surname mean?

A habitational surname referring to someone from Lorraine, France.

What does the Lawrance map show?

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