NameCensus.

UK surname

Lawrenson

A surname derived from the personal name Lawrence.

In the 1881 census there were 838 people recorded with the Lawrenson surname, ranking it #4,497 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,781, ranked #3,538, up from #4,497 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Winwick, Gateshead and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wyre, St. Helens and Knowsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lawrenson is 1,890 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 112.5%.

1881 census count

838

Ranked #4,497

Modern count

1,781

2016, ranked #3,538

Peak year

2010

1,890 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lawrenson had 838 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,497 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,781 in 2016, ranked #3,538.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,473 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Lawrenson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lawrenson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lawrenson 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 427 #5,726
1861 historical 486 #5,372
1881 historical 838 #4,497
1891 historical 1,012 #4,106
1901 historical 1,304 #3,828
1911 historical 1,473 #3,271
1997 modern 1,796 #3,343
1998 modern 1,819 #3,421
1999 modern 1,817 #3,442
2000 modern 1,837 #3,400
2001 modern 1,783 #3,417
2002 modern 1,815 #3,425
2003 modern 1,804 #3,390
2004 modern 1,799 #3,392
2005 modern 1,794 #3,376
2006 modern 1,785 #3,398
2007 modern 1,786 #3,432
2008 modern 1,810 #3,419
2009 modern 1,852 #3,432
2010 modern 1,890 #3,440
2011 modern 1,866 #3,428
2012 modern 1,816 #3,448
2013 modern 1,808 #3,523
2014 modern 1,826 #3,511
2015 modern 1,811 #3,508
2016 modern 1,781 #3,538

Geography

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Where Lawrensons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Winwick, Gateshead, Preston, West Derby and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wyre, St. Helens and Knowsley. 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 Winwick Lancashire
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Preston Lancashire
4 West Derby Lancashire
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wyre 009 Wyre
2 St. Helens 004 St. Helens
3 St. Helens 007 St. Helens
4 Knowsley 007 Knowsley
5 St. Helens 019 St. Helens

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lawrenson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lawrenson

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

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Lawrenson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Lawrenson 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Lawrenson is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Lawrenson 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

Lawrenson falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Lawrenson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Lawrenson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Lawrenson

The surname Lawrenson originated in England, specifically in Lancashire and Yorkshire. It is a patronymic name derived from the personal name Lawrence, which itself is derived from the Latin name Laurentius, meaning "from Laurentum." Laurentum was an ancient city in Italy, and the name was likely given to someone who hailed from that area or had some association with it.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Lawrenson can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a Richard Laurensson is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several references to places and landholdings with names similar to Lawrenson, such as Laurencebi and Laurencesone, suggesting that the name was already present in various forms during the Norman Conquest.

Notable individuals with the surname Lawrenson include John Lawrenson (1615-1659), an English Puritan minister and author, and Thomas Lawrenson (1787-1859), a British architect who designed several churches and buildings in Lancashire.

Another prominent figure was Sir Edward Lawrenson (1858-1932), a British businessman and Liberal politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Stretford division of Lancashire from 1906 to 1918.

In the literary world, Audrey Lawrenson (1897-1983) was a British writer and poet known for her works on Lancashire dialect and folklore.

More recently, Mark Lawrenson (born 1957) is a former professional football player and sports broadcaster who played for Liverpool and the Republic of Ireland national team.

Over the centuries, the surname Lawrenson has also been spelled in various ways, such as Laurenson, Laurenceson, and Lawrance, reflecting regional variations and the evolution of spelling conventions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lawrenson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lawrenson 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. Lancashire leads with 711 Lawrensons recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.29x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 711 7.29x
Durham 38 1.55x
Cheshire 28 1.54x
Surrey 10 0.25x
Middlesex 9 0.11x
Midlothian 9 0.82x
Yorkshire 8 0.10x
Glamorgan 7 0.49x
Kent 7 0.25x
Hampshire 5 0.30x
Lanarkshire 5 0.19x
Warwickshire 4 0.19x
Devon 1 0.06x
Northumberland 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 60 Lawrensons recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.98x.

Place Total Index
Preston 60 22.98x
Eccleston In Prescot 52 106.14x
Whiston 49 643.89x
Toxteth Park 36 10.90x
Prescot 33 186.97x
Westoe 30 21.63x
Halewood 29 554.49x
Everton 28 9.00x
Haydock 27 160.62x
Skelmersdale 25 153.75x
Thornton In Fylde 24 112.41x
Upholland 24 192.00x
Wigan 24 17.60x
Kirkdale 23 14.01x
West Derby 22 7.71x
Preesall With 18 753.14x
Sutton 15 45.83x
Latchford 14 116.09x
Blackburn 13 5.01x
Lancaster 12 20.67x
Layton With Warbreck 10 27.93x
Parr 10 28.65x
Camberwell 9 1.71x
Carleton 9 849.06x
Forton 9 538.92x
Pilling 9 196.51x
Walton Le Dale 9 34.32x
Widnes 9 12.79x
Windle 9 16.39x
Huyton With Roby 8 69.99x
Kirkham 8 62.02x
Newton In Makerfield 8 26.77x
North Leith 8 15.69x
Accrington 7 7.89x
Pilkington 7 18.88x
Poulton Le Fylde 7 202.31x
Hulme 6 2.95x
Moss Side 6 11.68x
Roath 6 9.23x
Shipley 6 14.19x
Singleton 6 600.00x
Thornley Cum Wheatley 6 606.06x
Govan 5 0.76x
Heswall Cum Oldfield 5 200.00x
Liverpool 5 0.84x
Orrell 5 41.22x
Portsea 5 1.51x
Bickerstaffe 4 62.60x
Bishopwearmouth 4 1.90x
Church 4 29.03x
Strood 4 24.98x
Frodsham 3 42.67x
Goosnargh 3 94.94x
Greenwich 3 2.29x
Hartlepool 3 8.63x
Much Woolton 3 22.66x
Over Darwen 3 3.85x
Barrow In Furness 2 1.51x
Birkenhead 2 1.38x
Chelsea London 2 0.81x
Coventry St Michael 2 3.00x
Hackney London 2 0.43x
Little Eccleston With 2 363.64x
Marton 2 30.82x
Penwortham 2 43.29x
Rainford 2 18.96x
St Pancras London 2 0.30x
Sutton In Macclesfield 2 10.62x
Walton On Hill 2 3.78x
Warrington 2 1.73x
Cornsay 1 15.17x
Coventry Holy Trinity 1 1.62x
Fulwood 1 9.49x
Heaton Norris 1 1.80x
Mawdesley 1 38.17x
Methley 1 8.72x
Middlesbrough 1 0.94x
Ribby With Wray 1 88.50x
Ribchester 1 27.10x
Rishton 1 8.73x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 63
Elizabeth 50
Margaret 41
Ellen 30
Jane 29
Ann 26
Alice 16
Sarah 14
Martha 12
Annie 8
Catherine 8
Hannah 8
Agnes 6
Anne 4
Edith 4
Eliza 4
Emma 4
Maria 4
Rachel 4
Caroline 3
Esther 3
Frances 3
Margt. 3
Rebecca 3
Ada 2
Deborah 2
Emily 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Isabella 2
Janet 2
Kate 2
Nancy 2
Susannah 2
Wilhemina 2
Adalaide 1
Amelia 1
Catharine 1
Clara 1
Clementina 1
Emeline 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Florence 1
Jennett 1
Jessie 1
Joan 1
Lilian 1
Lillias 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 65
Thomas 54
James 53
William 51
Joseph 24
George 21
Henry 16
Edward 12
Robert 11
Samuel 6
Albert 5
Frederick 5
Richard 5
Jos. 4
Peter 4
Charles 3
David 3
Francis 3
Isaac 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Edmond 2
Ernest 2
Harry 2
Jas. 2
Jno. 2
Jonathon 2
Jonothan 2
Launcelot 2
Robt. 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
Wm. 2
Demetrious 1
Edwd. 1
Enoch 1
Geo. 1
Hamlet 1
Hugh 1
Jeremiah 1
Lanclot 1
Lawrence 1
Lawrenson 1
Luther 1
Matthew 1
Nathaniel 1
Parkin 1
Paul 1

FAQ

Lawrenson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lawrenson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 838 people were recorded with the Lawrenson surname. That placed it at #4,497 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lawrenson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,781 in 2016. That gives Lawrenson a modern rank of #3,538.

What does the Lawrenson surname mean?

A surname derived from the personal name Lawrence.

What does the Lawrenson map show?

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