NameCensus.

UK surname

Laydon

An English surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from Laydon Hill in Essex.

In the 1881 census there were 124 people recorded with the Laydon surname, ranking it #17,429 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 154, ranked #23,293, down from #17,429 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sunderland, Redruth and Newcastle All Saints. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sunderland, Newcastle upon Tyne and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Laydon is 186 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.2%.

1881 census count

124

Ranked #17,429

Modern count

154

2016, ranked #23,293

Peak year

1999

186 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Laydon had 124 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,429 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016, ranked #23,293.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 155 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Laydon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Laydon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Laydon 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 51 #24,096
1861 historical 123 #17,914
1881 historical 124 #17,429
1891 historical 155 #17,920
1901 historical 116 #20,933
1911 historical 124 #20,023
1997 modern 177 #19,018
1998 modern 179 #19,372
1999 modern 186 #19,073
2000 modern 170 #20,120
2001 modern 165 #20,199
2002 modern 164 #20,687
2003 modern 161 #20,697
2004 modern 159 #21,007
2005 modern 155 #21,318
2006 modern 156 #21,399
2007 modern 170 #20,471
2008 modern 170 #20,672
2009 modern 169 #21,190
2010 modern 174 #21,259
2011 modern 164 #21,900
2012 modern 166 #21,683
2013 modern 167 #21,984
2014 modern 162 #22,624
2015 modern 161 #22,599
2016 modern 154 #23,293

Geography

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Where Laydons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sunderland, Redruth, Newcastle All Saints, Gateshead and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sunderland, Newcastle upon Tyne and Northumberland. 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 Sunderland Durham
2 Redruth Cornwall
3 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sunderland 006 Sunderland
2 Newcastle upon Tyne 028 Newcastle upon Tyne
3 Sunderland 030 Sunderland
4 Sunderland 032 Sunderland
5 Northumberland 028 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Laydon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Laydon

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Laydon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Laydon household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Laydon is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Laydon is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Laydon

The surname Laydon has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "lēah" and "dūn," which together mean "a hill or woodland clearing." This suggests that the name was initially a topographic one, referring to someone who lived in or near a meadow or clearing in a wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1166, where it appears as "Leidon." This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surname spellings in earlier times, before standardization became more common.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms in the Hundred Rolls, a census-like record of landowners and tenants in England. Examples include "Leydon" in Oxfordshire and "Leyden" in Huntingdonshire. These entries provide evidence of the name's geographical spread across different counties during that era.

The Laydon surname is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and populations in much of England and parts of Wales. However, the exact spelling and location within the Domesday records are uncertain, as the name likely underwent numerous variations over time.

One notable historical figure bearing the Laydon surname was Sir John Laydon (c. 1480 - 1545), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for various constituencies during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI.

Another individual of note was Richard Laydon (1570 - 1640), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1632 to 1633.

In the 17th century, the name Laydon appears in the parish records of Oxfordshire, where a family by that name resided in the village of Kirtlington. One member, William Laydon (1628 - 1701), was a prominent landowner and farmer in the area.

Moving forward to the 18th century, we find mention of Thomas Laydon (1708 - 1784), a successful merchant and shipowner based in Bristol, England. His business dealings and travels likely contributed to the spread of the Laydon name across the country and beyond.

Finally, in the 19th century, Elizabeth Laydon (1820 - 1892) was a notable author and poet whose works often explored themes of nature and rural life in England. Her collection of poems, "Meadow Musings," published in 1865, received critical acclaim and further solidified the connection between the Laydon name and its topographic origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Laydon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Laydon 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. Durham leads with 31 Laydons recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.62x.

County Total Index
Durham 31 8.62x
Middlesex 30 2.48x
Yorkshire 9 0.75x
Cumberland 8 7.68x
Derbyshire 8 4.23x
Northumberland 8 4.45x
Stirlingshire 7 15.69x
Midlothian 6 3.70x
East Lothian 3 18.73x
Lanarkshire 3 0.77x
Warwickshire 3 0.98x
Devon 1 0.40x
Dunbartonshire 1 3.08x
Essex 1 0.42x
Kent 1 0.24x
Norfolk 1 0.54x
Somerset 1 0.51x
Surrey 1 0.17x
West Lothian 1 5.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Limehouse London in Middlesex leads with 9 Laydons recorded in 1881 and an index of 67.77x.

Place Total Index
Limehouse London 9 67.77x
Poplar London 9 39.42x
Bishopwearmouth 7 22.66x
Chesterfield 7 98.59x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 7 44.93x
Polmont 7 424.24x
Bethnal Green London 6 11.42x
Monkwearmouth Shore 6 85.47x
Westward 6 1395.35x
Cleckheaton 5 113.38x
Islington London 5 4.27x
North Leith 5 66.67x
Gateshead 4 14.85x
Newcastle On Tyne St 4 42.87x
York St Margaret 4 540.54x
Birmingham 3 2.95x
Tranent 3 138.89x
Great Lumley 2 322.58x
Shildon 2 69.20x
Tynemouth 2 20.75x
Barony 1 1.01x
Bowness Drumburg 1 588.24x
Chaddesden 1 400.00x
Crossgate 1 63.69x
Downham Market 1 78.13x
Dumbarton 1 22.12x
Elswick 1 6.96x
Govan 1 1.03x
Harlow 1 97.09x
Kirkbampton 1 588.24x
Kirknewton 1 212.77x
Lidford 1 88.50x
Seaton Delaval 1 63.29x
Shepton Mallet 1 45.87x
Shettleston 1 28.57x
Sunderland 1 15.75x
Uphall 1 50.00x
Walmer 1 55.87x
Westminster St John 1 6.79x
Westoe 1 4.90x
Wimbledon 1 15.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Ann 7
Margaret 3
Ada 2
Catherine 2
Elizabeth 2
Kate 2
Susan 2
Alice 1
Annie 1
Barbara 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Eleanor 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Fannie 1
Frances 1
Lissebt 1
Lizzie 1
Lydia 1
Margret 1
Nellie 1
Roser 1
Rosina 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Laydon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Laydon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 124 people were recorded with the Laydon surname. That placed it at #17,429 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Laydon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016. That gives Laydon a modern rank of #23,293.

What does the Laydon surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from Laydon Hill in Essex.

What does the Laydon map show?

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