NameCensus.

UK surname

Layton

From a place name derived from Old English meaning "settlement by the watercourse" or "town by the stream."

In the 1881 census there were 2,398 people recorded with the Layton surname, ranking it #1,860 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,451, ranked #1,972, down from #1,860 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Portsmouth, Portsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Powys, Herefordshire and Dudley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Layton is 3,574 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.9%.

1881 census count

2,398

Ranked #1,860

Modern count

3,451

2016, ranked #1,972

Peak year

1999

3,574 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Layton had 2,398 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,860 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,451 in 2016, ranked #1,972.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,321 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Layton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Layton surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Layton 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 1,503 #1,909
1861 historical 1,804 #1,606
1881 historical 2,398 #1,860
1891 historical 2,655 #1,794
1901 historical 2,985 #1,875
1911 historical 3,321 #1,570
1997 modern 3,494 #1,856
1998 modern 3,568 #1,892
1999 modern 3,574 #1,902
2000 modern 3,539 #1,913
2001 modern 3,444 #1,925
2002 modern 3,512 #1,931
2003 modern 3,412 #1,942
2004 modern 3,356 #1,972
2005 modern 3,310 #1,971
2006 modern 3,337 #1,958
2007 modern 3,399 #1,935
2008 modern 3,407 #1,947
2009 modern 3,463 #1,967
2010 modern 3,555 #1,957
2011 modern 3,474 #1,974
2012 modern 3,384 #1,987
2013 modern 3,454 #1,985
2014 modern 3,493 #1,979
2015 modern 3,456 #1,976
2016 modern 3,451 #1,972

Geography

Back to top

Where Laytons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Portsmouth, Portsea, Birmingham Town: Birmingham 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 Powys, Herefordshire, Dudley, Stratford-on-Avon and Waveney. 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 3
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Powys 011 Powys
2 Herefordshire 006 Herefordshire, County of
3 Dudley 039 Dudley
4 Stratford-on-Avon 012 Stratford-on-Avon
5 Waveney 004 Waveney

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Layton

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Layton

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

Layton 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

Layton falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Layton

The surname Layton is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval era. It is a habitation surname, derived from the Old English words 'leasowe' meaning meadow or pasture and 'tun' meaning enclosure or settlement. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name likely hailed from a place called Layton, meaning the settlement by the meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as 'Laitone'. This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, recorded landholdings across England and serves as a valuable resource for tracing the origins of surnames.

The name Layton can also be found in various medieval records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the 12th century, where it is spelled 'Laiton'. These rolls were financial accounts kept by the Exchequer and provide insights into the distribution and prevalence of surnames during that period.

One notable figure bearing the name Layton was Sir William Layton (c. 1460-1518), a courtier and diplomat during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII. He served as the Governor of Guernsey and played a crucial role in negotiating the marriage between Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.

Another prominent individual was Richard Layton (c. 1500-1544), an English clergyman and visitor during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII. He was instrumental in suppressing religious houses and confiscating their assets for the Crown.

In the 17th century, Thomas Layton (1630-1706) was an English clergyman and non-juror who refused to swear allegiance to William III and Mary II after the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

The name Layton can also be traced to various place names in England, such as Layton in Lancashire, Layton in Yorkshire, and Layton in Northamptonshire. These locations likely derived their names from the Old English words mentioned earlier, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.

Finally, John Layton (1749-1809) was a notable English naturalist and writer who published works on ornithology and natural history, contributing to the growing interest in these fields during the 18th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Layton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Layton 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 443 Laytons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.89x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 443 1.89x
Yorkshire 231 1.00x
Surrey 188 1.65x
Worcestershire 157 5.14x
Durham 151 2.17x
Warwickshire 131 2.22x
Norfolk 119 3.31x
Cambridgeshire 113 7.63x
Hampshire 104 2.17x
Lancashire 98 0.35x
Staffordshire 63 0.80x
Kent 59 0.74x
Radnorshire 48 25.44x
Essex 46 1.00x
Herefordshire 39 4.07x
Suffolk 37 1.30x
Derbyshire 36 0.98x
Lincolnshire 34 0.91x
Northamptonshire 28 1.27x
Sussex 28 0.71x
Berkshire 27 1.54x
Huntingdonshire 27 5.82x
Northumberland 21 0.60x
Nottinghamshire 17 0.54x
Hertfordshire 16 0.99x
Cheshire 15 0.29x
Gloucestershire 15 0.33x
Buckinghamshire 14 0.99x
Oxfordshire 14 0.97x
Bedfordshire 11 0.91x
Leicestershire 10 0.39x
Shropshire 9 0.45x
Roxburghshire 7 1.65x
Rutland 7 4.08x
Somerset 7 0.19x
Glamorgan 5 0.12x
Wiltshire 5 0.24x
Devon 4 0.08x
Monmouthshire 3 0.18x
Lanarkshire 2 0.03x
Royal Navy 2 0.72x
Channel Islands 1 0.14x
Cumberland 1 0.05x
Dorset 1 0.07x
Isle of Man 1 0.23x
Kinross-shire 1 1.69x
Renfrewshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Yarmouth in Norfolk leads with 81 Laytons recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.20x.

Place Total Index
Great Yarmouth 81 27.20x
St Pancras London 64 3.40x
Portsea 63 6.71x
Aston 52 3.20x
Islington London 52 2.29x
Birmingham 46 2.34x
Leigh 43 116.00x
Darlington 38 14.15x
Lambeth 32 1.57x
Redditch 29 46.84x
West Ham 28 2.75x
Hackney London 27 2.06x
Battersea 25 2.91x
Chelsea London 25 3.55x
Bethnal Green London 24 2.36x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 23 35.61x
Camberwell 22 1.47x
Leeds 22 1.68x
Middlesbrough 21 6.96x
St George Hanover Square 20 4.85x
Shoreditch London 19 1.87x
Bow London 18 6.05x
Hasbury 18 90.14x
Bromsgrove 17 16.54x
Wortley In Bramley 16 8.72x
Clerkenwell London 15 2.72x
Handsworth 15 7.71x
Wicken 15 221.24x
Chesterton 14 30.66x
Putney 14 13.14x
Coventry St Michael 13 6.86x
Gorleston 13 17.97x
Sedgley 13 4.43x
Tottenham 13 3.49x
West Bromwich 13 2.88x
Armley 12 11.74x
Everton 12 1.36x
Kensington London 12 0.92x
Paddington London 12 1.40x
Peterborough 12 7.54x
St Marylebone London 12 0.96x
West Derby 12 1.48x
Barnard Castle 11 32.00x
Croydon 11 1.74x
Hornsey 11 3.72x
Lowestoft 11 8.18x
Mile End Old Town London 11 2.21x
Southampton St Mary 11 3.65x
Southwark St Olave 11 61.62x
Tanfield 11 13.30x
Westminster St James 11 4.58x
Whittington 11 21.72x
Andover 10 22.08x
Attleborough 10 55.07x
Northowram 10 6.16x
Whittlesey St Mary St 10 19.33x
Bermondsey 9 1.29x
Chester Le Street 9 16.85x
Clewer 9 12.52x
Feltham 9 38.54x
Graffham 9 332.10x
Great Malvern 9 14.13x
Lenton 9 12.12x
Little Walsingham 9 110.70x
Marske In Guisbrough 9 21.87x
Newchurch 9 3.97x
Pilkington 9 8.54x
Wimbledon 9 7.04x
Carlton In Barnsley 8 92.17x
Clyro 8 136.75x
Deptford St Nicholas 8 12.64x
Ealing 8 3.83x
Edgbaston 8 4.38x
Farnborough 8 68.79x
Finchley 8 8.92x
Holy Trinity 8 1.44x
Hunslet 8 2.21x
Kirkleatham 8 25.57x
Mathon 8 89.29x
Southwark St George Martyr 8 1.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 152
Elizabeth 95
Sarah 85
Eliza 57
Ann 46
Jane 43
Annie 39
Emma 39
Alice 36
Ellen 32
Emily 25
Margaret 24
Florence 21
Hannah 20
Edith 18
Maria 18
Martha 18
Louisa 16
Ada 14
Charlotte 13
Clara 13
Frances 13
Caroline 12
Harriet 11
Harriett 11
Isabella 11
Anne 10
Catherine 10
Lucy 10
Rose 9
Anna 8
Fanny 8
Ruth 8
Susan 8
Dorothy 7
Eleanor 7
Jessie 7
Agnes 6
Kate 6
Amelia 5
Elizth. 5
Julia 5
Rebecca 5
Susannah 5
Beatrice 4
Eva 4
Helen 4
Laura 4
Selina 4
Sophia 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 152
John 126
George 97
Thomas 85
James 66
Charles 53
Henry 47
Robert 38
Edward 36
Frederick 29
Joseph 29
Alfred 25
Arthur 22
Albert 21
Richard 21
Harry 16
Samuel 15
Walter 14
Thos. 10
Edwin 9
Frank 9
Ernest 8
Wm. 8
David 7
Fredrick 7
Herbert 6
Jacob 6
Matthew 6
Chas. 5
Francis 5
Andrew 4
Benjamin 4
Martin 4
Peter 4
Fred 3
Hezekiah 3
Hy. 3
Isaac 3
Jonathan 3
Robt. 3
Alexander 2
Brian 2
Frederic 2
Fredk. 2
Lewis 2
Luke 2
Mark 2
Philip 2
Price 2
Ralph 2

FAQ

Layton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Layton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,398 people were recorded with the Layton surname. That placed it at #1,860 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Layton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,451 in 2016. That gives Layton a modern rank of #1,972.

What does the Layton surname mean?

From a place name derived from Old English meaning "settlement by the watercourse" or "town by the stream."

What does the Layton map show?

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