NameCensus.

UK surname

Leadbeater

A surname derived from an occupational name for someone who led pack animals or beat a path for travelers.

In the 1881 census there were 1,216 people recorded with the Leadbeater surname, ranking it #3,326 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,562, ranked #3,966, down from #3,326 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, London parishes and North Meols. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sandwell, Cannock Chase and Powys.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Leadbeater is 1,677 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.5%.

1881 census count

1,216

Ranked #3,326

Modern count

1,562

2016, ranked #3,966

Peak year

1999

1,677 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Leadbeater had 1,216 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,326 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,562 in 2016, ranked #3,966.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,670 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Leadbeater surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Leadbeater surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Leadbeater 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 675 #3,842
1861 historical 685 #3,931
1881 historical 1,216 #3,326
1891 historical 1,441 #3,036
1901 historical 1,618 #3,193
1911 historical 1,670 #2,924
1997 modern 1,571 #3,752
1998 modern 1,662 #3,706
1999 modern 1,677 #3,702
2000 modern 1,633 #3,777
2001 modern 1,606 #3,765
2002 modern 1,639 #3,756
2003 modern 1,630 #3,703
2004 modern 1,641 #3,685
2005 modern 1,582 #3,766
2006 modern 1,559 #3,811
2007 modern 1,564 #3,835
2008 modern 1,570 #3,853
2009 modern 1,597 #3,887
2010 modern 1,630 #3,895
2011 modern 1,616 #3,886
2012 modern 1,576 #3,904
2013 modern 1,619 #3,874
2014 modern 1,606 #3,928
2015 modern 1,585 #3,930
2016 modern 1,562 #3,966

Geography

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Where Leadbeaters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, London parishes, North Meols, Birstall and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sandwell, Cannock Chase, Powys, South Holland and Bradford. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 North Meols Lancashire
4 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sandwell 010 Sandwell
2 Cannock Chase 003 Cannock Chase
3 Powys 021 Powys
4 South Holland 011 South Holland
5 Bradford 056 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Leadbeater

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Leadbeater

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Leadbeater surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Leadbeater household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Leadbeater 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

Leadbeater is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Leadbeater

The surname Leadbeater is of English origin, rooted in the medieval occupation of lead beating or working with lead. It emerged during the 13th century in various parts of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire.

This surname is derived from the Old English words "lead" and "beater," referring to a craftsman who beat or shaped lead for use in construction, roofing, or other purposes. The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears as "Ledbeter" in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273.

Records from the 14th century mention a Johannes Ledbetere in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327. The name also appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379 as William Ledbeter, indicating the spread of the surname across different regions.

One notable historical figure bearing this surname was John Leadbeater (1725-1799), an English civil engineer and surveyor who worked on several important canal projects in the 18th century, including the Bridgewater Canal.

Another prominent individual was Mary Leadbeater (1758-1826), an Irish writer and poet who contributed to the literary circles of her time and published works such as "Cottage Dialogues" and "The Leadbeater Papers."

In the realm of science, Charles Webster Leadbeater (1854-1934) was a notable English theosophist and author who wrote extensively on topics related to Theosophy and occultism, including "The Astral Plane" and "The Hidden Side of Things."

The name Leadbeater has also been associated with various places, such as Leadbeater's Farm in Virginia, named after Abram Leadbeater, an early settler in the region during the 17th century.

Throughout history, variations in the spelling of the surname Leadbeater have been observed, including Leadbetter, Leadbater, and Ledbeter, reflecting the evolving nature of surnames and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Leadbeater families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Leadbeater 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 450 Leadbeaters recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.78x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 450 3.78x
Staffordshire 217 5.35x
Lancashire 142 1.00x
Middlesex 79 0.66x
Warwickshire 55 1.82x
Gloucestershire 37 1.57x
Derbyshire 28 1.49x
Surrey 24 0.41x
Cheshire 22 0.83x
Durham 20 0.56x
Northamptonshire 16 1.42x
Kent 15 0.37x
Leicestershire 13 0.98x
Lincolnshire 13 0.68x
Worcestershire 13 0.83x
Hertfordshire 12 1.45x
Oxfordshire 10 1.35x
Buckinghamshire 8 1.10x
Channel Islands 8 2.25x
Hampshire 8 0.33x
Devon 7 0.28x
Isle of Man 7 3.14x
Ayrshire 6 0.67x
Midlothian 4 0.25x
Norfolk 4 0.22x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.25x
Shropshire 4 0.39x
Berkshire 1 0.11x
Cumberland 1 0.10x
Essex 1 0.04x
Northumberland 1 0.06x
Sussex 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. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 47 Leadbeaters recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.93x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 47 10.93x
Manchester 29 4.53x
Gomersal 26 46.81x
Mirfield 25 38.27x
Liversedge 24 45.31x
Nether Hallam 24 14.91x
Wolverhampton 24 7.70x
Wolstanton 22 17.87x
Birmingham 20 1.98x
Hunslet 19 10.24x
West Bromwich 17 7.33x
Clerkenwell London 16 5.64x
Morley 16 25.86x
Westbury On Severn East 16 30.05x
Harborne 15 11.55x
Heckmondwike 15 39.20x
Soothill 15 34.90x
Rotherham 14 20.87x
Chapel Allerton 13 72.99x
Aston 12 1.44x
Burslem 12 10.34x
Chorley In Macclesfield 12 148.51x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 12 7.76x
Aldbury 11 293.33x
Bentley Cum Arksey 11 176.85x
Colwich 11 114.11x
Yeadon 11 40.94x
Hammersmith London 10 3.38x
Mollington 10 884.96x
Otley 10 34.61x
Scarborough 10 9.25x
Sheffield 10 2.64x
Willenhall 10 13.17x
Colton 9 322.58x
Dewsbury 9 7.37x
Gorton 9 6.72x
Lambeth 9 0.86x
Rawmarsh 9 21.41x
West Derby 9 2.16x
Barnsley 8 6.52x
Brightside Bierlow 8 3.43x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 8 3.61x
Derby St Alkmund 8 14.20x
East Ardsley 8 77.59x
Edmonton 8 8.27x
Garston 8 19.03x
Holy Trinity 8 2.80x
Kings Norton 8 5.69x
Much Woolton 8 41.37x
Northampton Priory St 8 11.80x
Preston 8 2.10x
St Pancras London 8 0.83x
Batley 7 6.19x
Bramley In Bramley 7 15.37x
Chelsea London 7 1.93x
Foleshill 7 21.97x
Great Driffield 7 28.67x
Heeley 7 19.36x
Lancaster 7 8.26x
Liverpool 7 0.81x
Pinchbeck 7 56.86x
West Dean 7 18.30x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 6 5.41x
Barrow In Furness 6 3.10x
Bilston 6 7.64x
Bromley London 6 2.27x
Clowne 6 80.32x
Derby St Werburgh 6 5.53x
Girvan 6 26.60x
Handsworth 6 19.07x
Islington London 6 0.52x
Leeds 6 0.89x
Purston Jaglin 6 206.90x
Rocester 6 119.52x
St Sampson 6 37.41x
Tong 6 26.10x
Upper Hallam 6 58.03x
Worsbrough 6 17.21x
Leicester St Margaret 5 1.54x
Wakefield 5 5.47x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 88
William 73
Thomas 53
George 44
James 39
Joseph 25
Charles 22
Henry 17
Alfred 16
Richard 14
Arthur 13
Edward 12
Harry 11
Samuel 11
Walter 9
Benjamin 8
Edwin 8
Albert 7
Joshua 7
Wm. 7
Frank 6
Fred 6
Herbert 6
Peter 6
Robert 6
Frederick 5
Matthew 5
Ellis 4
Ernest 4
Alexander 3
Alfd. 3
David 3
Francis 3
Isaac 3
Percy 3
Sam 3
Thos. 3
Tom 3
Allan 2
Dick 2
Joe 2
Luke 2
Moses 2
Sidney 2
Timothy 2
Willie 2
Benj. 1
Earnest 1
Edgar 1
Edw.Brown 1

FAQ

Leadbeater surname: questions and answers

How common was the Leadbeater surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,216 people were recorded with the Leadbeater surname. That placed it at #3,326 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Leadbeater surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,562 in 2016. That gives Leadbeater a modern rank of #3,966.

What does the Leadbeater surname mean?

A surname derived from an occupational name for someone who led pack animals or beat a path for travelers.

What does the Leadbeater map show?

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