NameCensus.

UK surname

Leaf

An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a meadow or clearing in the woods.

In the 1881 census there were 509 people recorded with the Leaf surname, ranking it #6,690 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 517, ranked #9,761, down from #6,690 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner, Leeds and St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include York, Carmarthenshire and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Leaf is 703 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.6%.

1881 census count

509

Ranked #6,690

Modern count

517

2016, ranked #9,761

Peak year

1911

703 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Leaf had 509 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,690 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 517 in 2016, ranked #9,761.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 703 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Leaf surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Leaf surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Leaf 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 290 #7,844
1861 historical 336 #7,589
1881 historical 509 #6,690
1891 historical 529 #7,085
1901 historical 608 #7,000
1911 historical 703 #6,067
1997 modern 494 #9,384
1998 modern 511 #9,431
1999 modern 517 #9,427
2000 modern 488 #9,800
2001 modern 476 #9,814
2002 modern 487 #9,820
2003 modern 466 #9,973
2004 modern 479 #9,811
2005 modern 458 #10,077
2006 modern 444 #10,347
2007 modern 459 #10,177
2008 modern 452 #10,369
2009 modern 464 #10,407
2010 modern 495 #10,127
2011 modern 508 #9,839
2012 modern 508 #9,748
2013 modern 513 #9,839
2014 modern 519 #9,818
2015 modern 514 #9,823
2016 modern 517 #9,761

Geography

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Where Leafs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner, Leeds, St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles, London parishes and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to York, Carmarthenshire and Leeds. 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 Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner Hampshire
2 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
3 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding
4 London parishes London 2
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 York 007 York
2 Carmarthenshire 023 Carmarthenshire
3 Leeds 050 Leeds
4 York 012 York
5 York 022 York

Forenames

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First names often paired with Leaf

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Leaf

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Leaf, 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 Leaf surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Leaf 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Leaf is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Leaf 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

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

Meaning and origin of Leaf

The surname LEAF is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'leaf', meaning a leaf or foliage, likely referring to someone who lived near a particular tree or wooded area. The name was initially used as a descriptive nickname before becoming a hereditary surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LEAF can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, where a Roger Lef is mentioned. The spelling variations in early records include Lef, Lefe, and Lefve, reflecting the evolution of the name over time.

In the 13th century, the surname LEAF appeared in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a William le Lef in Oxfordshire. The prefix 'le' was commonly used in medieval times to indicate a descriptive surname.

During the 14th century, the name was found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John Lefe was recorded in 1317. This period also saw the emergence of place-names associated with the surname, such as Leafield in Oxfordshire and Leafy Lane in Hertfordshire.

Notable individuals with the surname LEAF throughout history include John Leaf (1572-1644), an English author and translator known for his work on the Roman philosopher Seneca. Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Leaf (1592-1670), an English politician and lawyer who served as a member of Parliament during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, William Leaf (1722-1816) was a renowned British architect responsible for designing several buildings in London, including the iconic Freemasons' Hall. During the same period, Walter Leaf (1852-1927), a British classical scholar and diplomat, made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek literature.

Lastly, the 20th century saw the rise of Sir Hubert Leaf (1887-1969), a British civil servant who served as the Governor of British Guiana (now Guyana) from 1933 to 1938, playing a crucial role in the colony's administration during that time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Leaf families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Leaf 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 293 Leafs recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.93x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 293 5.93x
Lincolnshire 41 5.14x
Middlesex 40 0.80x
Hampshire 31 3.03x
Lancashire 24 0.41x
Surrey 23 0.95x
Durham 9 0.61x
Dorset 8 2.45x
Kent 7 0.41x
Gloucestershire 6 0.61x
Derbyshire 5 0.64x
Northamptonshire 4 0.85x
Wiltshire 4 0.91x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.95x
Ayrshire 2 0.54x
Berkshire 2 0.53x
Hertfordshire 2 0.58x
Essex 1 0.10x
Leicestershire 1 0.18x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.15x
Oxfordshire 1 0.32x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.63x
Royal Navy 1 1.68x
Worcestershire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Alverstoke in Hampshire leads with 25 Leafs recorded in 1881 and an index of 67.60x.

Place Total Index
Alverstoke 25 67.60x
Leeds 24 8.60x
York Marygate St Olave 18 947.37x
Brompton In Scarborough 16 1355.93x
Shoreditch London 15 6.94x
Deighton In York 12 3636.36x
Holy Trinity St Mary 12 159.57x
Great Grimsby 11 21.74x
Pendleton In Salford 10 14.19x
Whitby 10 60.06x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 9 53.29x
Howden Thorpe In 9 1698.11x
Kensington London 9 3.25x
Naburn 9 927.84x
Pickering 9 144.69x
Stillingfleet With 9 1451.61x
Holy Trinity 8 6.73x
Howden 8 238.10x
Nether Hallam 8 11.97x
Sculcoates 8 10.22x
West Derby 8 4.62x
York St Michael Le 8 500.00x
Escrick 7 693.07x
Holbeck 7 21.39x
Lambeth 7 1.61x
Streatham 7 18.93x
Sutton St Mary St James 7 744.68x
Wortley In Bramley 7 17.89x
Gainsborough 6 31.93x
Hunslet 6 7.79x
Manningham 6 9.86x
Rufforth 6 1276.60x
Sutton 6 106.57x
York St Mary 6 29.33x
York St Saviour 6 127.12x
Barwick In Elmet 5 132.28x
Darlington 5 8.73x
Huntington 5 500.00x
Islington London 5 1.03x
Powerstock 5 357.14x
York Holy Trinity Kings 5 490.20x
York St Maurice 5 53.76x
Great Sturton 4 1600.00x
Northampton St Sepulchre 4 16.77x
Portsea 4 2.00x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 3.99x
Bishopthorpe 3 315.79x
Clifton 3 6.07x
Gateshead 3 2.70x
North Somercotes 3 143.54x
Poplar London 3 3.19x
Scarborough 3 6.68x
Seacroft 3 128.21x
Southcoates 3 10.94x
St Marylebone London 3 1.13x
Sutton Stoneferry 3 21.23x
Alveston 2 143.88x
Bromley 2 7.72x
Chatham 2 4.27x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 2.13x
Clee With Weelsby 2 11.46x
Cookham 2 17.15x
Crich 2 39.29x
Croydon 2 1.48x
Fairfield 2 38.31x
Haxby 2 208.33x
Herne 2 26.56x
Murton In York 2 666.67x
Newington 2 1.09x
Poole St James 2 16.27x
Preshute 2 73.80x
Stewarton 2 27.10x
Sutton St Edmunds 2 176.99x
Tydd St Mary 2 125.79x
York St Helen Stonegate 2 263.16x
Ferry Fryston 1 52.08x
Kirby Knowle 1 526.32x
Lytchett Minster 1 68.97x
Manchester 1 0.38x
Rusholme 1 6.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 25
Elizabeth 21
Ann 12
Sarah 12
Ellen 10
Jane 9
Maria 9
Ada 8
Louisa 8
Annie 7
Harriet 7
Margaret 7
Alice 6
Hannah 6
Eliza 5
Emily 5
Florence 5
Clara 4
Edith 4
Fanny 4
Frances 4
Kate 4
Martha 4
Rose 4
Charlotte 3
Emma 3
Harriett 3
Julia 3
Ellenor 2
Isabella 2
Lydia 2
Selina 2
Violet 2
Alberta 1
Amy 1
Betsey 1
Caroline 1
Charlot 1
Constance 1
Eliz. 1
Elizth 1
Elizth. 1
Elsa 1
Ethel 1
Isebella 1
Jessie 1
Jessy 1
Lilian 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 34
John 31
George 26
James 16
Henry 11
Robert 11
Joseph 10
Arthur 9
Edward 8
Frederick 7
Thomas 7
Walter 7
Alfred 6
Richard 6
Albert 5
Edwin 5
Charles 4
Fred 4
Herbert 4
Harry 3
Samuel 3
Benjamin 2
Earnest 2
Edgar 2
Ephraim 2
Hugh 2
Jas.J. 2
Silvester 2
Thos. 2
Benjn. 1
Cecil 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Geo.Wm. 1
Harold 1
J. 1
Jas.W. 1
Jno. 1
Jonathan 1
Leonard 1
Luke 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Newrick 1
Sidney 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Leaf surname: questions and answers

How common was the Leaf surname in 1881?

In 1881, 509 people were recorded with the Leaf surname. That placed it at #6,690 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Leaf surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 517 in 2016. That gives Leaf a modern rank of #9,761.

What does the Leaf surname mean?

An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a meadow or clearing in the woods.

What does the Leaf map show?

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