NameCensus.

UK surname

Leavens

An English surname derived from the name of an occupation related to baking or brewing.

In the 1881 census there were 75 people recorded with the Leavens surname, ranking it #22,893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 109, ranked #29,402, down from #22,893 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Havering, Harrow and North Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Leavens is 121 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.3%.

1881 census count

75

Ranked #22,893

Modern count

109

2016, ranked #29,402

Peak year

1998

121 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Leavens had 75 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,893 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016, ranked #29,402.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 98 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Leavens surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Leavens surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Leavens 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 59 #22,756
1861 historical 58 #26,585
1881 historical 75 #22,893
1891 historical 80 #26,785
1901 historical 71 #26,277
1911 historical 98 #22,959
1997 modern 105 #26,188
1998 modern 121 #24,677
1999 modern 120 #24,960
2000 modern 117 #25,324
2001 modern 118 #24,832
2002 modern 118 #25,358
2003 modern 117 #25,282
2004 modern 111 #26,293
2005 modern 112 #26,114
2006 modern 116 #25,813
2007 modern 113 #26,641
2008 modern 108 #27,684
2009 modern 113 #27,520
2010 modern 109 #28,831
2011 modern 94 #31,016
2012 modern 102 #29,902
2013 modern 108 #29,379
2014 modern 110 #29,294
2015 modern 114 #28,478
2016 modern 109 #29,402

Geography

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Where Leavens' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Havering, Harrow, North Dorset, North Hertfordshire and Redbridge. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Havering 012 Havering
2 Harrow 011 Harrow
3 North Dorset 006 North Dorset
4 North Hertfordshire 002 North Hertfordshire
5 Redbridge 006 Redbridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Leavens

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Leavens

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Leavens is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Leavens 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

Leavens falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Leavens is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Leavens

The surname Leavens is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "leaven," which referred to a leavening agent used in baking. It is believed to have been an occupational surname given to bakers or those who worked with yeast or other leavening agents.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 12th century, where a "Richard Levene" is mentioned. The name also appears in various other medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a "John le Levene" is listed.

During the Middle Ages, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Leven, Levene, and Levyn, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in spelling at the time. The surname may also have been influenced by the Old French word "levain," which had a similar meaning.

In the 16th century, the name began to take on its modern spelling of Leavens, as seen in records from the parish of Woodstock in Oxfordshire, where a "John Leavens" was baptized in 1589.

Notable individuals bearing the Leavens surname include Sir Christopher Leavens (1557-1630), an English merchant and Member of Parliament, and John Leavens (c.1624-1694), an English clergyman and author who wrote on theological subjects.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Massachusetts Bay Colony records from the 17th century, where a "John Leavens" is mentioned as early as 1659.

Other notable individuals with the Leavens surname include Jesse Leavens (1779-1841), an American politician and farmer from New York, and Erasmus Darwin Leavens (1836-1916), a prominent American educator and school administrator from Ohio.

Throughout history, the Leavens surname has been associated with various locations, such as the village of Leven in East Yorkshire, England, and the town of Leven in Fife, Scotland, both of which may have contributed to the development and spread of the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Leavens families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Leavens 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 19 Leavens' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.60x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 19 2.60x
Kent 18 7.21x
Yorkshire 14 1.93x
Cumberland 11 17.47x
Surrey 11 3.09x
Cheshire 1 0.62x
Lancashire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wandsworth in Surrey leads with 10 Leavens' recorded in 1881 and an index of 142.05x.

Place Total Index
Wandsworth 10 142.05x
Beckenham 9 276.07x
Chislehurst 8 597.01x
Paddington London 6 22.30x
Bethnal Green London 5 15.73x
Drigg Carleton 5 3571.43x
Manningham 5 55.99x
Gosforth 4 1290.32x
Islington London 4 5.64x
Mile End Old Town London 3 19.27x
Scarborough 3 45.52x
Shipley 3 79.79x
Beverley St Mary 2 188.68x
Beckermet St Bridget 1 588.24x
Camberwell 1 2.14x
Hoole 1 163.93x
Horsforth 1 62.89x
Irton With Santon 1 625.00x
Lancaster 1 19.38x
Sevenoaks 1 49.51x
St Marylebone London 1 2.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Alice 3
Annie 3
Eliza 3
Sarah 3
Ann 2
Dinah 2
Elizabeth 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Lizzie 2
Matilda 2
Ada 1
Annas 1
Betty 1
Ellen 1
Helena 1
Henrietta 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
L.E. 1
Louise 1
Minnie 1
Pheobe 1
Rose 1
Walters 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 5
Charles 4
Robert 3
William 3
James 2
Bennet 1
Frederich 1
Fredrick 1
George 1
Isaac 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Norman 1
Sam 1
Thos.C. 1

FAQ

Leavens surname: questions and answers

How common was the Leavens surname in 1881?

In 1881, 75 people were recorded with the Leavens surname. That placed it at #22,893 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Leavens surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016. That gives Leavens a modern rank of #29,402.

What does the Leavens surname mean?

An English surname derived from the name of an occupation related to baking or brewing.

What does the Leavens map show?

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