NameCensus.

UK surname

Lee

A toponymic surname indicating a person who lived near a meadow, pasture, or clearing in the woods.

In the 1881 census there were 47,663 people recorded with the Lee surname, ranking it #62 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 85,294, ranked #44, up from #62 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Oxford, Cambridge and Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lee is 85,970 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 79.0%.

1881 census count

47,663

Ranked #62

Modern count

85,294

2016, ranked #44

Peak year

2014

85,970 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lee had 47,663 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #62 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 85,294 in 2016, ranked #44.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 60,525 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Lee surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lee surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lee 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 31,449 #61
1881 historical 47,663 #62
1891 historical 1,378 #3,152
1901 historical 60,525 #59
1911 historical 1 #34,332
1997 modern 79,148 #47
1998 modern 81,853 #47
1999 modern 82,324 #47
2000 modern 81,824 #47
2001 modern 79,778 #47
2002 modern 82,094 #47
2003 modern 80,241 #47
2004 modern 80,375 #47
2005 modern 79,755 #47
2006 modern 79,701 #47
2007 modern 80,540 #47
2008 modern 81,058 #47
2009 modern 83,296 #47
2010 modern 85,771 #46
2011 modern 84,327 #47
2012 modern 83,270 #45
2013 modern 85,317 #45
2014 modern 85,970 #45
2015 modern 85,191 #45
2016 modern 85,294 #44

Geography

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Where Lees are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Oxford, Cambridge, Liverpool, County Durham and Cardiff. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Oxford 008 Oxford
2 Cambridge 007 Cambridge
3 Liverpool 031 Liverpool
4 County Durham 051 County Durham
5 Cardiff 032 Cardiff

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lee

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lee

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Lee is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lee is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Lee

The surname LEE has its origins in England, where it first appeared in the 8th century. It is derived from the Old English word "leah," which refers to a clearing or meadow in a forest or woodland area. This name was initially used as a topographic surname, given to individuals who lived near such a clearing or meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LEE can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appeared as "de la Legh" and was associated with various locations in different counties, including Lancashire, Cheshire, and Shropshire.

During the Middle Ages, the surname LEE evolved into various spellings, such as "Legh," "Ley," and "Leigh," reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations of the time. These variations were often influenced by the location or place names associated with the family.

One notable example of an early bearer of the surname LEE is Sir Richard de Legh, a 14th-century English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was granted lands in Cheshire. Another prominent figure was Sir Walter Leigh (1550-1622), a Member of Parliament and High Sheriff of Worcestershire.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname LEE gained prominence in Scotland, particularly in the Borders region. One notable Scottish bearer was Sir John Leley (1609-1667), a renowned artist and painter who served as the Principal Painter to King Charles I.

The LEE surname also has a strong presence in Ireland, where it is often anglicized from the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Laoidhigh." One notable Irish figure with this surname was Sir Thomas Lees (1824-1901), a renowned industrialist and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of the linen industry in Ulster.

Other notable individuals with the surname LEE include Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), a renowned Confederate general during the American Civil War, and Harper Lee (1926-2016), the Pulitzer Prize-winning American author best known for her novel "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Overall, the surname LEE has a rich history spanning centuries and multiple countries, reflecting the diverse origins and migrations of families bearing this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lee families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lee 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 8,097 Lees recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.71x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 8,097 1.71x
Lancashire 7,497 1.32x
Middlesex 5,279 1.11x
Surrey 2,792 1.20x
Devon 1,788 1.80x
Durham 1,697 1.19x
Kent 1,517 0.93x
Cheshire 1,417 1.34x
Warwickshire 1,354 1.12x
Nottinghamshire 1,185 1.84x
Derbyshire 1,149 1.54x
Northumberland 1,053 1.48x
Essex 1,020 1.08x
Staffordshire 994 0.62x
Hampshire 874 0.89x
Sussex 830 1.03x
Leicestershire 789 1.49x
Somerset 717 0.93x
Lincolnshire 639 0.84x
Norfolk 612 0.83x
Gloucestershire 601 0.64x
Shropshire 518 1.26x
Worcestershire 479 0.77x
Northamptonshire 458 1.02x
Hertfordshire 394 1.20x
Lanarkshire 390 0.25x
Glamorgan 387 0.47x
Cambridgeshire 352 1.16x
Suffolk 349 0.60x
Berkshire 278 0.78x
Cumberland 277 0.67x
Buckinghamshire 250 0.87x
Cornwall 240 0.44x
Dorset 233 0.74x
Midlothian 221 0.35x
Monmouthshire 221 0.64x
Bedfordshire 218 0.88x
Oxfordshire 206 0.70x
Wiltshire 167 0.40x
Denbighshire 152 0.84x
Angus 135 0.31x
Herefordshire 121 0.62x
Flintshire 117 0.91x
Renfrewshire 94 0.25x
Huntingdonshire 70 0.74x
Royal Navy 67 1.18x
Rutland 54 1.54x
Westmorland 54 0.51x
Ayrshire 49 0.14x
Channel Islands 47 0.33x
Aberdeenshire 42 0.10x
Fife 40 0.14x
Montgomeryshire 36 0.33x
Caernarfonshire 30 0.16x
Brecknockshire 26 0.27x
Clackmannanshire 25 0.63x
Isle of Man 24 0.27x
Perthshire 24 0.11x
Pembrokeshire 22 0.15x
East Lothian 16 0.25x
Morayshire 15 0.20x
Dumfriesshire 14 0.13x
Kirkcudbrightshire 13 0.19x
Stirlingshire 13 0.07x
Dunbartonshire 11 0.09x
West Lothian 11 0.15x
Argyllshire 7 0.05x
Selkirkshire 7 0.16x
Banffshire 6 0.06x
Inverness-shire 6 0.04x
Nairnshire 6 0.41x
Berwickshire 5 0.09x
Orkney 5 0.10x
Wigtownshire 5 0.08x
Anglesey 4 0.05x
Buteshire 4 0.14x
Caithness 4 0.06x
Merionethshire 4 0.05x
Radnorshire 4 0.10x
Roxburghshire 4 0.05x
Carmarthenshire 3 0.01x
Peeblesshire 3 0.13x
Sutherland 2 0.05x
Kincardineshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 553 Lees recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.20x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 553 1.20x
Lambeth 500 1.20x
Birmingham 400 1.00x
St Pancras London 389 1.01x
Aston 358 1.08x
Manchester 358 1.41x
Leeds 353 1.32x
Sheffield 346 2.30x
Nottingham St Mary 339 2.04x
Salford 326 1.96x
Hackney London 300 1.12x
Liverpool 291 0.85x
Bethnal Green London 284 1.37x
St Marylebone London 279 1.09x
Ashton Under Lyne 277 2.24x
Ecclesall Bierlow 274 2.85x
Bradford 269 2.35x
Mile End Old Town London 267 2.63x
Camberwell 260 0.85x
Shoreditch London 258 1.25x
West Ham 250 1.20x
Portsea 247 1.29x
Newington 224 1.27x
Little Bolton 220 3.02x
Kensington London 212 0.80x
Battersea 211 1.20x
Leicester St Margaret 209 1.62x
Paddington London 200 1.14x
Great Bolton 187 2.49x
Preston 182 1.20x
St George Hanover Square 180 2.14x
Dewsbury 179 3.69x
Everton 179 0.99x
Oldham 170 0.93x
Brightside Bierlow 167 1.80x
Chelsea London 164 1.14x
Wolverhampton 159 1.28x
Heap 158 5.26x
Castleton 157 2.77x
Hulme 156 1.32x
Toxteth Park 151 0.79x
Huddersfield 149 2.16x
Holy Trinity 148 1.30x
Southwark St George Martyr 146 1.52x
Bermondsey 145 1.02x
Idle 143 6.52x
Nether Hallam 142 2.22x
Burnley 134 2.81x
Atherton 133 6.45x
Warrington 127 1.89x
Deptford St Paul 126 1.00x
Stoke Damerel 124 1.78x
Coventry St Michael 122 3.15x
Bow London 119 1.96x
Brighton 119 0.73x
Dukinfield 117 2.40x
Barony 112 0.29x
Habergham Eaves 112 2.16x
Lewisham 112 1.29x
Manningham 108 1.85x
Bromley London 106 1.01x
Clerkenwell London 106 0.94x
St Luke London 105 1.37x
West Derby 104 0.63x
Govan 102 0.27x
Stockton On Tees 102 1.49x
Almondbury 101 4.42x
Wortley In Bramley 100 2.67x
Croydon 99 0.77x
Hunslet 99 1.34x
Bingley 97 3.22x
Mirfield 97 3.73x
Tottenham 97 1.28x
Birkenhead 96 1.14x
Liversedge 96 4.56x
Ecclesfield 95 2.74x
Dudley 94 1.24x
Stockport 92 1.70x
Tormoham 92 2.19x
Dundee 91 0.55x
Hammersmith London 91 0.77x
Barking 90 3.26x
Doncaster 90 2.60x
Gorton 90 1.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3,333
Elizabeth 1,942
Sarah 1,768
Ann 946
Jane 912
Emma 792
Annie 783
Alice 758
Ellen 745
Eliza 667
Hannah 601
Emily 512
Martha 495
Margaret 489
Harriet 307
Louisa 297
Maria 279
Ada 275
Charlotte 273
Florence 259
Catherine 254
Caroline 244
Fanny 243
Edith 218
Clara 209
Lucy 193
Kate 192
Anne 167
Susan 167
Agnes 147
Frances 146
Isabella 141
Rose 139
Esther 133
Harriett 128
Amelia 120
Rebecca 111
Matilda 109
Minnie 99
Elizth. 94
Amy 93
Sophia 93
Julia 85
Ruth 82
Susannah 79
Jessie 78
Lydia 76
Bertha 74
Gertrude 74
Anna 72

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2,952
William 2,839
George 1,650
Thomas 1,591
James 1,558
Joseph 953
Henry 933
Charles 832
Robert 613
Alfred 501
Richard 473
Arthur 466
Edward 460
Samuel 442
Frederick 377
Walter 353
Harry 326
Albert 314
Frank 183
Herbert 181
Edwin 177
Ernest 169
Francis 164
David 143
Benjamin 141
Fred 126
Wm. 117
Peter 111
Thos. 101
Daniel 95
Tom 90
Matthew 82
Isaac 72
Michael 71
Mark 59
Edmund 58
Percy 52
Patrick 50
Andrew 48
Geo. 48
Joshua 46
Jonathan 45
Stephen 43
Fredk. 41
Leonard 41
Abraham 40
Fredrick 39
Ralph 39
Sidney 38
Chas. 35

FAQ

Lee surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lee surname in 1881?

In 1881, 47,663 people were recorded with the Lee surname. That placed it at #62 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lee surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 85,294 in 2016. That gives Lee a modern rank of #44.

What does the Lee surname mean?

A toponymic surname indicating a person who lived near a meadow, pasture, or clearing in the woods.

What does the Lee map show?

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