NameCensus.

UK surname

Leeman

An English occupational surname referring to a vassal, servant, or follower of a feudal lord.

In the 1881 census there were 433 people recorded with the Leeman surname, ranking it #7,531 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 728, ranked #7,474, up from #7,531 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, Gainsborough, Paddocks and Nottingham St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, East Lindsey and Thurrock.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Leeman is 732 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 68.1%.

1881 census count

433

Ranked #7,531

Modern count

728

2016, ranked #7,474

Peak year

2015

732 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Leeman had 433 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,531 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 728 in 2016, ranked #7,474.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 546 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Leeman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Leeman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Leeman 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 203 #10,291
1861 historical 246 #10,010
1881 historical 433 #7,531
1891 historical 462 #7,917
1901 historical 533 #7,697
1911 historical 546 #7,331
1997 modern 671 #7,487
1998 modern 692 #7,552
1999 modern 710 #7,437
2000 modern 686 #7,606
2001 modern 695 #7,414
2002 modern 709 #7,436
2003 modern 705 #7,345
2004 modern 703 #7,367
2005 modern 704 #7,310
2006 modern 697 #7,378
2007 modern 681 #7,602
2008 modern 696 #7,521
2009 modern 715 #7,519
2010 modern 730 #7,530
2011 modern 730 #7,463
2012 modern 705 #7,562
2013 modern 719 #7,586
2014 modern 727 #7,558
2015 modern 732 #7,463
2016 modern 728 #7,474

Geography

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Where Leemans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, Gainsborough, Paddocks, Nottingham St Mary, St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles and Scarborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, East Lindsey, Thurrock 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Gainsborough, Paddocks Lincolnshire
3 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
4 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding
5 Scarborough Yorkshire, North Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 015 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 East Lindsey 001 East Lindsey
3 Thurrock 018 Thurrock
4 Leeds 072 Leeds
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 026 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Leeman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Leeman

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Leeman 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

Leeman 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

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

Meaning and origin of Leeman

The surname Leeman has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "leah," meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest. The name Leeman likely referred to someone who lived near or in such a clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this historical document, the name is spelled "Leaman," suggesting that the current spelling evolved over time.

In the 13th century, records show a William Leman residing in the county of Norfolk, England. This is one of the earliest known examples of the surname in its more modern spelling. Variations such as "Leamonde" and "Lemon" were also documented during this period, reflecting the fluid nature of surnames in medieval times.

The Leeman surname is also closely associated with the village of Leamington in Warwickshire, England. This place name, originally spelled "Leman-tun," further reinforces the connection between the surname and the Old English word "leah."

Notable individuals with the surname Leeman include:

1. Sir Gervase Leeman (1588-1661), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the English Civil War. 2. John Leeman (1729-1798), a British naval officer and explorer who conducted surveys of the coast of Australia. 3. Robert Leeman (1795-1875), a British architect best known for designing numerous churches and public buildings in London. 4. Alice Leeman (1858-1933), an American educator and suffragist who advocated for women's rights and access to higher education. 5. William Leeman (1923-2012), a British artist renowned for his abstract expressionist paintings and sculptures.

These examples illustrate the long-standing presence of the Leeman surname across various fields and regions, reflecting its enduring legacy as a distinctly English name that has stood the test of time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Leeman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Leeman 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 134 Leemans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.17x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 134 3.17x
Lincolnshire 111 16.29x
Lancashire 53 1.05x
Durham 22 1.73x
Middlesex 19 0.45x
Nottinghamshire 15 2.61x
Devon 12 1.35x
Staffordshire 12 0.83x
Derbyshire 10 1.50x
Northumberland 10 1.58x
Essex 8 0.95x
Isle of Man 5 6.32x
Leicestershire 5 1.06x
Cheshire 4 0.43x
Aberdeenshire 3 0.76x
Gloucestershire 3 0.36x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.56x
Cumberland 1 0.27x
Glamorgan 1 0.13x
Kent 1 0.07x
Midlothian 1 0.18x
Norfolk 1 0.15x
Somerset 1 0.15x
Suffolk 1 0.19x
Surrey 1 0.05x
Sussex 1 0.14x
Warwickshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holy Trinity in Yorkshire leads with 20 Leemans recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.68x.

Place Total Index
Holy Trinity 20 19.68x
Ecclesall Bierlow 13 15.13x
Scarborough 13 33.87x
Biddulph 12 147.78x
Spitalfields London 11 34.31x
Great Grimsby 10 23.12x
Wolborough 10 89.13x
Wainfleet All Sts 9 454.55x
East Butterwick 8 5714.29x
Little Steeping 8 2000.00x
Newstead 8 8888.89x
Nottingham St Mary 8 5.38x
Reedness 8 1111.11x
Kyo 7 117.25x
Manchester 7 3.08x
Tetney 7 593.22x
Bishopwearmouth 6 5.51x
Bury 6 10.38x
Covenham St Bartholomew 6 1714.29x
Everton 6 3.72x
Garston 6 40.19x
Stockton On Tees 6 9.82x
York All Sts Peasholme 6 869.57x
Althorpe 5 322.58x
Garthorpe 5 609.76x
Hulme 5 4.73x
Kexby 5 1063.83x
Kirkdale 5 5.88x
Leicester St Margaret 5 4.34x
Litchurch 5 18.62x
Litherland 5 47.26x
Maughold 5 81.83x
Radcliffe 5 20.51x
Ripley 5 60.61x
Sculcoates 5 7.47x
Sharlston 5 180.51x
Skelton In Howden 5 1470.59x
West Derby 5 3.38x
West Ham 5 2.69x
Whiston 5 246.31x
Worksop 5 29.34x
York Holy Trinity 5 136.99x
Cowpen 4 27.38x
Holbeck 4 14.29x
Leake 4 128.21x
Southcoates 4 17.06x
St Martin Lincoln 4 63.29x
York Marygate St Olave 4 246.91x
Aberdeen Old Machar 3 3.64x
Acomb 3 135.75x
Bedlington 3 14.16x
Birkenhead 3 4.00x
Blyton 3 291.26x
Bristol St Paul In 3 13.47x
Caistor 3 110.70x
Crook Billy Row 3 18.47x
Glentham 3 500.00x
Newcastle On Tyne St 3 9.12x
Wakefield 3 9.25x
West Firsby 3 5000.00x
Worlaby 3 352.94x
Burgh In Marsh 2 120.48x
Chigwell 2 25.19x
Ecclesfield 2 6.46x
Exeter St Thomas The 2 22.10x
Gainsborough 2 12.45x
Middle Rasen 2 153.85x
Mile End Old Town London 2 2.20x
Nether Hallam 2 3.50x
Ousefleet 2 645.16x
Rothwell 2 23.45x
St Anne Soho London 2 8.22x
St Mary 2 70.92x
St Pancras London 2 0.58x
Westminster St John 2 3.85x
York St John Micklegate 2 196.08x
York St Mary 2 11.43x
York St Nicholas In 2 84.03x
York St Saviour 2 49.63x
Holy Trinity St Mary 1 15.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 27
Elizabeth 26
Sarah 11
Emma 9
Jane 9
Annie 8
Eliza 8
Ann 7
Fanny 6
Hannah 6
Ellen 5
Rebecca 5
Charlotte 4
Edith 4
Margaret 4
Alice 3
Anne 3
Catherine 3
Clara 3
Emily 3
Louisa 3
Martha 3
Susan 3
Ada 2
Betsy 2
Caroline 2
Eleanor 2
Frances 2
Harriett 2
Lucie 2
Lucy 2
Lydia 2
May 2
Susanna 2
Alfrida 1
Amy 1
Bessie 1
Betsey 1
Blanche 1
Esther 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Keebge 1
Keziah 1
Laura 1
Leah 1
Lizzie 1
Luisa 1
Mabel 1
Thomason 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 28
George 21
Thomas 21
William 21
James 14
Charles 11
Robert 10
Joseph 7
Henry 6
Richard 5
Edward 4
Frank 4
Samuel 4
Walter 4
Alfred 3
Benjamin 3
Frederick 3
Herbert 3
Moses 3
Arthur 2
Ernest 2
Fred 2
Harry 2
Tom 2
Alford 1
Ben 1
Burend 1
Christopher 1
David 1
Francis 1
Fredrick 1
Hamby 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Jessie 1
Job 1
Johnson 1
Louis 1
Myddleton 1
Philijoh 1
Sam 1
Sheriff 1
Spalding 1
Ted 1
Thos. 1
Thos.J. 1
W.Charles 1
Wilfred 1
Willliam 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Leeman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Leeman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 433 people were recorded with the Leeman surname. That placed it at #7,531 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Leeman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 728 in 2016. That gives Leeman a modern rank of #7,474.

What does the Leeman surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a vassal, servant, or follower of a feudal lord.

What does the Leeman map show?

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