NameCensus.

UK surname

Lees

Derived from a place name meaning "meadows" or referring to a person who lived near a meadow or pasture.

In the 1881 census there were 13,292 people recorded with the Lees surname, ranking it #308 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13,438, ranked #477, down from #308 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Edinburgh and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Oldham and Tameside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lees is 15,117 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.1%.

1881 census count

13,292

Ranked #308

Modern count

13,438

2016, ranked #477

Peak year

1901

15,117 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lees had 13,292 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #308 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 13,438 in 2016, ranked #477.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 15,117 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Lees surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lees surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lees 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 9,143 #291
1861 historical 9,393 #284
1881 historical 13,292 #308
1891 historical 13,990 #302
1901 historical 15,117 #344
1911 historical 13,446 #363
1997 modern 13,382 #454
1998 modern 13,804 #459
1999 modern 13,894 #458
2000 modern 13,742 #459
2001 modern 13,460 #458
2002 modern 13,634 #463
2003 modern 13,256 #463
2004 modern 13,257 #465
2005 modern 13,038 #468
2006 modern 12,982 #470
2007 modern 13,114 #472
2008 modern 13,167 #472
2009 modern 13,469 #473
2010 modern 13,673 #475
2011 modern 13,466 #476
2012 modern 13,204 #480
2013 modern 13,524 #478
2014 modern 13,630 #478
2015 modern 13,537 #477
2016 modern 13,438 #477

Geography

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Where Lees' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Oldham and Tameside. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Rochdale Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Oldham 012 Oldham
2 Oldham 029 Oldham
3 Oldham 013 Oldham
4 Oldham 011 Oldham
5 Tameside 001 Tameside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lees

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lees

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

Lees 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

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

Meaning and origin of Lees

The surname Lees originated in England, with its roots dating back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is derived from the Old English word "leah," which means a meadow, clearing, or woodland glade. This term was commonly used as a place name, indicating a settlement situated in such an area.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Lees can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. Several individuals with variations of the name, such as Leia and Lege, were listed as landowners or tenants in various counties.

During the medieval period, the name Lees was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire. It is believed that many individuals with this surname were descendants of families who lived in or near the numerous places with names derived from "leah," such as Leeswood, Leighton, and Lees.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Lees, a distinguished knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the mid-14th century. Another prominent figure was Richard Lees, a merchant and alderman in the city of London, who served as Lord Mayor in 1460.

In the 16th century, the name Lees appeared in various historical records, including the parish registers of Lancashire and Yorkshire. One example is Thomas Lees, a wealthy landowner from Oldham, Lancashire, who was born in 1545 and played a significant role in the local community.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Lees family established themselves as influential figures in the textile industry, particularly in the area of wool and cotton manufacturing. Notable individuals from this period include James Lees (1663-1733), a successful woolens merchant from Yorkshire, and Samuel Lees (1742-1824), a pioneering cotton manufacturer from Lancashire.

In the 19th century, the Lees surname was associated with several prominent figures in various fields. These include Edward Lees (1808-1888), a renowned botanist and naturalist from Worcestershire, and Frederic Richard Lees (1815-1897), a prolific writer and composer of hymns from Staffordshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lees families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lees 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. Lancashire leads with 4,774 Lees' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.11x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 4,774 3.11x
Staffordshire 1,324 3.03x
Yorkshire 1,247 0.97x
Cheshire 860 3.01x
Warwickshire 600 1.84x
Lanarkshire 424 1.01x
Middlesex 392 0.30x
Nottinghamshire 322 1.84x
Midlothian 313 1.80x
Derbyshire 295 1.45x
Worcestershire 265 1.57x
Ayrshire 233 2.40x
Kincardineshire 175 11.09x
Leicestershire 171 1.19x
Selkirkshire 170 14.51x
Surrey 168 0.27x
Durham 110 0.29x
Renfrewshire 100 1.00x
Angus 95 0.79x
Fife 94 1.23x
Shropshire 83 0.74x
Gloucestershire 73 0.29x
Kent 70 0.16x
Northumberland 69 0.36x
East Lothian 64 3.73x
Roxburghshire 60 2.56x
Cumberland 59 0.53x
Hampshire 43 0.16x
Wigtownshire 43 2.50x
West Lothian 38 1.95x
Suffolk 37 0.23x
Berwickshire 36 2.30x
Essex 35 0.14x
Stirlingshire 35 0.73x
Aberdeenshire 31 0.26x
Hertfordshire 30 0.34x
Devon 24 0.09x
Perthshire 24 0.41x
Northamptonshire 23 0.19x
Somerset 23 0.11x
Sussex 22 0.10x
Lincolnshire 20 0.10x
Dunbartonshire 17 0.49x
Peeblesshire 17 2.79x
Berkshire 13 0.13x
Flintshire 13 0.37x
Argyllshire 11 0.31x
Kirkcudbrightshire 11 0.59x
Bedfordshire 10 0.15x
Isle of Man 10 0.42x
Buckinghamshire 9 0.11x
Denbighshire 9 0.18x
Dumfriesshire 8 0.28x
Glamorgan 7 0.03x
Monmouthshire 7 0.07x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.11x
Ross-shire 6 0.17x
Westmorland 6 0.21x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.06x
Clackmannanshire 5 0.47x
Herefordshire 5 0.09x
Huntingdonshire 5 0.19x
Radnorshire 4 0.38x
Dorset 3 0.04x
Norfolk 2 0.01x
Oxfordshire 2 0.03x
Royal Navy 2 0.13x
Rutland 2 0.21x
Banffshire 1 0.04x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.02x
Cornwall 1 0.01x
Inverness-shire 1 0.03x
Merionethshire 1 0.04x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.03x
Morayshire 1 0.05x
Nairnshire 1 0.25x
Pembrokeshire 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. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 1,613 Lees' recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.52x.

Place Total Index
Oldham 1,613 32.52x
Ashton Under Lyne 730 21.73x
Saddleworth 357 36.06x
Birmingham 236 2.17x
Aston 139 1.55x
Dukinfield 135 10.22x
Manchester 129 1.87x
Nottingham St Mary 119 2.64x
Walsall Foreign 115 5.09x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 112 1.60x
Wolverhampton 105 3.12x
Fetteresso 104 42.07x
Chadderton 103 13.71x
Castleton 98 6.38x
Royton 83 17.65x
Stayley 81 24.79x
Stoke Upon Trent 81 1.75x
Hyde 80 9.48x
Dudley 77 3.74x
Castle Donnington 76 63.82x
Willenhall 76 9.28x
Chorlton On Medlock 74 3.03x
Govan 73 0.70x
Salford 72 1.59x
Stockport 69 4.69x
Dunnottar 67 60.37x
Galashiels 67 15.47x
Barony 65 0.61x
Newton 65 5.49x
Crompton 61 13.94x
Prestwich 61 15.91x
Denton 60 17.62x
Hulme 59 1.84x
Newton In Ashton Under 57 20.20x
Spotland 57 3.34x
Macclesfield 56 4.41x
Melrose 56 18.99x
South Leith 56 2.87x
Pendleton In Salford 55 3.00x
Burntwood Edial 53 18.98x
Polesworth 52 33.53x
Hamilton 51 4.37x
Dundee 50 1.12x
Old Monkland 50 3.01x
Gomersal 49 8.18x
Leeds 49 0.68x
Burslem 48 3.83x
Bury 48 2.73x
Wednesbury 48 4.39x
Failsworth 47 13.37x
Middleton In Oldham 46 9.98x
Droylsden 44 8.78x
Selkirk 44 13.33x
Toxteth Park 43 0.83x
Warley 43 11.59x
Sandbach 41 16.81x
St Pancras London 41 0.39x
Islington London 39 0.31x
West Bromwich 39 1.56x
Lambeth 38 0.34x
Wolstanton 38 2.86x
Congleton 37 7.49x
Moss Side 37 4.57x
Ardwick 36 2.60x
Liverpool 36 0.39x
Paddington London 36 0.76x
Elland Cum Greetland 35 6.05x
Great Bolton 35 1.72x
Sedgley 35 2.16x
Sheffield 35 0.86x
Abbey 34 2.22x
Barton Upon Irwell 34 2.94x
Kensington London 34 0.47x
Tipton 34 2.54x
Broughton In Salford 33 2.35x
Glasgow 33 0.44x
Bradford 32 4.45x
Cheetham 32 2.79x
Haughton 32 14.27x
Skircoat 32 6.32x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 868
Sarah 550
Elizabeth 463
Ann 256
Hannah 237
Alice 227
Jane 195
Annie 192
Eliza 159
Emma 159
Martha 148
Ellen 125
Emily 101
Ada 77
Margaret 77
Harriet 72
Maria 72
Betty 71
Clara 68
Florence 64
Fanny 55
Lucy 50
Edith 47
Agnes 46
Caroline 45
Esther 44
Anne 40
Bertha 37
Frances 36
Charlotte 34
Kate 32
Louisa 29
Betsy 28
Matilda 28
Catherine 27
Ruth 27
Harriett 24
Rebecca 24
Amelia 23
Elizth. 23
Sophia 22
Susannah 22
Eleanor 21
Nancy 21
Amy 20
Gertrude 20
Phoebe 20
Rachel 20
Isabella 18
Lydia 18

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 727
William 569
James 499
Thomas 302
Joseph 299
George 269
Samuel 216
Robert 168
Henry 149
Charles 147
Edward 125
Arthur 101
Alfred 80
Frederick 79
Walter 74
Herbert 68
Harry 64
Albert 62
Frank 58
Richard 51
Edwin 49
Benjamin 45
Ernest 41
Wm. 38
Fred 37
David 36
Daniel 33
Edmund 28
Francis 27
Abraham 21
Jonathan 21
Tom 18
Isaac 16
Ralph 16
Thos. 16
Fredrick 13
Harold 12
Mark 12
Frederic 11
Jno. 11
Leonard 11
Saml. 11
Ambrose 10
Andrew 10
Ben 10
Eli 10
Isaiah 10
Matthew 10
Enoch 9
Jas. 9

FAQ

Lees surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lees surname in 1881?

In 1881, 13,292 people were recorded with the Lees surname. That placed it at #308 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lees surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 13,438 in 2016. That gives Lees a modern rank of #477.

What does the Lees surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "meadows" or referring to a person who lived near a meadow or pasture.

What does the Lees map show?

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