NameCensus.

UK surname

Leese

A surname derived from the Old English leah meaning "a meadow or clearing."

In the 1881 census there were 1,318 people recorded with the Leese surname, ranking it #3,112 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,512, ranked #2,633, up from #3,112 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Biddulph, Norton-in-the-Moors and Wolstanton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Moorlands.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Leese is 2,673 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 90.6%.

1881 census count

1,318

Ranked #3,112

Modern count

2,512

2016, ranked #2,633

Peak year

1999

2,673 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Leese had 1,318 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,112 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,512 in 2016, ranked #2,633.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,152 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Leese surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Leese surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Leese 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 764 #3,490
1861 historical 640 #4,186
1881 historical 1,318 #3,112
1891 historical 1,441 #3,036
1901 historical 1,911 #2,761
1911 historical 2,152 #2,335
1997 modern 1,715 #3,474
1998 modern 2,670 #2,471
1999 modern 2,673 #2,483
2000 modern 2,627 #2,502
2001 modern 2,595 #2,488
2002 modern 2,646 #2,492
2003 modern 2,605 #2,477
2004 modern 2,569 #2,508
2005 modern 2,547 #2,505
2006 modern 2,545 #2,508
2007 modern 2,565 #2,510
2008 modern 2,566 #2,526
2009 modern 2,617 #2,543
2010 modern 2,645 #2,573
2011 modern 2,633 #2,551
2012 modern 2,551 #2,576
2013 modern 2,583 #2,589
2014 modern 2,574 #2,612
2015 modern 2,529 #2,627
2016 modern 2,512 #2,633

Geography

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Where Leeses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Biddulph, Norton-in-the-Moors, Wolstanton, Burslem and Lilleshall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire Moorlands and Stafford. 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 Biddulph Cheshire
2 Norton-in-the-Moors Staffordshire
3 Wolstanton Staffordshire
4 Burslem Staffordshire
5 Lilleshall Shropshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newcastle-under-Lyme 001 Newcastle-under-Lyme
2 Stoke-on-Trent 017 Stoke-on-Trent
3 Staffordshire Moorlands 005 Staffordshire Moorlands
4 Newcastle-under-Lyme 003 Newcastle-under-Lyme
5 Stafford 005 Stafford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Leese

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Leese

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

Leese is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Leese falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Leese is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Leese

The surname Leese originated in England and is derived from the Old English word "læs", meaning "pasture" or "meadow". It was a habitational name for someone who lived near a grassy area or clearing in the woods.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 12th century, appearing in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166 as "Lefsi de Lese". This suggests the name was initially spelled with an "f" instead of an "s".

In the 13th century, the name appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire as "John de la Leyes", indicating the possible Norman-French influence on the spelling.

The Leese surname is also linked to various place names in England, such as Lees in Oldham, Greater Manchester, and Lees in Derbyshire. These place names share the same etymology as the surname, referring to grassy areas or meadows.

Notable individuals bearing the Leese surname throughout history include:

1. John Leese (c. 1565 - 1616), an English merchant and explorer who established the first English settlement in Russia. 2. Richard Leese (1616 - 1687), an English Puritan clergyman and author who served as the rector of Charlton Mackrell in Somerset. 3. William Leese (1792 - 1861), an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire in the early days of county cricket. 4. James Leese (1808 - 1892), a British engineer and inventor who developed early steam-powered road vehicles. 5. Thomas Leese (1845 - 1922), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in Manchester, including the Corn Exchange and the Athenaeum.

The Leese surname has been present in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, Cheshire, and Lancashire, where it has a long and well-documented history dating back to the Middle Ages.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Leese families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Leese 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. Staffordshire leads with 943 Leeses recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.79x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 943 21.79x
Cheshire 69 2.44x
Shropshire 67 6.05x
Middlesex 51 0.40x
Lancashire 49 0.32x
Derbyshire 24 1.20x
Surrey 24 0.38x
Warwickshire 23 0.71x
Kent 21 0.48x
Yorkshire 14 0.11x
Worcestershire 7 0.42x
Sussex 6 0.28x
Leicestershire 3 0.21x
Isle of Man 2 0.84x
Ayrshire 1 0.10x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.13x
Devon 1 0.04x
Dorset 1 0.12x
Gloucestershire 1 0.04x
Hampshire 1 0.04x
Hertfordshire 1 0.11x
Lanarkshire 1 0.02x
Midlothian 1 0.06x
Northumberland 1 0.05x
Renfrewshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 414 Leeses recorded in 1881 and an index of 90.23x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 414 90.23x
Wolstanton 77 58.60x
Stone 70 126.49x
Burslem 66 53.25x
Caverswall 53 235.66x
Lilleshall 49 289.43x
Biddulph 44 180.25x
Odd Rode 22 157.03x
Hackney London 17 2.37x
Wolstanton Oldcott 16 102.11x
Dilhorne 15 208.33x
Castle Church 12 46.14x
Newcastle Under Lyme 12 15.67x
Smallthorne 11 68.49x
Stafford St Mary 10 16.33x
Wrockwardine 10 41.07x
Betchton 9 247.93x
Eastling 9 426.54x
Kingsley 9 111.66x
Norbury 9 967.74x
Hampstead London 8 4.01x
Huddersfield 8 4.32x
Preston 8 1.97x
Tottenham 8 3.92x
Arrow 7 457.52x
Ashborne 7 51.28x
Aston 7 0.79x
Buglawton 7 102.79x
Cheddleton 7 77.26x
Cotton 7 243.90x
Great Crosby 7 16.88x
Pelsall 7 54.43x
Rochester St Margaret 7 15.18x
Sandbach 7 29.01x
Waterfall 7 382.51x
Wolstanton Chesterton 7 31.66x
Wolstanton Thursfield 7 133.33x
Barrow In Furness 6 2.90x
Birmingham 6 0.56x
Brereton Cum Smethwick 6 223.05x
Brighton 6 1.38x
Church Gresley 6 18.79x
Madeley 6 14.78x
Newington 6 1.27x
Old Artillery Ground 6 54.40x
Seighford 6 174.42x
Send Ripley 6 73.71x
Trentham 6 16.30x
Uttoxeter 6 27.09x
Camberwell 5 0.61x
Colwich 5 48.64x
Armitage 4 71.05x
Belbroughton 4 46.08x
Checkley 4 35.59x
Congleton 4 8.18x
Derby St Werburgh 4 3.45x
Leek Lowe 4 6.95x
Mayfield 4 73.94x
St Pancras London 4 0.39x
Wheelock 4 114.61x
Withington 4 8.16x
Alstonefield 3 144.23x
Ashby De La Zouch 3 9.11x
Bredbury 3 18.33x
Derby St Alkmund 3 4.99x
Lewisham 3 1.29x
Norton In Moors 3 13.10x
Oldham 3 0.61x
Pendleton In Salford 3 1.66x
Rugeley 3 9.66x
Salt Enson 3 159.57x
Sandon 3 132.74x
Sheffield 3 0.74x
Smallwood 3 118.11x
Stoke 3 10.18x
Walsall Borough 3 8.93x
West Derby 3 0.67x
Wolstanton Knutton 3 11.36x
Worcester St Peter 3 9.47x
Coventry Holy Trinity 2 2.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 93
Sarah 55
Elizabeth 48
Ann 33
Hannah 33
Jane 25
Eliza 21
Annie 20
Emma 17
Martha 15
Alice 14
Emily 14
Ellen 12
Fanny 12
Florence 10
Frances 10
Harriet 10
Louisa 10
Gertrude 9
Lucy 9
Margaret 8
Caroline 6
Clara 6
Julia 6
Ada 5
Esther 5
Lizzie 5
Maria 5
Olive 5
Selina 5
Charlotte 4
Harriett 4
Matilda 4
Barbara 3
Bertha 3
Catherine 3
Edith 3
Francis 3
Jessie 3
Kate 3
Amelia 2
Anna 2
Constance 2
Eleanor 2
Elisabeth 2
Georgina 2
Lettia 2
Margret 2
Marion 2
May 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 76
John 75
George 53
Thomas 51
Charles 35
James 33
Henry 32
Richard 20
Albert 19
Joseph 18
Arthur 16
Alfred 14
Samuel 14
Edward 13
Frederick 10
Herbert 6
Daniel 5
Harry 5
Ralph 5
Walter 5
Enoch 4
Ernest 4
Francis 4
Harvey 4
Wm. 4
Edwin 3
Fred 3
Jonathan 3
Levi 3
Matthew 3
Percy 3
Rupert 3
Benjamin 2
Christopher 2
David 2
Edgar 2
Edwd. 2
Eli 2
Elijah 2
Frank 2
Gabriel 2
Jabez 2
Leonard 2
Luke 2
Peter 2
Philip 2
Price 2
Robert 2
Sampson 2
Stephen 2

FAQ

Leese surname: questions and answers

How common was the Leese surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,318 people were recorded with the Leese surname. That placed it at #3,112 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Leese surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,512 in 2016. That gives Leese a modern rank of #2,633.

What does the Leese surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English leah meaning "a meadow or clearing."

What does the Leese map show?

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