NameCensus.

UK surname

Leeves

In the 1881 census there were 139 people recorded with the Leeves surname, ranking it #16,228 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 239, ranked #17,322, down from #16,228 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Buxted, Tunbridge, Bidborough and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wealden and Rother.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Leeves is 319 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 71.9%.

1881 census count

139

Ranked #16,228

Modern count

239

2016, ranked #17,322

Peak year

1911

319 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Leeves had 139 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,228 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 239 in 2016, ranked #17,322.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 319 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Leeves surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Leeves surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Leeves 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 58 #22,928
1861 historical 121 #18,148
1881 historical 139 #16,228
1891 historical 173 #16,600
1901 historical 252 #13,068
1911 historical 319 #10,967
1997 modern 293 #13,736
1998 modern 289 #14,208
1999 modern 275 #14,789
2000 modern 291 #14,200
2001 modern 281 #14,329
2002 modern 290 #14,314
2003 modern 288 #14,192
2004 modern 281 #14,489
2005 modern 271 #14,780
2006 modern 255 #15,521
2007 modern 248 #15,994
2008 modern 251 #16,026
2009 modern 264 #15,798
2010 modern 272 #15,811
2011 modern 272 #15,653
2012 modern 257 #16,212
2013 modern 254 #16,603
2014 modern 256 #16,643
2015 modern 246 #16,994
2016 modern 239 #17,322

Geography

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Where Leeves' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Buxted, Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes, Warbleton and Framfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wealden and Rother. 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 Buxted Sussex
2 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 Warbleton Sussex
5 Framfield Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wealden 011 Wealden
2 Wealden 014 Wealden
3 Rother 003 Rother
4 Wealden 008 Wealden
5 Rother 005 Rother

Forenames

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First names often paired with Leeves

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Leeves

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Leeves, 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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Leeves surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Leeves household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

London Fringe

Within London, Leeves is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Leeves is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Leeves families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Leeves 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. Sussex leads with 61 Leeves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.69x.

County Total Index
Sussex 61 26.69x
Kent 35 7.57x
Surrey 17 2.57x
Yorkshire 12 0.89x
Hampshire 10 3.60x
Essex 2 0.75x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.16x
Lancashire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Heathfield in Sussex leads with 29 Leeves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3118.28x.

Place Total Index
Heathfield 29 3118.28x
Tonbridge 15 89.93x
Buxted 14 1573.03x
Waldron 9 1451.61x
Denaby 8 1052.63x
Weeke 8 952.38x
Bromley 7 99.29x
Hadlow 7 608.70x
Greenwich 6 27.80x
Burwash 5 471.70x
Reigate Foreign 5 69.93x
Bermondsey 4 9.91x
Croydon 4 10.91x
Heslington St Lawrence 4 3333.33x
Southwark St Saviour 3 43.04x
Barcombe 2 363.64x
West Ham 2 3.38x
Hastings Holy Trinity 1 59.52x
Maresfield 1 104.17x
Pendleton In Salford 1 5.22x
Southampton All Sts 1 20.96x
St Andrewthe Less 1 10.19x
St Martha 1 909.09x
St Peter Colebrook 1 256.41x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
George 8
Albert 3
Edward 3
Horace 3
John 3
Joseph 3
Robert 3
Thomas 3
Charles 2
James 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Aaron 1
Alfred 1
Amos 1
Arthur 1
Charley 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
David 1
Ebeneezer 1
Ed. 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fredk.Walt. 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Jacob 1
Lester 1
Luther 1
Mark 1
Matthew 1
Nelson 1
Reuben 1
Saml. 1
Samuel 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Leeves surname: questions and answers

How common was the Leeves surname in 1881?

In 1881, 139 people were recorded with the Leeves surname. That placed it at #16,228 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Leeves surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 239 in 2016. That gives Leeves a modern rank of #17,322.

What does the Leeves map show?

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