NameCensus.

UK surname

Legg

An English occupational surname referring to a person with a lame leg or a maker of wooden legs.

In the 1881 census there were 4,882 people recorded with the Legg surname, ranking it #912 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,146, ranked #1,318, down from #912 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Poole St James and Poorstock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Legg is 6,038 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.4%.

1881 census count

4,882

Ranked #912

Modern count

5,146

2016, ranked #1,318

Peak year

1911

6,038 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Legg had 4,882 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #912 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,146 in 2016, ranked #1,318.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,038 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Legg surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Legg surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Legg 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 3,163 #916
1861 historical 3,252 #885
1881 historical 4,882 #912
1891 historical 5,163 #911
1901 historical 5,774 #966
1911 historical 6,038 #857
1997 modern 5,578 #1,167
1998 modern 5,753 #1,179
1999 modern 5,798 #1,180
2000 modern 5,702 #1,192
2001 modern 5,606 #1,186
2002 modern 5,581 #1,217
2003 modern 5,448 #1,216
2004 modern 5,417 #1,227
2005 modern 5,295 #1,235
2006 modern 5,310 #1,232
2007 modern 5,275 #1,246
2008 modern 5,305 #1,249
2009 modern 5,361 #1,269
2010 modern 5,427 #1,285
2011 modern 5,401 #1,272
2012 modern 5,247 #1,278
2013 modern 5,312 #1,287
2014 modern 5,295 #1,297
2015 modern 5,206 #1,305
2016 modern 5,146 #1,318

Geography

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Where Leggs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Poole St James, Poorstock and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Dorset. 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 Poole St James Dorset
3 London parishes London 3
4 Poorstock Dorset
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Dorset 004 West Dorset
2 West Dorset 009 West Dorset
3 West Dorset 005 West Dorset
4 West Dorset 007 West Dorset
5 West Dorset 010 West Dorset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Legg

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Legg

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Legg 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

Legg is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Legg

The surname Legg is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word 'legg' which means 'leg'. It was initially used as a nickname for someone with particularly thin legs or a physical deformity related to their legs.

This surname dates back to the 12th century in England, and one of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1194, which mentions a person named Matilda Legg.

In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire (1273) recorded a John Legg, while the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex (1296) listed a William Legg.

The Domesday Book, a historical record compiled in 1086 for William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct references to the surname Legg. However, it does mention place names like Legg's Hill in Somerset and Legsby in Lincolnshire, which may have influenced the development of the surname.

Notable people with the surname Legg include: - William Legg (1604-1672), an English clergyman and academic who served as Master of Caius College, Cambridge. - John Legg (1675-1736), an English mathematician and astronomer, known for his work on calculating the orbit of comets. - Sir George Legg (1786-1857), a British Member of Parliament and Chief Justice of Jamaica. - Edward Legg (1834-1917), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Kent County Cricket Club. - Elise Legg (1885-1978), an Australian artist and illustrator, known for her depictions of Aboriginal people and Australian landscapes.

As the surname Legg spread across England and beyond, various spelling variations emerged, including Legge, Leggett, and Leggatt. These variations often reflected regional dialects and pronunciations, or were adopted by different branches of the same family.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Legg families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Legg 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. Dorset leads with 1,096 Leggs recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.63x.

County Total Index
Dorset 1,096 34.63x
Middlesex 592 1.23x
Hampshire 479 4.85x
Surrey 418 1.78x
Gloucestershire 224 2.37x
Yorkshire 216 0.45x
Devon 162 1.61x
Wiltshire 145 3.40x
Somerset 143 1.84x
Sussex 129 1.59x
Cornwall 116 2.12x
Kent 116 0.70x
Berkshire 98 2.71x
Staffordshire 91 0.56x
Durham 90 0.63x
Banffshire 84 8.40x
Northumberland 82 1.14x
Essex 63 0.66x
Channel Islands 61 4.27x
Monmouthshire 56 1.61x
Glamorgan 46 0.55x
Warwickshire 45 0.37x
Aberdeenshire 44 0.99x
Oxfordshire 44 1.48x
Kincardineshire 41 6.98x
Lancashire 37 0.06x
Midlothian 29 0.45x
Angus 27 0.60x
Cheshire 18 0.17x
Derbyshire 15 0.20x
Ayrshire 14 0.39x
Nottinghamshire 14 0.22x
Shropshire 12 0.29x
Lanarkshire 11 0.07x
Buckinghamshire 8 0.27x
Ross-shire 8 0.60x
Pembrokeshire 7 0.46x
Royal Navy 7 1.22x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.30x
Norfolk 6 0.08x
Renfrewshire 6 0.16x
Hertfordshire 5 0.15x
East Lothian 4 0.63x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 0.57x
Leicestershire 4 0.07x
Worcestershire 4 0.06x
Herefordshire 3 0.15x
Northamptonshire 3 0.07x
Bedfordshire 2 0.08x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.07x
Lincolnshire 2 0.03x
Denbighshire 1 0.05x
Fife 1 0.04x
Isle of Man 1 0.11x
Merionethshire 1 0.11x
Montgomeryshire 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. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 71 Leggs recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.52x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 71 1.52x
Powerstock 71 523.99x
St Pancras London 60 1.55x
Kingston On Thames 58 10.27x
Portsea 51 2.63x
Bilston 48 15.21x
Brighton 47 2.87x
Camberwell 43 1.40x
Westoe 43 5.29x
Fordington 42 61.60x
Melcombe Regis 42 32.02x
Scilly Islands St Mary 41 192.40x
Sopley 39 286.98x
Christchurch 38 17.73x
Leeds 37 1.37x
Reading St Giles 37 10.42x
St Peter Port 37 14.00x
Chelsea London 36 2.48x
Lambeth 36 0.86x
Alverstoke 35 9.78x
Bromley London 34 3.20x
St Marylebone London 32 1.24x
Lyme Regis 31 81.79x
Rathven 30 15.96x
West Ham 30 1.43x
Beaminster 29 82.43x
Poplar London 29 3.19x
Cirencester 28 21.86x
Holdenhurst 28 10.80x
Southampton St Mary 28 4.50x
Toller Porcorum 28 380.43x
Affpuddle 27 334.99x
Battersea 27 1.52x
Croydon 27 2.07x
Sherborne 25 26.82x
Stratton St Margaret 25 38.21x
Willesden 25 5.50x
Kinson 24 38.80x
Madron Penzance 24 12.09x
Highworth 23 42.18x
Linthorpe 23 8.06x
North Huish 23 384.62x
Bervie 22 63.22x
Blandford Forum 22 35.23x
Ilminster 22 40.57x
Mappowder 22 589.81x
Swansea Town 22 3.20x
Clapham 21 3.48x
Fareham 21 17.68x
Chirton 20 12.32x
Mile End Old Town London 20 1.95x
St Mary Extra 20 25.14x
Bedminster 19 2.60x
Broadwinsor 19 91.61x
East Chelborough 19 1016.04x
Hammersmith London 19 1.60x
Hampstead London 19 2.53x
Kensington London 19 0.71x
Puddletown 19 97.94x
Aberystruth 18 5.86x
Birmingham 18 0.44x
Canford Magna 18 98.47x
Cullen 18 48.54x
Farnham 18 9.85x
Poole St James 18 15.14x
Reigate Borough 18 33.21x
St George Hanover Square 18 2.12x
Weymouth 18 30.02x
Aston 17 0.51x
Bermondsey 17 1.18x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 17 1.91x
Dorchester Holy Trinity 17 66.30x
Northwood 17 12.08x
Puddletrenthide 17 137.65x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 16 1.91x
Deptford St Paul 16 1.26x
North Shields 16 11.17x
Tranmere 16 4.09x
Wolverhampton 16 1.28x
Sheffield 15 0.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 311
Elizabeth 192
Sarah 135
Jane 98
Ann 78
Emma 78
Alice 72
Eliza 72
Emily 72
Ellen 70
Annie 59
Louisa 42
Martha 41
Edith 35
Charlotte 31
Hannah 30
Fanny 29
Margaret 29
Caroline 28
Maria 27
Florence 26
Frances 26
Bessie 22
Clara 22
Harriet 22
Susan 22
Ada 21
Harriett 21
Kate 21
Amelia 20
Rose 20
Matilda 19
Lucy 18
Esther 17
Anne 15
Catherine 15
Minnie 15
Agnes 12
Gertrude 11
Jessie 11
Beatrice 10
Flora 10
Isabella 10
Sophia 10
Rachel 9
Rosina 8
Eleanor 7
Ethel 7
Julia 7
Lizzie 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 278
John 246
George 197
Thomas 133
Charles 132
James 124
Henry 100
Alfred 64
Frederick 56
Joseph 56
Robert 54
Arthur 50
Richard 49
Walter 49
Edward 45
Albert 39
Frank 28
Harry 28
Herbert 28
Samuel 28
Edwin 27
David 25
Ernest 25
Francis 13
Tom 13
Benjamin 12
Fred 11
Peter 11
Wm. 11
Andrew 10
Isaac 10
Job 10
Stephen 10
Sidney 8
Thos. 8
Fredrick 7
Matthew 7
Alexander 6
Geo. 6
Jacob 6
Percy 6
Sydney 5
Chas. 4
Douglas 4
Fredk. 4
Harold 4
Bertie 3
Daniel 3
Horace 3
Hy. 3

FAQ

Legg surname: questions and answers

How common was the Legg surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,882 people were recorded with the Legg surname. That placed it at #912 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Legg surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,146 in 2016. That gives Legg a modern rank of #1,318.

What does the Legg surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a person with a lame leg or a maker of wooden legs.

What does the Legg map show?

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