NameCensus.

UK surname

Legge

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

In the 1881 census there were 1,338 people recorded with the Legge surname, ranking it #3,067 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,752, ranked #2,438, up from #3,067 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Blaenau Gwent and King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Legge is 2,963 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 105.7%.

1881 census count

1,338

Ranked #3,067

Modern count

2,752

2016, ranked #2,438

Peak year

2000

2,963 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Legge had 1,338 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,067 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,752 in 2016, ranked #2,438.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,109 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Legge surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Legge surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Legge 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 587 #4,357
1861 historical 605 #4,382
1881 historical 1,338 #3,067
1891 historical 1,635 #2,737
1901 historical 2,105 #2,550
1911 historical 2,109 #2,370
1997 modern 2,809 #2,297
1998 modern 2,936 #2,294
1999 modern 2,942 #2,302
2000 modern 2,963 #2,276
2001 modern 2,899 #2,272
2002 modern 2,955 #2,278
2003 modern 2,885 #2,278
2004 modern 2,830 #2,330
2005 modern 2,791 #2,331
2006 modern 2,763 #2,349
2007 modern 2,794 #2,343
2008 modern 2,811 #2,345
2009 modern 2,859 #2,356
2010 modern 2,921 #2,362
2011 modern 2,908 #2,340
2012 modern 2,763 #2,416
2013 modern 2,815 #2,414
2014 modern 2,811 #2,433
2015 modern 2,761 #2,447
2016 modern 2,752 #2,438

Geography

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Where Legges are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Littleport, Hilgay (Downham, Norfolk), Southery (Downham, Norfolk). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Blaenau Gwent and King's Lynn and West Norfolk. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Littleport, Hilgay (Downham, Norfolk), Southery (Downham, Norfolk) Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 005 Herefordshire, County of
2 Blaenau Gwent 008 Blaenau Gwent
3 Blaenau Gwent 005 Blaenau Gwent
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 019 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 Herefordshire 004 Herefordshire, County of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Legge

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Legge

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

Legge 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

Legge falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Legge 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 Legge, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Legge

The surname Legge is an English habitational name that originated from places called Legges or Legge in Kent and Worcestershire. The name is derived from the Old English word 'lecg', meaning a grassy slope or meadow.

The earliest recorded spelling of the surname Legge dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'de Legge'. This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

During the Middle Ages, the Legge family held significant landholdings in the counties of Kent and Worcestershire. One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Legge (c. 1415-1472), a Member of Parliament for Kent during the Wars of the Roses.

In the 16th century, the Legge family established themselves as prominent landowners and politicians in the county of Norfolk. William Legge (1562-1607), a Member of Parliament for Norfolk, was the first of many Legges to represent the county in the House of Commons.

The most famous member of the Legge family was George Legge, 1st Baron Dartmouth (1647-1691), an English statesman and naval commander who served as Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal and Master-General of the Ordnance under King Charles II and King James II.

Other notable individuals with the surname Legge include:

1. Thomas Legge (1535-1607), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1604 to 1607.

2. Edward Legge (1663-1720), an English naval officer and Member of Parliament who served as the Governor of the Leeward Islands from 1693 to 1695.

3. William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth (1672-1750), an English nobleman and politician who served as the Secretary of State for the Southern Department from 1710 to 1713.

4. Henry Bilson Legge (1708-1764), an English lawyer and politician who served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1757 to 1761.

5. Heneage Legge (1704-1759), an English soldier and politician who served as the Governor of Nova Scotia from 1757 to 1759.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Legge families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Legge 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. Middlesex leads with 149 Legges recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.14x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 149 1.14x
Surrey 117 1.84x
Staffordshire 88 2.00x
Aberdeenshire 85 7.03x
Lancashire 66 0.43x
Dorset 63 7.35x
Gloucestershire 58 2.27x
Yorkshire 58 0.45x
Berkshire 56 5.72x
Cambridgeshire 50 6.05x
Hampshire 49 1.83x
Devon 44 1.62x
Norfolk 43 2.14x
Cheshire 41 1.42x
Kent 41 0.92x
Banffshire 38 14.04x
Shropshire 32 2.84x
Warwickshire 31 0.94x
Derbyshire 24 1.17x
Glamorgan 24 1.06x
Oxfordshire 21 2.61x
Bedfordshire 17 2.52x
Durham 14 0.36x
Somerset 13 0.62x
Morayshire 12 5.92x
Sussex 12 0.55x
Herefordshire 11 2.06x
Monmouthshire 10 1.06x
Wiltshire 7 0.61x
Angus 6 0.50x
Lincolnshire 6 0.29x
Worcestershire 6 0.35x
Midlothian 5 0.29x
Radnorshire 5 4.75x
Cardiganshire 4 1.26x
Essex 4 0.16x
Lanarkshire 4 0.09x
Northumberland 4 0.21x
Argyllshire 3 0.83x
Carmarthenshire 3 0.55x
Ayrshire 2 0.20x
Cornwall 2 0.14x
Hertfordshire 2 0.22x
Westmorland 2 0.70x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.13x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.19x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.39x
Leicestershire 1 0.07x
Perthshire 1 0.17x
Rutland 1 1.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberdeen Old Machar in Aberdeenshire leads with 25 Legges recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.91x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen Old Machar 25 9.91x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 25 69.35x
Southery 25 471.70x
Battersea 23 4.79x
Birmingham 23 2.10x
Childrey 22 952.38x
Hackney London 18 2.46x
Lambeth 18 1.58x
Madeley 17 41.12x
Stoke Upon Trent 17 3.64x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 16 7.07x
Kensington London 16 2.20x
Paignton 16 77.41x
Abingdon St Helen 15 52.37x
St Marylebone London 15 2.15x
Warrington 15 8.17x
Shoreditch London 13 2.30x
Bedford St Paul 12 25.89x
Bellie 12 131.00x
Birkenhead 12 5.22x
Camberwell 12 1.44x
Willenhall 12 14.54x
Derby St Peter 11 16.90x
Litton Cheney 11 531.40x
Rathven 11 21.63x
St Pancras London 11 1.05x
Tranmere 11 10.39x
Litchurch 10 12.16x
Normanby In 10 28.92x
Sculcoates 10 4.88x
Swansea Town 10 5.37x
Aberystruth 9 10.82x
Broseley 9 44.91x
Harborne 9 6.37x
New Deer 9 41.13x
North Elmham 9 184.80x
Southampton St Mary 9 5.35x
Southwark St John 9 22.55x
Wolverhampton 9 2.66x
Beaminster 8 84.03x
Bilston 8 9.37x
Cirencester 8 23.08x
Hornsey 8 4.85x
Ripon 8 26.66x
Sedgley 8 4.89x
St Andrewthe Less 8 8.47x
Bethnal Green London 7 1.23x
Bosden 7 79.19x
Canterbury St Alphage 7 147.06x
Corfe Castle 7 88.16x
Forgue 7 64.46x
Gamrie 7 23.16x
Ilkley 7 33.11x
Marnoch 7 48.14x
Newhills 7 28.28x
Portsea 7 1.34x
Shobdon 7 414.20x
St Andrewthe Great 7 65.48x
Sturminster Marshall 7 195.53x
Walmersley Cum 7 28.28x
Walsall Foreign 7 3.08x
Wiggenhall St German 7 295.36x
Berkeley 6 42.13x
Burton Bradstock 6 141.84x
Caterham 6 21.34x
Chelsea London 6 1.53x
Cheltenham 6 3.04x
Deskford 6 155.04x
Dundee 6 1.33x
Huntly 6 30.50x
Ilminster 6 40.87x
Lewisham 6 2.53x
Liverpool 6 0.64x
Llanwonno 6 7.35x
Minchinhampton 6 29.41x
Neithrop 6 22.15x
Romsey Extra 6 37.71x
Southwark St George Martyr 6 2.28x
St George Hanover Square 6 2.61x
St Nicholas Lincoln 6 30.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 70
John 46
George 41
Henry 38
Thomas 31
Alfred 21
James 20
Charles 18
Frederick 17
Arthur 16
Walter 16
Benjamin 11
Richard 11
Edwin 10
Edward 9
Ernest 9
Francis 9
Harry 8
Joseph 8
Robert 8
Herbert 7
Samuel 6
Albert 5
Daniel 5
Frank 5
Fredrick 4
Frederic 3
Paul 3
Tom 3
Wm. 3
Augustus 2
Chas. 2
Christopher 2
David 2
Edgar 2
Elijah 2
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
Isaac 2
Job 2
Jonathan 2
Joshua 2
Lewis 2
Lionel 2
Noah 2
Percy 2
Peter 2
Reuben 2
Richd. 2
Eli 1

FAQ

Legge surname: questions and answers

How common was the Legge surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,338 people were recorded with the Legge surname. That placed it at #3,067 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Legge surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,752 in 2016. That gives Legge a modern rank of #2,438.

What does the Legge surname mean?

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

What does the Legge map show?

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