NameCensus.

UK surname

Leggett

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of leggings or gaiters.

In the 1881 census there were 2,349 people recorded with the Leggett surname, ranking it #1,891 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,650, ranked #1,866, up from #1,891 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Gorleston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Great Yarmouth, South Norfolk and Norwich.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Leggett is 3,974 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.4%.

1881 census count

2,349

Ranked #1,891

Modern count

3,650

2016, ranked #1,866

Peak year

1999

3,974 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Leggett had 2,349 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,891 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,650 in 2016, ranked #1,866.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,456 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Leggett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Leggett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Leggett 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 1,385 #2,064
1861 historical 1,240 #2,304
1881 historical 2,349 #1,891
1891 historical 2,417 #1,942
1901 historical 3,068 #1,822
1911 historical 3,456 #1,516
1997 modern 3,809 #1,704
1998 modern 3,971 #1,704
1999 modern 3,974 #1,715
2000 modern 3,933 #1,723
2001 modern 3,861 #1,715
2002 modern 3,959 #1,709
2003 modern 3,835 #1,736
2004 modern 3,807 #1,747
2005 modern 3,669 #1,782
2006 modern 3,647 #1,791
2007 modern 3,628 #1,812
2008 modern 3,672 #1,804
2009 modern 3,792 #1,793
2010 modern 3,853 #1,805
2011 modern 3,748 #1,830
2012 modern 3,731 #1,800
2013 modern 3,773 #1,817
2014 modern 3,791 #1,819
2015 modern 3,719 #1,837
2016 modern 3,650 #1,866

Geography

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Where Leggetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Gorleston 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 Great Yarmouth, South Norfolk and Norwich. 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 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Gorleston Suffolk
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Great Yarmouth 009 Great Yarmouth
2 Great Yarmouth 010 Great Yarmouth
3 Great Yarmouth 011 Great Yarmouth
4 South Norfolk 015 South Norfolk
5 Norwich 006 Norwich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Leggett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Leggett

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Leggett is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Leggett is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Leggett

The surname Leggett is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "lecg," meaning a small meadow or field. It is believed to have originated as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near or worked on such a meadow or field.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Leggett can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Leget." This spelling variation suggests that the name may have been initially a Norman-French adaptation of the Old English word.

During the Middle Ages, the name was primarily concentrated in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire, where several villages and hamlets bore names derived from the same root word, such as Legbourne, Leggatt, and Leggatt's Green.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Leggett was Sir John Leggett (c. 1330-1395), a prominent landowner and knight who served under Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. Another notable figure was Thomas Leggett (c. 1535-1607), a wealthy merchant and alderman of the City of London during the reign of Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the Leggett family established themselves in the American colonies, with William Leggett (1609-1683) being among the earliest settlers in Massachusetts. He later relocated to Long Island, New York, where his descendants became prominent landowners and community leaders.

During the American Revolutionary War, Colonel Abraham Leggett (1737-1828) served as a commissary officer in the Continental Army and later became a successful merchant and philanthropist in New York City.

In the 19th century, William Leggett (1801-1839) was a prominent journalist and political reformer, known for his advocacy of free trade and his opposition to slavery. He founded and edited several influential newspapers, including the Evening Gazette and the Plaindealer.

Another notable figure from this period was Mortimer Dormer Leggett (1835-1901), an English barrister and author who wrote extensively on legal and historical topics, including a comprehensive work on the history of the English navy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Leggett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Leggett 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. Suffolk leads with 529 Leggetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.91x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 529 18.91x
Middlesex 451 1.96x
Norfolk 300 8.50x
Surrey 172 1.54x
Yorkshire 145 0.64x
Sussex 138 3.56x
Essex 119 2.63x
Kent 103 1.31x
Hampshire 71 1.51x
Lancashire 70 0.26x
Lincolnshire 47 1.28x
Durham 22 0.32x
Hertfordshire 21 1.33x
Cambridgeshire 14 0.96x
Warwickshire 13 0.22x
Cheshire 12 0.24x
Bedfordshire 10 0.84x
Nottinghamshire 10 0.32x
Berkshire 9 0.52x
Cumberland 9 0.46x
Devon 9 0.19x
Midlothian 9 0.29x
Aberdeenshire 8 0.38x
Worcestershire 8 0.27x
Royal Navy 7 2.56x
Huntingdonshire 6 1.32x
Renfrewshire 6 0.34x
Dorset 5 0.33x
Leicestershire 5 0.20x
Derbyshire 4 0.11x
Northumberland 4 0.12x
Gloucestershire 3 0.07x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.14x
Monmouthshire 2 0.12x
Northamptonshire 2 0.09x
Rutland 2 1.19x
Somerset 2 0.05x
Angus 1 0.05x
Herefordshire 1 0.11x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.14x
Westmorland 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gorleston in Suffolk leads with 77 Leggetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 108.36x.

Place Total Index
Gorleston 77 108.36x
St Pancras London 62 3.35x
Great Yarmouth 61 20.86x
Islington London 57 2.56x
Lambeth 49 2.45x
Portsea 44 4.77x
Camberwell 32 2.18x
Chelsea London 30 4.34x
Hackney London 29 2.25x
Ipswich St Margaret 27 28.45x
Ipswich St Clement 25 35.16x
St Marylebone London 24 1.96x
Bacton 21 415.84x
Heigham 21 11.08x
Lowestoft 21 15.89x
Normanby In 21 34.52x
Ipswich St Mathew 19 24.24x
North Bierley 19 15.46x
Salhouse 19 384.62x
West Bergholt 19 224.32x
Littlehampton 18 58.23x
Brighton 17 2.18x
East Dereham 17 38.11x
St George Hanover Square 17 4.20x
Ashford 16 20.97x
Ipswich St Mary Stoke 16 61.66x
Mile End Old Town London 16 3.27x
South Bersted 16 48.59x
Broadwater 15 16.89x
Fulham London 15 4.50x
Bethnal Green London 14 1.40x
Cotton 14 351.76x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 14 13.21x
Reigate Foreign 14 11.56x
Sculcoates 14 3.88x
West Ham 14 1.40x
Wormingford 14 373.33x
Haltham 13 1074.38x
Ipswich St Peter 13 34.53x
Paddington London 13 1.54x
Poplar London 13 3.00x
Tottenham 13 3.55x
Westminster St John 13 4.65x
Wickham Market 13 112.46x
Eye 12 66.41x
Hempnall 12 173.41x
Westminster St James 12 5.08x
Wyverstone 12 576.92x
Everton 11 1.27x
Hornsey 11 3.79x
Lakenham 11 21.93x
Lound 11 317.92x
Wandsworth 11 4.98x
Willesden 11 5.08x
Woodbridge 11 30.76x
Birmingham 10 0.52x
Little Plumstead 10 386.10x
Scole Cum Frenze 10 194.93x
Stevenage 10 40.75x
Streatham 10 5.87x
Sudbury St Gregory 10 44.60x
Warblington 10 53.56x
Westminster St Margaret 10 9.03x
Wetherden 10 255.75x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 9 14.19x
Hampstead London 9 2.52x
Holy Trinity 9 1.64x
Horncastle 9 23.75x
Skelton In Guisbrough 9 14.62x
South Lynn 9 22.59x
Bermondsey 8 1.17x
Framlingham 8 40.28x
Hulme 8 1.41x
Kensington London 8 0.63x
Newington 8 0.94x
North Wootton 8 313.73x
Stowlangtoft 8 571.43x
Tendring St Nicolas 8 173.54x
Toxteth Park 8 0.87x
Whistones 8 36.85x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 128
Elizabeth 83
Sarah 79
Emma 55
Eliza 45
Ellen 39
Hannah 35
Alice 34
Emily 34
Jane 34
Ann 28
Charlotte 24
Annie 23
Caroline 20
Louisa 20
Maria 20
Martha 19
Florence 18
Edith 17
Susan 17
Harriet 16
Catherine 15
Kate 15
Harriett 13
Margaret 13
Anna 12
Clara 12
Fanny 12
Ada 11
Frances 9
Rose 9
Agnes 8
Laura 8
Matilda 8
Amelia 7
Anne 7
Rosa 7
Sophia 7
Susanna 7
Susannah 7
Esther 6
Ethel 6
Lucy 6
Minnie 6
Rachel 6
Adelaide 5
Rebecca 5
Selina 5
Elizth. 4
Lydia 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 142
George 106
James 82
John 81
Charles 61
Henry 55
Robert 45
Edward 34
Thomas 34
Arthur 31
Samuel 29
Joseph 26
Alfred 25
Harry 22
Frederick 21
Walter 16
Ernest 14
Herbert 14
Albert 12
Cornelius 10
Edwin 10
Stephen 10
David 9
Isaac 7
Richard 7
Thos. 7
Benjamin 6
Horace 6
Jeremiah 6
Francis 5
Fredrick 5
Robt. 5
Willie 5
Edgar 4
Frank 4
Fredk. 4
Jesse 4
Wm. 4
Abraham 3
Daniel 3
Reuben 3
Allen 2
Chas. 2
Claude 2
Fred 2
Josh. 2
Leonard 2
Luke 2
Nathaniel 2
Noah 2

FAQ

Leggett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Leggett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,349 people were recorded with the Leggett surname. That placed it at #1,891 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Leggett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,650 in 2016. That gives Leggett a modern rank of #1,866.

What does the Leggett surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of leggings or gaiters.

What does the Leggett map show?

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