NameCensus.

UK surname

Leighton

An Old English habitational name from various places named with Old English leah meaning "woodland clearing" and tun meaning "enclosure."

In the 1881 census there were 3,221 people recorded with the Leighton surname, ranking it #1,404 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,278, ranked #1,281, up from #1,404 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedbergh, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside and Hull Holy Trinity. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hartlepool, East Riding of Yorkshire and Wrexham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Leighton is 5,487 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 63.9%.

1881 census count

3,221

Ranked #1,404

Modern count

5,278

2016, ranked #1,281

Peak year

2010

5,487 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Leighton had 3,221 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,404 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,278 in 2016, ranked #1,281.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,277 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Leighton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Leighton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Leighton 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 2,062 #1,407
1861 historical 2,060 #1,407
1881 historical 3,221 #1,404
1891 historical 3,620 #1,325
1901 historical 4,277 #1,320
1911 historical 3,966 #1,292
1997 modern 5,134 #1,272
1998 modern 5,433 #1,249
1999 modern 5,486 #1,248
2000 modern 5,404 #1,262
2001 modern 5,329 #1,248
2002 modern 5,400 #1,254
2003 modern 5,298 #1,254
2004 modern 5,283 #1,255
2005 modern 5,209 #1,254
2006 modern 5,229 #1,247
2007 modern 5,307 #1,236
2008 modern 5,301 #1,250
2009 modern 5,419 #1,252
2010 modern 5,487 #1,264
2011 modern 5,439 #1,259
2012 modern 5,301 #1,262
2013 modern 5,369 #1,268
2014 modern 5,453 #1,255
2015 modern 5,344 #1,268
2016 modern 5,278 #1,281

Geography

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Where Leightons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedbergh, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes and Gateshead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hartlepool, East Riding of Yorkshire, Wrexham, Shropshire and Flintshire. 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 Sedbergh Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
3 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
4 London parishes London 3
5 Gateshead Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hartlepool 002 Hartlepool
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 037 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Wrexham 017 Wrexham
4 Shropshire 014 Shropshire
5 Flintshire 003 Flintshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Leighton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Leighton

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Leighton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Leighton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Leighton is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Leighton 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

Leighton falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Leighton

The surname Leighton has its origins in England, tracing back to the 11th century. It is a locational surname derived from various places named "Leighton" or "Leyghton" throughout the country. The name itself originates from the Old English words "leac" meaning "meadow" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "town."

During the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, many Norman-French nobles were granted lands across the country, including areas now known as Leighton. The surname likely emerged as a way to identify individuals from these locations. Early records show variations in spelling, such as Leyton, Leiton, and Leton.

One of the earliest documented references to the surname Leighton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. The book mentions individuals with the surname Leighton holding lands in various counties, including Shropshire and Huntingdonshire.

In the 13th century, records show a Sir William Leighton of Stretton in Shropshire, who was a prominent figure in the area. Another notable early bearer of the name was Sir Edward Leighton, a member of the English Parliament in 1332.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Leighton family gained prominence in Shropshire, with several members holding positions of influence. One notable figure was Sir Edward Leighton (1565-1622), a member of Parliament and High Sheriff of Shropshire.

In the realm of literature, the surname is associated with Robert Leighton (1611-1684), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and Archbishop of Glasgow, known for his influential writings on Christian theology and spirituality.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir William Leighton (1604-1672), an English politician and landowner who served as a member of the Long Parliament during the English Civil War.

The surname Leighton has also been carried by notable figures in more recent history, such as Frederic Leighton (1830-1896), a renowned English painter and President of the Royal Academy, and Sir Ralph Leighton (1886-1962), a British soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and received the Victoria Cross for his bravery during World War I.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Leighton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Leighton 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. Yorkshire leads with 350 Leightons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.12x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 350 1.12x
Durham 310 3.32x
Lancashire 283 0.76x
Middlesex 216 0.69x
Staffordshire 208 1.96x
Angus 203 6.97x
Northumberland 187 4.00x
Shropshire 137 5.05x
Surrey 134 0.88x
Gloucestershire 120 1.95x
Westmorland 90 13.03x
Cheshire 81 1.17x
Flintshire 76 9.00x
Fife 62 3.33x
Essex 57 0.92x
Aberdeenshire 50 1.72x
Derbyshire 48 0.98x
Lanarkshire 46 0.45x
Kincardineshire 39 10.19x
Midlothian 37 0.88x
Nottinghamshire 37 0.87x
Lincolnshire 31 0.62x
Stirlingshire 30 2.59x
Cumberland 29 1.07x
Norfolk 29 0.60x
Warwickshire 27 0.34x
Perthshire 26 1.84x
Suffolk 25 0.65x
Northamptonshire 24 0.81x
Worcestershire 24 0.58x
Sussex 23 0.43x
Hampshire 19 0.30x
Ayrshire 18 0.77x
Herefordshire 14 1.09x
Kent 12 0.11x
Renfrewshire 12 0.49x
Denbighshire 10 0.84x
Glamorgan 10 0.18x
Berkshire 8 0.34x
Dumfriesshire 8 1.15x
Somerset 8 0.16x
Cambridgeshire 7 0.35x
Hertfordshire 7 0.32x
Bedfordshire 5 0.31x
Argyllshire 4 0.46x
Buteshire 4 2.10x
Devon 4 0.06x
Dorset 4 0.19x
Oxfordshire 4 0.21x
Leicestershire 3 0.09x
Radnorshire 3 1.18x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.11x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.16x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.32x
Isle of Man 2 0.34x
Royal Navy 2 0.53x
Banffshire 1 0.15x
Brecknockshire 1 0.16x
Cardiganshire 1 0.13x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.12x
Kinross-shire 1 1.26x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.22x
Rutland 1 0.43x
Wiltshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holywell in Flintshire leads with 73 Leightons recorded in 1881 and an index of 68.84x.

Place Total Index
Holywell 73 68.84x
Dundee 69 6.35x
Holy Trinity 48 6.41x
Lancaster 45 20.28x
Lambeth 44 1.61x
West Ham 40 2.92x
Kendal 37 29.27x
Montrose 32 18.14x
Cheltenham 31 6.52x
Stoke Upon Trent 31 2.76x
Wrockwardine 31 51.94x
Sedburgh 30 231.30x
Bollington In 29 46.97x
Bishopwearmouth 28 3.49x
Forfar 28 17.76x
Wolverhampton 28 3.43x
Hackney London 26 1.48x
Wolstanton 26 8.07x
Cannock 25 13.51x
Dawdon 24 20.87x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 24 1.42x
Stockton On Tees 24 5.33x
Toxteth Park 23 1.82x
Aberdeen Old Machar 22 3.62x
Banchory Ternan 22 66.51x
St Ninians 22 19.15x
Alfreton 21 14.05x
Camberwell 21 1.05x
Liff Benvie 21 4.75x
St Pancras London 21 0.83x
Haltwhistle 20 88.18x
Kirriemuir 19 26.46x
Leeds 19 1.08x
Kilmarnock 18 6.43x
Byker 16 6.92x
Cadder 16 21.32x
Dysart 16 12.77x
Govan 16 0.64x
Longbenton 16 8.08x
Nottingham St Mary 16 1.46x
Portsea 16 1.27x
Shap 16 105.06x
Tanfield 16 14.39x
Tottenham 16 3.20x
Elswick 15 4.02x
Headingley Cum Burley 15 7.48x
Kirkdale 15 2.39x
Newent 15 47.89x
Pauntley 15 641.03x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 14 2.57x
Audley 14 13.34x
Liverpool 14 0.62x
Stranton 14 4.45x
Alyth 13 34.25x
Blackburn 13 1.31x
Peterborough 13 6.08x
Poplar London 13 2.19x
Westbury On Severn East 13 9.33x
Aston 12 0.55x
Everton 12 1.01x
Newington 12 1.03x
Sculcoates 12 2.43x
West Greenock 12 2.75x
Westgate 12 4.14x
Basford 11 5.64x
Caldewgate 11 7.42x
Drayton In Hales 11 19.66x
Leuchars 11 46.77x
Lowestoft 11 6.08x
Saddleworth 11 4.58x
Southwark Christchurch 11 7.47x
Streatham 11 4.72x
Upton Magna 11 220.00x
Walsall Foreign 11 2.01x
Brandon Byshottles 10 8.54x
Dunfermline 10 3.50x
Haswell 10 14.93x
Kensington London 10 0.57x
South Hamlet 10 26.23x
Worcester St Peter 10 12.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 183
Elizabeth 110
Sarah 87
Jane 73
Annie 56
Ann 53
Eliza 51
Margaret 50
Ellen 37
Isabella 29
Hannah 27
Alice 26
Emma 24
Emily 23
Martha 22
Edith 19
Catherine 18
Harriet 18
Fanny 17
Agnes 13
Florence 12
Frances 12
Maria 12
Caroline 11
Kate 11
Anne 10
Clara 10
Louisa 10
Ada 9
Eleanor 9
Lucy 9
Rebecca 9
Minnie 8
Rose 8
Ruth 8
Susannah 8
Charlotte 7
Amelia 6
Anna 6
Betsy 6
Dorothy 6
Gertrude 6
Harriett 6
Jessie 6
Margt. 6
Susanna 6
Barbara 5
Ethel 5
Julia 5
Laura 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 178
William 167
George 103
Thomas 85
Robert 79
James 77
Charles 38
Joseph 38
Samuel 37
Henry 34
Frederick 29
Richard 26
Edward 24
Walter 19
Arthur 17
Daniel 17
Albert 13
Ernest 11
Frank 11
Harry 11
Stephen 9
Alfred 8
David 8
Edwin 8
Francis 8
Herbert 8
Tom 8
Matthew 7
Wm. 7
Fred 6
Isaac 6
Miles 6
Benjamin 5
Hugh 5
Ralph 5
Enoch 4
Jas. 4
Percy 4
Robt. 4
Alexander 3
Enock 3
Fredk. 3
Fredrick 3
Geo. 3
Joshua 3
R.H. 3
Sidney 3
B. 2
Cuthbert 2
Lewis 2

FAQ

Leighton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Leighton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,221 people were recorded with the Leighton surname. That placed it at #1,404 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Leighton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,278 in 2016. That gives Leighton a modern rank of #1,281.

What does the Leighton surname mean?

An Old English habitational name from various places named with Old English leah meaning "woodland clearing" and tun meaning "enclosure."

What does the Leighton map show?

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