NameCensus.

UK surname

Leisk

In the 1881 census there were 181 people recorded with the Leisk surname, ranking it #13,690 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 123, ranked #27,115, down from #13,690 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fetlar and Yell, Lerwick and Arbroath and St. Vigeans. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hart, Liverpool and Kingston upon Hull.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Leisk is 300 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 32.0%.

1881 census count

181

Ranked #13,690

Modern count

123

2016, ranked #27,115

Peak year

1851

300 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Leisk had 181 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,690 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016, ranked #27,115.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 300 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Leisk surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Leisk surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Leisk 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 300 #7,650
1861 historical 195 #12,263
1881 historical 181 #13,690
1891 historical 167 #17,006
1901 historical 166 #17,011
1911 historical 32 #29,838
1997 modern 133 #22,705
1998 modern 134 #23,202
1999 modern 127 #24,125
2000 modern 132 #23,562
2001 modern 128 #23,665
2002 modern 139 #22,991
2003 modern 139 #22,734
2004 modern 136 #23,207
2005 modern 135 #23,297
2006 modern 136 #23,378
2007 modern 135 #23,824
2008 modern 127 #25,020
2009 modern 131 #25,056
2010 modern 132 #25,519
2011 modern 121 #26,789
2012 modern 115 #27,717
2013 modern 120 #27,406
2014 modern 123 #27,206
2015 modern 121 #27,405
2016 modern 123 #27,115

Geography

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Where Leisks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Fetlar and Yell, Lerwick, Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hart, Liverpool, Kingston upon Hull, Northfield and East Devon. 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 Fetlar and Yell Shetland
2 Lerwick Shetland
3 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hart 002 Hart
2 Liverpool 007 Liverpool
3 Kingston upon Hull 003 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 Northfield Aberdeen City
5 East Devon 003 East Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Leisk

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Leisk

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Leisk, 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 Leisk surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Leisk 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, Leisk 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

Leisk is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Leisk families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Leisk 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. Shetland leads with 83 Leisks recorded in 1881 and an index of 470.79x.

County Total Index
Shetland 83 470.79x
Angus 31 19.38x
Lancashire 13 0.63x
Renfrewshire 10 7.47x
Midlothian 9 3.89x
Hampshire 8 2.26x
Lanarkshire 6 1.07x
Surrey 6 0.71x
Caithness 4 16.92x
Durham 4 0.78x
Argyllshire 1 2.08x
Kent 1 0.17x
Yorkshire 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. Dunrossness in Shetland leads with 21 Leisks recorded in 1881 and an index of 905.17x.

Place Total Index
Dunrossness 21 905.17x
Nesting Lunnas Whalsay 14 903.23x
St Vigeans 13 150.64x
Bressay Burra Quarff 12 1558.44x
Whiteness Weisdale 11 2075.47x
Lerwick Gulberwick 9 329.67x
Liff Benvie 9 37.07x
Dundee 8 13.40x
East Greenock 7 55.42x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 7 127.97x
St Maurice Winchester 7 476.19x
Toxteth Park 7 10.09x
Govan 6 4.34x
Lambeth 6 3.99x
Liverpool 6 4.82x
North Yell 6 1224.49x
Yell Mid 5 862.07x
Dunnet 4 421.05x
West Greenock 3 12.49x
Westoe 3 10.30x
Sandsting Aitsting 2 125.00x
Unst 2 155.04x
Arbroath 1 18.87x
Bressay 1 357.14x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 22.22x
Holy Trinity 1 2.43x
Inveresk 1 15.97x
Lee 1 11.70x
South Shields 1 21.83x
Tobermory 1 2500.00x
Twyford 1 117.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Bridget 2
Isabella 2
Louisa 2
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Jane 1
Janet 1
Magdaline 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
William 3
George 2
James 2
Robert 2
Charles 1
David 1
Henry 1
Joseph 1

FAQ

Leisk surname: questions and answers

How common was the Leisk surname in 1881?

In 1881, 181 people were recorded with the Leisk surname. That placed it at #13,690 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Leisk surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016. That gives Leisk a modern rank of #27,115.

What does the Leisk map show?

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