NameCensus.

UK surname

Lemar

A French surname derived from the given name Lemar or Lesmar.

In the 1881 census there were 96 people recorded with the Lemar surname, ranking it #20,248 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 180, ranked #21,022, down from #20,248 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Thanington, Milton Chapel, Margate and Ashford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Basingstoke and Deane, Medway and Hastings.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lemar is 209 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 87.5%.

1881 census count

96

Ranked #20,248

Modern count

180

2016, ranked #21,022

Peak year

2000

209 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lemar had 96 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,248 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 180 in 2016, ranked #21,022.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 112 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Lemar surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lemar surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lemar 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 54 #23,577
1861 historical 55 #27,007
1881 historical 96 #20,248
1891 historical 84 #26,229
1901 historical 112 #21,382
1911 historical 109 #21,611
1997 modern 200 #17,618
1998 modern 196 #18,342
1999 modern 205 #17,960
2000 modern 209 #17,723
2001 modern 197 #18,108
2002 modern 198 #18,410
2003 modern 185 #18,999
2004 modern 173 #19,937
2005 modern 179 #19,467
2006 modern 184 #19,254
2007 modern 182 #19,618
2008 modern 181 #19,875
2009 modern 188 #19,797
2010 modern 196 #19,698
2011 modern 206 #18,907
2012 modern 190 #19,864
2013 modern 197 #19,725
2014 modern 190 #20,374
2015 modern 190 #20,272
2016 modern 180 #21,022

Geography

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Where Lemars are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Thanington, Milton Chapel, Margate, Ashford, St Mary Northgate, St John's Hospital and Enfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Basingstoke and Deane, Medway, Hastings and Breckland. 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 Thanington, Milton Chapel Kent
2 Margate Kent
3 Ashford Kent
4 St Mary Northgate, St John's Hospital Kent
5 Enfield Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Basingstoke and Deane 014 Basingstoke and Deane
2 Medway 017 Medway
3 Hastings 001 Hastings
4 Breckland 012 Breckland
5 Medway 003 Medway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lemar

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lemar

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

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Lemar surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Lemar household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Lemar is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lemar is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lemar falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Lemar is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Lemar, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Lemar

The surname "LEMAR" is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period, likely derived from the French word "la mer" meaning "the sea." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived near the coast or worked in maritime trades.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Livre des Métiers, a 13th-century Parisian tax record, where a certain "Jehan Lemar" is listed as a fisherman. This provides evidence that the name was already established in France by that time.

In the 14th century, variations of the name such as "Le Mer" and "Lemer" appear in various historical documents from Normandy and Brittany, regions with strong maritime traditions. This lends credence to the theory that the name originated among coastal communities in northern France.

During the 16th century, the name began to spread throughout other parts of Europe, likely due to migration and trade. Notable individuals bearing the name include Jean Lemar (1515-1582), a French explorer who accompanied Jacques Cartier on his voyages to Canada, and Pierre Lemar (1547-1613), a renowned shipbuilder from La Rochelle.

In the 17th century, the spelling "Lemar" became more standardized, and the name gained prominence in other European countries. One notable figure was Jan Lemar (1623-1689), a Dutch merchant and ship owner who played a significant role in the establishment of the Dutch East Indies Company.

As the centuries progressed, the name continued to be associated with maritime pursuits and coastal regions. In the 19th century, François Lemar (1801-1878) was a renowned French naval architect and shipbuilder, while Charles Lemar (1835-1904) was a British sea captain and explorer who charted various islands in the South Pacific.

Throughout its history, the surname "LEMAR" has maintained a strong connection to the sea and maritime activities, reflecting the origins and occupations of its earliest bearers. While the name has since spread across various regions and cultures, its roots can be traced back to the coastal communities of medieval France.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lemar families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lemar 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. Kent leads with 78 Lemars recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.94x.

County Total Index
Kent 78 24.94x
Middlesex 7 0.76x
Surrey 6 1.34x
Devon 1 0.52x
Gloucestershire 1 0.56x
Sussex 1 0.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Canterbury St Mary in Kent leads with 14 Lemars recorded in 1881 and an index of 666.67x.

Place Total Index
Canterbury St Mary 14 666.67x
Ashford 11 360.66x
Canterbury St Martin 10 14285.71x
Enfield 7 116.47x
St Lawrence 7 325.58x
Battersea 6 17.79x
Canterbury St Mildred 6 810.81x
Greenwich 6 41.12x
Thanington Wilton In 6 4000.00x
Faversham 4 134.23x
Canterbury St Gregory 3 731.71x
Canterbury St Paul 3 535.71x
Canterbury St George 2 526.32x
Milton In Milton 2 150.38x
Brighton 1 3.21x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 1 5.91x
Canterbury St Mary N 1 476.19x
Hackington St Stephen 1 500.00x
Herne 1 72.46x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 6.80x
Smarden 1 277.78x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Lemar surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lemar surname in 1881?

In 1881, 96 people were recorded with the Lemar surname. That placed it at #20,248 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lemar surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 180 in 2016. That gives Lemar a modern rank of #21,022.

What does the Lemar surname mean?

A French surname derived from the given name Lemar or Lesmar.

What does the Lemar map show?

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