NameCensus.

UK surname

Lemon

An English surname derived from the Old English word "hlēomonn," meaning a lover or sweetheart.

In the 1881 census there were 2,174 people recorded with the Lemon surname, ranking it #2,040 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,207, ranked #2,938, down from #2,040 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire, Sunderland and Isle of Wight.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lemon is 2,570 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.5%.

1881 census count

2,174

Ranked #2,040

Modern count

2,207

2016, ranked #2,938

Peak year

1901

2,570 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lemon had 2,174 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,040 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,207 in 2016, ranked #2,938.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,570 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Lemon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lemon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lemon 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 1,525 #1,877
1861 historical 1,242 #2,298
1881 historical 2,174 #2,040
1891 historical 2,192 #2,134
1901 historical 2,570 #2,139
1911 historical 2,381 #2,153
1997 modern 2,354 #2,650
1998 modern 2,459 #2,654
1999 modern 2,413 #2,710
2000 modern 2,406 #2,704
2001 modern 2,343 #2,715
2002 modern 2,352 #2,755
2003 modern 2,264 #2,788
2004 modern 2,246 #2,811
2005 modern 2,176 #2,864
2006 modern 2,140 #2,902
2007 modern 2,157 #2,903
2008 modern 2,161 #2,929
2009 modern 2,229 #2,919
2010 modern 2,252 #2,950
2011 modern 2,247 #2,923
2012 modern 2,173 #2,945
2013 modern 2,221 #2,939
2014 modern 2,213 #2,964
2015 modern 2,203 #2,950
2016 modern 2,207 #2,938

Geography

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Where Lemons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton, Lambeth and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carmarthenshire, Sunderland, Isle of Wight, Barnet and Derbyshire Dales. 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 Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton Devon
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carmarthenshire 022 Carmarthenshire
2 Sunderland 028 Sunderland
3 Isle of Wight 005 Isle of Wight
4 Barnet 014 Barnet
5 Derbyshire Dales 009 Derbyshire Dales

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lemon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lemon

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Lemon is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lemon is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lemon 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 Lemon 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Lemon

The surname Lemon is of English origin, derived from the Old English word 'leamun' or 'lemun', meaning a lemon tree or the citrus fruit itself. It is believed to have originated as a descriptive name or nickname for someone who lived near a lemon tree or had some association with lemons.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Lemon can be traced back to the 13th century in the county of Norfolk, England. In the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a record of landowners and tenants, there is an entry for a John Lemon from the village of Hingham.

During the medieval period, the Lemon surname was also found in various spellings such as Lemmon, Leman, and Leamon, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the preferences of scribes who recorded the names.

In the 16th century, the Lemon surname appeared in the parish records of Somersetshire, where a Robert Lemon was listed as a resident of the village of Chew Magna in 1567. This suggests that the name had spread across different regions of England by that time.

One notable individual with the surname Lemon was Sir Charles Lemon (1784-1868), a British politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies in Cornwall and Devon. He was also a prominent figure in the mining industry and played a role in the development of the Tamar Valley.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Robert Lemon (1779-1835), an English archivist and historian who served as the Deputy Keeper of the State Papers at the Public Record Office in London. He was responsible for publishing several important historical documents and manuscripts.

In the realm of literature, Mark Lemon (1809-1870) was an English editor and writer who co-founded the satirical magazine Punch in 1841. He served as the magazine's editor for many years and contributed numerous articles and humorous pieces.

John Lemon (1828-1887) was a British architect known for his work in the Gothic Revival style. He designed several notable churches and buildings in the south of England, including the Church of St. John the Baptist in Woking, Surrey.

Ralph Lemon (born 1952) is an American choreographer and dancer recognized for his experimental and interdisciplinary approach to dance. He has received numerous awards and accolades for his innovative performances and contributions to contemporary dance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lemon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lemon 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 331 Lemons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.56x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 331 1.56x
Surrey 284 2.75x
Devon 196 4.44x
Norfolk 124 3.80x
Hampshire 116 2.67x
Lancashire 115 0.46x
Dorset 66 4.74x
Kent 61 0.84x
Durham 51 0.81x
Lanarkshire 51 0.74x
Somerset 50 1.46x
Aberdeenshire 48 2.44x
Yorkshire 48 0.23x
Leicestershire 47 2.00x
Essex 46 1.10x
Glamorgan 45 1.22x
Cambridgeshire 42 3.13x
Derbyshire 41 1.23x
Gloucestershire 35 0.84x
Northumberland 33 1.05x
Warwickshire 33 0.62x
Worcestershire 23 0.83x
Banffshire 21 4.77x
Midlothian 18 0.63x
Sussex 17 0.48x
Northamptonshire 16 0.80x
Angus 15 0.76x
Stirlingshire 15 1.92x
Staffordshire 13 0.18x
Lincolnshire 12 0.35x
Nottinghamshire 12 0.42x
Suffolk 12 0.46x
Cornwall 10 0.42x
Pembrokeshire 10 1.48x
Renfrewshire 10 0.61x
Cumberland 9 0.49x
Channel Islands 8 1.27x
Kincardineshire 8 3.10x
Shropshire 8 0.44x
Westmorland 8 1.72x
Ayrshire 7 0.44x
Ross-shire 7 1.20x
Wiltshire 7 0.37x
Inverness-shire 6 0.95x
Cheshire 5 0.11x
Fife 5 0.40x
Argyllshire 4 0.68x
Flintshire 4 0.70x
Monmouthshire 4 0.26x
Denbighshire 3 0.37x
Royal Navy 3 1.19x
Bedfordshire 2 0.18x
Hertfordshire 2 0.14x
Morayshire 2 0.61x
Berkshire 1 0.06x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.08x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.12x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.33x
Wigtownshire 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 42 Lemons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.04x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 42 2.04x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 31 52.92x
Manchester 31 2.74x
Lambeth 29 1.57x
Birmingham 27 1.51x
Clapham 26 9.81x
St Pancras London 26 1.52x
Hampstead London 24 7.27x
Liverpool 23 1.50x
Tormoham 22 11.78x
Shoreditch London 20 2.18x
Cardiff St Mary 19 9.34x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 19 19.41x
Portsea 19 2.23x
St George Hanover Square 19 5.09x
Barnstaple 18 25.98x
Leeds 18 1.52x
Battersea 17 2.18x
Clerkenwell London 17 3.40x
Hammersmith London 17 3.25x
Wymondham 17 50.99x
Cairney 16 139.86x
Northam 16 49.74x
Tudhoe 16 28.99x
Aldershot 15 10.30x
Barony 15 0.86x
Camberwell 15 1.11x
Cheetham 15 7.99x
Hackney London 15 1.26x
Southampton St Mary 15 5.49x
Albury 14 148.62x
East Orchard 14 828.40x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 14 5.12x
Southwark St George Martyr 14 3.28x
St Marylebone London 14 1.24x
Chertsey 13 19.47x
Paddington London 13 1.67x
Stoke Damerel 13 4.21x
West Derby 13 1.77x
Derby St Alkmund 12 12.06x
Epsom 12 23.83x
Godalming 12 18.45x
Llantwit Lower 12 36.97x
West Teignmouth 12 35.53x
Wimbledon 12 10.34x
Lewisham 11 2.85x
West Ham 11 1.19x
Chatham 10 5.02x
Croydon 10 1.74x
Elswick 10 3.97x
Great Yarmouth 10 3.70x
Helpstone 10 193.80x
Kensington London 10 0.85x
Leicester St Margaret 10 1.74x
Pembroke St Mary 10 11.52x
Peterhead 10 9.63x
Woolwich 10 3.74x
Barnoldswick 9 30.69x
Chelsea London 9 1.41x
Clee With Weelsby 9 12.12x
Froxfield 9 179.28x
Gartly 9 139.10x
Glasgow 9 0.74x
Mappowder 9 548.78x
Merton 9 49.78x
Atherington 8 212.77x
Bristol St James St Paul 8 5.77x
Chelmsford 8 11.14x
Enderby 8 65.74x
Havant 8 36.35x
Huddersfield 8 2.61x
Kentisbeare 8 131.58x
Liff Benvie 8 2.68x
Liss 8 90.60x
Okeford Fitzpaine 8 179.78x
Old Monkland 8 2.94x
Seaton 8 37.56x
Selborne 8 90.40x
St Helier 8 3.91x
Sturminster 8 59.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 116
Elizabeth 70
Sarah 56
Eliza 39
Jane 37
Ann 33
Alice 30
Emma 28
Annie 24
Emily 21
Caroline 20
Ellen 19
Martha 17
Susan 17
Maria 16
Harriet 15
Margaret 15
Rose 15
Edith 14
Charlotte 13
Florence 13
Louisa 13
Hannah 12
Catherine 11
Ada 10
Amelia 10
Fanny 10
Kate 10
Agnes 8
Matilda 8
Anne 7
Clara 7
Grace 7
Harriett 7
Lucy 7
Susannah 7
Frances 6
Julia 6
Amy 5
Esther 5
Isabella 5
Jessie 5
Maud 5
Rebecca 5
Sophia 5
Betsy 4
Helen 4
Lydia 4
Mabel 4
Selina 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 119
John 108
George 82
James 62
Henry 56
Thomas 55
Charles 48
Edward 27
Robert 26
Frederick 24
Arthur 22
Alfred 18
Richard 18
Harry 12
Albert 11
Samuel 11
David 10
Herbert 10
Walter 10
Joseph 9
Ernest 8
Wm. 8
Frank 7
Mark 7
Benjamin 6
Edwin 5
Francis 5
Fredk. 5
Daniel 4
Fred 4
Percy 4
Reuben 4
Alexander 3
Ambrose 3
Elijah 3
Frederic 3
Lionel 3
Martin 3
Patrick 3
Peter 3
Philip 3
Abraham 2
Aquila 2
Chas. 2
Geo. 2
Lawrence 2
Michael 2
Myer 2
Nathannel 2
Reginald 2

FAQ

Lemon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lemon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,174 people were recorded with the Lemon surname. That placed it at #2,040 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lemon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,207 in 2016. That gives Lemon a modern rank of #2,938.

What does the Lemon surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old English word "hlēomonn," meaning a lover or sweetheart.

What does the Lemon map show?

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