NameCensus.

UK surname

Lennie

A surname derived from a diminutive of Leonard or Lionel.

In the 1881 census there were 654 people recorded with the Lennie surname, ranking it #5,473 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 786, ranked #7,024, down from #5,473 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkwall and St.Ola, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newburgh, Newbattle and Dalhousie and The Inch.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lennie is 845 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.2%.

1881 census count

654

Ranked #5,473

Modern count

786

2016, ranked #7,024

Peak year

2009

845 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lennie had 654 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,473 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 786 in 2016, ranked #7,024.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 684 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Lennie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lennie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lennie 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 339 #6,922
1861 historical 406 #6,320
1881 historical 654 #5,473
1891 historical 647 #5,998
1901 historical 684 #6,394
1911 historical 160 #17,151
1997 modern 794 #6,573
1998 modern 799 #6,757
1999 modern 816 #6,687
2000 modern 806 #6,729
2001 modern 767 #6,863
2002 modern 775 #6,952
2003 modern 757 #6,960
2004 modern 779 #6,817
2005 modern 781 #6,729
2006 modern 807 #6,583
2007 modern 813 #6,597
2008 modern 821 #6,596
2009 modern 845 #6,596
2010 modern 844 #6,736
2011 modern 806 #6,895
2012 modern 783 #6,976
2013 modern 773 #7,169
2014 modern 780 #7,148
2015 modern 784 #7,054
2016 modern 786 #7,024

Geography

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Where Lennies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkwall and St.Ola, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Bonhill and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newburgh, Newbattle and Dalhousie, The Inch, Willowbrae and Duddingston Village and Auchtermuchty and Gateside. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Kirkwall and St.Ola Orkney
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Bonhill Dunbarton
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newburgh Fife
2 Newbattle and Dalhousie Midlothian
3 The Inch City of Edinburgh
4 Willowbrae and Duddingston Village City of Edinburgh
5 Auchtermuchty and Gateside Fife

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lennie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lennie

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Lennie is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lennie 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

Lennie 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 Lennie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Lennie

The surname Lennie is of Scottish origin, deriving from the medieval Scottish Gaelic personal name Lènnán, which means "beloved" or "sweetheart." This name was initially used as a term of endearment and later became a given name in its own right.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Lennie can be traced back to the 16th century in various parts of Scotland, particularly in the regions of Aberdeenshire and Angus. Historical records show variations in the spelling, such as Lenny, Lenney, and Lennye, reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings during that time.

One notable historical reference to the surname Lennie can be found in the records of the Scottish Exchequer Rolls from the late 15th century, where a person named John Lenny is mentioned in connection with a land transaction in the town of Arbroath, Angus.

Among the earliest recorded bearers of the surname Lennie was Robert Lennie, who was born in Aberdeen in the late 16th century and served as a prominent merchant and burgess in the city. Another early bearer was John Lennie, born in Forfar, Angus, in the early 17th century, who was a respected landowner and farmer.

In the 18th century, the surname Lennie was associated with several notable individuals, such as William Lennie (1701-1779), a celebrated Scottish mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics. Additionally, there was James Lennie (1727-1804), a renowned Scottish poet and author who wrote extensively on rural life and themes.

Moving into the 19th century, one prominent figure with the surname Lennie was Sir John Lennie (1819-1892), a renowned Scottish civil engineer who oversaw the construction of several important bridges and infrastructure projects throughout the United Kingdom.

Another distinguished bearer of the surname was William Lennie (1856-1931), a pioneering Scottish chemist and industrialist who made groundbreaking discoveries in the field of synthetic dyes and played a pivotal role in the development of the modern chemical industry.

Throughout its history, the surname Lennie has been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Lenniehill in Aberdeenshire and Lennie Muir in Angus, further reflecting its Scottish origins and geographic ties.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lennie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lennie 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. Orkney leads with 156 Lennies recorded in 1881 and an index of 225.73x.

County Total Index
Orkney 156 225.73x
Lanarkshire 126 6.20x
Midlothian 82 9.74x
Dunbartonshire 46 27.25x
Lancashire 30 0.40x
Perthshire 26 9.22x
Stirlingshire 26 11.22x
Renfrewshire 19 3.90x
Aberdeenshire 16 2.75x
Middlesex 16 0.25x
Fife 14 3.76x
Angus 13 2.23x
Peeblesshire 11 37.23x
Durham 10 0.54x
Argyllshire 9 5.15x
Cheshire 8 0.58x
East Lothian 8 9.61x
Northumberland 8 0.86x
Ayrshire 5 1.06x
Kent 4 0.19x
Roxburghshire 3 2.64x
Surrey 3 0.10x
Devon 1 0.08x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.72x
Essex 1 0.08x
Royal Navy 1 1.34x
Selkirkshire 1 1.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 49 Lennies recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.53x.

Place Total Index
Barony 49 9.53x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 44 13.00x
Bonhill 41 151.29x
Kirkwall St Ola 41 396.14x
Govan 24 4.78x
St Andrews Deerness 24 661.16x
Stronsay Eday 23 508.85x
Orphir 21 958.90x
Glasgow 16 4.44x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 13 11.94x
Edinburgh St Marys 13 79.46x
Lady 11 536.59x
Maryhill 11 27.66x
Sandwick 11 424.71x
Innerleithen 10 127.55x
Abbey 8 10.77x
Carluke 8 43.36x
Dysart 8 31.95x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 8 9.88x
Killearn 8 329.22x
Kirkdale 8 6.38x
Newbattle 8 111.27x
South Ronaldshay 8 111.89x
Birsay Harray 7 139.44x
Inverkip 7 61.03x
Yester 7 350.00x
Dunbarney 6 368.10x
North Meols 6 8.22x
Old Monkland 6 7.44x
Balfron 5 174.83x
Cambuslang 5 24.41x
Dundee 5 2.30x
Edinburgh Canongate 5 23.34x
Hulme 5 3.21x
Kilmarnock 5 8.94x
Lochgoilhead 5 431.03x
Pendleton In Salford 5 5.63x
Perth Middle Church 5 47.17x
Stromness 5 96.53x
West Derby 5 2.29x
Bollin Fee 4 65.04x
Bothwell 4 7.26x
Coxlodge 4 56.26x
Dunoon Kilmun 4 29.33x
Kilsyth 4 27.08x
Leslie 4 42.46x
Liff Benvie 4 4.53x
North Leith 4 10.27x
Perth West Church 4 29.90x
Scone 4 79.84x
St Pancras London 4 0.79x
Stirling 4 13.69x
Aberdeen Old Machar 3 2.47x
Chirton 3 14.18x
Edinburgh St Stephens 3 18.11x
Hackney London 3 0.85x
Hawick 3 11.78x
Kirriemuir 3 20.89x
Lambeth 3 0.55x
Norwood 3 20.89x
Old Kilpatrick 3 15.04x
Paisley Low Church 3 19.47x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 3 18.81x
St Marylebone London 3 0.89x
Westray Papa Westray 3 54.74x
Carrington 2 151.52x
Drymen 2 64.31x
Logie 2 19.76x
St George Hanover Square 2 1.81x
Tulliallan 2 41.84x
Woolwich 2 2.53x
Kirkcaldy 1 5.42x
Larbert 1 7.22x
Lasswade 1 5.20x
Margate St John Baptist 1 2.55x
Peebles 1 11.45x
Plympton St Mary 1 13.23x
Ramsgate 1 2.86x
Temple 1 29.85x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Lennie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lennie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 654 people were recorded with the Lennie surname. That placed it at #5,473 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lennie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 786 in 2016. That gives Lennie a modern rank of #7,024.

What does the Lennie surname mean?

A surname derived from a diminutive of Leonard or Lionel.

What does the Lennie map show?

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