NameCensus.

UK surname

Lennox

From the Old English elements "elm" and "hús," meaning a house or settlement near an elm tree.

In the 1881 census there were 1,781 people recorded with the Lennox surname, ranking it #2,434 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,208, ranked #2,119, up from #2,434 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Gateshead and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Chapelton, Glengavel and Sandford and Saltcoats North East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lennox is 3,208 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 80.1%.

1881 census count

1,781

Ranked #2,434

Modern count

3,208

2016, ranked #2,119

Peak year

2016

3,208 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lennox had 1,781 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,434 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,208 in 2016, ranked #2,119.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,326 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Lennox surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lennox surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lennox 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 1,083 #2,594
1861 historical 1,162 #2,428
1881 historical 1,781 #2,434
1891 historical 1,946 #2,367
1901 historical 2,326 #2,337
1911 historical 865 #5,136
1997 modern 2,834 #2,284
1998 modern 2,920 #2,307
1999 modern 2,925 #2,319
2000 modern 2,921 #2,306
2001 modern 2,829 #2,323
2002 modern 2,939 #2,295
2003 modern 2,918 #2,248
2004 modern 2,892 #2,276
2005 modern 2,910 #2,224
2006 modern 2,936 #2,204
2007 modern 2,970 #2,197
2008 modern 2,998 #2,190
2009 modern 3,069 #2,196
2010 modern 3,173 #2,181
2011 modern 3,111 #2,194
2012 modern 3,054 #2,188
2013 modern 3,146 #2,163
2014 modern 3,187 #2,157
2015 modern 3,204 #2,130
2016 modern 3,208 #2,119

Geography

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Where Lennox' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Gateshead, London parishes, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Chapelton, Glengavel and Sandford, Saltcoats North East, Lesmahagow and Stonehouse. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Gateshead Durham
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 040 County Durham
2 Chapelton, Glengavel and Sandford South Lanarkshire
3 Saltcoats North East North Ayrshire
4 Lesmahagow South Lanarkshire
5 Stonehouse South Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lennox

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lennox

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Lennox is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Lennox 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

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

Meaning and origin of Lennox

The surname Lennox is of Scottish origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is a territorial name derived from the district of Lennox (sometimes spelled Levenax) in the county of Dunbartonshire, Scotland. The name itself is believed to originate from the Gaelic "leamhnachd" meaning "elm-tree" or "elm-wood".

The Lennox family played a significant role in Scottish history, with their ancestral seat being the castle of Dumbarton. One of the earliest recorded references to the name is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where Malcolm de Leuenaux is mentioned as swearing fealty to King Edward I of England.

In the 14th century, the Lennox surname gained prominence when Sir John Lennox was appointed Chamberlain of Scotland by King Robert II in 1372. Sir John's son, Duncan Lennox, was created Earl of Lennox in 1488 by King James III.

The Lennox family continued to hold influential positions throughout the centuries. Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox (1516-1571), was regent of Scotland during the minority of King James VI. His son, Lord Darnley (1545-1567), was the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, and father of King James VI.

Another notable figure with the Lennox surname was James Lennox, Duke of Richmond (1612-1655), who was a prominent military commander during the English Civil War and served as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.

Other historical figures bearing the Lennox name include Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond (1672-1723), a prominent politician and army officer, and Sarah Lennox (1744-1826), a renowned beauty and socialite of the Georgian era.

While the Lennox surname is predominantly Scottish, it has also been found in various spellings such as Lenox, Lenos, and Lenox-Conyngham, reflecting the minor variations that occurred over time and across different regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lennox families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lennox 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. Lanarkshire leads with 525 Lennox' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.36x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 525 9.36x
Ayrshire 155 11.95x
Durham 130 2.52x
Renfrewshire 92 6.85x
Lancashire 90 0.44x
Stirlingshire 77 12.04x
Dunbartonshire 69 14.81x
Midlothian 64 2.76x
Cumberland 60 4.02x
Middlesex 56 0.32x
Perthshire 49 6.30x
Northumberland 42 1.63x
Surrey 37 0.44x
Yorkshire 33 0.19x
Angus 31 1.93x
Clackmannanshire 27 18.86x
Wigtownshire 26 11.30x
Kirkcudbrightshire 22 8.77x
Fife 18 1.75x
Kent 18 0.30x
Sussex 17 0.58x
Glamorgan 11 0.36x
Dumfriesshire 10 2.61x
Derbyshire 9 0.33x
Norfolk 8 0.30x
Cheshire 7 0.18x
Gloucestershire 7 0.21x
Roxburghshire 7 2.23x
Selkirkshire 7 4.46x
Shropshire 7 0.47x
Peeblesshire 6 7.36x
Somerset 6 0.22x
Wiltshire 6 0.39x
Argyllshire 5 1.04x
Buteshire 5 4.76x
Cornwall 5 0.25x
Essex 4 0.12x
Inverness-shire 4 0.77x
Royal Navy 4 1.94x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.27x
Hampshire 3 0.08x
Warwickshire 3 0.07x
Devon 2 0.06x
Leicestershire 2 0.10x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.06x
Bedfordshire 1 0.11x
Berkshire 1 0.08x
East Lothian 1 0.44x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.18x
Ross-shire 1 0.21x
Staffordshire 1 0.02x
West Lothian 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 148 Lennox' recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.87x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 148 14.87x
Barony 116 8.18x
Govan 107 7.72x
Gateshead 76 19.68x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 41 4.39x
St Ninians 33 52.08x
Bothwell 31 20.39x
Row 22 36.51x
West Greenock 21 8.71x
Camberwell 19 1.72x
Kilmarnock 19 12.31x
Alloa 18 25.93x
Avondale 18 54.91x
Cardross 16 28.61x
Troqueer 16 48.60x
Cambusnethan 15 12.05x
St Cuthbert W O 15 20.62x
Dalziel 14 23.21x
Dundee 14 2.34x
Glassford 14 162.04x
Longbenton 14 12.82x
Paisley Middle Church 14 17.90x
Cathcart 13 17.89x
Dunfermline 13 8.24x
Kirkmichael 13 109.89x
Lorton 13 550.85x
West Derby 13 2.16x
East Kilbride 11 45.81x
Stirling 11 13.65x
Alva 10 32.80x
Ayr 10 16.33x
Beith 10 25.83x
Chelsea London 10 1.91x
Dalrymple 10 123.00x
Liff Benvie 10 4.10x
Llangynwyd Middle 10 257.07x
Manchester 10 1.08x
Newton In Makerfield 10 15.88x
Old Cumnock 10 34.63x
Sorbie 10 99.40x
Tulliallan 10 75.87x
Bishopwearmouth 9 2.03x
Brighton 9 1.53x
Heworth 9 8.86x
Kilsyth 9 22.08x
Muirkirk 9 29.55x
Old Monkland 9 4.05x
Ovingham Whittle Spital 9 229.59x
Paisley High Church 9 8.42x
Stranraer 9 42.76x
Whickham 9 18.97x
Bonhill 8 10.70x
Duddingston 8 17.16x
Dunblane 8 42.96x
East Greenock 8 6.31x
Edinburgh St Stephens 8 17.50x
Kilmadock 8 44.72x
Larbert 8 20.93x
Rutherglen 8 9.73x
Shipdham 8 88.40x
St George Hanover Square 8 2.62x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 7 4.37x
Birkenhead 7 2.29x
Bishops Castle In 7 80.18x
Broadwater 7 10.44x
Carmunnock 7 162.79x
Cheltenham 7 2.67x
Galston 7 19.73x
Hamilton 7 4.48x
Haswell 7 18.94x
Kirkconnell 7 115.51x
Kirkoswald 7 66.10x
Lambeth 7 0.46x
Melrose 7 17.74x
Renfrew 7 15.78x
Toxteth Park 7 1.01x
Wetheral 7 35.43x
Matlock 6 16.47x
Paddington London 6 0.94x
Tynemouth 6 4.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 45
William 33
James 31
George 18
Robert 17
Thomas 17
Charles 10
Joseph 9
David 7
Henry 7
Andrew 4
Edward 4
Frederick 4
Richard 4
Albert 3
Alexander 3
Arthur 3
Gilbert 3
Harry 3
Hugh 3
Matthew 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Archbold 2
Archibald 2
Benjamin 2
Mathew 2
Richmond 2
Ann 1
Archie 1
Augustus 1
Chas. 1
Donald 1
E. 1
Ecclas 1
Ecelas 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Gerald 1
Isaac 1
Jarvis 1
Jno. 1
Major 1
Michael 1
Nicholas 1
Philip 1
Wilton 1

FAQ

Lennox surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lennox surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,781 people were recorded with the Lennox surname. That placed it at #2,434 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lennox surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,208 in 2016. That gives Lennox a modern rank of #2,119.

What does the Lennox surname mean?

From the Old English elements "elm" and "hús," meaning a house or settlement near an elm tree.

What does the Lennox map show?

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