NameCensus.

UK surname

Lenton

A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Lenton in Nottinghamshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 1,497 people recorded with the Lenton surname, ranking it #2,799 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,085, ranked #3,102, down from #2,799 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Broughton, Bedworth and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Huntingdonshire, Dudley and East Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lenton is 2,249 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.3%.

1881 census count

1,497

Ranked #2,799

Modern count

2,085

2016, ranked #3,102

Peak year

1998

2,249 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lenton had 1,497 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,799 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,085 in 2016, ranked #3,102.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,144 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Lenton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lenton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lenton 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 1,050 #2,667
1861 historical 1,012 #2,764
1881 historical 1,497 #2,799
1891 historical 1,527 #2,891
1901 historical 1,938 #2,730
1911 historical 2,144 #2,345
1997 modern 2,172 #2,850
1998 modern 2,249 #2,865
1999 modern 2,247 #2,882
2000 modern 2,233 #2,887
2001 modern 2,169 #2,904
2002 modern 2,215 #2,901
2003 modern 2,146 #2,929
2004 modern 2,108 #2,969
2005 modern 2,058 #2,999
2006 modern 2,072 #2,986
2007 modern 2,076 #3,012
2008 modern 2,086 #3,022
2009 modern 2,172 #2,988
2010 modern 2,232 #2,979
2011 modern 2,229 #2,944
2012 modern 2,196 #2,918
2013 modern 2,185 #2,983
2014 modern 2,181 #3,008
2015 modern 2,125 #3,060
2016 modern 2,085 #3,102

Geography

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Where Lentons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Broughton, Bedworth, London parishes, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory and Foleshill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Huntingdonshire, Dudley, East Lindsey and Fenland. 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 Broughton Northamptonshire
2 Bedworth Warwickshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
5 Foleshill Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Huntingdonshire 001 Huntingdonshire
2 Dudley 018 Dudley
3 East Lindsey 017 East Lindsey
4 Dudley 020 Dudley
5 Fenland 005 Fenland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lenton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lenton

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

Professional Periphery

Within London, Lenton is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Lenton is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Lenton

The surname Lenton has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "lenn" and "tun," which together mean "farm or settlement by a pool or stream." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name likely lived near a body of water or in a low-lying area prone to flooding.

One of the earliest known references to the Lenton name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a William de Lenton is mentioned as residing in Nottinghamshire. This county is believed to be the birthplace of the surname, with the village of Lenton, now a suburb of Nottingham, being a potential source of the name's origin.

In the 14th century, the Lenton name appeared in various records, including the Poll Tax Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, where a Johannes de Lenton is listed. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its initial origins in Nottinghamshire by this time.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Lenton surname. However, it does mention several places with similar names, such as Lenton in Lincolnshire and Lenton Priory in Nottinghamshire, indicating that the name was likely derived from these locations.

Notable individuals bearing the Lenton surname include:

1. Francis Lenton (c. 1550 - 1610), an English poet and playwright active during the Elizabethan era. 2. John Lenton (1633 - 1668), an English Puritan minister and author who wrote several religious works. 3. Robert Lenton (1765 - 1839), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. 4. William Lenton (1801 - 1870), an English architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in Nottinghamshire. 5. Mary Lenton (1892 - 1974), a British botanist and plant collector known for her extensive travels to South America and her contributions to the study of tropical flora.

Throughout its history, the Lenton surname has also been subject to various spellings, such as Lenten, Lentone, and Lentoun, reflecting regional variations and phonetic adaptations over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lenton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lenton 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. Warwickshire leads with 270 Lentons recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.34x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 270 7.34x
Northamptonshire 186 13.55x
Leicestershire 142 8.78x
Lincolnshire 113 4.84x
Middlesex 104 0.71x
Yorkshire 86 0.59x
Huntingdonshire 75 25.88x
Lancashire 67 0.39x
Cambridgeshire 63 6.82x
Bedfordshire 54 7.15x
Staffordshire 39 0.79x
Norfolk 37 1.65x
Somerset 29 1.23x
Surrey 29 0.41x
Hampshire 26 0.87x
Sussex 22 0.89x
Worcestershire 22 1.15x
Nottinghamshire 19 0.97x
Kent 17 0.34x
Wiltshire 16 1.24x
Essex 13 0.45x
Devon 12 0.40x
Flintshire 10 2.55x
Suffolk 8 0.45x
Rutland 7 6.53x
Cheshire 5 0.16x
Durham 5 0.12x
Derbyshire 4 0.18x
Lanarkshire 4 0.08x
Ayrshire 3 0.27x
Dorset 2 0.21x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.16x
Gloucestershire 1 0.03x
Hertfordshire 1 0.10x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.30x
Northumberland 1 0.05x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.22x
Renfrewshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 66 Lentons recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.73x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 66 16.73x
Coventry Holy Trinity 65 59.15x
Broughton 48 1093.39x
Coventry St Michael 31 26.22x
Bedworth 27 100.56x
Potton 25 249.25x
Northampton Priory St 24 29.14x
Gretton 20 479.62x
Leamington Priors 20 22.09x
Stow Bardolph 19 284.86x
Chilvers Coton 18 118.89x
Foleshill 18 46.49x
Kettering 17 30.62x
Leicester St Mary 16 12.24x
St Marylebone London 16 2.05x
Aston 15 1.48x
Yaxley 15 221.24x
Leverton 14 471.38x
Smeeton 14 721.65x
Sowe 14 211.16x
Deeping St James 13 157.58x
Kimbolton 13 213.11x
Portsea 13 2.22x
Sutton 13 169.71x
Bury 12 689.66x
Doddington 12 176.99x
Harborne 12 7.60x
Islington London 12 0.85x
Knossington 12 827.59x
Liverpool 12 1.14x
Oundle 12 78.18x
Peterborough 12 12.07x
Birmingham 11 0.90x
Horncastle 11 45.68x
Nuneaton 11 25.80x
Stoneleigh 11 180.03x
Glatton 10 358.42x
Holywell 10 20.30x
Hove 10 9.26x
Morley 10 13.30x
Sheffield 10 2.17x
Stanwick 10 305.81x
Chelsea London 9 2.05x
Clapham 9 4.93x
Curry Rivell 9 114.50x
Dudley 9 3.88x
Gedney 9 94.44x
Kenilworth 9 43.37x
Northampton All Sts 9 19.32x
Radford 9 9.01x
Rugby 9 18.08x
Toxteth Park 9 1.53x
West Ham 9 1.42x
Bedford St Mary 8 41.11x
Biggleswade 8 32.32x
Friskney 8 107.96x
Highweek 8 73.87x
Ipswich St Peter 8 33.43x
Nottingham St Mary 8 1.57x
Pendleton In Salford 8 3.88x
Salisbury St Edmund 8 38.61x
Shoreditch London 8 1.26x
St Pancras London 8 0.68x
Walsoken 8 59.30x
Walton On Hill 8 8.53x
Branston 7 97.90x
Burton Upon Trent 7 6.07x
Clerkenwell London 7 2.03x
Doncaster 7 6.63x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 7 17.37x
Isleworth 7 10.79x
Kibworth Harcourt 7 311.11x
Langley Burrell 7 130.60x
Oakham Lordshold 7 62.44x
Oldbury 7 7.47x
Paston 7 120.07x
St Luke London 7 2.99x
Swineshead 7 91.26x
Swinton In Rotherham 7 18.31x
Laxton 6 1200.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 112
Elizabeth 58
Sarah 58
Emma 42
Eliza 35
Ann 30
Ellen 26
Jane 24
Alice 20
Annie 20
Hannah 19
Maria 12
Martha 12
Emily 11
Harriet 10
Charlotte 9
Frances 9
Edith 8
Louisa 8
Caroline 7
Fanny 7
Florence 7
Harriett 7
Rose 7
Clara 6
Kate 6
Selina 6
Ada 5
Anne 5
Gertrude 5
Jemima 5
Lizzie 5
Lucy 5
Susan 5
Amy 4
Margaret 4
Rebecca 4
Susannah 4
Agnes 3
Rosa 3
Ruth 3
Anna 2
Betsey 2
Catharine 2
Catherine 2
Elizth. 2
Mabel 2
Maud 2
Minnie 2
Miriam 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 109
John 97
Thomas 56
George 54
Joseph 45
Charles 38
James 34
Henry 23
Edward 20
Arthur 19
Alfred 15
Robert 14
Samuel 13
Albert 12
Walter 10
Richard 8
Frederick 7
Herbert 7
Mark 7
Ernest 6
Benjamin 5
Frank 5
Philip 5
Sidney 5
Daniel 4
David 4
Francis 4
Harry 4
Thos. 4
Edgar 3
Isaac 3
Jonathan 3
Amos 2
Augustus 2
Benj. 2
Charls 2
Chas. 2
Emanuel 2
Fred 2
Fredk. 2
Fredrick 2
Frewin 2
Joshua 2
Josiah 2
Levi 2
Michael 2
Percy 2
Peter 2
Willm. 2
Wm. 2

FAQ

Lenton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lenton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,497 people were recorded with the Lenton surname. That placed it at #2,799 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lenton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,085 in 2016. That gives Lenton a modern rank of #3,102.

What does the Lenton surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Lenton in Nottinghamshire, England.

What does the Lenton map show?

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