NameCensus.

UK surname

Lessells

In the 1881 census there were 60 people recorded with the Lessells surname, ranking it #25,133 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 106, ranked #29,927, down from #25,133 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dunfermline Bellyeoman and Townhill, Dunfermline Headwell and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lessells is 112 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 76.7%.

1881 census count

60

Ranked #25,133

Modern count

106

2016, ranked #29,927

Peak year

1998

112 bearers

Map years

2

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lessells had 60 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,133 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 106 in 2016, ranked #29,927.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 78 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Lessells surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lessells surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lessells 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 31 #27,734
1861 historical 35 #29,571
1881 historical 60 #25,133
1891 historical 78 #27,035
1901 historical 59 #27,609
1911 historical 28 #30,296
1997 modern 102 #26,638
1998 modern 112 #25,856
1999 modern 106 #26,885
2000 modern 104 #27,150
2001 modern 106 #26,468
2002 modern 102 #27,596
2003 modern 101 #27,561
2004 modern 99 #28,136
2005 modern 93 #29,133
2006 modern 94 #29,264
2007 modern 97 #29,156
2008 modern 94 #29,950
2009 modern 104 #28,982
2010 modern 109 #28,831
2011 modern 110 #28,478
2012 modern 104 #29,543
2013 modern 108 #29,379
2014 modern 111 #29,113
2015 modern 111 #28,986
2016 modern 106 #29,927

Geography

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Where Lessells' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dunfermline Bellyeoman and Townhill, Dunfermline Headwell, Cheshire West and Chester, Christchurch and Bolton. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dunfermline Bellyeoman and Townhill Fife
2 Dunfermline Headwell Fife
3 Cheshire West and Chester 003 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Christchurch 006 Christchurch
5 Bolton 012 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lessells

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lessells

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Lessells is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lessells is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lessells falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Lessells 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 Lessells, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Lessells families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lessells 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. Fife leads with 44 Lessells' recorded in 1881 and an index of 127.02x.

County Total Index
Fife 44 127.02x
Northamptonshire 11 19.99x
Aberdeenshire 4 7.38x
Middlesex 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dunfermline in Fife leads with 35 Lessells' recorded in 1881 and an index of 656.66x.

Place Total Index
Dunfermline 35 656.66x
Northampton Priory St 11 333.33x
Kinghorn 5 675.68x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 4 39.45x
Kirkcaldy 4 232.56x
Hayes 1 166.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 1
Euphemia 1
Grace 1
Maggie 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
David 2
Robert 2
James 1
William 1

FAQ

Lessells surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lessells surname in 1881?

In 1881, 60 people were recorded with the Lessells surname. That placed it at #25,133 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lessells surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 106 in 2016. That gives Lessells a modern rank of #29,927.

What does the Lessells map show?

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