NameCensus.

UK surname

Lesslie

A Scottish habitational name referring to a locale of that spelling.

In the 1881 census there were 206 people recorded with the Lesslie surname, ranking it #12,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 158, ranked #22,904, down from #12,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stobswell, Torridge and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lesslie is 460 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 23.3%.

1881 census count

206

Ranked #12,596

Modern count

158

2016, ranked #22,904

Peak year

1851

460 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lesslie had 206 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 158 in 2016, ranked #22,904.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 460 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Routine Occupations or Retirement.

Lesslie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lesslie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lesslie 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 460 #5,388
1861 historical 263 #9,423
1881 historical 206 #12,596
1891 historical 110 #22,557
1901 historical 113 #21,296
1911 historical 60 #26,808
1997 modern 112 #25,244
1998 modern 134 #23,202
1999 modern 134 #23,378
2000 modern 127 #24,121
2001 modern 126 #23,883
2002 modern 127 #24,267
2003 modern 127 #24,019
2004 modern 130 #23,902
2005 modern 139 #22,887
2006 modern 142 #22,724
2007 modern 149 #22,318
2008 modern 147 #22,720
2009 modern 144 #23,577
2010 modern 150 #23,482
2011 modern 149 #23,408
2012 modern 152 #23,069
2013 modern 156 #23,004
2014 modern 162 #22,624
2015 modern 157 #22,997
2016 modern 158 #22,904

Geography

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Where Lesslies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Westray and Papa Westray and Brechin. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stobswell, Torridge, Doncaster and Douglas West. 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 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Westray and Papa Westray Orkney
5 Brechin Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stobswell Dundee City
2 Torridge 001 Torridge
3 Torridge 004 Torridge
4 Doncaster 029 Doncaster
5 Douglas West Dundee City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lesslie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lesslie

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

Routine Occupations or Retirement

Nationally, the Lesslie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Routine Occupations or Retirement, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Lesslie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are characterised by high proportions of single, often never-married adults of normal retirement age or older, including many that are in the most advanced age groups. Most adults are UK born and live at high residential densities, and many of the children living with parents are in adulthood. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are uncommon, but above average proportions of households include individuals that identify with different ethnic groups. Long-term disability is relatively common, and the dominant accommodation type is flats. Unemployment rates are high, with most of those employed working in routine occupations. Few individuals have high level qualifications. Car ownership is not high.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Lesslie is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Lesslie is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lesslie 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 Lesslie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Lesslie

The surname Lesslie originated in Scotland, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the old English word "læs," meaning pasture or meadow, and the Scottish word "lie," meaning a sheltered place. The name initially referred to someone who lived in a meadow or a sheltered area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England after his conquest of Scotland. The entry reads "Walter de Lesselyn," likely referring to someone from the lands of Lesslyn or Leslyn.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Leslye, Lesly, and Lesselies, in various charters and records from the Scottish regions of Aberdeenshire and Fife. One notable figure from this period was Sir Andrew Lesslie, a Scottish knight who fought alongside King James IV at the Battle of Flodden Field in 1513.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name began to spread beyond Scotland, with some families settling in England and Ireland. One prominent individual was John Lesslie, a Scottish clergyman born in 1571, who served as the Bishop of Raphoe in Ireland from 1633 until his death in 1661.

In the 18th century, the name was also found in historical records from the American colonies. Robert Lesslie, born in 1677 in Scotland, emigrated to South Carolina and became a notable planter and landowner in the region.

Another notable individual with the surname Lesslie was Sir Andrew Lesslie, a Scottish writer and historian born in 1754. He published several works on Scottish history and was a respected figure in literary circles of his time.

Throughout the 19th century, the Lesslie surname continued to be present in various parts of the United Kingdom and its colonies. One notable figure was Brigadier-General James Lesslie, a British Army officer born in 1801, who served in the Crimean War and was awarded several military honors.

These examples illustrate the long history and widespread distribution of the surname Lesslie, originating from its Scottish roots and carried by individuals who made significant contributions in various fields over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lesslie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lesslie 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. Angus leads with 59 Lesslies recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.85x.

County Total Index
Angus 59 31.85x
Orkney 53 240.91x
Middlesex 17 0.85x
Fife 11 9.29x
Aberdeenshire 8 4.32x
Midlothian 8 2.99x
Perthshire 7 7.80x
Stirlingshire 7 9.49x
Lanarkshire 6 0.93x
Dunbartonshire 5 9.30x
Northumberland 5 1.68x
East Lothian 4 15.10x
Kent 4 0.59x
Roxburghshire 4 11.04x
Morayshire 2 6.44x
West Lothian 2 6.64x
Ayrshire 1 0.67x
Banffshire 1 2.41x
Dumfriesshire 1 2.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stronsay Eday in Orkney leads with 41 Lesslies recorded in 1881 and an index of 2847.22x.

Place Total Index
Stronsay Eday 41 2847.22x
Dundee 23 33.26x
Liff Benvie 13 46.23x
Lady 12 1846.15x
Brechin 8 109.89x
Ruthven 8 6153.85x
Blairgowrie 7 197.18x
Falkirk 7 40.56x
Montrose 7 62.33x
Edinburgh Trinity 6 697.67x
St Marylebone London 6 5.62x
St Monance 6 425.53x
Bethnal Green London 5 5.76x
Kirkintilloch 5 68.49x
North Shields 5 84.18x
Aberdeen Old Machar 4 10.34x
Aberlady 4 579.71x
Kelso 4 110.80x
Lewisham 4 11.00x
Govan 3 1.88x
Limehouse London 3 13.67x
Peterhead 3 30.64x
Leuchars 2 133.33x
Linlithgow 2 51.81x
Barony 1 0.61x
Bothwell 1 5.70x
Cullen 1 64.94x
Dalgety 1 111.11x
Dalton 1 250.00x
Duddingston 1 18.59x
Duffus 1 36.50x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.93x
Edinkillie 1 123.46x
Galston 1 24.45x
Gorbals 1 26.04x
Hackney London 1 0.89x
Heston 1 15.06x
Kinghorn 1 39.84x
Mile End Old Town London 1 2.35x
Newhills 1 26.39x
St Andrews 1 18.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Celia 2
Elizabeth 2
Mary 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Marian 1
Maud 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 3
William 3
John 2
Alfred 1
Frank 1
Henery 1
Jas. 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1

FAQ

Lesslie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lesslie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 206 people were recorded with the Lesslie surname. That placed it at #12,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lesslie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 158 in 2016. That gives Lesslie a modern rank of #22,904.

What does the Lesslie surname mean?

A Scottish habitational name referring to a locale of that spelling.

What does the Lesslie map show?

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