NameCensus.

UK surname

Letheren

In the 1881 census there were 116 people recorded with the Letheren surname, ranking it #18,126 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 160, ranked #22,694, down from #18,126 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), Winkleigh and St Thomas the Apostle, Whitestone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, Carmarthenshire and West Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Letheren is 177 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.9%.

1881 census count

116

Ranked #18,126

Modern count

160

2016, ranked #22,694

Peak year

1911

177 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Letheren had 116 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,126 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 160 in 2016, ranked #22,694.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 177 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Letheren surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Letheren surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Letheren 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 33 #27,390
1861 historical 43 #28,562
1881 historical 116 #18,126
1891 historical 151 #18,242
1901 historical 161 #17,324
1911 historical 177 #16,129
1997 modern 164 #19,944
1998 modern 170 #20,030
1999 modern 166 #20,458
2000 modern 162 #20,735
2001 modern 161 #20,543
2002 modern 171 #20,177
2003 modern 162 #20,624
2004 modern 147 #22,094
2005 modern 154 #21,396
2006 modern 169 #20,294
2007 modern 171 #20,387
2008 modern 154 #22,034
2009 modern 163 #21,715
2010 modern 159 #22,577
2011 modern 163 #21,983
2012 modern 160 #22,260
2013 modern 166 #22,075
2014 modern 171 #21,812
2015 modern 162 #22,509
2016 modern 160 #22,694

Geography

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Where Letherens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), Winkleigh, St Thomas the Apostle, Whitestone, Dowland and Hatherleigh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, Carmarthenshire, West Devon and Medway. 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 Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) Devon
2 Winkleigh Devon
3 St Thomas the Apostle, Whitestone Devon
4 Dowland Devon
5 Hatherleigh Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 009 Forest of Dean
2 Carmarthenshire 020 Carmarthenshire
3 West Devon 001 West Devon
4 Carmarthenshire 025 Carmarthenshire
5 Medway 002 Medway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Letheren

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Letheren

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Letheren surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Letheren household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Letheren is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Letheren is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Letheren falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Letheren families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Letheren 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. Devon leads with 76 Letherens recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.27x.

County Total Index
Devon 76 32.27x
Gloucestershire 20 9.01x
Surrey 7 1.27x
Middlesex 6 0.53x
Glamorgan 5 2.54x
Lincolnshire 1 0.55x
Staffordshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cheltenham in Gloucestershire leads with 20 Letherens recorded in 1881 and an index of 116.82x.

Place Total Index
Cheltenham 20 116.82x
Dowland 18 30000.00x
Winkleigh 16 3404.26x
Dolton 6 2068.97x
Lambeth 6 6.08x
North Tawton 6 833.33x
Broadwood Kelly 5 4545.45x
Chulmleigh 5 925.93x
Exeter St Paul 5 1063.83x
Priscerwyn 5 2173.91x
Exeter Alphington 4 930.23x
Exeter St Kerrian 4 2352.94x
Willesden 4 37.49x
Ashreigney 2 769.23x
Morebath 2 1176.47x
Bideford 1 39.68x
Black Torrington 1 294.12x
Clapham 1 7.07x
Exeter St Mary Major 1 70.42x
Grantham 1 42.37x
St George Hanover Square 1 5.02x
St Gregory By St Pauls 1 357.14x
Thorpe Constantine 1 5000.00x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Letheren surname: questions and answers

How common was the Letheren surname in 1881?

In 1881, 116 people were recorded with the Letheren surname. That placed it at #18,126 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Letheren surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 160 in 2016. That gives Letheren a modern rank of #22,694.

What does the Letheren map show?

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