NameCensus.

UK surname

Letman

An English surname derived from the word "let" meaning to allow or permit.

In the 1881 census there were 37 people recorded with the Letman surname, ranking it #28,418 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 128, ranked #26,401, up from #28,418 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Flintshire, Babergh and Cardiff.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Letman is 133 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 245.9%.

1881 census count

37

Ranked #28,418

Modern count

128

2016, ranked #26,401

Peak year

2011

133 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Letman had 37 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,418 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 128 in 2016, ranked #26,401.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 65 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Letman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Letman surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Letman 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 30 #27,891
1861 historical 17 #31,714
1881 historical 37 #28,418
1891 historical 48 #30,447
1901 historical 58 #27,724
1911 historical 65 #26,343
1997 modern 117 #24,553
1998 modern 120 #24,793
1999 modern 122 #24,745
2000 modern 124 #24,469
2001 modern 121 #24,493
2002 modern 126 #24,393
2003 modern 127 #24,019
2004 modern 123 #24,679
2005 modern 125 #24,398
2006 modern 122 #25,010
2007 modern 126 #24,860
2008 modern 125 #25,249
2009 modern 127 #25,564
2010 modern 126 #26,312
2011 modern 133 #25,177
2012 modern 130 #25,559
2013 modern 130 #26,074
2014 modern 130 #26,216
2015 modern 128 #26,356
2016 modern 128 #26,401

Geography

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Where Letmans 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 Flintshire, Babergh, Cardiff and Cheshire East. 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 Flintshire 013 Flintshire
2 Babergh 011 Babergh
3 Cardiff 009 Cardiff
4 Cardiff 011 Cardiff
5 Cheshire East 048 Cheshire East

Forenames

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First names often paired with Letman

These lists show first names that appear often with the Letman 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 Letman

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Letman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Letman 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Letman 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

Letman is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Letman falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Letman

The surname Letman originated in England during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "laet" meaning "slow" or "late" and "mann" meaning "man." This suggests the name may have been a descriptive nickname originally given to someone perceived as sluggish or habitually late.

Records of the name can be found in various historical documents from the Middle Ages onward. One of the earliest known references is in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, which mentions a person named William Leteman. The surname also appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex from 1327, listing a certain John Letman.

The name has undergone various spelling variations over time, such as Leteman, Lettman, and Leitman, before solidifying into the modern form of Letman. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the Middle English word "leten," meaning "to delay" or "to hinder," further reinforcing the name's connotation of tardiness or inaction.

While not a particularly common surname, Letman has been borne by several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded was William Letman, a merchant and landowner who lived in York, England, in the late 15th century. Another early bearer of the name was John Letman, a clergyman who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, in the early 16th century.

During the 17th century, a family by the name of Letman resided in the village of Shalfleet on the Isle of Wight. One member of this family, Richard Letman (1632-1704), was a prominent yeoman farmer and served as a churchwarden in the local parish.

In the 18th century, a certain Thomas Letman (1712-1785) gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker in the city of Bristol. His clocks and watches were highly regarded for their craftsmanship and accuracy.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Sir John Letman (1823-1901), a British military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Windward Islands from 1874 to 1880.

While the name Letman is not among the most widespread surnames, it has a rich history rooted in medieval England, with various spelling variations and references in historical records. From merchants and clergymen to skilled artisans and colonial administrators, the name has been associated with individuals from diverse walks of life throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Letman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Letman 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. Cheshire leads with 26 Letmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.65x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 26 32.65x
Warwickshire 5 5.50x
Flintshire 4 41.24x
Lancashire 1 0.23x
Surrey 1 0.57x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Monks Coppenhall in Cheshire leads with 15 Letmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 498.34x.

Place Total Index
Monks Coppenhall 15 498.34x
Willaston In Nantwich 9 3600.00x
Hawarden 4 526.32x
Kenilworth 2 392.16x
Stoneleigh 2 1333.33x
Chertsey 1 87.72x
Leamington 1 166.67x
Little Neston 1 769.23x
Salford 1 7.94x
Stapeley 1 1428.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Elizabeth 3
Sarah 2
Ann 1
Annie 1
Cathrine 1
Helen 1
Jane 1
Lousia 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Edward 3
John 3
William 3
George 2
Isaac 2
Ralph 2
Albert 1
Austin 1
Thos. 1
Verenas 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Letman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Letman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 37 people were recorded with the Letman surname. That placed it at #28,418 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Letman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 128 in 2016. That gives Letman a modern rank of #26,401.

What does the Letman surname mean?

An English surname derived from the word "let" meaning to allow or permit.

What does the Letman map show?

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