NameCensus.

UK surname

Lever

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of levers or to a lever operator.

In the 1881 census there were 2,711 people recorded with the Lever surname, ranking it #1,643 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,419, ranked #1,994, down from #1,643 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Dean. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lever is 3,645 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.1%.

1881 census count

2,711

Ranked #1,643

Modern count

3,419

2016, ranked #1,994

Peak year

2002

3,645 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lever had 2,711 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,643 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,419 in 2016, ranked #1,994.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,439 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Lever surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lever surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lever 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 1,659 #1,734
1861 historical 1,428 #1,989
1881 historical 2,711 #1,643
1891 historical 2,665 #1,787
1901 historical 3,211 #1,746
1911 historical 3,439 #1,525
1997 modern 3,516 #1,841
1998 modern 3,636 #1,856
1999 modern 3,636 #1,870
2000 modern 3,634 #1,868
2001 modern 3,603 #1,829
2002 modern 3,645 #1,860
2003 modern 3,533 #1,871
2004 modern 3,519 #1,879
2005 modern 3,431 #1,898
2006 modern 3,458 #1,885
2007 modern 3,477 #1,893
2008 modern 3,473 #1,912
2009 modern 3,542 #1,926
2010 modern 3,590 #1,939
2011 modern 3,560 #1,932
2012 modern 3,445 #1,958
2013 modern 3,491 #1,964
2014 modern 3,520 #1,964
2015 modern 3,478 #1,960
2016 modern 3,419 #1,994

Geography

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Where Levers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Dean and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton and Wiltshire. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Dean Lancashire
4 London parishes London 2
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 010 Bolton
2 Wiltshire 061 Wiltshire
3 Bolton 006 Bolton
4 Bolton 002 Bolton
5 Bolton 017 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lever

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lever

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Lever surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Lever household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Lever 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

Lever is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lever falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Lever is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Lever

The surname Lever is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is derived from the Old English word "laefre," which means a small wooden bar or lever used for moving heavy objects.

Historically, the name Lever was often associated with trades or occupations that involved the use of levers, such as carpenters, blacksmiths, or workers in the mining and quarrying industries. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various forms, including Levre, Lever, and Levere.

One of the earliest known references to the name Lever is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire, dating back to 1301. The rolls list a person named Robertus Le Levre, indicating the occupation-based origin of the surname.

In the 15th century, the name Lever appeared in the records of the Corpus Christi Guild of York, which documented the names of members of various trades and professions in the city. This suggests that individuals with the surname Lever were likely involved in skilled crafts or professions requiring the use of levers or related tools.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Lever. One of the earliest was John Lever (c. 1370-1440), an English theologian and scholar who served as the Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge. Another significant figure was Sir Ashton Lever (1729-1788), an English naturalist and collector renowned for his extensive collection of natural history specimens, which later became part of the British Museum.

In the literary world, Charles James Lever (1806-1872) was an Irish novelist and author best known for his novels set in Ireland, including "Charles O'Malley" and "Tom Burke of Ours." William Hesketh Lever (1851-1925), a British industrialist and philanthropist, founded the famous Lever Brothers soap company, which later became part of Unilever.

Another notable individual was Samuel Lever (1820-1897), an English industrialist and engineer who played a crucial role in the development of the cotton-spinning industry in the city of Bolton, Lancashire. His contributions to the industry earned him the nickname "The Cotton King."

These are just a few examples of the individuals who have borne the surname Lever throughout history, reflecting its origins in various trades, professions, and industries that utilized levers and related tools.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lever families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lever 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. Lancashire leads with 1,455 Levers recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.66x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,455 4.66x
Wiltshire 177 7.60x
Surrey 139 1.08x
Yorkshire 136 0.52x
Middlesex 131 0.50x
Cheshire 130 2.24x
Hampshire 92 1.71x
Sussex 44 0.99x
Kent 42 0.47x
Staffordshire 26 0.29x
Buckinghamshire 23 1.45x
Northamptonshire 22 0.89x
Essex 21 0.40x
Berkshire 20 1.01x
Derbyshire 20 0.49x
Somerset 18 0.42x
Dorset 17 0.98x
Nottinghamshire 16 0.45x
Renfrewshire 16 0.78x
Leicestershire 15 0.51x
Glamorgan 13 0.28x
Cambridgeshire 12 0.72x
Devon 12 0.22x
Warwickshire 12 0.18x
Monmouthshire 11 0.58x
Gloucestershire 9 0.17x
Suffolk 9 0.28x
Durham 8 0.10x
Ayrshire 7 0.36x
Bedfordshire 7 0.51x
Worcestershire 7 0.20x
Dunbartonshire 5 0.71x
Hertfordshire 4 0.22x
Oxfordshire 3 0.18x
Cumberland 2 0.09x
Lanarkshire 2 0.02x
Lincolnshire 2 0.05x
Royal Navy 2 0.64x
Westmorland 2 0.35x
Angus 1 0.04x
Argyllshire 1 0.14x
Channel Islands 1 0.13x
Denbighshire 1 0.10x
Flintshire 1 0.14x
Herefordshire 1 0.09x
Norfolk 1 0.02x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.12x
Shropshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Bolton in Lancashire leads with 155 Levers recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.47x.

Place Total Index
Great Bolton 155 37.47x
Little Bolton 133 33.12x
Salford 86 9.36x
Farnworth 68 36.34x
Halliwell 54 47.51x
Manchester 51 3.63x
Radcliffe 42 27.90x
Bury 41 11.49x
Oldham 41 4.07x
Little Lever 39 97.65x
Anstey 34 1287.88x
Camberwell 33 1.96x
Kearsley 32 48.70x
Ashton Under Lyne 30 4.40x
Pilkington 30 25.29x
Little Hulton 27 52.21x
Tonge With Haulgh 27 44.42x
Fovant 26 514.85x
East Tisbury 25 311.33x
Halifax 25 6.53x
Chorlton On Medlock 24 4.84x
Lambeth 24 1.05x
Newton 24 9.97x
Wardour 23 337.24x
Great Little Marsden 22 15.38x
Battersea 21 2.17x
Newton 21 233.07x
North Meols 21 6.87x
Pendleton In Salford 21 5.64x
Bradford 19 3.01x
Islington London 19 0.74x
Southampton St Mary 19 5.60x
Toxteth Park 19 1.80x
Sharples 18 53.14x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 18 20.02x
West Derby 18 1.97x
Tonge 17 25.95x
Baverstock 16 1454.55x
Dukinfield 16 5.96x
Liverpool 16 0.84x
Chorley 15 8.56x
Donhead St Mary 15 126.80x
East Greenock 15 7.79x
Hulme 14 2.15x
Keighley 14 5.04x
St Pancras London 14 0.66x
Accrington 13 4.58x
Blackburn 13 1.56x
Glossop Dale 13 6.74x
Rastrick 13 17.95x
Windle 13 7.40x
Castleton 12 3.85x
Chadderton 12 7.86x
Kensington London 12 0.82x
Leicester St Margaret 12 1.69x
Nottingham St Mary 12 1.31x
Royton 12 12.56x
Heap 11 6.64x
St Andrewthe Less 11 5.78x
Great Budworth 10 97.09x
Hayes 10 37.23x
Hove 10 5.14x
Newington 10 1.03x
Woolwich 10 3.01x
Bradford 9 6.16x
Cheadle 9 8.11x
Hackney London 9 0.61x
Heaton Norris 9 5.06x
Hindley 9 6.76x
Hyde 9 5.25x
Middleton In Oldham 9 9.61x
Milton 9 137.40x
Rumworth 9 20.17x
Stayley 9 13.55x
Stretford 9 5.24x
Teffont Magna 9 344.83x
Wednesbury 9 4.05x
Almondbury 8 6.34x
Great Harwood 8 14.17x
Great Lever 8 24.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 206
Elizabeth 118
Sarah 113
Alice 61
Ann 60
Ellen 50
Jane 47
Margaret 45
Eliza 43
Martha 37
Emma 36
Annie 33
Emily 26
Hannah 26
Fanny 19
Maria 18
Catherine 15
Esther 15
Florence 15
Harriet 15
Louisa 15
Charlotte 14
Isabella 12
Ada 10
Betty 10
Caroline 9
Edith 9
Grace 9
Lucy 9
Susan 9
Betsy 8
Frances 8
Nancy 8
Amelia 7
Anna 7
Rachel 6
Rebecca 6
Rose 6
Susannah 6
Anne 5
Kate 5
Margt. 5
Matilda 5
Gertrude 4
Leah 4
Letitia 4
Minnie 4
Phoebe 4
Sophia 4
Laura 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 174
William 136
Thomas 111
James 107
George 69
Joseph 66
Robert 59
Charles 52
Henry 40
Edward 23
Samuel 23
Walter 23
Alfred 21
Richard 21
Arthur 20
Edwin 15
Ernest 15
Frederick 14
Harry 13
Frank 12
Albert 11
Peter 9
Tom 8
Wm. 8
David 7
Fred 7
Herbert 7
Benjamin 6
Geo. 6
Joshua 6
Adam 5
Alexander 5
Andrew 5
Francis 5
Fredrick 5
Sidney 5
Ellis 4
Giles 4
Josiah 4
Mark 4
Robt. 4
Ashton 3
Daniel 3
Edgar 3
Jas. 3
Jos. 3
Ralph 3
Reginald 3
Thos. 3
Darcy 2

FAQ

Lever surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lever surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,711 people were recorded with the Lever surname. That placed it at #1,643 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lever surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,419 in 2016. That gives Lever a modern rank of #1,994.

What does the Lever surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of levers or to a lever operator.

What does the Lever map show?

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