NameCensus.

UK surname

Leyden

A surname derived from the Dutch city of Leiden.

In the 1881 census there were 226 people recorded with the Leyden surname, ranking it #11,889 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 620, ranked #8,494, up from #11,889 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hawick and Wilton, Govan Combination and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Perth Road, Raploch and Clydesdale South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Leyden is 661 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 174.3%.

1881 census count

226

Ranked #11,889

Modern count

620

2016, ranked #8,494

Peak year

2002

661 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Leyden had 226 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,889 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 620 in 2016, ranked #8,494.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 390 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Leyden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Leyden surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Leyden 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 92 #18,050
1861 historical 191 #12,467
1881 historical 226 #11,889
1891 historical 298 #11,167
1901 historical 390 #9,650
1911 historical 185 #15,686
1997 modern 608 #8,068
1998 modern 624 #8,162
1999 modern 637 #8,084
2000 modern 648 #7,951
2001 modern 629 #7,985
2002 modern 661 #7,847
2003 modern 641 #7,902
2004 modern 624 #8,099
2005 modern 628 #7,984
2006 modern 633 #7,967
2007 modern 619 #8,161
2008 modern 627 #8,131
2009 modern 626 #8,316
2010 modern 631 #8,449
2011 modern 627 #8,394
2012 modern 604 #8,562
2013 modern 626 #8,448
2014 modern 629 #8,473
2015 modern 624 #8,460
2016 modern 620 #8,494

Geography

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Where Leydens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hawick and Wilton, Govan Combination, Gateshead, Cardross and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Perth Road, Raploch, Clydesdale South, Wigan and Bury. 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 Hawick and Wilton Roxburgh
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Cardross Dunbarton
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Perth Road Dundee City
2 Raploch Stirling
3 Clydesdale South South Lanarkshire
4 Wigan 035 Wigan
5 Bury 004 Bury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Leyden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Leyden

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Leyden 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

Leyden 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

Leyden 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 Leyden is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Leyden

The surname Leyden has its origins in the Netherlands, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch town of Leiden, located in the province of South Holland. The name is thought to be a locational surname, indicating that the original bearers of the name hailed from or lived near this town.

The town of Leiden itself has a rich history, with its origins dating back to the Roman era. It was an important center for the textile industry, particularly wool and linen production, during the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. The name Leiden is derived from the old Dutch word "lede," meaning a canal or waterway, reflecting the town's location along the Old Rhine River.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Leyden can be found in the Leiden Archief, a collection of municipal records from the city, dating back to the 14th century. These records include references to individuals with the surname Leyden, as well as variations such as Leijden and Leyden.

Notable individuals with the surname Leyden throughout history include:

1. Lucas van Leyden (1494-1533), a renowned Dutch painter, engraver, and draughtsman of the Renaissance period, considered one of the most significant figures of the Leiden School of painting.

2. John of Leiden (also known as Jan Beukelsz, c. 1509-1536), a Dutch Anabaptist leader who briefly established a theocratic regime in Münster, Westphalia, during the Protestant Reformation.

3. Pieter van der Leyden (c. 1530-1589), a Dutch cartographer and engraver, known for his world map and maps of the Low Countries.

4. Everard van Leyden (1670-1737), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his still-life paintings and genre scenes.

5. Jan Leyden (1886-1967), a Dutch painter and graphic artist, known for his expressionist and symbolist works.

The surname Leyden has also been associated with various place names, including Leyden, Massachusetts, a town named after the Dutch city, and the Leyden District in South Holland, which encompasses the town of Leiden and its surrounding areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Leyden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Leyden 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. Midlothian leads with 28 Leydens recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.40x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 28 9.40x
Roxburghshire 27 67.03x
Lancashire 19 0.72x
Northumberland 18 5.44x
Lanarkshire 16 2.22x
Dunbartonshire 15 25.10x
West Lothian 14 41.80x
Renfrewshire 13 7.54x
Surrey 10 0.92x
Yorkshire 10 0.45x
Durham 9 1.36x
Argyllshire 8 12.92x
Stirlingshire 8 9.75x
Clackmannanshire 6 32.66x
Kirkcudbrightshire 6 18.63x
Warwickshire 5 0.89x
Angus 3 1.46x
Cumberland 3 1.57x
Essex 2 0.46x
Perthshire 2 2.00x
Royal Navy 2 7.55x
Cheshire 1 0.20x
Devon 1 0.22x
East Lothian 1 3.39x
Selkirkshire 1 4.97x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wilton in Roxburghshire leads with 12 Leydens recorded in 1881 and an index of 271.49x.

Place Total Index
Wilton 12 271.49x
Abbey 11 41.83x
Hawick 11 121.95x
Cramond 9 398.23x
Govan 9 5.06x
Livingstone 9 789.47x
Westoe 9 23.99x
Campbeltown 8 107.10x
Falkirk 8 41.67x
Cardross 7 97.49x
Elswick 7 26.51x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 7 35.43x
Old Kilpatrick 7 99.15x
Alloa 6 67.34x
Dalkeith 6 102.04x
Little Bolton 6 17.68x
Troqueer 6 142.18x
Aston 5 3.24x
Barrow In Furness 5 13.93x
Edinburgh New 5 216.45x
Bathgate 4 55.02x
Bootle Cum Linacre 4 19.08x
Borthwick 4 300.75x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 3.34x
Glasgow 4 3.13x
Lambeth 4 2.06x
Leeds 4 3.21x
Newington 4 4.87x
Roxburgh 4 519.48x
Barony 3 1.65x
Berwick Upon Tweed 3 42.80x
Brightside Bierlow 3 6.94x
Dundee 3 3.90x
Everton 3 3.57x
Whitehaven 3 29.38x
Battersea 2 2.44x
Leyton 2 26.46x
West Greenock 2 6.46x
Armley 1 10.29x
Bonhill 1 10.43x
Crieff 1 26.95x
Haddington 1 22.99x
Hook 1 20.62x
Lidford 1 48.08x
Linlithgow 1 23.26x
Melrose 1 19.76x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 5.83x
North Meols 1 3.87x
Royal Navy 1 4.42x
Sheffield 1 1.43x
Stockport 1 3.96x
Tibbermore 1 69.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Ellen 3
Ann 2
Isabella 2
Margaret 2
Annie 1
Bridget 1
Elizabeth 1
Euphemia 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Margret 1
Margt.M. 1
Maria 1
Sarah 1
Sophia 1
Susana 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Leyden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Leyden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 226 people were recorded with the Leyden surname. That placed it at #11,889 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Leyden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 620 in 2016. That gives Leyden a modern rank of #8,494.

What does the Leyden surname mean?

A surname derived from the Dutch city of Leiden.

What does the Leyden map show?

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