NameCensus.

UK surname

Liew

A surname of Chinese origin meaning "willow" or "willow tree".

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle upon Tyne.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Liew is 476 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

476

2016, ranked #10,360

Peak year

2016

476 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 476 in 2016, ranked #10,360.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Student Living and Professional Footholds.

Liew surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Liew surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Liew 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 #33,412
1861 historical 2 #34,135
1891 historical 1 #34,674
1997 modern 204 #17,409
1998 modern 219 #17,115
1999 modern 265 #15,187
2000 modern 247 #15,864
2001 modern 255 #15,319
2002 modern 279 #14,693
2003 modern 281 #14,443
2004 modern 291 #14,138
2005 modern 315 #13,375
2006 modern 347 #12,515
2007 modern 362 #12,271
2008 modern 371 #12,155
2009 modern 378 #12,248
2010 modern 421 #11,519
2011 modern 435 #11,066
2012 modern 446 #10,733
2013 modern 471 #10,464
2014 modern 469 #10,570
2015 modern 466 #10,552
2016 modern 476 #10,360

Geography

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Where Liews 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 Kensington and Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle upon Tyne, Portsmouth and City Centre 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 Kensington and Chelsea 016 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Liverpool 031 Liverpool
3 Newcastle upon Tyne 024 Newcastle upon Tyne
4 Portsmouth 017 Portsmouth
5 City Centre East Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Liew

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

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Student Living and Professional Footholds

Nationally, the Liew surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Student Living and Professional Footholds, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Liew household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

The Group includes many students, some of whom reside in communal residences. Single-person households are the most prevalent and the modal age band is 25 to 44. There are few families with dependent children. A significant number of White residents were born in EU countries (although UK-born residents are more common than in the rest of the Group), and households reflect a diversity of ethnic groups. Residential turnover is exceptionally high and, communal properties aside, flats are the norm. Some properties, including those in the private rental sector, are over-crowded. Many residents are professionals and technicians educated to degree level, and the Group is particularly common near the campuses of established university towns and cities.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Liew is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Liew is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Liew falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Liew 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
Asian - Chinese

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

Meaning and origin of Liew

The surname LIEW originates from China, with its roots dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is a romanized spelling of the Chinese characters 刘, which can be traced back to the ancient state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC).

The name LIEW is believed to have originated in the region of Henan Province, which was once a part of the ancient state of Chu. The characters 刘 were initially used as a place name, referring to a location known as Liu River or Liu County.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LIEW can be found in the Shiji, a historical text written by Sima Qian in the 1st century BC. The book mentions Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, who was born in 256 BC with the family name Liu.

During the Tang Dynasty, the surname LIEW gained prominence, with several notable figures bearing the name. Liu Yuxi (772-842 AD), a renowned poet and scholar, was one of the most celebrated individuals with this surname during this period.

Another notable figure was Liu Xie (465-522 AD), a literary critic and writer who lived during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. His influential work, "The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons," is considered a classic in Chinese literary theory.

In the 13th century, the Mongol ruler Kublai Khan appointed Liu Bingzhong (1216-1274) as the first Minister of Finance in the Yuan Dynasty. Liu Bingzhong played a crucial role in establishing the paper currency system in China.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Liu Ji (1311-1375) was a prominent Confucian scholar and philosopher. He is best known for his work "The Reflection of Things from the Beginning to the End," which explored the principles of Confucianism and Taoism.

In more recent history, Liu E (1857-1909), also known as Liu Ngog-lam, was a Chinese revolutionary and the first president of the Tung Meng Hui, a precursor to the Kuomintang political party.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Liew surname: questions and answers

How common is the Liew surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 476 in 2016. That gives Liew a modern rank of #10,360.

What does the Liew surname mean?

A surname of Chinese origin meaning "willow" or "willow tree".

What does the Liew map show?

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