NameCensus.

UK surname

Lightburn

A surname derived from a place name meaning a bright or treeless hill.

In the 1881 census there were 157 people recorded with the Lightburn surname, ranking it #15,046 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 199, ranked #19,653, down from #15,046 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Dean and Bolton-le-Moors. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eden, Cheshire West and Chester and Wirral.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lightburn is 213 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.8%.

1881 census count

157

Ranked #15,046

Modern count

199

2016, ranked #19,653

Peak year

2014

213 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lightburn had 157 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,046 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016, ranked #19,653.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 181 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Lightburn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lightburn surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lightburn 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 85 #18,940
1861 historical 112 #19,279
1881 historical 157 #15,046
1891 historical 157 #17,778
1901 historical 181 #16,107
1911 historical 161 #17,072
1997 modern 193 #18,035
1998 modern 197 #18,283
1999 modern 208 #17,808
2000 modern 203 #18,043
2001 modern 197 #18,108
2002 modern 210 #17,753
2003 modern 185 #18,999
2004 modern 190 #18,792
2005 modern 202 #18,016
2006 modern 204 #18,051
2007 modern 209 #17,951
2008 modern 206 #18,300
2009 modern 203 #18,840
2010 modern 206 #19,066
2011 modern 203 #19,098
2012 modern 197 #19,408
2013 modern 211 #18,872
2014 modern 213 #18,883
2015 modern 207 #19,155
2016 modern 199 #19,653

Geography

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Where Lightburns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Dean, Bolton-le-Moors and Skelton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Eden, Cheshire West and Chester and Wirral. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Dean Lancashire
3 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
4 Skelton Yorkshire, North Riding
5 Skelton Cumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Eden 005 Eden
2 Eden 006 Eden
3 Cheshire West and Chester 019 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Eden 004 Eden
5 Wirral 034 Wirral

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lightburn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lightburn

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Lightburn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Lightburn 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Lightburn 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

Lightburn is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lightburn falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Lightburn

The surname Lightburn is of English origin, originating in the northern counties of England during the medieval period. The name is believed to be a locational surname, derived from a place name that included the Old English words 'leoht' meaning 'light' and 'burna' meaning 'a stream or brook'. It likely referred to a settlement near a bright or illuminated stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1190, which mention a Richard de Lichtburne. This suggests the name was already well-established by the late 12th century. The surname is also found in various other medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which list a John de Lyghtburn in Lincolnshire.

The spelling of the name evolved over time, with variations like Lightborne, Lightburn, and Liteburn appearing in various records. Some of these earlier spellings may have been influenced by the place names from which the surname originated, such as Lightburn in the West Riding of Yorkshire or Lightburne in Lancashire.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Lightborn (1510-1586), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He served as Attorney General for the Duchy of Lancaster and played a significant role in legal proceedings during the Tudor period.

Another prominent figure was John Lightburn (1615-1675), an English Puritan clergyman and author who served as a minister in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. He wrote several religious works, including "The Groans of the Damned Soul" and "The Resurrection Rescued from the Soldiers' Calumnies".

In the 18th century, Robert Lightburn (1730-1808) was a notable Scottish minister and author who served as the minister of the Tron Church in Glasgow. He wrote several works on theology and was involved in the Scottish Enlightenment movement.

During the 19th century, Joseph Lightburn (1834-1911) was a British author and journalist who wrote extensively on topics related to the history and culture of the North of England. His works included "The Annals of Westward Ho!" and "Memoirs of the Life of John Constable".

Another noteworthy bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Graham Lightburn (1872-1954), a British lawyer and judge who served as Lord Justice of Appeal and a member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lightburn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lightburn 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 52 Lightburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.84x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 52 2.84x
Durham 32 6.98x
Cheshire 23 6.76x
Cumberland 16 12.06x
Westmorland 16 47.24x
Yorkshire 14 0.92x
Northumberland 2 0.87x
Northamptonshire 1 0.69x
Royal Navy 1 5.45x
Worcestershire 1 0.50x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stanhope in Durham leads with 17 Lightburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 359.41x.

Place Total Index
Stanhope 17 359.41x
Monks Coppenhall 14 109.03x
Little Lever 10 427.35x
Skelton In Guisbrough 8 193.70x
Penrith 7 142.86x
Skelton 7 1842.11x
Accrington 6 36.10x
Appleby St Michael 6 789.47x
Broughton In Salford 6 35.89x
Castle Bolton 6 6666.67x
Runcorn 6 76.53x
West Derby 6 11.22x
Kirkby Thore 5 1851.85x
Little Bolton 5 21.27x
Over Darwen 5 34.22x
Collierley 4 196.08x
Kyo 4 185.19x
Pilkington 4 57.55x
Worsley 4 35.49x
Usworth 3 123.46x
Birkenhead 2 7.37x
Medomsley 2 93.46x
Milbourne 2 1538.46x
Ulverston 2 37.52x
Wardleworth 2 19.14x
Allendale 1 46.95x
Asby 1 384.62x
Cosgrove 1 294.12x
Great Salkeld 1 384.62x
Kidderminster Foreign 1 35.09x
Kirkdale 1 3.25x
Mallerstang 1 714.29x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 8.41x
Royal Navy 1 6.37x
Ryton Woodside 1 175.44x
Tanfield 1 18.35x
Waitby 1 2500.00x
Wallasey 1 86.21x
Widnes 1 7.58x
Wigton 1 50.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Alice 6
Ann 4
Hannah 4
Margaret 4
Agnes 3
Annie 3
Elizabeth 3
Jane 3
Ada 2
Edith 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Margt. 2
Nancy 2
Susannah 2
Betsy 1
Caraline 1
Caroline 1
Carry 1
Catherine 1
Christina 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Louisa 1
Margret 1
Mathilda 1
Phillis 1
Rachel 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 17
William 12
Joseph 6
Robert 5
Thomas 5
George 4
Richard 4
James 3
Edwin 2
Hugh 2
Nevin 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Addinson 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Chr. 1
Christopher 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Henry 1
Johnny 1
Johnson 1
Mark 1
Matthew 1
Miles 1
Roger 1
Saml. 1
Stephen 1

FAQ

Lightburn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lightburn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 157 people were recorded with the Lightburn surname. That placed it at #15,046 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lightburn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016. That gives Lightburn a modern rank of #19,653.

What does the Lightburn surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name meaning a bright or treeless hill.

What does the Lightburn map show?

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