NameCensus.

UK surname

Lim

A Chinese surname with various origins, including a topographical reference to forests, woods, or groves.

In the 1881 census there were 25 people recorded with the Lim surname, ranking it #30,077 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,923, ranked #2,309, up from #30,077 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cambridge, City Centre East and Camden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lim is 2,923 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11592.0%.

1881 census count

25

Ranked #30,077

Modern count

2,923

2016, ranked #2,309

Peak year

2016

2,923 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lim had 25 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,077 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,923 in 2016, ranked #2,309.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 26 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Lim surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lim surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lim 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 26 #28,667
1881 historical 25 #30,077
1891 historical 3 #34,257
1901 historical 21 #31,686
1997 modern 1,540 #3,823
1998 modern 1,602 #3,837
1999 modern 1,674 #3,710
2000 modern 1,624 #3,799
2001 modern 1,626 #3,720
2002 modern 1,735 #3,590
2003 modern 1,719 #3,547
2004 modern 1,803 #3,387
2005 modern 1,914 #3,202
2006 modern 2,012 #3,076
2007 modern 2,201 #2,864
2008 modern 2,371 #2,698
2009 modern 2,505 #2,637
2010 modern 2,675 #2,545
2011 modern 2,647 #2,542
2012 modern 2,842 #2,348
2013 modern 2,885 #2,356
2014 modern 2,877 #2,378
2015 modern 2,878 #2,346
2016 modern 2,923 #2,309

Geography

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Where Lims 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 Cambridge, City Centre East, Camden, Manchester and Westminster. 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 Cambridge 007 Cambridge
2 City Centre East Glasgow City
3 Camden 025 Camden
4 Manchester 055 Manchester
5 Westminster 017 Westminster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lim

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

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

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Lim surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Lim 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

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

Senior Professionals

Within London, Lim is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Lim 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

Lim 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 Lim 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 Lim, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Lim

The surname Lim has its origins in China, where it dates back to ancient times. It is believed to be derived from the Chinese word "林", which means "forest" or "woods". The name was likely originally given to someone who lived near or worked in a forested area.

In its earliest recorded form, the surname Lim was spelled "Lin" or "Lín". This spelling can be found in Chinese historical records dating back to the 3rd century BC. Over time, as the name spread to other regions of Asia and eventually to other parts of the world, the spelling evolved into various forms, including Lim, Lym, and Liem.

One of the earliest known mentions of the name Lim can be found in the Hou Han Shu, a historical text from the 5th century AD, which chronicles the Later Han Dynasty (25-220 AD). The text references a scholar named Lim Zhi, who lived during the Eastern Han period (25-220 AD).

Another notable early figure with the surname Lim was Lim Buan, a famous Chinese poet and scholar who lived during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). His works are still studied and appreciated today.

As the name spread beyond China, it became more common in other parts of Asia, particularly in countries like Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Lim in Southeast Asia dates back to the 15th century, when a Chinese merchant named Lim Leng Heong settled in Malacca, a major trading port in what is now Malaysia.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the surname Lim began appearing more frequently in Western records as Chinese immigrants settled in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. One notable figure from this period was Lim Lip Hong, a Chinese-Australian businessman and community leader who was born in 1836 and played a significant role in the development of the Chinese community in Sydney, Australia.

Other notable individuals with the surname Lim throughout history include Lim Hung Kang (1907-1977), a Malaysian lawyer and politician who fought for Malaysian independence; Lim Chong Eu (1919-2010), a Malaysian businessman and philanthropist; and Lim Chong Yah (1915-1985), a Singaporean economist and academic who helped shape Singapore's economic policies in its early years as an independent nation.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lim families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lim 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. Middlesex leads with 15 Lims recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.92x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 15 5.92x
Warwickshire 7 10.95x
Durham 2 2.65x
Kent 1 1.16x
Lanarkshire 1 1.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bromley London in Middlesex leads with 8 Lims recorded in 1881 and an index of 143.37x.

Place Total Index
Bromley London 8 143.37x
Birmingham 5 23.46x
Westminster St Margaret 4 327.87x
Aston 2 11.36x
Hackney London 2 14.06x
West Rainton 2 869.57x
Barony 1 4.82x
Hawkhurst 1 370.37x
Kensington London 1 7.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Emily 3
Ann 1
Avis 1
Cecilia 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Esther 1
Isabel 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Mary 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Joseph 2
William 2
Robert 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Lim surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lim surname in 1881?

In 1881, 25 people were recorded with the Lim surname. That placed it at #30,077 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lim surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,923 in 2016. That gives Lim a modern rank of #2,309.

What does the Lim surname mean?

A Chinese surname with various origins, including a topographical reference to forests, woods, or groves.

What does the Lim map show?

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