NameCensus.

UK surname

Lindsay

A habitational surname derived from places in Scotland, England, or Ireland, likely referring to a linden tree grove.

In the 1881 census there were 9,786 people recorded with the Lindsay surname, ranking it #437 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 15,159, ranked #419, up from #437 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include The Glens, Kennoway and Bonnybank and Darnley East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lindsay is 15,371 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.9%.

1881 census count

9,786

Ranked #437

Modern count

15,159

2016, ranked #419

Peak year

2010

15,371 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lindsay had 9,786 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #437 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 15,159 in 2016, ranked #419.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 12,444 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Lindsay surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lindsay surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lindsay 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 6,604 #417
1861 historical 7,036 #402
1881 historical 9,786 #437
1891 historical 10,749 #409
1901 historical 12,444 #419
1911 historical 4,187 #1,240
1997 modern 13,947 #435
1998 modern 14,473 #435
1999 modern 14,592 #435
2000 modern 14,723 #428
2001 modern 14,320 #429
2002 modern 14,743 #426
2003 modern 14,469 #424
2004 modern 14,469 #421
2005 modern 14,367 #422
2006 modern 14,436 #419
2007 modern 14,591 #421
2008 modern 14,709 #422
2009 modern 15,011 #423
2010 modern 15,371 #424
2011 modern 15,134 #424
2012 modern 14,829 #424
2013 modern 15,091 #425
2014 modern 15,254 #423
2015 modern 15,140 #423
2016 modern 15,159 #419

Geography

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Where Lindsays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Glasgow and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to The Glens, Kennoway and Bonnybank, Darnley East, Wishaw North and Wakefield. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 The Glens Dundee City
2 Kennoway and Bonnybank Fife
3 Darnley East Glasgow City
4 Wishaw North North Lanarkshire
5 Wakefield 018 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lindsay

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lindsay

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Lindsay 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

Lindsay 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

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

Meaning and origin of Lindsay

The surname Lindsay is of Scottish origin and derived from the name of a parish in East Lothian, Scotland. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "lindi" meaning "linden tree" and "ēg" meaning "island, dry ground". This suggests that the name likely referred to a dry ground area or an island where linden trees grew.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England after his invasion of Scotland. This document lists Walter de Lindesaye as one of the landowners. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings such as Lindissay, Lindesay, and eventually Lindsay.

In the 14th century, the Lindsay family became prominent in Scottish history. Sir James Lindsay of Crawfurd served as a trusted advisor to King Robert II of Scotland and was granted the earldom of Crawford in 1398. His descendant, David Lindsay, 9th Earl of Crawford (1528-1558), was a renowned Scottish poet and courtier during the Scottish Renaissance.

Another notable figure was John Lindsay, 19th Earl of Crawford and 3rd Earl of Lindsay (1702-1749), who was a Scottish peer and patron of the arts. He amassed a significant collection of manuscripts, books, and art, which formed the basis of the Crawford Library and the Craufurd Collection at the British Museum.

In the 17th century, Robert Lindsay of Pitcalmie (1619-1677) served as a Scottish lawyer and was appointed Lord Advocate of Scotland in 1668. He played a crucial role in the prosecution of the Covenanters, a Scottish Presbyterian movement, during the reign of King Charles II.

Sir David Lindsay of the Mount (c. 1490-1555) was a Scottish poet and courtier who served as the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the principal officer of arms for Scotland. He is best known for his satirical work "Ane Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis", which criticized the corruption in the Scottish church and government.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals with the surname Lindsay throughout history, highlighting the name's Scottish origins and the prominence of the Lindsay family in various fields, including literature, law, and politics.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lindsay families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lindsay 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. Lanarkshire leads with 2,382 Lindsays recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.74x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 2,382 7.74x
Angus 1,191 13.50x
Midlothian 770 6.04x
Ayrshire 508 7.13x
Lancashire 490 0.43x
Fife 484 8.59x
Middlesex 369 0.39x
Renfrewshire 317 4.30x
Yorkshire 268 0.28x
Durham 232 0.82x
Perthshire 208 4.87x
Dunbartonshire 198 7.74x
Northumberland 169 1.19x
Stirlingshire 164 4.67x
Surrey 162 0.35x
Aberdeenshire 136 1.54x
Kincardineshire 107 9.23x
Cumberland 97 1.18x
Kirkcudbrightshire 80 5.80x
Berwickshire 76 6.59x
Dumfriesshire 74 3.52x
West Lothian 71 4.95x
Argyllshire 70 2.64x
Cheshire 60 0.29x
East Lothian 59 4.68x
Staffordshire 58 0.18x
Clackmannanshire 55 6.99x
Kent 54 0.17x
Essex 52 0.28x
Sussex 47 0.29x
Wigtownshire 47 3.72x
Hampshire 46 0.24x
Devon 39 0.20x
Roxburghshire 39 2.26x
Westmorland 38 1.82x
Cambridgeshire 35 0.58x
Peeblesshire 35 7.81x
Selkirkshire 33 3.83x
Berkshire 25 0.35x
Glamorgan 25 0.15x
Oxfordshire 24 0.41x
Isle of Man 23 1.30x
Somerset 20 0.13x
Inverness-shire 19 0.67x
Warwickshire 19 0.08x
Channel Islands 17 0.60x
Derbyshire 16 0.11x
Gloucestershire 16 0.09x
Kinross-shire 16 6.65x
Banffshire 15 0.76x
Buteshire 15 2.60x
Hertfordshire 15 0.23x
Northamptonshire 15 0.17x
Royal Navy 14 1.23x
Denbighshire 13 0.36x
Leicestershire 13 0.12x
Norfolk 13 0.09x
Worcestershire 13 0.10x
Morayshire 11 0.74x
Lincolnshire 9 0.06x
Buckinghamshire 8 0.14x
Suffolk 8 0.07x
Wiltshire 8 0.10x
Monmouthshire 7 0.10x
Caernarfonshire 6 0.16x
Merionethshire 6 0.34x
Dorset 5 0.08x
Caithness 4 0.31x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.03x
Ross-shire 4 0.15x
Sutherland 4 0.55x
Nairnshire 3 1.03x
Brecknockshire 2 0.11x
Flintshire 2 0.08x
Orkney 2 0.19x
Bedfordshire 1 0.02x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 516 Lindsays recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.62x.

Place Total Index
Barony 516 6.62x
Govan 410 5.38x
Dundee 354 10.75x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 354 6.90x
Glasgow 315 5.76x
Old Monkland 160 13.09x
Kirriemuir 149 68.46x
Hamilton 145 16.88x
Cambusnethan 117 17.11x
Liff Benvie 115 8.59x
South Leith 101 7.04x
Forfar 95 19.89x
Bonhill 78 18.99x
Montrose 78 14.59x
Dunfermline 72 8.31x
Dalserf 71 23.11x
Kilmarnock 64 7.55x
Bothwell 63 7.54x
Dreghorn 59 45.73x
New Monkland 56 6.15x
Dalziel 54 16.30x
Liverpool 54 0.79x
Maryhill 53 8.79x
West Greenock 52 3.93x
Neilston 50 13.50x
Row 49 14.80x
Brechin 48 13.85x
Carnwath 45 23.63x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 40 2.42x
Carluke 40 14.31x
St Vigeans 40 8.40x
Muirkirk 39 23.31x
Pittenweem 39 56.12x
Fenwick 38 100.77x
St Pancras London 37 0.48x
Aberdeen Old Machar 36 1.96x
Arbroath 36 12.31x
Camberwell 36 0.59x
North Leith 36 6.10x
Dysart 35 9.22x
Avondale 34 18.88x
Kensington London 34 0.64x
Lanark 34 13.72x
Rutherglen 34 7.53x
Kirkcaldy 33 11.80x
Edinburgh St Stephens 32 12.74x
Tannadice 32 77.92x
Alyth 31 26.95x
Bishopwearmouth 31 1.27x
Dalton In Furness 31 7.11x
Lambeth 31 0.37x
Paisley Middle Church 31 7.22x
West Ham 31 0.75x
Abbey 30 2.66x
Alloa 30 7.87x
Eastwood 30 6.60x
Falkirk 29 3.53x
Hackney London 29 0.54x
Kilwinning 29 12.60x
Shotts 29 7.87x
Sanquhar 28 37.88x
Loudoun 27 15.75x
Shettleston 27 9.79x
Borthwick 26 45.61x
Cambuslang 26 8.37x
Islington London 26 0.28x
Toxteth Park 26 0.68x
Stirling 24 5.42x
Aberlemno 23 70.57x
Bothkennar 23 21.94x
East Greenock 23 3.30x
Everton 23 0.64x
Manchester 23 0.45x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 23 2.72x
Southwark St George Martyr 23 1.20x
West Kilbride 23 33.88x
Chelsea London 22 0.77x
Logie 22 14.35x
Poplar London 22 1.22x
West Derby 22 0.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 175
Elizabeth 80
Sarah 64
Jane 62
Margaret 55
Alice 44
Annie 43
Ann 38
Eliza 37
Isabella 37
Ellen 35
Emma 26
Catherine 22
Emily 21
Martha 21
Hannah 20
Florence 17
Agnes 16
Edith 15
Frances 13
Caroline 12
Jessie 12
Lucy 12
Harriet 11
Helen 11
Janet 11
Ada 8
Margt. 8
Maria 8
Rose 8
Sophia 8
Anne 7
Charlotte 7
Dinah 7
Eleanor 7
Elizth. 7
Esther 7
Lizzie 7
Louisa 7
Susan 7
Beatrice 6
Bridget 6
Clara 6
Fanny 6
Kate 6
Rachel 6
Christina 5
Gertrude 5
Harriett 5
Minnie 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 163
John 156
James 122
George 95
Thomas 76
Robert 66
Charles 43
Joseph 42
Henry 37
Alexander 28
Edward 26
David 23
Samuel 19
Walter 19
Frederick 18
Andrew 16
Alfred 15
Richard 15
Francis 10
Albert 9
Arthur 9
Herbert 8
Hugh 8
Colin 7
Peter 7
Matthew 6
Frank 5
Thos. 5
Wm. 5
Edwin 4
Harry 4
Isaac 4
Patrick 4
Joshua 3
Leonard 3
Maurice 3
Michael 3
Norman 3
Ralph 3
Robt. 3
Willie 3
Archibald 2
Arnold 2
Fredk. 2
Jas. 2
Lionel 2
Mark 2
Nathaniel 2
Reuben 2
Ronald 2

FAQ

Lindsay surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lindsay surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9,786 people were recorded with the Lindsay surname. That placed it at #437 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lindsay surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 15,159 in 2016. That gives Lindsay a modern rank of #419.

What does the Lindsay surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from places in Scotland, England, or Ireland, likely referring to a linden tree grove.

What does the Lindsay map show?

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