NameCensus.

UK surname

Livings

An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "people of the meadows or grasslands".

In the 1881 census there were 276 people recorded with the Livings surname, ranking it #10,305 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 508, ranked #9,877, up from #10,305 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Great and Little Munden, London parishes and Yardley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Hertfordshire, East Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Livings is 526 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 84.1%.

1881 census count

276

Ranked #10,305

Modern count

508

2016, ranked #9,877

Peak year

2002

526 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Livings had 276 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,305 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 508 in 2016, ranked #9,877.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 445 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Livings surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Livings surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Livings 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 131 #14,243
1861 historical 183 #12,903
1881 historical 276 #10,305
1891 historical 314 #10,694
1901 historical 425 #9,081
1911 historical 445 #8,582
1997 modern 521 #9,026
1998 modern 524 #9,265
1999 modern 508 #9,535
2000 modern 512 #9,456
2001 modern 514 #9,267
2002 modern 526 #9,300
2003 modern 503 #9,446
2004 modern 512 #9,352
2005 modern 481 #9,702
2006 modern 482 #9,737
2007 modern 489 #9,718
2008 modern 481 #9,930
2009 modern 498 #9,894
2010 modern 490 #10,211
2011 modern 491 #10,094
2012 modern 496 #9,921
2013 modern 509 #9,892
2014 modern 505 #10,012
2015 modern 502 #9,972
2016 modern 508 #9,877

Geography

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Where Livings' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Great and Little Munden, London parishes, Yardley, Hallingbury, Little and Clavering. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Hertfordshire, East Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes. 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 Great and Little Munden Hertfordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Yardley Hertfordshire
4 Hallingbury, Little Hertfordshire
5 Clavering Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Hertfordshire 005 North Hertfordshire
2 East Hertfordshire 002 East Hertfordshire
3 East Hertfordshire 007 East Hertfordshire
4 East Hertfordshire 009 East Hertfordshire
5 Milton Keynes 023 Milton Keynes

Forenames

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First names often paired with Livings

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Livings

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Livings, 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 Livings surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Livings 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Livings 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

Livings is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Livings falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Livings 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
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Livings

The surname Livings is of English origin, dating back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "lifing," meaning a tenant or freeholder who held land from a lord in exchange for rent or service.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property rights in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book lists several individuals with the surname Livings or similar spellings, such as Leuinga and Levinge, primarily concentrated in the counties of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.

During the Middle Ages, the Livings family held land and properties in various parts of England. One notable example is Richard Livings, a wealthy landowner who lived in the 14th century and was recorded as holding estates in Hertfordshire.

As the surname spread across England, it underwent several spelling variations, including Lyvinge, Lyvynge, and Lyvyng. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.

In the 16th century, the surname Livings appeared in the historical records of the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, where William Shakespeare was born. John Livings, a prominent citizen and landowner, served as the town's bailiff (mayor) in 1569.

Another notable figure was Edward Livings (1605-1665), an English clergyman and author who was appointed as the rector of Bagthorpe in Nottinghamshire. He wrote several religious works, including a commentary on the Book of Revelation.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Livings family settled in the county of Oxfordshire, where they became prominent landowners and gentry. One member, Sir George Livings (1720-1792), was a respected member of parliament and served as the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire in 1765.

The name Livings has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Livingsborne in Kent, which was once a manor held by the Livings family in the 13th century.

Throughout history, the surname Livings has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, clergy members, landowners, and public servants. While the name has undergone spelling variations over time, its roots can be traced back to the early medieval period in England, reflecting the family's historical ties to land tenure and service to lords.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Livings families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Livings 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. Essex leads with 117 Livings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.26x.

County Total Index
Essex 117 22.26x
Hertfordshire 78 42.50x
Middlesex 19 0.71x
Somerset 17 3.97x
Berkshire 10 5.00x
Gloucestershire 8 1.53x
Sussex 6 1.34x
Cardiganshire 5 7.70x
Wiltshire 5 2.12x
Lincolnshire 2 0.47x
Yorkshire 2 0.08x
Hampshire 1 0.18x
Kent 1 0.11x
Surrey 1 0.08x
Worcestershire 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Farnham in Essex leads with 23 Livings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5000.00x.

Place Total Index
Farnham 23 5000.00x
Blackmore 19 3653.85x
Clavering 17 1789.47x
Little Hallingbury 14 2641.51x
Widford 13 2765.96x
Great Dunmow 12 437.96x
Abbots Leigh 11 3333.33x
Little Munden 11 2558.14x
Reading St Mary 10 62.46x
Ardeley 9 2000.00x
Hackney London 9 6.03x
Cheshunt 8 124.61x
Rochford 8 522.88x
Standon 8 423.28x
Bishop Stortford 7 114.19x
Saffron Walden 6 108.11x
Tottenham 6 14.15x
Bradford On Avon 5 66.31x
Lampeterpont Stephen 5 458.72x
Little Hadham 5 641.03x
Aldenham 4 239.52x
Clifton 4 15.15x
Gloucester Longford St 4 563.38x
Hutton 4 975.61x
Long Ashton 4 187.79x
Rotherfield 4 101.27x
Ware 3 57.03x
Writtle 3 139.53x
Eastbourne 2 9.68x
Hertford All Saints 2 194.17x
Nether Hallam 2 5.60x
St Albans St Stephen 2 125.00x
St Swithin Lincoln 2 29.90x
Walthamstow 2 10.57x
West Ham 2 1.72x
Wicken Bonant 2 1333.33x
Albury 1 175.44x
Aylesford 1 39.68x
Backwell 1 113.64x
Bengeo 1 46.95x
Broxbourne 1 27.47x
Chigwell 1 20.16x
Clent 1 109.89x
Easton 1 526.32x
Elsenham 1 232.56x
Hertingfordbury 1 133.33x
Lambeth 1 0.43x
Manuden 1 151.52x
Moreton 1 243.90x
Northaw 1 188.68x
Shoreditch London 1 0.87x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.13x
Waltham Holy Cross 1 20.37x
Westmill 1 303.03x
Westminster St Margaret 1 7.79x
Whitechapel London 1 3.81x
Wymering 1 111.11x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 21
George 15
James 13
Thomas 12
Alfred 8
Arthur 8
Charles 8
John 8
Henry 4
Walter 4
Ernest 2
Lewis 2
Percy 2
Robert 2
Sidney 2
Zachariah 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Bartholemew 1
Daniel 1
Dennis 1
Edward 1
Ethelbert 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.Jas. 1
Harry 1
Isaac 1
Jesse 1
Joseph 1
Mark 1
Montague 1
Passoover 1
Richard 1
Rufus 1
Stephen 1
Strange 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Livings surname: questions and answers

How common was the Livings surname in 1881?

In 1881, 276 people were recorded with the Livings surname. That placed it at #10,305 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Livings surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 508 in 2016. That gives Livings a modern rank of #9,877.

What does the Livings surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "people of the meadows or grasslands".

What does the Livings map show?

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