NameCensus.

UK surname

Llewelyn

A Welsh surname derived from the given name meaning "leader".

In the 1881 census there were 888 people recorded with the Llewelyn surname, ranking it #4,282 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 771, ranked #7,126, down from #4,282 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Gelligaer and Pentyrch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Llewelyn is 1,239 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 13.2%.

1881 census count

888

Ranked #4,282

Modern count

771

2016, ranked #7,126

Peak year

1901

1,239 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Llewelyn had 888 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,282 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 771 in 2016, ranked #7,126.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,239 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Llewelyn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Llewelyn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Llewelyn 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 598 #4,284
1861 historical 742 #3,675
1881 historical 888 #4,282
1891 historical 1,106 #3,830
1901 historical 1,239 #3,993
1911 historical 1,081 #4,294
1997 modern 710 #7,174
1998 modern 746 #7,135
1999 modern 751 #7,140
2000 modern 776 #6,942
2001 modern 768 #6,852
2002 modern 765 #7,011
2003 modern 730 #7,148
2004 modern 737 #7,115
2005 modern 756 #6,913
2006 modern 743 #7,038
2007 modern 763 #6,960
2008 modern 784 #6,869
2009 modern 815 #6,785
2010 modern 827 #6,838
2011 modern 815 #6,832
2012 modern 788 #6,929
2013 modern 802 #6,938
2014 modern 805 #6,965
2015 modern 787 #7,026
2016 modern 771 #7,126

Geography

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Where Llewelyns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Gelligaer, Pentyrch, Llanwonno and Llanguick. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Gelligaer Glamorganshire
3 Pentyrch Glamorganshire
4 Llanwonno Glamorganshire
5 Llanguick Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carmarthenshire 010 Carmarthenshire
2 Neath Port Talbot 020 Neath Port Talbot
3 Carmarthenshire 013 Carmarthenshire
4 Swansea 002 Swansea
5 Carmarthenshire 006 Carmarthenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Llewelyn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Llewelyn

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

Llewelyn 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

Llewelyn falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Llewelyn is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Llewelyn

The surname Llewelyn originated in Wales and can be traced back to the 7th century. It derives from the Welsh personal name Llywelyn, which is composed of the elements "llu" meaning "leader" and "gwyn" meaning "blessed" or "fair". The name essentially translates to "leader blessed" or "blessed leader".

Llewelyn was a popular name among the Welsh princes and royalty during the Middle Ages. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in the Welsh Chronicles, which mention a Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Gwynedd, who was a prominent ruler in the late 12th and early 13th centuries.

The surname Llewelyn can be found in various medieval records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Leuelin" in Cheshire and Shropshire. Other early spellings include "Llewellin", "Llewelyn", and "Llywelyn".

Notable individuals with the surname Llewelyn throughout history include Dafydd ap Llewelyn (c. 1212-1246), a Welsh prince and military leader who fought against English rule; Gwilym Llewelyn (c. 1370-1427), a Welsh poet and the earliest known writer of cywyddau, a traditional Welsh poetic form; and Sir Rhys ap Thomas Llewelyn (c. 1449-1525), a Welsh soldier and landowner who played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses.

Other notable bearers of the surname include William Llewelyn (1800-1876), a Welsh-born Australian explorer and surveyor who played a key role in the exploration of South Australia; Gwenllian Llewelyn (1862-1949), a Welsh writer and feminist who campaigned for women's rights and Welsh language education; and David Llewelyn Wark Griffith (1875-1948), an American film director, producer, and screenwriter who is considered one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema.

The Llewelyn surname has a rich history and is deeply rooted in Welsh culture and heritage, with numerous notable individuals bearing this name throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Llewelyn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Llewelyn 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. Glamorgan leads with 616 Llewelyns recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.79x.

County Total Index
Glamorgan 616 40.79x
Monmouthshire 71 11.33x
Pembrokeshire 59 21.41x
Brecknockshire 31 17.88x
Carmarthenshire 18 4.92x
Middlesex 15 0.17x
Cardiganshire 13 6.15x
Staffordshire 12 0.41x
Cheshire 6 0.31x
Flintshire 5 2.14x
Lancashire 5 0.05x
Shropshire 5 0.67x
Sussex 5 0.34x
Yorkshire 5 0.06x
Montgomeryshire 4 2.01x
Gloucestershire 3 0.18x
Surrey 3 0.07x
Norfolk 2 0.15x
Berkshire 1 0.15x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.29x
Cumberland 1 0.13x
Denbighshire 1 0.31x
Derbyshire 1 0.07x
Essex 1 0.06x
Hertfordshire 1 0.17x
Merionethshire 1 0.63x
Oxfordshire 1 0.19x
Radnorshire 1 1.43x
Somerset 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Pentyrch in Glamorgan leads with 97 Llewelyns recorded in 1881 and an index of 1554.49x.

Place Total Index
Pentyrch 97 1554.49x
Ystradyfodwg 60 45.30x
Llantrisant 52 136.63x
Merthyr Tydfil 46 31.69x
Llanwonno 41 75.56x
Gelligaer 38 110.18x
Bedwellty 36 32.52x
Aberdare 32 30.87x
Rhyndwyclydach 27 257.63x
Llansamlet Higher 26 230.70x
Cwmdu 19 103.26x
Llanguick 18 66.54x
Fishguard 16 268.01x
Llantwit Vairdre 16 94.28x
Mynyddyslwyn 16 64.70x
Oystermouth 15 128.42x
Margam 14 83.14x
Swansea Town 14 11.31x
Stoke Upon Trent 12 3.87x
Ystradvelltey 12 689.66x
Llanycefn 11 973.45x
Llangeinor 10 112.49x
Llangynwyd Middle 10 515.46x
Llandissilio 9 297.03x
Llangadock 9 89.29x
Bedwas 8 176.21x
Eglwysilan 8 30.53x
Llanhilleth 8 194.17x
Llansamlet Lower 8 58.52x
Mawr 8 251.57x
Pendoylan 8 683.76x
Roath 8 11.67x
Brecknock St John 7 47.88x
St Dogmells 7 95.63x
Cilybebill 6 104.17x
Hoole 6 82.87x
Kensington London 6 1.24x
Llanfallteg 6 517.24x
Llangyfelach 6 106.19x
Melindwr 6 204.08x
St John Near Swansea 6 32.14x
Blaengwrach 5 632.91x
Montford 5 337.84x
Normanby In 5 21.77x
Shevington 5 106.16x
Castle Caereinion 4 224.72x
Cilymaenllwyd 4 275.86x
Holywell 4 13.67x
Brecknock St David 3 64.38x
Cardiff St Mary 3 3.61x
Llanddewi Aberarth 3 70.42x
Llanelly 3 14.46x
Llanfabon 3 37.97x
Llangattock 3 21.25x
Llanwnda 3 100.67x
Rudgwick 3 89.82x
Brighton 2 0.68x
Glyncorrwg 2 52.36x
Horsford 2 96.62x
Kingston On Thames 2 1.97x
Laugharne 2 41.32x
Llanbadarn Trefeglwys 2 78.74x
Llangunider 2 18.52x
Llantwit Major 2 68.03x
Paddington London 2 0.63x
Penmark 2 140.85x
Steynton 2 22.45x
Swansea Higher 2 12.71x
Abergavenny 1 4.26x
Aberystwith 1 5.49x
Clerkenwell London 1 0.49x
Llanelwedd 1 163.93x
Llangennech 1 17.09x
Mathry 1 42.19x
Moelgrove 1 80.00x
Neath Upper 1 25.32x
Newport 1 3.34x
Seaton 1 11.48x
St Peter Cornhill London 1 270.27x
Wokingham 1 6.73x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 73
Elizabeth 52
Ann 39
Sarah 36
Margaret 33
Jane 21
Anne 12
Catherine 11
Martha 11
Hannah 9
Annie 7
Gwenllian 7
Ruth 7
Rachel 6
Caroline 4
Ellen 4
Gwen 4
Kate 4
Maria 4
Rebecca 4
Charlotte 3
Eliza 3
Emma 3
Margret 3
Susan 3
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Barbara 2
Clara 2
Emily 2
Esther 2
Jennet 2
Lucy 2
Naomi 2
Phoebe 2
Tabitha 2
Aida 1
Ametila 1
Bronwen 1
Catharine 1
Elen 1
Elenor 1
Elinor 1
Eliz. 1
Elizth.A. 1
Ellinor 1
Hetty 1
Janet 1
Jemima 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 73
John 67
Thomas 55
David 37
Evan 19
Lewis 12
Richard 10
Edward 9
Llewelyn 9
James 8
Morgan 8
Henry 7
Rees 7
Robert 7
Samuel 7
George 6
Arthur 5
Jenkin 5
Benjamin 4
Daniel 4
Charles 3
Gomer 3
Griffith 3
Joseph 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Edmund 2
Edwin 2
Eli 2
Francies 2
Francis 2
Hopkin 2
Howell 2
Ralph 2
Rowland 2
Thos. 2
Abraham 1
Aneuryn 1
Annaiah 1
D.J. 1
Frederick 1
Gad 1
Griffiths 1
Gurlyn 1
Johnny 1
Joshua 1
Josiah 1
L. 1
Llewellin 1
Zelophead 1

FAQ

Llewelyn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Llewelyn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 888 people were recorded with the Llewelyn surname. That placed it at #4,282 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Llewelyn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 771 in 2016. That gives Llewelyn a modern rank of #7,126.

What does the Llewelyn surname mean?

A Welsh surname derived from the given name meaning "leader".

What does the Llewelyn map show?

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