NameCensus.

UK surname

Lobban

An anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic surname "Laoghbhàn" meaning "little calf."

In the 1881 census there were 348 people recorded with the Lobban surname, ranking it #8,791 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 609, ranked #8,609, up from #8,791 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Boharm, Aberdeen and Old Machar and Rathven. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Insch, Oyne and Ythanwells, Lerwick South and Hilton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lobban is 660 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 75.0%.

1881 census count

348

Ranked #8,791

Modern count

609

2016, ranked #8,609

Peak year

2010

660 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lobban had 348 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,791 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 609 in 2016, ranked #8,609.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 533 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Lobban surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lobban surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lobban 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 215 #9,860
1861 historical 261 #9,481
1881 historical 348 #8,791
1891 historical 426 #8,412
1901 historical 533 #7,697
1911 historical 92 #23,580
1997 modern 617 #7,988
1998 modern 633 #8,076
1999 modern 650 #7,942
2000 modern 659 #7,852
2001 modern 648 #7,816
2002 modern 647 #7,980
2003 modern 622 #8,099
2004 modern 633 #7,994
2005 modern 624 #8,029
2006 modern 627 #8,022
2007 modern 616 #8,193
2008 modern 625 #8,146
2009 modern 632 #8,252
2010 modern 660 #8,142
2011 modern 632 #8,346
2012 modern 623 #8,342
2013 modern 617 #8,548
2014 modern 616 #8,616
2015 modern 609 #8,643
2016 modern 609 #8,609

Geography

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Where Lobbans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Boharm, Aberdeen and Old Machar, Rathven, Cullen and Huntly. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Insch, Oyne and Ythanwells, Lerwick South, Hilton, Banff and Gosport. 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 Boharm Banff
2 Aberdeen and Old Machar Aberdeen
3 Rathven Banff
4 Cullen Banff
5 Huntly Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Insch, Oyne and Ythanwells Aberdeenshire
2 Lerwick South Shetland Islands
3 Hilton Aberdeen City
4 Banff Aberdeenshire
5 Gosport 004 Gosport

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lobban

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lobban

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Lobban surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Lobban household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Lobban is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Lobban 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

Lobban falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Lobban

The surname Lobban is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name 'Loban' or 'Lobban', which means 'lame' or 'crippled'. This surname is particularly concentrated in the Highlands and Isles regions of Scotland, suggesting it may have originated there.

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1392, where a 'William Lobane' is mentioned. Another early record is from the Registrum Episcopatus Moraviensis (Register of the Bishopric of Moray) in 1440, which lists a 'Johannes Lobane'.

In the 16th century, there are records of a Lobban family residing in the parish of Croy, near Inverness. A notable member of this family was Robert Lobban, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a prominent landowner and is mentioned in several legal documents related to land disputes and transactions.

During the 17th century, the surname appears in various parish records across the Highlands, including in Inverness-shire, Ross-shire, and the Outer Hebrides. One individual of note from this period is Donald Lobban, born around 1620 in the Isle of Lewis, who was a respected elder in the local Presbyterian church.

In the 18th century, the Lobban surname spread further afield, with records showing individuals bearing this name in Edinburgh and other parts of the Scottish Lowlands. A notable figure from this time was James Lobban (1739-1817), a merchant and shipowner based in Leith, who was involved in the lucrative trade with the West Indies.

Another prominent Lobban was Alexander Lobban (1810-1885), a Scottish artist and engraver who was born in Inverness. He is best known for his detailed engravings of Scottish landscapes and architecture, which were widely published in the 19th century.

As the centuries progressed, the Lobban surname continued to be found primarily in Scotland, with some individuals emigrating to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. However, the name remains most strongly associated with its Scottish roots and the historical regions where it first originated.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lobban families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lobban 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 151 Lobbans recorded in 1881 and an index of 48.17x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 151 48.17x
Banffshire 131 186.58x
Midlothian 12 2.65x
Morayshire 12 22.82x
Inverness-shire 11 10.88x
Lanarkshire 10 0.91x
Kincardineshire 7 16.98x
Northumberland 5 0.99x
Middlesex 3 0.09x
Stirlingshire 3 2.40x
Angus 1 0.32x
Surrey 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Huntly in Aberdeenshire leads with 33 Lobbans recorded in 1881 and an index of 647.06x.

Place Total Index
Huntly 33 647.06x
Keith 29 387.70x
Aberdeen Old Machar 23 35.14x
Newhills 23 358.26x
Rathven 21 159.21x
Marnoch 20 530.50x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 16 27.28x
Deskford 13 1300.00x
Forgue 12 425.53x
Grange 10 485.44x
Rothiemay 9 566.04x
Abernethy Kincardine 8 449.44x
Insch 8 449.44x
Banff 7 114.75x
Cairney 7 382.51x
Cramond 6 174.42x
Fetteresso 6 92.88x
Inverkeithny 6 560.75x
Cowpen 5 43.10x
Drumblade 5 450.45x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 2.74x
Foveran 5 210.97x
Glasgow 5 2.57x
Knockando 5 233.64x
Alford 4 233.92x
Boharm 4 289.86x
Fordyce 4 79.21x
Glass 4 333.33x
Govan 4 1.48x
Bellie 3 810.81x
Cullen 3 115.38x
Stirling 3 19.06x
Udny 3 157.89x
Aberlour 2 89.69x
Auchindoir Kearn 2 113.64x
Culsalmond 2 208.33x
Duthil 2 103.63x
Alvah 1 63.29x
Barony 1 0.36x
Bermondsey 1 0.99x
Birnie 1 232.56x
Clatt 1 192.31x
Coupar Angus 1 33.67x
Edinburgh St Andrews 1 26.74x
Elgin 1 9.78x
Fettercairn 1 57.14x
Forglen 1 116.28x
Gamrie 1 12.76x
Kennethmont 1 86.21x
Kildrummy 1 131.58x
Kingussie Insh 1 43.10x
Ordiquhill 1 120.48x
Paddington London 1 0.80x
Rayne 1 67.11x
Speymouth 1 131.58x
St Marylebone London 1 0.55x
St Pancras London 1 0.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Barbara 1
Elizabeth 1
Maria 1
Mary 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alexander 1
Alexr.H. 1
Donald 1
John 1

FAQ

Lobban surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lobban surname in 1881?

In 1881, 348 people were recorded with the Lobban surname. That placed it at #8,791 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lobban surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 609 in 2016. That gives Lobban a modern rank of #8,609.

What does the Lobban surname mean?

An anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic surname "Laoghbhàn" meaning "little calf."

What does the Lobban map show?

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