NameCensus.

UK surname

Loker

A locative surname referring to someone residing near a loch or body of water.

In the 1881 census there were 113 people recorded with the Loker surname, ranking it #18,412 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 127, ranked #26,566, down from #18,412 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Witham, London parishes and Terling. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rushcliffe, Kirklees and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Loker is 189 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.4%.

1881 census count

113

Ranked #18,412

Modern count

127

2016, ranked #26,566

Peak year

1911

189 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Loker had 113 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,412 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016, ranked #26,566.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 189 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Loker surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Loker surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Loker 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 109 #16,212
1861 historical 100 #21,103
1881 historical 113 #18,412
1891 historical 113 #22,162
1901 historical 170 #16,762
1911 historical 189 #15,488
1997 modern 136 #22,398
1998 modern 129 #23,722
1999 modern 134 #23,378
2000 modern 136 #23,155
2001 modern 131 #23,343
2002 modern 144 #22,501
2003 modern 143 #22,367
2004 modern 144 #22,379
2005 modern 140 #22,774
2006 modern 137 #23,270
2007 modern 146 #22,596
2008 modern 153 #22,132
2009 modern 153 #22,611
2010 modern 150 #23,482
2011 modern 143 #24,056
2012 modern 140 #24,376
2013 modern 138 #25,020
2014 modern 141 #24,855
2015 modern 139 #24,956
2016 modern 127 #26,566

Geography

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Where Lokers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Witham, London parishes, Terling, Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rushcliffe, Kirklees, Leeds and East Cambridgeshire. 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 Witham Essex
2 London parishes London 3
3 Terling Essex
4 Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict Cambridgeshire
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rushcliffe 001 Rushcliffe
2 Kirklees 004 Kirklees
3 Leeds 079 Leeds
4 Leeds 062 Leeds
5 East Cambridgeshire 008 East Cambridgeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Loker

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Loker

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Loker surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Loker household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Loker is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Loker is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Loker

The surname LOKER is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "locc," meaning lock or enclosed place. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a lock or enclosure, perhaps a gatekeeper or someone responsible for maintaining a lock.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LOKER can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Locchier." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, recorded landholdings and property ownership throughout England following the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Lokker," "Lokiere," and "Loker," in various records and manuscripts across different regions of England. This variation in spelling was common during this period before standardized spelling conventions were established.

Some notable individuals with the surname LOKER throughout history include:

1. John Loker (c. 1540-1612), an English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers in London. 2. William Loker (1663-1741), a wealthy landowner and benefactor from Somerset, England, who donated funds for the construction of a grammar school in the town of Crewkerne. 3. James Loker (1788-1855), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas. 4. Mary Loker (1825-1891), a British philanthropist and social reformer who advocated for women's rights and education. 5. Edward Loker (1870-1942), an English explorer and naturalist who led several expeditions to Africa and published accounts of his travels.

The surname LOKER can also be found in various place names across England, such as Loker's Green in Hertfordshire and Loker's Farm in Somerset, further highlighting the historical presence of this name in different regions of the country.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Loker families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Loker 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 35 Lokers recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.09x.

County Total Index
Essex 35 16.09x
Cambridgeshire 24 34.38x
Middlesex 16 1.45x
Yorkshire 9 0.82x
Kent 8 2.13x
Devon 5 2.18x
Leicestershire 4 3.27x
Surrey 4 0.74x
Lancashire 2 0.15x
Norfolk 2 1.18x
Gloucestershire 1 0.46x
Hampshire 1 0.44x
Midlothian 1 0.68x
Somerset 1 0.56x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Andrewthe Less in Cambridgeshire leads with 21 Lokers recorded in 1881 and an index of 263.16x.

Place Total Index
St Andrewthe Less 21 263.16x
Rayleigh 18 3600.00x
Calverley Cum Farsley 9 290.32x
Deptford St Paul 8 27.58x
Shadwell London 8 259.74x
Stokenham 5 769.23x
Leicester St Margaret 4 13.42x
Prittlewell 4 132.45x
Terling 4 1212.12x
Islington London 3 2.81x
Penge 3 42.61x
Bethnal Green London 2 4.18x
Castleton 2 15.31x
Maldon St Peter 2 180.18x
Norwich St John Timberhill 2 434.78x
Springfield 2 210.53x
St Clement Cambridge 2 689.66x
St Martin In Fields 2 30.30x
Broadway 1 588.24x
Cheltenham 1 6.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.68x
Fryerning 1 370.37x
Kensington London 1 1.63x
Little Warley 1 333.33x
Portsmouth 1 19.23x
South Benfleet 1 384.62x
South Ockendon 1 222.22x
St Giles Cambridge 1 111.11x
Streatham 1 12.22x
Walthanstow 1 277.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Emma 5
Florence 4
Sarah 4
Elizabeth 3
Ada 2
Ann 2
Annie 2
Edith 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Hannah 2
Jane 2
Lily 2
Minnie 2
Rose 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Athelinda 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Eliza 1
Eva 1
Gorginan 1
Janet 1
Kate 1
Katie 1
Louise 1
Martha 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Loker surname: questions and answers

How common was the Loker surname in 1881?

In 1881, 113 people were recorded with the Loker surname. That placed it at #18,412 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Loker surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016. That gives Loker a modern rank of #26,566.

What does the Loker surname mean?

A locative surname referring to someone residing near a loch or body of water.

What does the Loker map show?

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