NameCensus.

UK surname

Lomas

A topographical surname derived from the Old Norse word "lom," meaning a wooded valley or glen.

In the 1881 census there were 5,526 people recorded with the Lomas surname, ranking it #801 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,742, ranked #1,000, down from #801 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Glossop and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include High Peak and Derbyshire Dales.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lomas is 7,298 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.0%.

1881 census count

5,526

Ranked #801

Modern count

6,742

2016, ranked #1,000

Peak year

1911

7,298 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lomas had 5,526 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #801 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,742 in 2016, ranked #1,000.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,298 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Lomas surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lomas surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lomas 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 3,321 #872
1861 historical 3,185 #904
1881 historical 5,526 #801
1891 historical 5,598 #842
1901 historical 6,764 #819
1911 historical 7,298 #712
1997 modern 6,965 #934
1998 modern 7,281 #931
1999 modern 7,266 #939
2000 modern 7,203 #943
2001 modern 7,060 #938
2002 modern 7,145 #945
2003 modern 6,925 #951
2004 modern 6,866 #963
2005 modern 6,813 #957
2006 modern 6,775 #963
2007 modern 6,786 #969
2008 modern 6,787 #975
2009 modern 6,913 #982
2010 modern 7,053 #984
2011 modern 6,953 #982
2012 modern 6,760 #989
2013 modern 6,890 #991
2014 modern 6,916 #990
2015 modern 6,811 #993
2016 modern 6,742 #1,000

Geography

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Where Lomas' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, Glossop, Manchester, Sheffield and Chapel-en-le-Frith. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to High Peak and Derbyshire Dales. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Glossop Derbyshire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Chapel-en-le-Frith Derbyshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 High Peak 013 High Peak
2 High Peak 008 High Peak
3 Derbyshire Dales 008 Derbyshire Dales
4 High Peak 012 High Peak
5 High Peak 006 High Peak

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lomas

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lomas

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Lomas, 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 Lomas surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Lomas 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Lomas 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

Lomas is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lomas 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 Lomas 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Lomas

The surname Lomas is derived from the Old English word "loma" or "lumb," meaning a bare hill or a barren landscape. It originated in England, particularly in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where the terrain is characterized by rolling hills and moorlands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Loma," referring to a person from a particular location. In the 12th century, the name was spelled as "Lome" and "Lumes" in various medieval records.

The name Lomas was often associated with specific places, such as Lomas, a township in Lancashire, and Lomas Chapel, a hamlet in Derbyshire. These place names likely contributed to the widespread adoption of the surname in those regions.

Notable individuals with the surname Lomas include:

1. John Lomas (c. 1585-1668), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme. 2. Richard Lomas (1631-1708), an English clergyman and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. 3. Edward Lomas (1767-1833), a British artist known for his landscape paintings and etchings. 4. John Lomas (1818-1895), a British cotton manufacturer and philanthropist from Lancashire. 5. Neville Lomas (1879-1932), an English cricketer who played for Warwickshire County Cricket Club.

Over time, the surname Lomas spread beyond its northern English roots, and variations such as Lomas, Lomes, and Lomax emerged. While the exact origins of some individuals bearing this surname may be uncertain, the connection to the Old English word "loma" and its association with hillsides and moorlands remain a defining characteristic of this name's history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lomas families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lomas 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. Lancashire leads with 1,760 Lomas' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.75x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,760 2.75x
Cheshire 960 8.06x
Derbyshire 914 10.82x
Yorkshire 455 0.85x
Staffordshire 328 1.80x
Middlesex 187 0.35x
Warwickshire 166 1.22x
Surrey 163 0.62x
Nottinghamshire 96 1.32x
Kent 75 0.41x
Cumberland 57 1.23x
Northamptonshire 52 1.02x
Leicestershire 40 0.67x
Worcestershire 30 0.43x
Shropshire 27 0.58x
Oxfordshire 25 0.75x
Durham 21 0.13x
Suffolk 20 0.30x
Lincolnshire 19 0.22x
Hampshire 18 0.16x
Sussex 17 0.19x
Glamorgan 10 0.11x
Merionethshire 9 0.91x
Buckinghamshire 8 0.25x
Northumberland 8 0.10x
Lanarkshire 7 0.04x
Bedfordshire 6 0.21x
Essex 6 0.06x
Gloucestershire 6 0.06x
Somerset 6 0.07x
Dumfriesshire 5 0.42x
Hertfordshire 5 0.13x
Brecknockshire 4 0.37x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.12x
Devon 4 0.04x
Isle of Man 4 0.40x
Royal Navy 4 0.62x
Anglesey 1 0.10x
Berkshire 1 0.02x
Channel Islands 1 0.06x
Dorset 1 0.03x
Norfolk 1 0.01x
Renfrewshire 1 0.02x
Wiltshire 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. Ashton Under Lyne in Lancashire leads with 190 Lomas' recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.57x.

Place Total Index
Ashton Under Lyne 190 13.57x
Chapel En Le Frith 190 246.27x
Manchester 168 5.83x
Oldham 95 4.60x
Salford 88 4.67x
Bollington In 87 82.04x
Macclesfield 79 14.92x
Cheadle 73 32.08x
Stockport 71 11.58x
Glossop Dale 64 16.17x
Hulme 57 4.26x
Sheffield 57 3.35x
Gorton 55 9.14x
Litton 54 402.08x
Dukinfield 48 8.72x
Heaton Norris 48 13.17x
Bramhall 45 91.19x
Hyde 44 12.52x
Nottingham St Mary 43 2.29x
Rainow 43 181.28x
Tideswell 43 117.26x
Bradford 41 13.68x
Buxton 41 57.33x
Ecclesall Bierlow 40 3.68x
Middleton In Oldham 40 20.83x
Worsley 40 10.13x
Disley Stanley 39 63.58x
Ardwick 38 6.58x
Fawfieldhead 37 316.51x
Radcliffe 37 11.98x
Fairfield 35 61.93x
Wormhill 35 197.96x
Congleton 34 16.52x
Aston 32 0.85x
Broughton In Salford 32 5.46x
Chorlton On Medlock 32 3.15x
Derby St Werburgh 32 6.56x
Foleshill 32 22.35x
Cheetham 31 6.49x
Stoke Upon Trent 31 1.60x
Chadderton 30 9.58x
Litchurch 30 8.82x
Nether Hallam 30 4.15x
Openshaw 30 10.00x
Birmingham 29 0.64x
Newington 29 1.45x
Newton 29 5.87x
Pendleton In Salford 29 3.80x
Beard Ollerset Whitle 28 50.37x
Tonge 28 20.84x
Bury 27 3.69x
Handsworth 27 19.10x
Sutton In Macclesfield 27 21.84x
Gawsworth 26 239.41x
Southowram 26 15.93x
Barton Upon Irwell 25 5.19x
Brightside Bierlow 25 2.38x
Heap 25 7.36x
Stayley 24 17.62x
Wolverhampton 24 1.71x
Brinnington 23 20.66x
Burntwood Edial 23 19.76x
Leek Lowe 23 9.49x
Marple 23 28.12x
Mottram 23 42.62x
Barlow 22 129.41x
Battersea 22 1.11x
Everton 21 1.03x
Newton In Ashton Under 21 17.86x
Cannock 20 6.29x
Peak Forest 20 216.92x
Blackley 19 16.92x
Crompton 19 10.42x
Hackney London 19 0.63x
Camberwell 18 0.52x
Halford 18 382.17x
Maidstone 18 3.28x
Beard 17 61.84x
Royton 17 8.68x
Tottington Lower End 17 5.59x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 423
Sarah 283
Elizabeth 227
Ann 141
Hannah 111
Martha 107
Jane 86
Alice 76
Eliza 72
Emma 71
Annie 69
Ellen 65
Margaret 60
Emily 42
Harriet 40
Maria 37
Fanny 32
Louisa 30
Edith 27
Ada 25
Charlotte 25
Clara 24
Harriett 24
Agnes 21
Caroline 18
Esther 18
Florence 17
Catherine 16
Frances 15
Lucy 14
Bertha 13
Susan 13
Elizth. 12
Grace 11
Lydia 11
Nancy 10
Rebecca 10
Ruth 10
Sophia 10
Betsy 9
Matilda 9
Susannah 9
Amelia 8
Anna 8
Julia 8
Lilly 8
Lizzie 8
Amy 7
Francis 7
Kate 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 405
William 290
James 233
George 213
Thomas 170
Joseph 141
Henry 97
Robert 77
Charles 70
Samuel 67
Edward 65
Arthur 48
Alfred 46
Richard 45
Frederick 36
Isaac 36
Albert 31
Walter 28
Herbert 27
Peter 24
Harry 23
Ernest 22
Frank 20
David 19
Edwin 16
Ralph 16
Wm. 15
Daniel 13
Fred 12
Jacob 12
Abraham 11
Andrew 10
Benjamin 10
Matthew 10
Joshua 9
Francis 8
Jesse 8
Moses 8
Oliver 8
Thos. 8
Fredrick 7
Geo. 7
Joe 7
Eli 6
Elijah 6
Leonard 6
Edmund 5
Reuben 5
Robt. 5
Saml. 5

FAQ

Lomas surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lomas surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,526 people were recorded with the Lomas surname. That placed it at #801 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lomas surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,742 in 2016. That gives Lomas a modern rank of #1,000.

What does the Lomas surname mean?

A topographical surname derived from the Old Norse word "lom," meaning a wooded valley or glen.

What does the Lomas map show?

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