NameCensus.

UK surname

Lomax

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "pool by a small hill" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 4,232 people recorded with the Lomax surname, ranking it #1,059 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,865, ranked #1,393, down from #1,059 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bury, Radcliffe and Eccles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton and Bury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lomax is 5,381 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.0%.

1881 census count

4,232

Ranked #1,059

Modern count

4,865

2016, ranked #1,393

Peak year

1911

5,381 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lomax had 4,232 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,059 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,865 in 2016, ranked #1,393.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,381 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Lomax surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lomax surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lomax 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 2,468 #1,206
1861 historical 2,006 #1,451
1881 historical 4,232 #1,059
1891 historical 4,168 #1,155
1901 historical 4,955 #1,139
1911 historical 5,381 #968
1997 modern 4,912 #1,334
1998 modern 5,105 #1,332
1999 modern 5,231 #1,307
2000 modern 5,166 #1,313
2001 modern 5,112 #1,296
2002 modern 5,209 #1,306
2003 modern 4,935 #1,340
2004 modern 4,830 #1,367
2005 modern 4,823 #1,353
2006 modern 4,805 #1,360
2007 modern 4,806 #1,375
2008 modern 4,846 #1,372
2009 modern 5,010 #1,359
2010 modern 5,074 #1,368
2011 modern 4,981 #1,375
2012 modern 4,853 #1,382
2013 modern 4,931 #1,385
2014 modern 4,972 #1,384
2015 modern 4,906 #1,387
2016 modern 4,865 #1,393

Geography

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Where Lomax' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bury, Radcliffe, Eccles, Blackburn and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton and Bury. 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 Bury Lancashire
2 Radcliffe Lancashire
3 Eccles Lancashire
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 019 Bolton
2 Bury 014 Bury
3 Bury 016 Bury
4 Bolton 003 Bolton
5 Bolton 005 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lomax

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lomax

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

Lomax 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

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

Meaning and origin of Lomax

The surname Lomax originated in the north of England, likely in the county of Lancashire during the late 12th or early 13th century. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a now lost place name, possibly an Old English word meaning "bare hill" or "bald ridge". The earliest known spelling variations include Lomeha, Lomache, and Lomays.

One of the earliest records of the name appears in the Lancashire Assize Rolls of 1246, where a Richard de Lomache is mentioned. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Lomax name, suggesting the surname emerged later during the medieval period.

By the 14th century, the Lomax surname had spread to other parts of northern England, particularly Yorkshire and Cheshire. In the Wills and Inventories of the Archdeaconry of Richmond from 1485, a Joan Lomax is listed as a resident of the village of Kirkby Malhamdale.

Notable individuals with the Lomax surname include:

1. John Lomax (c. 1479 - 1556), an English prelate who served as Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.

2. Richard Lomax (c. 1567 - 1622), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Wigan.

3. Nathaniel Lomax (1630 - 1694), an English Puritan minister and author from Bolton, Lancashire.

4. John Trevilian Lomax (1778 - 1853), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.

5. John Avery Lomax (1867 - 1948), an American teacher, scholar, and folklorist who helped preserve the folk songs and ballads of the American West and Southwest.

The Lomax name has been associated with various place names and locations over the centuries, including Lomaxtown in Yorkshire, Lomax Fields near Bury, and the township of Lomax in Lancashire, which was recorded as Lomhulme in the 13th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lomax families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lomax 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 3,365 Lomax' recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.88x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 3,365 6.88x
Middlesex 153 0.37x
Cheshire 123 1.35x
Derbyshire 115 1.78x
Suffolk 95 1.89x
Yorkshire 73 0.18x
Staffordshire 47 0.34x
Durham 26 0.21x
Kent 25 0.18x
Surrey 21 0.10x
Warwickshire 18 0.17x
Devon 17 0.20x
Hampshire 17 0.20x
Lincolnshire 14 0.21x
Nottinghamshire 14 0.25x
Essex 12 0.15x
Sussex 12 0.17x
Norfolk 11 0.17x
Northumberland 10 0.16x
Somerset 10 0.15x
Herefordshire 8 0.47x
Shropshire 8 0.22x
Renfrewshire 6 0.19x
Berkshire 5 0.16x
Lanarkshire 5 0.04x
Northamptonshire 5 0.13x
Leicestershire 4 0.09x
Bedfordshire 3 0.14x
Midlothian 3 0.05x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.08x
Gloucestershire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Little Bolton in Lancashire leads with 208 Lomax' recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.06x.

Place Total Index
Little Bolton 208 33.06x
Over Darwen 185 47.33x
Bury 164 29.34x
Tottington Lower End 163 70.09x
Great Bolton 146 22.52x
Blackburn 116 8.91x
Elton 114 67.42x
Barton Upon Irwell 110 29.86x
Radcliffe 110 46.63x
Pilkington 104 55.94x
Farnworth 77 26.26x
Oswaldtwistle 58 33.54x
Heap 54 20.80x
Kearsley 53 51.47x
Little Lever 52 83.09x
Tonge With Haulgh 50 52.48x
Castleton 47 9.62x
Salford 47 3.27x
Warrington 46 7.93x
Heanor 44 45.56x
Halliwell 43 24.14x
Preston 43 3.28x
Ardwick 42 9.51x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 42 44.55x
Oldham 40 2.53x
Pendleton In Salford 37 6.35x
Breightmet 33 153.27x
Hulme 32 3.13x
West Derby 32 2.23x
Liverpool 30 1.01x
Stoke Upon Trent 30 2.03x
Everton 28 1.80x
Moss Side 28 10.87x
Walmersley Cum 28 35.81x
Clifton 27 73.53x
Sharples 27 50.87x
Spotland 27 4.96x
Eccleston In Prescot 26 10.58x
Hindley 25 11.98x
Manchester 24 1.09x
St Pancras London 24 0.72x
Turton 23 28.70x
Accrington 20 4.50x
Birtle Cum Bamford 20 62.64x
Failsworth 20 17.86x
Middleton In Oldham 20 13.63x
Upholland 20 31.89x
Windle 20 7.26x
Denton 19 17.52x
Livesey 19 22.12x
Cheadle 18 10.35x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 18 12.78x
Crumpsall 17 14.74x
Cheetham 16 4.38x
Newchurch 16 4.00x
St Marylebone London 16 0.73x
Worsley 16 5.30x
Ainsworth 15 79.16x
Ashton In Makerfield 15 10.76x
Bromley London 15 1.65x
Chorley 15 5.46x
Derby St Werburgh 15 4.02x
Hyde 15 5.58x
Ince In Makerfield 15 6.59x
Rochdale 15 42.03x
Widnes 15 4.25x
Bury St Edmunds St James 14 10.43x
Glossop Dale 14 4.63x
Harpurhey 14 20.61x
Harwood 14 54.75x
Heaton 14 67.83x
Kirkdale 14 1.70x
Church 13 18.81x
Colne 13 8.92x
St George Hanover Square 13 1.79x
Bradshaw 12 112.46x
Great Lever 12 23.11x
Leyland 12 14.09x
Toxteth Park 12 0.72x
Wigan 12 1.75x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 344
Sarah 170
Elizabeth 151
Alice 126
Ann 102
Ellen 96
Jane 83
Martha 73
Margaret 62
Hannah 57
Annie 50
Emma 47
Betsy 45
Eliza 45
Edith 26
Nancy 26
Betty 25
Maria 23
Emily 22
Clara 19
Harriet 19
Louisa 18
Esther 17
Fanny 17
Frances 16
Ada 15
Catherine 15
Susannah 15
Amy 14
Eleanor 12
Rachel 12
Agnes 11
Anne 11
Amelia 10
Charlotte 10
Lucy 10
Florence 9
Susan 9
Caroline 8
Elizth. 8
Bertha 7
Isabella 7
Minnie 7
Anna 6
Jessie 5
Kate 5
Margret 5
Matilda 5
Sophia 5
Helen 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 307
James 248
William 212
Thomas 149
Joseph 124
George 80
Henry 71
Robert 66
Richard 48
Samuel 48
Charles 42
Walter 36
Alfred 34
Peter 33
Arthur 32
Albert 27
Edward 27
Harry 26
Frederick 20
Wm. 18
Fred 17
Herbert 16
Benjamin 13
Edwin 13
Frank 13
Ernest 12
David 11
Isaac 10
Abraham 9
Andrew 9
Francis 9
Ralph 9
Jas. 8
Nathaniel 8
Jonathan 6
Matthew 6
Abel 5
Adam 5
Daniel 5
Fredk. 5
Jacob 5
Levi 5
Amos 4
Lewis 4
Major 4
Squire 4
Thos. 4
Jeffrey 3
Jno. 3
Philip 3

FAQ

Lomax surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lomax surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,232 people were recorded with the Lomax surname. That placed it at #1,059 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lomax surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,865 in 2016. That gives Lomax a modern rank of #1,393.

What does the Lomax surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "pool by a small hill" in Old English.

What does the Lomax map show?

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