NameCensus.

UK surname

London

A locational surname referring to someone from the city of London, England.

In the 1881 census there were 1,491 people recorded with the London surname, ranking it #2,806 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,791, ranked #3,521, down from #2,806 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stockton-on-Tees, Waveney and North Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for London is 2,137 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.1%.

1881 census count

1,491

Ranked #2,806

Modern count

1,791

2016, ranked #3,521

Peak year

1901

2,137 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • London had 1,491 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,806 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,791 in 2016, ranked #3,521.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,137 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

London surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

London surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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London 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 1,210 #2,358
1861 historical 1,277 #2,235
1881 historical 1,491 #2,806
1891 historical 2,032 #2,273
1901 historical 2,137 #2,519
1911 historical 2,014 #2,472
1997 modern 1,702 #3,502
1998 modern 1,785 #3,474
1999 modern 1,786 #3,505
2000 modern 1,711 #3,621
2001 modern 1,685 #3,607
2002 modern 1,728 #3,606
2003 modern 1,648 #3,671
2004 modern 1,641 #3,685
2005 modern 1,604 #3,731
2006 modern 1,593 #3,752
2007 modern 1,627 #3,716
2008 modern 1,640 #3,719
2009 modern 1,679 #3,723
2010 modern 1,727 #3,694
2011 modern 1,678 #3,756
2012 modern 1,731 #3,589
2013 modern 1,762 #3,588
2014 modern 1,784 #3,566
2015 modern 1,790 #3,536
2016 modern 1,791 #3,521

Geography

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Where Londons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Lambeth and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stockton-on-Tees, Waveney, North Norfolk, Broadland and Tonbridge and Malling. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stockton-on-Tees 006 Stockton-on-Tees
2 Waveney 013 Waveney
3 North Norfolk 012 North Norfolk
4 Broadland 015 Broadland
5 Tonbridge and Malling 013 Tonbridge and Malling

Forenames

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First names often paired with London

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for London

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For London, 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 London surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every London 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, London is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

London 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

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

Meaning and origin of London

The surname London originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from the name of the capital city of London. This locational surname likely referred to someone who resided in or came from the city of London.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname London can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentions a Roger de London. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I.

The name London is believed to have evolved from the Latin name Londinium, which was the Roman name for the settlement that later became the city of London. Londinium itself is thought to have derived from an ancient Celtic word meaning "wild" or "uncleared" land.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror, several individuals with the surname London are recorded, including Ailric London, who was a landowner in Norfolk.

Notable individuals with the surname London throughout history include:

1. Ralph London (fl. 1350s), an English Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire. 2. John London (c. 1365-1428), an English monk and chronicler who served as the Prior of Christ Church, Canterbury. 3. Benjamin London (1692-1784), an American surveyor and explorer who helped map the Allegheny Mountains and the Ohio Valley. 4. William London (1718-1809), an English watchmaker and inventor of the first successful compound microscope. 5. Jack London (1876-1916), the renowned American novelist and short story writer best known for works such as "The Call of the Wild" and "White Fang."

The surname London has also been associated with various place names in England, such as London Bridge, London Road, and London Fields, which further reinforces its connection to the city of London.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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London families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the London 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. Middlesex leads with 301 Londons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.07x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 301 2.07x
Surrey 165 2.33x
Norfolk 145 6.48x
Suffolk 98 5.53x
Warwickshire 96 2.62x
Kent 87 1.75x
Lancashire 56 0.32x
Yorkshire 49 0.34x
Devon 45 1.49x
Essex 45 1.57x
Lanarkshire 42 0.89x
Hampshire 39 1.31x
Gloucestershire 34 1.19x
Staffordshire 31 0.63x
Buckinghamshire 29 3.30x
Somerset 20 0.85x
Cheshire 19 0.59x
Oxfordshire 19 2.12x
Berkshire 18 1.65x
Dorset 18 1.89x
Sussex 14 0.57x
Wiltshire 13 1.01x
Hertfordshire 11 1.10x
Perthshire 11 1.69x
Glamorgan 10 0.39x
Herefordshire 10 1.68x
Ayrshire 8 0.74x
Angus 6 0.45x
Northamptonshire 6 0.44x
Bedfordshire 5 0.66x
Leicestershire 5 0.31x
Channel Islands 4 0.93x
Royal Navy 4 2.31x
Worcestershire 4 0.21x
Anglesey 3 1.16x
Durham 3 0.07x
Derbyshire 2 0.09x
Lincolnshire 2 0.09x
Midlothian 2 0.10x
Northumberland 2 0.09x
Renfrewshire 2 0.18x
Shropshire 2 0.16x
Cornwall 1 0.06x
Fife 1 0.12x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.35x
Monmouthshire 1 0.10x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.30x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 43 Londons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.39x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 43 3.39x
Islington London 40 2.84x
St Pancras London 35 2.99x
Great Yarmouth 32 17.27x
Newington 31 5.77x
Aston 26 2.57x
Bethnal Green London 26 4.12x
Birmingham 24 1.96x
Tonbridge 22 12.29x
Camberwell 20 2.15x
Deptford St Paul 20 5.23x
Neatishead 20 694.44x
Mile End Old Town London 19 6.14x
Hackney London 17 2.08x
St Luke London 17 7.29x
Shipley 16 21.39x
Shoreditch London 15 2.38x
Stalham 14 327.10x
Exeter St Sidwell 13 18.75x
Ranworth 13 866.67x
Whitechapel London 13 9.07x
Badingham 12 358.21x
Drayton Parslow 12 508.47x
Govan 12 1.03x
Kensington London 12 1.48x
Bilston 11 11.56x
Christchurch 11 17.02x
Richmond 11 11.08x
Holbeck 10 10.47x
Liverpool 10 0.95x
Ross 10 42.16x
Wednesbury 10 8.15x
Bermondsey 9 2.08x
Birkenhead 9 3.52x
Caterham 9 28.73x
Coventry Holy Trinity 9 8.22x
East Ruston 9 271.08x
Hemblington 9 769.23x
Ivinghoe 9 131.00x
Romford 9 19.83x
Aldershot 8 8.01x
Barony 8 0.67x
Battersea 8 1.49x
Bromley London 8 2.50x
Carlton Colville 8 123.08x
Chelsea London 8 1.83x
Ealing 8 6.15x
East Swallowfield 8 516.13x
Everton 8 1.45x
Hove 8 7.43x
Ipswich St Margaret 8 13.31x
Ipswich St Peter 8 33.54x
Longforgan 8 86.67x
Martham 8 146.25x
Minster In Thanet 8 77.44x
Newton On Ayr 8 24.54x
Oxford St Giles 8 18.67x
Pitstone 8 340.43x
Poplar London 8 2.91x
Walcot 8 6.42x
West Ham 8 1.26x
Barton Turf 7 402.30x
Bristol Temple 7 37.27x
Canterbury St Mary 7 21.02x
Devizes St James 7 40.96x
Gloucester St Nicholas 7 52.99x
Hound 7 34.60x
Llandaff 7 8.31x
Paddington London 7 1.31x
Putney 7 10.56x
St George Hanover Square 7 2.73x
Stoke Damerel 7 3.30x
Barham 6 256.41x
Churchill 6 160.86x
Ipswich St Clement 6 13.32x
Kirkdale 6 2.07x
Offton 6 346.82x
Oxford St Thomas 6 14.32x
Warwick St Mary 6 18.84x
Westminster St John 6 3.39x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 86
John 67
George 44
Charles 43
James 40
Thomas 38
Frederick 30
Robert 28
Henry 24
Edward 23
Joseph 19
Alfred 14
Arthur 13
Samuel 12
Walter 12
Frank 10
Albert 9
Harry 9
Herbert 9
Edwin 8
Francis 8
Richard 6
David 5
Fredk. 5
Percy 5
Ernest 4
Phillip 4
Stephen 4
Fred 3
Frederic 3
Isaac 3
Alfrad 2
Cornelius 2
Edwd. 2
Felix 2
Frances 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Jesse 2
Joshua 2
Richd. 2
Thos. 2
Timothy 2
Wm. 2
Awthur 1
Basset 1
Colin 1
Daniel 1
E.Stanford 1
Wm.W. 1

FAQ

London surname: questions and answers

How common was the London surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,491 people were recorded with the London surname. That placed it at #2,806 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the London surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,791 in 2016. That gives London a modern rank of #3,521.

What does the London surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from the city of London, England.

What does the London map show?

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