NameCensus.

UK surname

Longbottom

An English surname referring to a person living in a long, low valley or hollow.

In the 1881 census there were 2,661 people recorded with the Longbottom surname, ranking it #1,666 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,380, ranked #4,374, down from #1,666 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Bingley and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Craven, Wakefield and Calderdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Longbottom is 2,928 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 48.1%.

1881 census count

2,661

Ranked #1,666

Modern count

1,380

2016, ranked #4,374

Peak year

1901

2,928 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Longbottom had 2,661 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,666 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,380 in 2016, ranked #4,374.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,928 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Longbottom surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Longbottom surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Longbottom 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 1,710 #1,690
1861 historical 1,923 #1,514
1881 historical 2,661 #1,666
1891 historical 2,759 #1,712
1901 historical 2,928 #1,912
1911 historical 2,912 #1,788
1997 modern 1,642 #3,614
1998 modern 1,660 #3,707
1999 modern 1,664 #3,734
2000 modern 1,621 #3,803
2001 modern 1,585 #3,810
2002 modern 1,576 #3,909
2003 modern 1,509 #3,982
2004 modern 1,486 #4,041
2005 modern 1,434 #4,113
2006 modern 1,411 #4,168
2007 modern 1,405 #4,219
2008 modern 1,408 #4,240
2009 modern 1,405 #4,321
2010 modern 1,402 #4,396
2011 modern 1,428 #4,300
2012 modern 1,399 #4,306
2013 modern 1,404 #4,357
2014 modern 1,389 #4,420
2015 modern 1,376 #4,408
2016 modern 1,380 #4,374

Geography

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Where Longbottoms are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Bingley, Bradford, Keighley and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Craven, Wakefield, Calderdale and Leeds. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Bingley Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Craven 008 Craven
2 Wakefield 024 Wakefield
3 Calderdale 003 Calderdale
4 Leeds 079 Leeds
5 Wakefield 025 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Longbottom

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Longbottom

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

Longbottom is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Longbottom

The surname Longbottom originates from England, its earliest known records appearing around the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "lang" meaning long and "botm" meaning valley, indicating that the ancestors of those bearing this name likely hailed from a settlement situated within an elongated valley or ravine.

One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the renowned Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. Here, the name appears as "Langebothum," a clear precursor to the modern spelling.

During the medieval period, the Longbottoms were predominantly concentrated in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, with several villages and hamlets bearing variations of the name, such as Longbottom Beck and Longbottom Fold.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named John Longbottom (c.1320-1395) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of York. His descendants continued to play an influential role in the region's affairs for several generations.

Another prominent individual bearing this surname was Sir Robert Longbottom (1567-1639), a Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I and a staunch supporter of the English Civil War.

The 18th century saw the emergence of Samuel Longbottom (1720-1792), a celebrated theologian and author whose treatises on religious philosophy garnered widespread acclaim.

In more recent times, the name has been carried by notable figures such as Sir Henry Longbottom (1876-1964), a distinguished diplomat who served as British Ambassador to several European nations, and Beatrice Longbottom (1901-1988), a pioneering archaeologist whose excavations in Mesopotamia contributed significantly to our understanding of ancient civilizations.

Throughout its long history, the surname Longbottom has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, with its bearers contributing to various fields, from commerce and politics to academia and diplomacy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Longbottom families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Longbottom 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. Yorkshire leads with 2,235 Longbottoms recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.68x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,235 8.68x
Lancashire 183 0.59x
Nottinghamshire 54 1.54x
Lincolnshire 37 0.89x
Middlesex 18 0.07x
Warwickshire 15 0.23x
Derbyshire 14 0.34x
Cheshire 13 0.23x
Durham 13 0.17x
Kent 13 0.15x
Cambridgeshire 10 0.61x
Roxburghshire 8 1.70x
Lanarkshire 7 0.08x
Stirlingshire 7 0.73x
Suffolk 6 0.19x
Essex 5 0.10x
Hampshire 4 0.08x
Sussex 4 0.09x
Worcestershire 4 0.12x
Surrey 3 0.02x
Dorset 2 0.12x
Norfolk 2 0.05x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.06x
Cornwall 1 0.03x
Devon 1 0.02x
Leicestershire 1 0.03x
Northumberland 1 0.03x
Royal Navy 1 0.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 174 Longbottoms recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.97x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 174 11.97x
Halifax 113 29.90x
Bingley 93 56.73x
Hunslet 93 23.17x
Huddersfield 78 20.80x
Ovenden 72 62.84x
Keighley 64 23.33x
Skircoat 61 60.09x
Bradford 59 9.47x
Wortley In Bramley 47 23.05x
Kildwick 46 196.25x
Elland Cum Greetland 39 33.63x
Gomersal 38 31.63x
Manningham 37 11.67x
Northowram 33 18.28x
Shelf 33 134.20x
Southowram 29 36.91x
Thornton In Bradford 29 33.84x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 28 29.95x
Hipperholme Cum 28 24.75x
Holbeck 28 16.42x
Sowerby In Halifax 28 33.27x
Barnsley 27 10.17x
Idle 26 21.78x
Silsden 26 342.56x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 25 27.19x
Great Little Preston 24 325.20x
Morley 24 17.93x
Soothill 24 25.81x
Thornhill 23 30.62x
Methley 22 60.71x
Cleckheaton 21 22.14x
Hillam 21 721.65x
Lockwood 21 22.68x
Almondbury 20 16.07x
Horton In Bradford 20 4.98x
Midgley 20 72.91x
Eccleshill 19 30.33x
Rothwell 18 34.62x
Hunsworth 16 118.43x
Oldham 16 1.61x
Wakefield 16 8.10x
Warley 16 21.51x
Armley 15 13.21x
Drighlington 15 40.00x
East Retford 15 49.37x
Manchester 15 1.08x
Mirfield 15 10.61x
Royton 15 15.91x
Swinton In Rotherham 15 22.04x
North Bierley 13 9.35x
Shipley 13 9.73x
Bowling 12 4.71x
Erringden 12 72.16x
Little Bolton 12 3.03x
Pudsey 12 8.72x
Wombwell 12 15.99x
Chorlton On Medlock 11 2.25x
Coventry Holy Trinity 11 5.62x
Saddleworth 11 5.54x
Southcoates 11 7.70x
Altofts 10 35.20x
Barkisland 10 53.50x
Bramley In Bramley 10 10.15x
Manea 10 96.34x
Rastrick 10 13.99x
Spalding 10 12.13x
Barrow In Furness 9 2.15x
Brightside Bierlow 9 1.78x
Nafferton 9 82.04x
Pontefract 9 16.23x
Rawdon 9 29.69x
Sandal Magna 9 23.64x
Tankersley 9 46.90x
Tuxford 9 104.53x
Hemsworth 8 54.09x
Hook 8 14.13x
Upperthong 8 36.55x
Wilsden 8 30.26x
Wilton 8 15.49x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 201
Sarah 142
Elizabeth 70
Hannah 66
Martha 53
Ann 52
Annie 50
Jane 45
Emma 44
Alice 40
Emily 31
Ellen 26
Clara 25
Ada 24
Eliza 21
Harriet 21
Louisa 16
Charlotte 15
Fanny 15
Florence 14
Margaret 13
Edith 12
Frances 12
Lucy 12
Maria 11
Agnes 9
Susan 8
Amy 7
Grace 7
Isabella 7
Ruth 7
Anne 6
Bertha 6
Elizth. 6
Esther 6
Harriett 6
Jessie 6
Kate 6
Rebecca 6
Amelia 5
Betsy 5
Lilly 5
Rachel 5
Betty 4
Caroline 4
Eliz. 4
Ethel 4
Leah 4
Sophia 4
Susannah 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 162
William 107
Thomas 76
Joseph 71
George 67
James 63
Fred 36
Alfred 34
Arthur 31
Henry 30
Charles 29
Edward 28
Walter 26
David 24
Robert 21
Samuel 21
Albert 20
Benjamin 18
Harry 16
Herbert 16
Sam 14
Joshua 12
Wm. 12
Edwin 11
Frederick 11
Richard 11
Abraham 10
Ernest 10
Frank 9
Isaac 9
Joe 9
Tom 8
Job 7
Jonathan 7
Geo. 6
Thos. 6
Francis 5
Richd. 5
Eli 4
Ellis 4
Matthew 4
Percy 4
Seth 4
Willie 4
Jno. 3
Jonas 3
Louis 3
Luke 3
Valentine 3
W. 3

FAQ

Longbottom surname: questions and answers

How common was the Longbottom surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,661 people were recorded with the Longbottom surname. That placed it at #1,666 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Longbottom surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,380 in 2016. That gives Longbottom a modern rank of #4,374.

What does the Longbottom surname mean?

An English surname referring to a person living in a long, low valley or hollow.

What does the Longbottom map show?

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