NameCensus.

UK surname

Longman

An English locational surname referring to someone of tall stature or from a place called Long.

In the 1881 census there were 1,516 people recorded with the Longman surname, ranking it #2,770 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,726, ranked #3,615, down from #2,770 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Eling and Southampton St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mendip, Shropshire and New Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Longman is 1,991 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.9%.

1881 census count

1,516

Ranked #2,770

Modern count

1,726

2016, ranked #3,615

Peak year

2002

1,991 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Longman had 1,516 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,770 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,726 in 2016, ranked #3,615.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,921 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Longman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Longman surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Longman 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 1,045 #2,681
1861 historical 1,200 #2,370
1881 historical 1,516 #2,770
1891 historical 1,635 #2,737
1901 historical 1,841 #2,856
1911 historical 1,921 #2,582
1997 modern 1,919 #3,150
1998 modern 1,964 #3,203
1999 modern 1,985 #3,193
2000 modern 1,940 #3,244
2001 modern 1,879 #3,269
2002 modern 1,991 #3,184
2003 modern 1,907 #3,228
2004 modern 1,884 #3,261
2005 modern 1,843 #3,295
2006 modern 1,802 #3,370
2007 modern 1,800 #3,406
2008 modern 1,776 #3,472
2009 modern 1,782 #3,538
2010 modern 1,808 #3,550
2011 modern 1,797 #3,537
2012 modern 1,753 #3,547
2013 modern 1,797 #3,534
2014 modern 1,807 #3,540
2015 modern 1,757 #3,585
2016 modern 1,726 #3,615

Geography

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Where Longmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Eling, Southampton St Mary and Hampreston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mendip, Shropshire, New Forest and Allerdale. 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 Eling Hampshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Southampton St Mary Hampshire
5 Hampreston Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mendip 013 Mendip
2 Shropshire 030 Shropshire
3 Mendip 010 Mendip
4 New Forest 005 New Forest
5 Allerdale 003 Allerdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Longman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Longman

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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, Longman 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

Longman is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Longman falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Longman 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 Longman, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Longman

The surname Longman is of English origin, deriving from the medieval occupation of being a tall man or someone who worked as a longbowman. It emerged in the 12th century in various regions across England.

The name can be traced back to the Old English words "lang" meaning long and "mann" meaning man. Similar early spellings include Longeman, Longemon, and Longemane. It was initially a descriptive nickname bestowed upon someone of exceptional height or associated with the longbow, a formidable weapon used by English archers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Longman appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a William Longeman is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals bearing this surname, such as Roger Longeman in Oxfordshire and Walter Longeman in Cambridgeshire.

During the medieval period, the Longman surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Lincolnshire, where longbowmen were highly valued for their skills in warfare and hunting. However, the name eventually spread to other parts of England as well.

Notable individuals with the surname Longman include Thomas Longman (1699-1755), a renowned English printer and publisher who established the Longman publishing house in London. Another prominent figure was Thomas Norton Longman (1771-1842), a British publisher and partner in the Longman firm.

William Longman (1813-1877) was a British Methodist minister and author, while Charles James Longman (1834-1899) was a British publisher and the last member of the Longman family to be directly involved in the publishing business.

In the field of literature, Thomas Longman (1804-1879) was a British editor and publisher known for his work on the popular periodical "Longman's Magazine."

While the surname Longman has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and has become a recognized name in various countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Longman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Longman 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. Hampshire leads with 285 Longmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.41x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 285 9.41x
Middlesex 280 1.90x
Dorset 160 16.51x
Yorkshire 160 1.09x
Somerset 146 6.14x
Surrey 141 1.96x
Devon 53 1.72x
Gloucestershire 43 1.48x
Sussex 30 1.20x
Staffordshire 27 0.54x
Durham 24 0.55x
Wiltshire 24 1.84x
Kent 21 0.42x
Lancashire 17 0.10x
Glamorgan 13 0.51x
Hertfordshire 12 1.18x
Montgomeryshire 10 2.95x
Derbyshire 9 0.39x
Herefordshire 8 1.32x
Banffshire 6 1.96x
Cornwall 6 0.36x
Cumberland 5 0.39x
Worcestershire 5 0.26x
Berkshire 4 0.36x
Shropshire 4 0.31x
Brecknockshire 3 1.02x
Essex 3 0.10x
Anglesey 2 0.76x
Northumberland 2 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.10x
Warwickshire 2 0.05x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.11x
Channel Islands 1 0.23x
Lincolnshire 1 0.04x
Midlothian 1 0.05x
Northamptonshire 1 0.07x
Oxfordshire 1 0.11x
Royal Navy 1 0.57x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Southampton St Mary in Hampshire leads with 45 Longmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.64x.

Place Total Index
Southampton St Mary 45 23.64x
Islington London 43 3.00x
Sculcoates 43 18.53x
Eling 40 130.46x
Camberwell 38 4.03x
Hampreston 33 468.75x
St Pancras London 29 2.44x
Andover 26 90.91x
Hackney London 24 2.90x
Holy Trinity 20 5.68x
Bermondsey 19 4.32x
Millbrook 19 24.92x
Shepton Montague 19 1144.58x
Lambeth 17 1.32x
Newington 17 3.12x
Shoreditch London 17 2.66x
Chelsea London 16 3.60x
Leeds 16 1.94x
Christchurch 15 22.85x
Kensington London 15 1.83x
St Marylebone London 15 1.90x
Thornbury 15 75.76x
Clerkenwell London 13 3.73x
Ditcheat 13 318.63x
Marnhull 13 184.14x
Goodworth Clatford 12 472.44x
St George In East London 12 8.64x
Bethnal Green London 11 1.71x
Bruton 11 117.65x
Black Torrington 10 225.73x
Ilminster 10 60.20x
Southwark St George Martyr 10 3.36x
Westoe 10 4.01x
Burstwick With 9 422.54x
Castlewright 9 1071.43x
Croydon 9 2.25x
Guildford St Mary 9 101.69x
Holdenhurst 9 11.34x
Sherborne 9 31.52x
Soberton 9 161.58x
St Mary Bourne 9 163.93x
Wimborne 9 76.73x
Bedminster 8 3.58x
Buckhorn Weston 8 304.18x
Charlton Marshall 8 242.42x
Cranborne 8 68.26x
Fawley 8 83.33x
Gomersal 8 11.71x
Heytesbury 8 167.71x
Huntington In Hereford 8 1230.77x
Southampton All Sts 8 15.40x
Watford 8 10.14x
Aldbrough In Skirlaugh 7 259.26x
Bromley London 7 2.15x
Droxford 7 60.61x
East Stonehouse 7 11.56x
Exeter St Sidwell 7 9.94x
Grange Gillingham 7 313.90x
Horsforth 7 21.81x
Kings Somborne 7 110.24x
Lancaster 7 6.71x
Lyndhurst 7 84.44x
Morden 7 170.73x
North Newbald 7 212.77x
Owslebury 7 163.17x
St George Hanover Square 7 2.69x
Stoke Upon Trent 7 1.32x
Tarrant Keynston 7 507.25x
Wareham Lady St Mary 7 93.46x
Charlton Musgrove 6 289.86x
East Pennard 6 194.81x
East Thickley 6 67.34x
Funtington 6 106.95x
Hornblotton 6 1052.63x
Limehouse London 6 3.70x
Mudford 6 310.88x
Paddington London 6 1.10x
St Stephen 6 101.18x
Westbury On Trym 6 6.11x
South Stoneham 5 7.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 96
Elizabeth 63
Sarah 43
Ann 34
Eliza 33
Jane 27
Emma 26
Annie 25
Alice 21
Ellen 21
Emily 19
Fanny 15
Louisa 13
Martha 12
Rose 12
Catherine 11
Margaret 11
Charlotte 10
Florence 10
Kate 10
Maria 10
Ada 9
Caroline 9
Harriet 9
Hannah 8
Susan 8
Amelia 7
Frances 7
Anne 6
Edith 6
Jessie 6
Julia 6
Lucy 6
Agnes 5
Anna 5
Bessie 5
Elizth. 5
Esther 5
Harriett 5
Clara 4
Ethel 4
Lavinia 4
Mabel 4
Matilda 4
Minnie 4
Rachel 4
Rosa 4
Selina 4
Isabella 3
Maud 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 85
George 63
John 61
Henry 41
James 38
Thomas 38
Robert 30
Charles 29
Frederick 19
Walter 19
Joseph 17
Albert 16
Edward 16
Alfred 15
Harry 14
Arthur 13
Edwin 9
Samuel 9
Herbert 7
Francis 6
Frank 6
Isaac 6
Ernest 5
Richard 5
Stephen 5
Fred 4
Sidney 4
Sydney 4
Thos. 4
Alexander 3
Benjamin 3
Chas. 3
Edgar 3
Major 3
Matthew 3
Moses 3
Tom 3
David 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Jessie 2
Job 2
Otto 2
Percy 2
Silvanus 2
Stanley 2
Willm. 2
Wm. 2
Chas.E. 1
Ephriam 1

FAQ

Longman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Longman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,516 people were recorded with the Longman surname. That placed it at #2,770 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Longman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,726 in 2016. That gives Longman a modern rank of #3,615.

What does the Longman surname mean?

An English locational surname referring to someone of tall stature or from a place called Long.

What does the Longman map show?

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