NameCensus.

UK surname

Loo

A Chinese surname derived from the name of an ancient state or place, or referring to a furnace.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include City Centre East, The Vale of Glamorgan and Islington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Loo is 261 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

257

2016, ranked #16,485

Peak year

2013

261 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 257 in 2016, ranked #16,485.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 12 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Student Living and Professional Footholds.

Loo surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Loo surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Loo 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 11 #31,309
1901 historical 12 #32,772
1997 modern 104 #26,351
1998 modern 114 #25,589
1999 modern 116 #25,487
2000 modern 132 #23,562
2001 modern 128 #23,665
2002 modern 135 #23,398
2003 modern 125 #24,265
2004 modern 149 #21,905
2005 modern 161 #20,799
2006 modern 162 #20,886
2007 modern 163 #21,050
2008 modern 175 #20,311
2009 modern 201 #18,965
2010 modern 226 #17,942
2011 modern 244 #16,922
2012 modern 239 #17,027
2013 modern 261 #16,309
2014 modern 259 #16,509
2015 modern 258 #16,443
2016 modern 257 #16,485

Geography

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Where Loos are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to City Centre East, The Vale of Glamorgan, Islington, Barnet and Merton. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 City Centre East Glasgow City
2 The Vale of Glamorgan 003 Vale of Glamorgan
3 Islington 022 Islington
4 Barnet 030 Barnet
5 Merton 004 Merton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Loo

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Loo

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Student Living and Professional Footholds

Nationally, the Loo surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Student Living and Professional Footholds, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Loo household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

The Group includes many students, some of whom reside in communal residences. Single-person households are the most prevalent and the modal age band is 25 to 44. There are few families with dependent children. A significant number of White residents were born in EU countries (although UK-born residents are more common than in the rest of the Group), and households reflect a diversity of ethnic groups. Residential turnover is exceptionally high and, communal properties aside, flats are the norm. Some properties, including those in the private rental sector, are over-crowded. Many residents are professionals and technicians educated to degree level, and the Group is particularly common near the campuses of established university towns and cities.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Loo 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

Loo 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

Loo falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Loo 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
Asian - Chinese

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

Meaning and origin of Loo

The surname LOO is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "hloo," which means a small hill or mound, suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near or on a hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LOO can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a person named John de la Loo is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have initially been derived from a place name, with the prefix "de la" indicating "of the."

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various forms, such as de Loo, de la Loo, and de la Low, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common during that time. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334 recorded a William de la Loo in Oxfordshire, while the Poll Tax returns of 1379 listed a John de la Low in Yorkshire.

During the 16th century, the surname began to take on its more modern spelling of LOO. One notable example is Sir William Loo (1510-1568), a Member of Parliament for Norfolk and a prominent landowner in East Anglia. Another individual of note was John Loo (1550-1612), a clergyman and author who served as the rector of Woodhill in Bedfordshire.

In the 17th century, the LOO surname continued to be found throughout England, with records showing individuals such as Thomas Loo (1620-1685), a merchant from London, and Mary Loo (1650-1715), a Quaker preacher and writer from Gloucestershire.

As the centuries progressed, the LOO surname became more widespread, with bearers of the name found in various parts of the country. One notable figure from the 18th century was Sir John Loo (1725-1789), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Hythe in Kent.

Throughout history, the LOO surname has been associated with various occupations and social statuses, from landowners and merchants to clergymen and writers. While not a particularly common name, it has left its mark on the historical records of England and continues to be borne by individuals today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Loo families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Loo 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. Lanarkshire leads with 1 Loos recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.05x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 1 32.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 1 Loos recorded in 1881 and an index of 129.87x.

Place Total Index
Govan 1 129.87x

FAQ

Loo surname: questions and answers

How common is the Loo surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 257 in 2016. That gives Loo a modern rank of #16,485.

What does the Loo surname mean?

A Chinese surname derived from the name of an ancient state or place, or referring to a furnace.

What does the Loo map show?

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