NameCensus.

UK surname

Lopez

A Spanish patronymic surname meaning "son of Lope," derived from the Latin name "Lupus," meaning "wolf."

In the 1881 census there were 73 people recorded with the Lopez surname, ranking it #23,220 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,314, ranked #2,054, up from #23,220 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, London parishes and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Oban South and Westminster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lopez is 3,314 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 4439.7%.

1881 census count

73

Ranked #23,220

Modern count

3,314

2016, ranked #2,054

Peak year

2016

3,314 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lopez had 73 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,220 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,314 in 2016, ranked #2,054.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 181 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Lopez surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lopez surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lopez 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 26 #28,667
1861 historical 33 #29,814
1881 historical 73 #23,220
1891 historical 60 #29,204
1901 historical 92 #23,800
1911 historical 181 #15,911
1997 modern 1,644 #3,608
1998 modern 1,775 #3,491
1999 modern 1,835 #3,417
2000 modern 1,933 #3,251
2001 modern 1,882 #3,262
2002 modern 1,966 #3,218
2003 modern 1,933 #3,203
2004 modern 2,008 #3,106
2005 modern 2,063 #2,996
2006 modern 2,189 #2,855
2007 modern 2,270 #2,773
2008 modern 2,440 #2,635
2009 modern 2,632 #2,526
2010 modern 2,819 #2,436
2011 modern 2,848 #2,387
2012 modern 2,961 #2,256
2013 modern 3,117 #2,183
2014 modern 3,202 #2,152
2015 modern 3,207 #2,128
2016 modern 3,314 #2,054

Geography

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Where Lopez' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George in the East, London parishes, Toxteth Park, St Dunstan Stepney and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, Oban South and Westminster. 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 St George in the East London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 005 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Oban South Argyll and Bute
3 Kensington and Chelsea 003 Kensington and Chelsea
4 Westminster 017 Westminster
5 Westminster 009 Westminster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lopez

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lopez

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

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Lopez surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Lopez 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Lopez is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lopez 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

Lopez falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Lopez 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Lopez

The surname Lopez has its origins in Spain, with the name being derived from the Lope, a Spanish form of the Latin name Lupus, meaning 'wolf'. The name Lopez first emerged in the medieval Kingdom of Castile, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 11th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Lopez name was Lope Díaz de Haro, a prominent nobleman and military leader who served under Alfonso VIII of Castile in the late 12th century. Díaz de Haro played a crucial role in the Christian victory over the Almohads at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212.

As the Lopez name spread throughout Spain, it also found its way into various historical records and manuscripts. For instance, the name appears in the Siete Partidas, a renowned legal code commissioned by Alfonso X of Castile in the 13th century.

Over the centuries, the Lopez name has been associated with several notable figures. One such figure was Lope de Vega (1562-1635), a celebrated Spanish playwright and poet who is regarded as one of the greatest dramatists of the Spanish Golden Age.

Another prominent bearer of the Lopez name was Rodrigo López de Arriarán (1596-1667), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who played a pivotal role in the colonization of present-day Chile and Argentina during the 17th century.

In the realm of politics, Feliciano López (1609-1676) was a Spanish diplomat and statesman who served as the Viceroy of New Spain (present-day Mexico) from 1673 to 1676.

The Lopez name has also been associated with the arts, with one of the most notable figures being Francisco de Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828), the renowned Spanish painter and printmaker whose works are considered among the masterpieces of Western art.

Another prominent bearer of the Lopez name was Vicente López y Portaña (1772-1850), a renowned Spanish painter and art instructor who played a significant role in the development of Spanish Romantic painting in the early 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lopez families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lopez 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 29 Lopez' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.02x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 29 4.02x
Surrey 19 5.40x
Lancashire 9 1.05x
Essex 4 2.81x
Cheshire 3 1.88x
Renfrewshire 3 5.36x
Gloucestershire 2 1.41x
Devon 1 0.67x
Royal Navy 1 11.63x
Somerset 1 0.86x
Sussex 1 0.82x
Yorkshire 1 0.14x

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 11 Lopez' recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.48x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 11 17.48x
Hornsey 8 87.72x
Battersea 6 22.60x
Hackney London 4 9.89x
St Marylebone London 4 10.38x
Bethnal Green London 3 9.57x
Birkenhead 3 23.62x
Garston 3 118.58x
Port Glasgow 3 111.11x
St George In East London 3 44.18x
West Ham 3 9.54x
Bristol St Paul In 2 53.05x
Liverpool 2 3.85x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 2 196.08x
Aighton Bailey 1 243.90x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 1 40.82x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 14.71x
East Ham 1 37.88x
Epsom 1 58.48x
Fulham London 1 9.56x
Hinton St George 1 588.24x
Kensington London 1 2.49x
Manchester 1 2.60x
Mile End Old Town London 1 6.51x
Paddington London 1 3.77x
Poplar London 1 7.34x
Preston 1 47.17x
Richmond 1 20.28x
Stoke 1 163.93x
Toxteth Park 1 3.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 5
Eliza 3
Mary 3
Amelia 2
Dolores 2
A. 1
Ada 1
Adelaide 1
Ana 1
Anna 1
Antonia 1
Carolina 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Emily 1
Frances 1
Joaquina 1
Leah 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Nancy 1
Narcissa 1
Petra 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Frank 3
William 3
Antonio 2
Charles 2
Ernest 2
James 2
John 2
Jose 2
Andrew 1
Augustino 1
F. 1
Felix 1
Fernando 1
Fransisco 1
Isaac 1
Jon 1
Joseph 1
Lorenzo 1
Manuel 1
Samuel 1
Santiago 1
Thomas 1

FAQ

Lopez surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lopez surname in 1881?

In 1881, 73 people were recorded with the Lopez surname. That placed it at #23,220 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lopez surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,314 in 2016. That gives Lopez a modern rank of #2,054.

What does the Lopez surname mean?

A Spanish patronymic surname meaning "son of Lope," derived from the Latin name "Lupus," meaning "wolf."

What does the Lopez map show?

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