NameCensus.

UK surname

Loraine

A surname derived from the region of Lorraine in France.

In the 1881 census there were 164 people recorded with the Loraine surname, ranking it #14,624 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 306, ranked #14,543, up from #14,624 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sunderland, Gateshead and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sunderland, Barnsley and Wirral.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Loraine is 319 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 86.6%.

1881 census count

164

Ranked #14,624

Modern count

306

2016, ranked #14,543

Peak year

2011

319 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Loraine had 164 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,624 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 306 in 2016, ranked #14,543.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 231 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Loraine surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Loraine surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Loraine 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 78 #19,840
1861 historical 100 #21,103
1881 historical 164 #14,624
1891 historical 189 #15,547
1901 historical 231 #13,805
1911 historical 177 #16,129
1997 modern 301 #13,492
1998 modern 306 #13,720
1999 modern 317 #13,473
2000 modern 306 #13,742
2001 modern 292 #13,967
2002 modern 301 #13,962
2003 modern 295 #13,964
2004 modern 296 #14,005
2005 modern 287 #14,216
2006 modern 285 #14,361
2007 modern 292 #14,313
2008 modern 297 #14,230
2009 modern 311 #14,069
2010 modern 312 #14,314
2011 modern 319 #14,000
2012 modern 317 #13,960
2013 modern 311 #14,368
2014 modern 313 #14,406
2015 modern 308 #14,463
2016 modern 306 #14,543

Geography

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Where Loraines are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sunderland, Gateshead, Edinburgh, Newcastle St John and Stranton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sunderland, Barnsley, Wirral, Havant and Copeland. 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 Sunderland Durham
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Newcastle St John Northumberland
5 Stranton Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sunderland 021 Sunderland
2 Barnsley 025 Barnsley
3 Wirral 020 Wirral
4 Havant 016 Havant
5 Copeland 008 Copeland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Loraine

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Loraine

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Loraine surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Loraine household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Loraine 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

Loraine is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Loraine 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 Loraine is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Loraine

The surname Loraine has its origins in the region of Lorraine, which straddles present-day France and Germany. It derives from the Latin word "Lotharingia," named after the medieval ruler Lothair II, who ruled over the area during the 9th century. The name originally referred to the territory of Lotharingia, which encompassed parts of modern-day Belgium, Luxembourg, France, and Germany.

Early records of the surname Loraine can be found in various historical documents, including the Domesday Book, a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in this record as a reference to individuals who hailed from the region of Lorraine.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Loraine was Robert de Loraine, a Norman knight who accompanied William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. He was granted lands in Lincolnshire and is mentioned in the Domesday Book.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Hervey de Loraine, a crusader who participated in the Eighth Crusade led by Louis IX of France in 1270. He is mentioned in contemporary records and chronicles of the Crusades.

During the 15th century, John Loraine, a merchant from Lorraine, settled in London and became a prominent figure in the city's trade guilds. He is recorded in various guild records and civic documents from that time.

Another individual of note was Claude Loraine, a French scholar and theologian born in 1639 in the town of Vaucouleurs, Lorraine. He authored several works on theology and philosophy and was a member of the Académie Française.

In the 18th century, Sir William Loraine, born in 1752, was a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. He achieved the rank of Vice Admiral and was involved in several significant naval battles.

The name Loraine has also been associated with various places and locations throughout history, such as the town of Loraine in Texas, which was named after a woman with the surname Loraine who owned land in the area.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Loraine families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Loraine 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. Durham leads with 56 Loraines recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.77x.

County Total Index
Durham 56 11.77x
Northumberland 18 7.56x
Midlothian 14 6.53x
Lancashire 12 0.63x
Middlesex 12 0.75x
Berwickshire 6 30.98x
Sussex 6 2.22x
Berkshire 5 4.16x
Cumberland 4 2.90x
Devon 4 1.20x
Dumfriesshire 4 11.32x
Somerset 4 1.55x
Suffolk 4 2.05x
Yorkshire 4 0.25x
Gloucestershire 3 0.96x
Kent 2 0.37x
Surrey 2 0.26x
Hampshire 1 0.31x
Hertfordshire 1 0.91x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 4.32x
Oxfordshire 1 1.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bishopwearmouth in Durham leads with 16 Loraines recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.17x.

Place Total Index
Bishopwearmouth 16 39.17x
Sunderland 12 142.69x
Stranton 11 68.66x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 8 9.28x
West Derby 7 12.60x
Coldingham 6 344.83x
Chiswick 5 57.21x
Clewer 5 101.63x
Heworth 5 53.30x
Hexham 5 135.87x
Icklesham 5 1063.83x
Stockton On Tees 5 21.80x
Birtley 4 206.19x
Carlaverock 4 689.66x
Elswick 4 21.05x
Fulham London 4 17.24x
Little Livermere 4 4444.44x
North Cheriton 4 3076.92x
St Mary Within 4 232.56x
Urswick 4 571.43x
Westgate 4 27.14x
Bristol St Paul In 3 35.89x
Edinburgh Canongate 3 55.05x
Monw Wearmouth Shore 3 652.17x
Ruswarp 3 170.45x
South Leith 3 12.44x
Exeter St Sidwell 2 26.21x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 16.21x
Ratcliffe London 2 22.65x
Sutton 2 35.46x
Tonbridge 2 10.16x
Tormoham 2 14.19x
Alnwick 1 24.45x
Caversham 1 50.51x
Hastings St Mary 1 14.90x
Liverpool 1 0.87x
Morpeth 1 35.71x
Odiham 1 69.44x
St Albans St Peter 1 26.88x
Troqueer 1 32.89x
Tynemouth 1 7.84x
Wakefield 1 8.22x
Westminster St James 1 6.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Sarah 6
Jane 4
Elizabeth 3
Hannah 3
Isabella 3
Margaret 3
Agnes 2
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Elizth. 2
Ellen 2
Louisa 2
Ada 1
Adeline 1
Alice 1
Allice 1
Amy 1
Catherine 1
Cecelia 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Frederica 1
Henniretta 1
Henrietta 1
Janet 1
Jessie 1
Lavinia 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Maggie 1
Margt. 1
Maude 1
Philis 1
Rhoda 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 11
Robert 6
William 6
James 4
John 4
Edward 3
Richard 3
Charles 2
George 2
Harry 2
Nenison 2
Bertie 1
Claude 1
David 1
E. 1
Eustace 1
Fenwick 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Jas.Wm. 1
Jno. 1
Lambton 1
Martha 1
Nevison 1
Percy 1
Pickering 1
Robt.Chas. 1
Rt. 1
Stephen 1
Wilford 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Loraine surname: questions and answers

How common was the Loraine surname in 1881?

In 1881, 164 people were recorded with the Loraine surname. That placed it at #14,624 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Loraine surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 306 in 2016. That gives Loraine a modern rank of #14,543.

What does the Loraine surname mean?

A surname derived from the region of Lorraine in France.

What does the Loraine map show?

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