NameCensus.

UK surname

Lorek

A Polish surname derived from the name Laurence.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Derby, Brent and Test Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lorek is 115 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

109

2016, ranked #29,402

Peak year

2013

115 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016, ranked #29,402.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Lorek surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lorek surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lorek 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
1861 historical 6 #33,230
1891 historical 3 #34,257
1997 modern 18 #36,053
1998 modern 25 #35,365
1999 modern 26 #35,320
2000 modern 28 #35,080
2001 modern 27 #35,041
2002 modern 24 #35,520
2003 modern 25 #35,471
2004 modern 29 #35,270
2005 modern 39 #34,652
2006 modern 55 #33,688
2007 modern 58 #33,731
2008 modern 59 #33,827
2009 modern 68 #33,341
2010 modern 79 #32,759
2011 modern 91 #31,442
2012 modern 106 #29,187
2013 modern 115 #28,176
2014 modern 113 #28,779
2015 modern 111 #28,986
2016 modern 109 #29,402

Geography

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Where Loreks 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 Derby, Brent, Test Valley, Kingston upon Thames and Doncaster. 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 Derby 027 Derby
2 Brent 015 Brent
3 Test Valley 014 Test Valley
4 Kingston upon Thames 004 Kingston upon Thames
5 Doncaster 015 Doncaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lorek

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lorek

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Lorek surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Lorek household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Lorek 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.

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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

Lorek 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

Lorek falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Lorek 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Lorek

The surname Lorek is of Polish origin, emerging in the late medieval period around the 14th century. Its roots can be traced back to the Polish word "lorek," which referred to a type of fur or pelt worn as a garment or trimming. This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname for a furrier or someone involved in the fur trade.

In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared with various spellings, such as Lorek, Lorekk, and Loreck, reflecting regional dialects and adaptations. One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in a Polish land record from the city of Krakow, dated 1387, which mentions a certain "Jan Lorek."

During the Renaissance era, the Lorek surname gained prominence in several areas of modern-day Poland, particularly in the regions of Silesia and Greater Poland. Historical records from this time period reveal individuals of note bearing the name, including Jakub Lorek, a merchant and landowner in the city of Poznan, who lived around the mid-16th century.

As the name spread across Europe, it encountered variations in spelling and pronunciation. In Germany, for instance, the name was sometimes rendered as Lohreck or Lohrek, while in areas of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, it took on forms like Lorek or Löreck.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Lorek surname in England can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham, which mention the baptism of a child named William Lorek in 1628. This suggests that the name had already made its way to England by the early 17th century, likely through Polish or German immigrants.

Over the centuries, the Lorek surname has been associated with several notable individuals, including Jan Lorek (1615-1678), a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Swedish-Polish War; Andrzej Lorek (1732-1807), a Polish artist and painter known for his religious works; and Ignacy Lorek (1854-1917), a Polish priest and theologian who served as the Bishop of Kielce.

In more recent times, the name has continued to be widely represented across various fields, with individuals such as Andrzej Lorek (born 1951), a Polish politician and member of the Sejm, and Ryszard Lorek (born 1954), a Polish professional football player and coach.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Lorek surname: questions and answers

How common is the Lorek surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016. That gives Lorek a modern rank of #29,402.

What does the Lorek surname mean?

A Polish surname derived from the name Laurence.

What does the Lorek map show?

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