NameCensus.

UK surname

Lorraine

A surname referring to a person from the region of Lorraine in northeastern France.

In the 1881 census there were 140 people recorded with the Lorraine surname, ranking it #16,151 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 341, ranked #13,425, up from #16,151 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Southwark, Wellingborough and Daventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lorraine is 341 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 143.6%.

1881 census count

140

Ranked #16,151

Modern count

341

2016, ranked #13,425

Peak year

2016

341 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lorraine had 140 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,151 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 341 in 2016, ranked #13,425.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 191 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Lorraine surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lorraine surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lorraine 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 47 #24,810
1861 historical 62 #26,041
1881 historical 140 #16,151
1891 historical 152 #18,163
1901 historical 191 #15,579
1911 historical 165 #16,808
1997 modern 285 #13,981
1998 modern 299 #13,908
1999 modern 287 #14,374
2000 modern 290 #14,237
2001 modern 281 #14,329
2002 modern 290 #14,314
2003 modern 274 #14,680
2004 modern 273 #14,804
2005 modern 266 #15,007
2006 modern 272 #14,834
2007 modern 278 #14,773
2008 modern 282 #14,748
2009 modern 280 #15,141
2010 modern 308 #14,452
2011 modern 308 #14,356
2012 modern 305 #14,357
2013 modern 314 #14,273
2014 modern 325 #14,030
2015 modern 331 #13,739
2016 modern 341 #13,425

Geography

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Where Lorraines are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a, Edinburgh and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Southwark, Wellingborough, Daventry and Sunderland. 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 3
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a Essex
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Southwark 016 Southwark
2 Wellingborough 009 Wellingborough
3 Southwark 014 Southwark
4 Daventry 010 Daventry
5 Sunderland 017 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lorraine

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lorraine

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Lorraine, 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 Lorraine surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Lorraine 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Lorraine 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

Lorraine 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

Lorraine 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 Lorraine 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 Lorraine, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Lorraine

The surname Lorraine originated in the Lorraine region of northeastern France, an area that historically covered parts of modern-day France, Germany, and Belgium. The name itself is derived from the Old French word "Loherainne," which referred to the Lorraine region. The earliest known spelling of the name was "Loherangie."

Lorraine was a prominent duchy in the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, and the name appears in various historical records from that period. For example, it is mentioned in the Cartulary of Gorze Abbey, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 9th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Lorraine was Godfrey of Bouillon (c. 1060 - 1100), a prominent leader during the First Crusade and the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Other notable figures with this surname include Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643 - 1690), a French military leader during the Wars of the Grand Alliance, and Claude de Lorraine (1525 - 1573), the first Duke of Guise and a prominent figure in the French Wars of Religion.

The Lorraine family was a prominent noble house in France and had connections to various places, including the Duchy of Lorraine, the Duchy of Bar, and the Duchy of Guise. The surname is also associated with several place names, such as Lorraine, a historical region in northeastern France, and Lorraine, a city in northeastern Kansas, United States, which was named after the French region.

Other notable individuals with the surname Lorraine include Anne de Lorraine (1600 - 1663), a French princess and the daughter of Francis II, Duke of Lorraine, and Christine de Lorraine (1571 - 1599), a member of the House of Lorraine and the wife of Ferdinand I, Grand Duke of Tuscany.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lorraine families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lorraine 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 24 Lorraines recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.13x.

County Total Index
Durham 24 6.13x
Lancashire 16 1.02x
Dumfriesshire 15 51.56x
Middlesex 11 0.84x
Lanarkshire 10 2.35x
Midlothian 9 5.10x
Ayrshire 7 7.10x
Essex 7 2.69x
Northumberland 7 3.57x
Surrey 6 0.94x
Cumberland 4 3.53x
Kent 4 0.89x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 20.99x
Peeblesshire 4 64.62x
Buckinghamshire 3 3.77x
Yorkshire 3 0.23x
Staffordshire 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 11 Lorraines recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.59x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 11 11.59x
Ryhope 11 404.41x
Dryfesdale 9 671.64x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 8 11.27x
Colchester St Giles 7 272.37x
Dalry 7 150.86x
Stockton On Tees 7 37.08x
Bermondsey 6 15.31x
Gateshead 6 20.46x
Barony 5 4.64x
Glasgow 5 6.61x
Hillingdon 4 95.24x
Peebles 4 218.58x
Westgate 4 32.98x
Woolwich 4 24.10x
Workington 4 61.63x
Annan 3 120.00x
Fulham London 3 15.71x
Kelton 3 191.08x
Toxteth Park 3 5.67x
Wakefield 3 29.94x
Wycombe 3 50.59x
Elswick 2 12.79x
Half Morton 2 869.57x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 29.15x
Inner Temple London 1 1428.57x
Langholm 1 47.85x
Manchester 1 1.42x
Morpeth 1 43.48x
St Martin In Fields 1 12.69x
St Marylebone London 1 1.42x
Troqueer 1 40.00x
West Bromwich 1 3.93x
West Derby 1 2.19x
Westminster St Margaret 1 15.75x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 8
Ellen 7
Annie 3
Frances 3
Hannah 3
Ann 2
Jane 2
Mary 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Evelyn 1
Isabella 1
Jennett 1
Maggie 1
Marion 1
Maud 1
Mercy 1
Nichola 1
Susan 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Lorraine surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lorraine surname in 1881?

In 1881, 140 people were recorded with the Lorraine surname. That placed it at #16,151 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lorraine surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 341 in 2016. That gives Lorraine a modern rank of #13,425.

What does the Lorraine surname mean?

A surname referring to a person from the region of Lorraine in northeastern France.

What does the Lorraine map show?

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