NameCensus.

UK surname

Lough

An Irish topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a lake or lough.

In the 1881 census there were 540 people recorded with the Lough surname, ranking it #6,388 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 896, ranked #6,324, up from #6,388 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Eyemouth, Edinburgh and Tweedmouth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eyemouth, Northumberland and Drumry East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lough is 910 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.9%.

1881 census count

540

Ranked #6,388

Modern count

896

2016, ranked #6,324

Peak year

2010

910 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lough had 540 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,388 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 896 in 2016, ranked #6,324.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 679 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Lough surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lough surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lough 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 428 #5,717
1861 historical 580 #4,544
1881 historical 540 #6,388
1891 historical 655 #5,925
1901 historical 679 #6,431
1911 historical 628 #6,604
1997 modern 830 #6,353
1998 modern 862 #6,364
1999 modern 862 #6,411
2000 modern 857 #6,412
2001 modern 825 #6,499
2002 modern 841 #6,517
2003 modern 838 #6,411
2004 modern 851 #6,345
2005 modern 863 #6,235
2006 modern 872 #6,195
2007 modern 866 #6,287
2008 modern 866 #6,318
2009 modern 898 #6,281
2010 modern 910 #6,335
2011 modern 873 #6,479
2012 modern 866 #6,432
2013 modern 888 #6,396
2014 modern 888 #6,448
2015 modern 894 #6,355
2016 modern 896 #6,324

Geography

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Where Loughs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Eyemouth, Edinburgh, Tweedmouth, Berwick-on-Tweed and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Eyemouth, Northumberland and Drumry East. 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 Eyemouth Berwick
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Tweedmouth Northumberland
4 Berwick-on-Tweed Northumberland
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Eyemouth Scottish Borders
2 Northumberland 001 Northumberland
3 Northumberland 034 Northumberland
4 Northumberland 015 Northumberland
5 Drumry East Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lough

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lough

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Lough 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

Lough is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Lough

The surname Lough is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is derived from the Old English words 'loh' or 'logh', meaning a small lake or pond. It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a small body of water.

The name Lough can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which records the name as 'Lohe' and 'Lohe de Wochinge' in the county of Surrey, England. This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various historical records as 'de la Logh', 'atte Loghe', and 'de la Lough', indicating its evolution over time. These spellings reflect the influence of Norman French, which was widely used in England after the Norman Conquest.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lough is John de la Lough, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas de la Lough, a knight who fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 during the Hundred Years' War.

In the 16th century, the name Lough was associated with several notable figures, including Sir John Lough, a member of the English Parliament in 1554, and William Lough, a merchant and alderman in the City of London in the late 1500s.

The surname Lough is also linked to various place names in England, such as Loughborough in Leicestershire, which derives its name from the Old English 'Lough' and 'burgh', meaning a fortified town near a lake.

Other prominent individuals with the surname Lough include John Lough (1609-1666), an English Puritan minister and author; James Lough (1771-1853), an Irish politician and landowner; and Sir Francis Lough (1828-1905), a British naval officer and explorer.

Throughout its history, the surname Lough has been associated with various occupations and backgrounds, reflecting the diverse origins and experiences of those who have borne this name over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lough families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lough 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. Northumberland leads with 149 Loughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.19x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 149 19.19x
Middlesex 74 1.42x
Berwickshire 69 109.18x
Durham 66 4.25x
Lancashire 30 0.48x
Lanarkshire 24 1.42x
Yorkshire 24 0.46x
Kent 16 0.90x
Surrey 14 0.55x
Midlothian 12 1.72x
Essex 9 0.87x
Angus 6 1.24x
Cheshire 6 0.52x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.85x
Kirkcudbrightshire 5 6.62x
Stirlingshire 5 2.60x
Warwickshire 5 0.38x
Cumberland 3 0.67x
Roxburghshire 3 3.17x
Hampshire 2 0.19x
Sussex 2 0.23x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.21x
Berkshire 1 0.26x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.87x
East Lothian 1 1.45x
Royal Navy 1 1.61x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Eyemouth in Berwickshire leads with 67 Loughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 1271.35x.

Place Total Index
Eyemouth 67 1271.35x
Tweedmouth 26 268.60x
Elswick 21 33.89x
Glasgow 21 7.01x
Berwick Upon Tweed 17 103.34x
Islington London 16 3.16x
Bishopwearmouth 15 11.26x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 13 28.04x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 10 3.56x
Hackney London 9 3.08x
Poplar London 9 9.14x
Shoreswood 9 2000.00x
Whittle 9 30000.00x
Moss Side 8 24.55x
Stranton 8 15.31x
Camberwell 7 2.10x
Cowpen 7 39.15x
Drypool 7 88.38x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 7 10.41x
Monkwearmouth Shore 7 23.09x
Satley 7 786.52x
Westgate 7 14.56x
Widnes 7 15.67x
Aveley 6 344.83x
Chiswick 6 21.04x
Dundee 6 3.32x
Gateshead 6 5.16x
Kensington London 6 2.07x
Sutton In Ashfield 6 39.32x
Woolwich 6 9.12x
Alnwick 5 37.45x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 5 10.38x
Birmingham 5 1.14x
Brightside Bierlow 5 4.93x
Gillingham 5 13.62x
Minnigaff 5 176.06x
Wallsend 5 20.30x
Chelsea London 4 2.54x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 4.07x
Horton 4 104.17x
Ryhope 4 37.11x
Shotley Low Quarter 4 404.04x
St Ninians 4 20.96x
Tynemouth 4 9.62x
Wolsingham 4 28.27x
Bow London 3 4.52x
Castle Northwich 3 78.74x
Chester St John Baptist 3 14.49x
Earsdon 3 47.47x
Govan 3 0.72x
Liversedge 3 13.03x
Mile End Old Town London 3 2.70x
Plumstead 3 5.05x
St George Hanover Square 3 3.26x
Stretford 3 8.81x
Battersea 2 1.04x
Brighton 2 1.13x
Cockburnspath 2 99.01x
Dawdon 2 10.47x
Kirkley 2 645.16x
Lambeth 2 0.44x
Paddington London 2 1.04x
Rotherhithe 2 3.10x
Sheffield 2 1.21x
Shilbottle 2 263.16x
South Leith 2 2.54x
Spitalfields London 2 5.10x
Spotland 2 2.90x
Sprouston 2 109.29x
St George In East London 2 4.07x
St Luke London 2 2.39x
St Marylebone London 2 0.72x
Walthamstow 2 5.39x
Whitworth 2 17.59x
Applegarth 1 57.14x
Darlington 1 1.67x
Guyzance 1 312.50x
Longbenton 1 3.04x
Newbiggin In Morpeth 1 40.32x
North Shields 1 6.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 26
Jane 23
Elizabeth 21
Sarah 17
Margaret 13
Isabella 10
Ellen 9
Ann 8
Edith 5
Eliza 4
Hannah 4
Anne 3
Emma 3
Fanny 3
Frances 3
Jessie 3
Louisa 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Dorothy 2
Eleanor 2
Georgina 2
Grace 2
Janet 2
Lucy 2
Matilda 2
Barbara 1
Cath.E. 1
E.Fanny 1
Elizabth. 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
F. 1
Francis 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Infant 1
Jeanie 1
Kate 1
Kathleen 1
Lillian 1
Lilly 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Margary 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 34
John 30
George 14
Thomas 14
James 13
Robert 11
Joseph 9
Edward 5
Arthur 3
Francis 3
Henry 3
Richard 3
Alfred 2
Andrew 2
Bartholomew 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Mark 2
Samuel 2
Albert 1
Alex 1
Alexander 1
Anthony 1
Charles 1
Christopher 1
Dixon 1
Edwin 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Geo.J. 1
Harry 1
Jno. 1
Josepth 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Oswald 1
Peter 1
Prideaux 1
R.S. 1
Robson 1
Robt. 1
Thos. 1
Victor 1
Walter 1
Wilfred 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Lough surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lough surname in 1881?

In 1881, 540 people were recorded with the Lough surname. That placed it at #6,388 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lough surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 896 in 2016. That gives Lough a modern rank of #6,324.

What does the Lough surname mean?

An Irish topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a lake or lough.

What does the Lough map show?

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