NameCensus.

UK surname

Luce

Derived from the Latin word "lux," meaning "light," likely referring to a person with a bright or cheerful disposition.

In the 1881 census there were 269 people recorded with the Luce surname, ranking it #10,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 311, ranked #14,376, down from #10,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Malmesbury St Paul. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cotswold, Wiltshire and Torfaen.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Luce is 342 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.6%.

1881 census count

269

Ranked #10,506

Modern count

311

2016, ranked #14,376

Peak year

2010

342 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Luce had 269 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 311 in 2016, ranked #14,376.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 285 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Luce surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Luce surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Luce 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 211 #9,997
1861 historical 229 #10,660
1881 historical 269 #10,506
1891 historical 285 #11,515
1901 historical 267 #12,587
1911 historical 277 #12,067
1997 modern 289 #13,859
1998 modern 309 #13,612
1999 modern 296 #14,081
2000 modern 300 #13,904
2001 modern 281 #14,329
2002 modern 296 #14,110
2003 modern 295 #13,964
2004 modern 311 #13,549
2005 modern 303 #13,757
2006 modern 312 #13,554
2007 modern 322 #13,382
2008 modern 320 #13,550
2009 modern 330 #13,513
2010 modern 342 #13,440
2011 modern 331 #13,641
2012 modern 311 #14,173
2013 modern 320 #14,104
2014 modern 322 #14,113
2015 modern 316 #14,214
2016 modern 311 #14,376

Geography

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Where Luces are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Malmesbury St Paul, Alveston and St Leonard Shoreditch. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cotswold, Wiltshire and Torfaen. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Malmesbury St Paul Wiltshire
4 Alveston Gloucestershire
5 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cotswold 006 Cotswold
2 Wiltshire 048 Wiltshire
3 Cotswold 004 Cotswold
4 Torfaen 009 Torfaen
5 Torfaen 008 Torfaen

Forenames

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First names often paired with Luce

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Luce

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Luce surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Luce 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Luce is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Luce is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Luce falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Luce 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 Luce, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Luce

The surname Luce originated in France and Italy, deriving from the Latin name Lucius, which means "light" or "bright." It was a common Roman name that evolved over time.

In France, the name traces back to the Middle Ages, with early records showing variations like Luc, Luce, and Lus in regions like Normandy and Brittany. It was also found in medieval Italian records, often rendered as Luce or Luchi.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Guillaume Luce, a Norman nobleman recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, indicating the name's presence in England following the Norman Conquest.

During the 12th century, a notable figure named Robertus Luce was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, England. In Italy, the Luce family was prominent in Florence, with several members holding influential positions in the city's government and religious institutions.

Among the famous historical figures with the surname Luce were Giovanni Luce (1460-1510), an Italian Renaissance painter known for his altarpieces and frescoes, and Maximilian Luce (1858-1941), a French Neo-Impressionist painter celebrated for his depictions of urban life and labor scenes.

In England, Sir William Luce (1590-1668) was a prominent lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the English Civil War. Another notable bearer was Henry Robinson Luce (1898-1967), the American publisher who co-founded Time, Life, and Fortune magazines.

The name Luce was also found in various place names across Europe, such as Lucé in France, Luce in Italy, and Luce Bay in Scotland, reflecting the widespread distribution of the surname over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Luce families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Luce 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. Channel Islands leads with 252 Luces recorded in 1881 and an index of 167.01x.

County Total Index
Channel Islands 252 167.01x
Gloucestershire 63 6.31x
Lancashire 37 0.61x
Middlesex 29 0.57x
Devon 27 2.55x
Surrey 22 0.89x
Yorkshire 22 0.44x
Wiltshire 15 3.33x
Staffordshire 12 0.70x
Warwickshire 11 0.86x
Glamorgan 5 0.56x
Cornwall 4 0.69x
Lincolnshire 4 0.49x
Cumberland 3 0.68x
Hampshire 3 0.29x
Perthshire 3 1.31x
Kent 2 0.12x
Somerset 2 0.24x
Berkshire 1 0.26x
Dorset 1 0.30x
Essex 1 0.10x
Hertfordshire 1 0.28x
Royal Navy 1 1.65x
Westmorland 1 0.89x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Helier in Channel Islands leads with 75 Luces recorded in 1881 and an index of 152.69x.

Place Total Index
St Helier 75 152.69x
St Lawrence 62 1504.85x
St Owen 37 934.34x
St Mary 25 1436.78x
St Saviour 15 179.86x
St Martin 11 119.05x
Stoke Damerel 11 14.83x
Grouville 10 238.10x
Toxteth Park 10 4.89x
Alveston 9 633.80x
Bristol St Paul In 9 33.82x
Coryton 9 2307.69x
Elmdon 9 2432.43x
St Peter 9 206.90x
Malmesbury St Paul 8 206.72x
Almondbury 7 28.69x
Camberwell 7 2.15x
Cheltenham 7 9.09x
Woolaston 7 463.58x
Dalton In Furness 6 25.73x
Gloucester St John Baptist 6 93.02x
Kirkdale 6 5.90x
Lofthouse 6 79.68x
Eccleshall 5 76.69x
Lambeth 5 1.13x
Rotherhithe 5 7.95x
St Luke London 5 6.12x
Bristol St Michael 4 46.73x
Hackney London 4 1.40x
Huddersfield 4 5.44x
Kensington London 4 1.41x
Kimberworth 4 14.29x
Liverpool 4 1.09x
Paddington London 4 2.14x
St Clement 4 173.91x
St Marylebone London 4 1.47x
Thornbury 4 58.57x
Westport St Mary 4 122.70x
Wolverhampton 4 3.03x
Barton Upon Irwell 3 6.59x
Clifton 3 5.94x
Dean Prior 3 545.45x
Heapham 3 1200.00x
Henbury 3 61.60x
Perth West Church 3 27.68x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 3.67x
Rushall 3 29.67x
St Bees 3 147.78x
St John 3 104.17x
Swansea Town 3 4.13x
Widnes 3 6.88x
Alvington 2 298.51x
Bathwick 2 22.05x
Clerkenwell London 2 1.66x
Malmesbury The Abbey 2 769.23x
Portsea 2 0.98x
Rangeworthy 2 454.55x
Stratford On Avon 2 28.09x
Ulverston 2 11.36x
Westbury On Trym 2 5.91x
Batley 1 2.09x
Bristol St Stephen 1 38.61x
Broxbourne 1 14.37x
Coyty Lower 1 17.36x
Falmouth 1 4.90x
Gainsborough 1 5.21x
Heath Charnock 1 62.11x
Hornsey 1 1.55x
Lewisham 1 1.08x
Milford 1 41.49x
Mylor 1 25.91x
Olveston 1 35.59x
Reading St Giles 1 2.67x
Richmond 1 2.88x
St Brelade 1 25.77x
St Clement 1 16.61x
St Gilesin Fields London 1 23.20x
Wandsworth 1 2.04x
West Derby 1 0.57x
Weybridge 1 18.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 38
Elizabeth 29
Ann 20
Jane 20
Sarah 11
Alice 10
Louisa 10
Eliza 9
Esther 9
Ellen 7
Susan 7
Ada 6
Emma 6
Florence 6
Anne 4
Clara 4
Emily 4
Annie 3
Betsy 3
Caroline 3
Margaret 3
Marie 3
Amelia 2
Charlotte 2
Elvina 2
Harriet 2
Helen 2
Jessie 2
Louise 2
Malvina 2
Martha 2
Matilda 2
Maud 2
May 2
Nancy 2
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Augustus 1
Beatrice 1
Bessie 1
Doney 1
Dora 1
Eda 1
Elaina 1
Elenor 1
Elise 1
Elizebth 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 44
Philip 21
George 14
William 14
Francis 12
Charles 10
Thomas 10
Edward 9
Henry 8
James 7
Walter 6
Frederick 5
Richard 5
Frank 4
Robert 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Elias 3
Andrew 2
Arnice 2
Edwin 2
Elie 2
Eugene 2
Jean 2
Jules 2
Benjamin 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Earnest 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1
Emile 1
Ernest 1
Frs.Ed. 1
Lawrence 1
Leonard 1
Leslie 1
Lionel 1
Morton 1
Moses 1
Nimrod 1
Percy 1
Pierre 1
Samuel 1
Seth 1
Stanley 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Luce surname: questions and answers

How common was the Luce surname in 1881?

In 1881, 269 people were recorded with the Luce surname. That placed it at #10,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Luce surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 311 in 2016. That gives Luce a modern rank of #14,376.

What does the Luce surname mean?

Derived from the Latin word "lux," meaning "light," likely referring to a person with a bright or cheerful disposition.

What does the Luce map show?

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