NameCensus.

UK surname

Lucey

Anglicized form of Irish Ó Luasaigh, meaning "descendant of Luasach," a personal name derived from "luas" meaning "speed" or "swiftness."

In the 1881 census there were 122 people recorded with the Lucey surname, ranking it #17,602 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 527, ranked #9,622, up from #17,602 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Henley-on-Thames, St George in the East and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hackney, Bristol and Caerphilly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lucey is 543 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 332.0%.

1881 census count

122

Ranked #17,602

Modern count

527

2016, ranked #9,622

Peak year

2010

543 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lucey had 122 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,602 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 527 in 2016, ranked #9,622.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 267 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Lucey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lucey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lucey 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 152 #12,786
1861 historical 267 #9,290
1881 historical 122 #17,602
1891 historical 189 #15,547
1901 historical 137 #19,032
1911 historical 164 #16,879
1997 modern 484 #9,531
1998 modern 526 #9,238
1999 modern 522 #9,348
2000 modern 506 #9,541
2001 modern 509 #9,323
2002 modern 512 #9,470
2003 modern 506 #9,404
2004 modern 513 #9,338
2005 modern 508 #9,340
2006 modern 515 #9,277
2007 modern 508 #9,455
2008 modern 511 #9,485
2009 modern 525 #9,501
2010 modern 543 #9,443
2011 modern 529 #9,555
2012 modern 524 #9,541
2013 modern 538 #9,514
2014 modern 538 #9,556
2015 modern 534 #9,543
2016 modern 527 #9,622

Geography

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Where Luceys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Henley-on-Thames, St George in the East, London parishes and Loughborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hackney, Bristol, Caerphilly, Warwick and Sutton. 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 Henley-on-Thames Oxfordshire
2 St George in the East London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Loughborough Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hackney 025 Hackney
2 Bristol 008 Bristol, City of
3 Caerphilly 020 Caerphilly
4 Warwick 007 Warwick
5 Sutton 013 Sutton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lucey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lucey

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Lucey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Lucey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Lucey 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

Lucey 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

Lucey falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Lucey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Lucey

The surname Lucey is of Irish origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name Lughaidh, which means "follower of Lugha", a pagan Celtic god of arts and crafts. The name was initially anglicized to Lughaidhe and later evolved into Lucey.

The Lucey name was primarily found in County Cork, where it was prominent in the baronies of Muskerry and Duhallow. The earliest recorded spelling of the name is believed to be de Luce, which appeared in the Pipe Rolls of County Cork in the late 13th century.

One of the earliest known references to the Lucey name can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a medieval Irish chronicle written in the late 12th century. The annals mention a "Lughaidh Ua Lucey" who was a prominent figure in County Cork during that period.

In the 16th century, the Lucey family held significant landholdings in the Muskerry region of County Cork. Several members of the family are recorded in the Fiants (official government records) during this time, including John Lucey, who was granted lands in Muskerry in 1586.

Notable figures with the surname Lucey include:

1. John Lucey (1551-1611), an Irish Catholic priest and educator who founded a school in Muskerry, County Cork. 2. Patrick Lucey (1761-1833), an Irish Catholic priest and author who wrote extensively on Irish history and culture. 3. Robert Lucey (1891-1957), an American politician who served as the Governor of Wisconsin from 1935 to 1939. 4. Ollie Lucey (1904-1992), an Irish hurler who played for the Cork senior hurling team and won three All-Ireland medals. 5. Mary Lucey (1925-2003), an Irish novelist and short story writer known for her works depicting rural life in County Cork.

The Lucey name has also been associated with various place names in County Cork, such as Lucey's Cross, Lucey's Bridge, and Luceyville, reflecting the family's historical presence in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lucey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lucey 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. Middlesex leads with 38 Luceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.19x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 38 3.19x
Surrey 21 3.62x
Lancashire 12 0.85x
Leicestershire 10 7.58x
Kent 9 2.22x
Oxfordshire 9 12.25x
Staffordshire 6 1.49x
Nottinghamshire 5 3.12x
Hampshire 4 1.64x
Ayrshire 1 1.12x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.39x
Cheshire 1 0.38x
Essex 1 0.43x
Northumberland 1 0.56x
Suffolk 1 0.69x
Warwickshire 1 0.33x
Yorkshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St George In East London in Middlesex leads with 19 Luceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 169.79x.

Place Total Index
St George In East London 19 169.79x
Lambeth 14 13.49x
Sheepshed 10 552.49x
Henley On Thames 9 596.03x
Chelsea London 6 16.73x
Limehouse London 6 45.94x
Walsall Borough 6 192.31x
Bermondsey 5 14.12x
Nottingham St Mary 5 12.05x
Salford 5 12.04x
St Margarets At Cliffe 5 2083.33x
Manchester 4 6.30x
Portsea 3 6.28x
Greenwich 2 10.56x
Much Woolton 2 104.17x
St Marylebone London 2 3.15x
Westminster St John 2 13.80x
Birmingham 1 1.00x
Christchurch 1 18.90x
Clerkenwell London 1 3.56x
Croydon 1 3.11x
Deptford St Paul 1 3.19x
Hampstead London 1 5.40x
Kirkley 1 82.64x
Leeds 1 1.50x
Penge 1 13.16x
Rochester St Margaret 1 23.36x
Straiton 1 196.08x
Toxteth Park 1 2.09x
Tranmere 1 10.36x
Twickenham 1 19.61x
Upton Cum Chalvey 1 34.84x
Wanstead 1 24.33x
Westgate 1 9.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Sarah 7
Elizabeth 3
Ellen 3
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Kate 2
... 1
Alice 1
Allice 1
Anne 1
Eliza.A. 1
Ellie 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Hanorah 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Jane 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Maggie 1
Maria 1
Marry 1
Maud 1
Minnie 1
Rebecca 1
Sophia 1
Stanley 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 7
John 6
Charles 5
George 5
Joseph 4
Thomas 4
William 4
Phillip 2
Robert 2
Albert 1
Algernon 1
Arther 1
Arthur 1
Chas.Allen 1
Cornelius 1
Daniel 1
Ebenezer 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Heber 1
Hennery 1
Hennry 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Jeremiah 1
Mervyn 1
Michael 1
Patrick 1
Roger 1
Timothy 1
Walter 1
Will. 1

FAQ

Lucey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lucey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 122 people were recorded with the Lucey surname. That placed it at #17,602 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lucey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 527 in 2016. That gives Lucey a modern rank of #9,622.

What does the Lucey surname mean?

Anglicized form of Irish Ó Luasaigh, meaning "descendant of Luasach," a personal name derived from "luas" meaning "speed" or "swiftness."

What does the Lucey map show?

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