NameCensus.

UK surname

Lumsden

A Scottish locational surname derived from a place in Aberdeenshire, likely meaning "valley of the elm trees."

In the 1881 census there were 2,506 people recorded with the Lumsden surname, ranking it #1,786 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,244, ranked #2,096, down from #1,786 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Cupar and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Falkirk - Camelon West, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lumsden is 3,352 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.4%.

1881 census count

2,506

Ranked #1,786

Modern count

3,244

2016, ranked #2,096

Peak year

2010

3,352 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lumsden had 2,506 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,786 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,244 in 2016, ranked #2,096.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,337 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Lumsden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lumsden surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lumsden 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 1,589 #1,816
1861 historical 1,629 #1,754
1881 historical 2,506 #1,786
1891 historical 2,848 #1,668
1901 historical 3,337 #1,675
1911 historical 1,035 #4,436
1997 modern 3,083 #2,078
1998 modern 3,197 #2,100
1999 modern 3,234 #2,090
2000 modern 3,205 #2,097
2001 modern 3,134 #2,101
2002 modern 3,171 #2,120
2003 modern 3,138 #2,094
2004 modern 3,125 #2,096
2005 modern 3,162 #2,048
2006 modern 3,162 #2,059
2007 modern 3,206 #2,057
2008 modern 3,221 #2,060
2009 modern 3,291 #2,069
2010 modern 3,352 #2,076
2011 modern 3,289 #2,081
2012 modern 3,155 #2,130
2013 modern 3,213 #2,134
2014 modern 3,237 #2,134
2015 modern 3,246 #2,106
2016 modern 3,244 #2,096

Geography

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Where Lumsdens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Cupar, Gateshead, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Falkirk - Camelon West, Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland, Letham and Northumberland. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Cupar Fife
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Falkirk - Camelon West Falkirk
2 Newcastle upon Tyne 030 Newcastle upon Tyne
3 Sunderland 005 Sunderland
4 Letham Perth and Kinross
5 Northumberland 003 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lumsden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lumsden

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Lumsden, 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 Lumsden surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Lumsden 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, Lumsden 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

Lumsden 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

Lumsden falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Lumsden

The surname Lumsden is of Scottish origin, originating from the lands of the same name located in Berwickshire. The name is derived from the Old English words "lum" meaning a small river or stream, and "dene" meaning a valley.

The earliest recorded reference to the name dates back to the 12th century, with mention of the lands of Lumsden in a charter granted by King David I of Scotland to the Benedictine monks of Coldingham Priory. Over the following centuries, the Lumsden family became prominent landowners in the Scottish Borders region.

One notable figure was Sir James Lumsden, who was appointed Governor of Berwick and Warden of the East Marches in the late 15th century. He played a significant role in the conflicts between Scotland and England during this period.

Another prominent individual was Sir Robert Lumsden, who served as a military commander under King James VI of Scotland and later King James I of England in the early 17th century. He fought in the Nine Years' War in Ireland and was knighted for his services.

In the 18th century, Andrew Lumsden (1720-1801) was a Scottish soldier and orientalist who served in the East India Company's army. He became renowned for his translations of ancient Persian texts and his contributions to the study of Indian languages.

Moving to the 19th century, Sir Harry Burnett Lumsden (1821-1908) was a British military officer who served in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and later became Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Army. He was also an accomplished linguist and scholar of Indian languages and culture.

Throughout history, the Lumsden surname has been associated with various landed estates and properties in the Scottish Borders region, including Lumsden Castle, Blanerne Castle, and Innerleithen. The name has also been recorded in various spellings, such as Lumisden, Lumsdaine, and Lumsdayn, reflecting regional variations and linguistic evolution over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lumsden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lumsden 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. Midlothian leads with 360 Lumsdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.03x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 360 11.03x
Fife 358 24.82x
Aberdeenshire 336 14.89x
Northumberland 227 6.26x
Durham 195 2.69x
Angus 145 6.42x
Lanarkshire 137 1.74x
East Lothian 79 24.48x
Middlesex 73 0.30x
Perthshire 68 6.22x
Kent 38 0.46x
Stirlingshire 37 4.12x
West Lothian 34 9.27x
Ayrshire 30 1.65x
Surrey 29 0.24x
Kincardineshire 25 8.42x
Roxburghshire 25 5.66x
Lancashire 24 0.08x
Cumberland 23 1.10x
Banffshire 22 4.35x
Yorkshire 22 0.09x
Dunbartonshire 20 3.05x
Kinross-shire 16 25.97x
Selkirkshire 16 7.26x
Renfrewshire 15 0.79x
Ross-shire 14 2.09x
Clackmannanshire 12 5.96x
Essex 12 0.25x
Lincolnshire 10 0.26x
Morayshire 9 2.38x
Berwickshire 8 2.71x
Norfolk 8 0.21x
Bedfordshire 7 0.55x
Hampshire 7 0.14x
Kirkcudbrightshire 7 1.98x
Devon 5 0.10x
Peeblesshire 4 3.49x
Sussex 4 0.10x
Westmorland 4 0.75x
Warwickshire 3 0.05x
Berkshire 2 0.11x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.14x
Cheshire 2 0.04x
Derbyshire 2 0.05x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.37x
Glamorgan 2 0.05x
Isle of Man 2 0.44x
Leicestershire 2 0.07x
Royal Navy 2 0.69x
Staffordshire 2 0.02x
Suffolk 2 0.07x
Inverness-shire 1 0.14x
Northamptonshire 1 0.04x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.03x
Rutland 1 0.56x
Somerset 1 0.03x
Sutherland 1 0.53x
Wigtownshire 1 0.31x
Wiltshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 130 Lumsdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.90x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 130 9.90x
Aberdeen Old Machar 94 19.95x
Dundee 70 8.31x
Cupar 55 87.68x
South Leith 51 13.88x
Gateshead 44 8.11x
Govan 42 2.15x
Lasswade 38 50.91x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 36 8.53x
Barony 33 1.65x
Glasgow 33 2.36x
Pittenweem 27 151.86x
Bedlington 26 21.48x
St Andrews 24 36.56x
Liff Benvie 22 6.42x
Dunbar 21 46.41x
Wilton 21 43.36x
Stannington 20 232.29x
Dunfermline 19 8.57x
Peterhead 19 15.92x
Boness 18 35.58x
Duddingston 17 25.94x
Newcastle On Tyne St 17 9.05x
New Machar 16 126.18x
Abbotshall 15 27.83x
Auchterderran 15 41.36x
Berwick North 15 66.37x
Borthwick 15 102.81x
Carham 15 159.91x
Muiravonside 15 65.70x
Old Monkland 15 4.80x
Stow 15 89.39x
Strathmiglo 15 87.01x
Wemyss 14 22.94x
Bishopwearmouth 13 2.09x
East Greenock 13 7.29x
Haddington 13 27.29x
Pelton 13 37.69x
Westgate 13 5.79x
Burntisland 12 29.75x
North Middleton In 12 1212.12x
Prestonkirk 12 74.35x
Westminster St James 12 4.79x
Aberdour 11 75.71x
Banchory Ternan 11 42.87x
Fraserburgh 11 17.31x
Inverurie 11 43.10x
Monkwearmouth Shore 11 7.77x
Montrose 11 8.04x
Murroes 11 175.44x
North Leith 11 7.28x
Orwell 11 64.78x
Perth West Church 11 21.19x
Clapham 10 3.28x
Dollar 10 47.96x
Ford 10 75.47x
Gairloch 10 25.93x
Lewisham 10 2.26x
Lintrathen 10 186.57x
Ormiston 10 116.82x
Auchindoir Kearn 9 71.03x
Bathgate 9 11.30x
Brigham 9 90.82x
Callander 9 49.92x
Collierley 9 27.86x
Cowpen 9 10.78x
Cramlington 9 18.79x
Croydon 9 1.37x
Dairsie 9 153.85x
Dalkeith 9 13.98x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 9 11.66x
Forteviot 9 172.08x
Melrose 9 16.22x
Midmar 9 103.33x
Oyne 9 112.22x
Pitsligo 9 41.72x
Plumstead 9 3.25x
Row 9 10.62x
Shoreswood 9 430.62x
Markinch 8 16.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 51
Elizabeth 29
Jane 28
Margaret 21
Ann 19
Annie 12
Catherine 10
Ellen 10
Isabella 10
Sarah 10
Alice 9
Eliza 9
Frances 7
Edith 6
Dorothy 5
Hannah 5
Janet 5
Agnes 4
Jessie 4
Margt. 4
Phoebe 4
Ada 3
Charlotte 3
Eleanor 3
Elizth. 3
Harriet 3
Kate 3
Martha 3
Sophia 3
Amelia 2
Anna 2
Barbara 2
Clara 2
Emma 2
Gertrude 2
Helen 2
Isabell 2
Katherine 2
Lizzie 2
Louisa 2
Margret 2
Susan 2
Susannah 2
Barbary 1
Beatrice 1
Christine 1
Clare 1
Clementina 1
Georgina 1
Grace 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 46
John 44
James 39
Thomas 39
George 25
Robert 21
Joseph 14
Charles 9
David 9
Alexander 8
Henry 8
Ralph 6
Arthur 5
Andrew 4
Edward 4
Matthew 4
Frederick 3
Stephen 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Archibald 2
Daniel 2
Harry 2
Hugh 2
Robt. 2
Thos. 2
Claude 1
Earnest 1
Ernest 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Gilbert 1
Gordon 1
Hodgeson 1
Lewis 1
Lucius 1
Marshall 1
Miller 1
Moses 1
Nathaniel 1
Oliver 1
Percy 1
R. 1
Richard 1
Rodger 1
Sidney 1
St.Clair 1
Thmas 1
Wm.James 1

FAQ

Lumsden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lumsden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,506 people were recorded with the Lumsden surname. That placed it at #1,786 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lumsden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,244 in 2016. That gives Lumsden a modern rank of #2,096.

What does the Lumsden surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname derived from a place in Aberdeenshire, likely meaning "valley of the elm trees."

What does the Lumsden map show?

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