NameCensus.

UK surname

Lunan

A Scottish surname derived from a place name referring to Lunan Bay in Angus.

In the 1881 census there were 249 people recorded with the Lunan surname, ranking it #11,103 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 229, ranked #17,878, down from #11,103 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Mains and Strathmartine and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Linlathen and Midcraigie, City Centre West and Angus Glens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lunan is 289 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 8.0%.

1881 census count

249

Ranked #11,103

Modern count

229

2016, ranked #17,878

Peak year

1901

289 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lunan had 249 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,103 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 229 in 2016, ranked #17,878.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 289 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Lunan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lunan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lunan 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 123 #14,886
1861 historical 177 #13,265
1881 historical 249 #11,103
1891 historical 287 #11,473
1901 historical 289 #11,944
1911 historical 56 #27,216
1997 modern 228 #16,211
1998 modern 244 #15,947
1999 modern 236 #16,404
2000 modern 220 #17,138
2001 modern 218 #17,017
2002 modern 230 #16,730
2003 modern 225 #16,808
2004 modern 226 #16,829
2005 modern 233 #16,434
2006 modern 227 #16,842
2007 modern 231 #16,835
2008 modern 216 #17,758
2009 modern 225 #17,631
2010 modern 233 #17,606
2011 modern 216 #18,321
2012 modern 214 #18,358
2013 modern 227 #17,922
2014 modern 229 #17,925
2015 modern 230 #17,795
2016 modern 229 #17,878

Geography

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Where Lunans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Mains and Strathmartine, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Alyth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Linlathen and Midcraigie, City Centre West, Angus Glens, IZ15 and Bradford. 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 Mains and Strathmartine Forfar
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Alyth Perth

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Linlathen and Midcraigie Dundee City
2 City Centre West Glasgow City
3 Angus Glens Angus
4 IZ15 West Dunbartonshire
5 Bradford 002 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lunan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lunan

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Lunan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Lunan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Lunan 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

Lunan 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

Lunan 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 Lunan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Lunan

The surname Lunan is of Scottish origin and is believed to have derived from the lands of Lunan in Angus, Scotland. The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be Lunane, which dates back to the 12th century.

The name is thought to have originated from the Gaelic words "lun" meaning "marsh" and "an" meaning "the," referring to the marshy nature of the area where the lands of Lunan were located. This geographical connection is a common source for many Scottish surnames.

In the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document containing the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England, the name appears as "William de Lunane." This suggests that the name was already well-established in Scotland by the late 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John de Lunane, who was a member of the Scottish Parliament in 1357. Another notable figure was Sir Robert Lunan, a Scottish knight who fought alongside King Robert the Bruce during the Scottish Wars of Independence in the early 14th century.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various historical records, including the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, where it is spelled "Lunane" and "Lunan." During this period, the Lunans were a prominent family in the county of Angus, with several members serving as lairds (landowners) and holding positions of local authority.

In the 17th century, the name is found in the records of the Scottish Parliament, with a James Lunan serving as a commissioner for the burgh of Montrose in 1661. Around the same time, a John Lunan was recorded as a merchant and burgess of Dundee, indicating the family's involvement in trade and commerce.

Another notable bearer of the name was Robert Lunan, a Scottish poet and writer who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He is best known for his collection of poems titled "The Rural Muse," which was published in 1807.

Throughout history, the Lunan surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, soldiers, academics, and artists. While the name may have originated in a specific region of Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and has maintained its Scottish heritage and associations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lunan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lunan 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 79 Lunans recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.12x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 79 35.12x
Angus 62 27.55x
Perthshire 39 35.78x
Surrey 12 1.01x
Kincardineshire 10 33.81x
Ayrshire 9 4.95x
Dunbartonshire 6 9.19x
Durham 6 0.83x
Fife 6 4.17x
Midlothian 6 1.84x
Middlesex 5 0.21x
Lanarkshire 4 0.51x
Berwickshire 1 3.40x
East Lothian 1 3.11x
Renfrewshire 1 0.53x
Stirlingshire 1 1.12x
Yorkshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Alyth in Perthshire leads with 26 Lunans recorded in 1881 and an index of 887.37x.

Place Total Index
Alyth 26 887.37x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 23 54.64x
Aberdeen Old Machar 13 27.68x
Banchory Ternan 10 390.63x
Forfar 9 73.89x
Fraserburgh 9 142.18x
Fyvie 9 245.23x
Largs 9 210.28x
Dundee 8 9.52x
Mains 8 418.85x
Udny 7 514.71x
Airlie 6 833.33x
Cupar 6 96.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 4.58x
Gateshead 6 11.09x
Liff Benvie 6 17.56x
Row 6 71.09x
Streatham 6 33.30x
Blairgowrie 5 116.01x
Lonmay 5 245.10x
Aberlemno 4 481.93x
Brechin 4 45.25x
Kirriemuir 4 72.07x
Lochee 4 199.01x
Rattray 4 157.48x
Alford 3 245.90x
Camberwell 3 1.93x
Glasgow 3 2.15x
Hackney London 3 2.20x
Montrose 3 21.99x
Newtyle 3 394.74x
Bendochy 2 338.98x
Cargill 2 176.99x
Cruden 2 68.97x
Glenmuick Tullich 2 123.46x
Rathen 2 84.75x
St George Bloomsbury 2 14.35x
Bermondsey 1 1.38x
Cortachy 1 357.14x
Croydon 1 1.52x
Denny 1 21.01x
Dyce 1 103.09x
Earlston 1 68.03x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 2.04x
Govan 1 0.51x
Inverarity 1 138.89x
Lambeth 1 0.47x
Longside 1 37.17x
Peterhead 1 8.41x
Prestonkirk 1 62.11x
Tannadice 1 95.24x
Tyrie 1 35.46x
West Greenock 1 2.96x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 3
Helen 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Maria 1
Sophia 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
William 2
Adam 1
Carl 1
F. 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Herman 1
James 1
Robert 1

FAQ

Lunan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lunan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 249 people were recorded with the Lunan surname. That placed it at #11,103 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lunan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 229 in 2016. That gives Lunan a modern rank of #17,878.

What does the Lunan surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a place name referring to Lunan Bay in Angus.

What does the Lunan map show?

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