This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to London family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

London Family History

London Surname Meaning

English and Jewish (Ashkenazic): habitational name for someone who came from London or a nickname for someone who had made a trip to London or had some other connection with the city. In some cases however the Jewish name was purely artificial.

The placename recorded by the Roman historian Tacitus in the Latinized form Londinium is obscure in origin and meaning but may be derived from pre-Celtic (Old European) roots with a meaning something like ‘place at the navigable or unfordable river’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the London family from?

You can see how London families moved over time by selecting different census years. The London family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most London families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 580 London families living in London. This was about 33% of all the recorded London's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of London families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the London surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your London ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named London. 11% of London men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of London women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named London were Incapacitated and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for London | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    11%
  • Carpenter
    6%
  • Agricultural Labourer
    6%
  • Incapacitated
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What London family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 96,000 census records available for the last name London. Like a window into their day-to-day life, London census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for London

Passenger Lists

There are 20,000 immigration records available for the last name London. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all London immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 88,000 military records available for the last name London. For the veterans among your London ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all London military records

You've only scratched the surface of London family history

Discover More

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the London family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial