Lambeth
A habitational surname taken from Lambeth in London, originally the name of the riverside landing-place there.
The #8,891 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 83,853 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Lambeth is a place-name surname from Lambeth, now a district of London. The place-name is generally explained from Old English elements meaning a landing-place or harbour, plus a second element usually taken to refer to tree-stumps or posts. In other words, the original name likely described a stumpy riverside landing or mooring place rather than anything to do with lambs.
History
As a surname, Lambeth would have arisen for someone who came from or was associated with the place called Lambeth. The London district later became especially well known because of the archbishop’s residence and other ecclesiastical connections, which helped keep the place-name familiar. The surname is not common, and in modern usage it remains relatively rare.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The place-name behind the surname is not related to the animal lamb, despite how it looks at first glance.
From the historical record
“element is no doubt for O.E. hS>S, a land- ing-place, harbour, (not for kdiS, a heath), as in the case of 'Lambeth' ; and the first element prob. represents the adj. form of a var. of O.E. stybb, a tree-stump (the haven app. had tree-stumps as mooring- posts]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)