Latvians in the United Kingdom

Ethnic group in the United Kingdom

Ethnic group

^ Does not include ethnic Latvians born in the United Kingdom or those with Latvian ancestry

Latvians in the United Kingdom are those born or raised in the UK, or residents, who are of ethnically Latvian descent or originate from Latvia, a country in North-Eastern Europe.

History, population and settlement

In the early 20th century, Latvian workers began to settle in Glasgow. Notable groups of Latvian-born migrants historically also included people of Latvian Jewish, Baltic German and Latvian Russian origin.

Significant numbers of Latvians moved to the UK after World War 2 in 1947 under a government backed scheme called Westward Ho. The first group of displaced persons (DPs) from the British zone of occupation of Germany arrived in the UK in 1947, called the Balt Cygnets.^[4]

The 2001 UK Census had recorded 4,275 UK residents born in Latvia.^[5]

Another wave of Latvian migration to the United Kingdom came after the accession of Latvia to the European Union, of which the UK was then part, in 2004.

The 2011 UK Census already recorded 53,977 Latvian-born residents in England, 692 in Wales,^[6] 4,475 in Scotland,^[7] and 2,297 in Northern Ireland.^[8]

In 2021, there were approximately 90,000 Latvian nationals estimated to be residing in the United Kingdom. Historically, the highest estimated number of Latvian nationals residing in the United Kingdom was in 2017, when there were 117,000.^[9]

There is a Latvian section at the Brookwood cemetery near London.^[10]

Latvian burial ground, Brookwood Cemetery

Latvian burials at the Brookwood Cemetery
Entrance to the Latvian burial ground
Grave of diplomat Kārlis Reinholds Zariņš, envoy and consul general of Latvia in the United Kingdom
Main monument at the Latvian burial ground

Notable British people of Latvian descent

See Category:British people of Latvian descent

Martin Blunos, TV chef
Leonard Fenton, actor, director and painter
Dora Gaitskell, Baroness Gaitskell, Labour Party politician
Gustav Holst, composer
Anatol Lieven, journalist and policy analyst
Arnold Mikelson, artist
Viktoria Modesta, singer-songwriter
Imants Priede, zoologist

References

^ ^a ^b "Country of birth (extended)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
^ "Table UV204 - Country of birth: Country by Country of Birth by Individuals". National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 24 May 2024. '2022' > 'All of Scotland' > 'Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion' > 'Country of birth: UV204'
^ "MS-A18: Country of birth - full detail". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
^ McDowell, Linda (2008). "On the Significance of Being White: European Migrant Workers in the British Economy in the 1940s and 2000s". In Dwyer, Claire; Bressey, Caroline (eds.). New Geographies of Race and Racism. Aldershot: Ashgate. pp. 51–64. ISBN 978-0-7546-7085-8.
^ "Country-of-birth database". Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Archived from the original on 4 May 2011. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
^ "2011 Census: Country of birth (expanded), regions in England and Wales". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
^ "Country of birth (detailed)" (PDF). National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
^ "Country of Birth – Full Detail: QS206NI". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
^ Number of Latvian nationals resident in the United Kingdom from 2008 to 2021 - Statista.com
^ Latvian Cemetery - Exploring Surrey's Past