NameCensus.

UK surname

Cassey

An Anglicized version of the French surname Chassé, derived from the Old French word meaning "hunter".

In the 1881 census there were 293 people recorded with the Cassey surname, ranking it #9,884 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 159, ranked #22,798, down from #9,884 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Salisbury St Edmund and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stockton-on-Tees, Teignbridge and Bromley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cassey is 348 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 45.7%.

1881 census count

293

Ranked #9,884

Modern count

159

2016, ranked #22,798

Peak year

1861

348 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cassey had 293 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,884 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 159 in 2016, ranked #22,798.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 348 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cassey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cassey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cassey 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 155 #12,604
1861 historical 348 #7,339
1881 historical 293 #9,884
1891 historical 250 #12,762
1901 historical 275 #12,332
1911 historical 215 #14,290
1997 modern 177 #19,018
1998 modern 176 #19,584
1999 modern 168 #20,312
2000 modern 157 #21,146
2001 modern 156 #20,974
2002 modern 175 #19,902
2003 modern 149 #21,766
2004 modern 143 #22,471
2005 modern 149 #21,866
2006 modern 154 #21,576
2007 modern 168 #20,634
2008 modern 166 #20,966
2009 modern 176 #20,632
2010 modern 179 #20,886
2011 modern 174 #21,096
2012 modern 166 #21,683
2013 modern 163 #22,342
2014 modern 165 #22,356
2015 modern 162 #22,509
2016 modern 159 #22,798

Geography

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Where Casseys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Salisbury St Edmund, Edinburgh, Salisbury St Thomas and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stockton-on-Tees, Teignbridge, Bromley, Arun and Winchester. 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 Salisbury St Edmund Wiltshire
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Salisbury St Thomas Wiltshire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stockton-on-Tees 010 Stockton-on-Tees
2 Teignbridge 019 Teignbridge
3 Bromley 006 Bromley
4 Arun 003 Arun
5 Winchester 011 Winchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cassey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cassey

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Cassey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cassey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Cassey 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

Cassey is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cassey 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 Cassey 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 Cassey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cassey

The surname Cassey originated in Ireland and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic surname "O'Caiside", meaning "descendant of Caiside". Caiside is believed to be a personal name of Irish origin, although its exact meaning is unclear.

The name was initially concentrated in County Sligo and surrounding areas of western Ireland. Early spellings of the name included O'Caiside, O'Casidy, and O'Cassidy before evolving into the modern forms of Cassey and Cassidy.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1191, the document mentions a figure named "Aedh O'Caiside", who was likely a member of the Gaelic nobility or chieftain class.

The Cassey name appears to have spread from Ireland to other parts of the British Isles and beyond during the 16th and 17th centuries, as Irish families migrated or were displaced due to conflicts and political upheaval. Some notable individuals with the Cassey surname include:

1. Shane Cassey (c. 1540-1617), an Irish soldier and leader who fought against English forces during the Nine Years' War in Ireland.

2. Alice Cassey (c. 1650-1720), an Irish-born poet and playwright who lived and worked in London during the late 17th century.

3. Robert Cassey (1783-1857), a Scottish businessman and entrepreneur who founded a successful textile manufacturing company in Glasgow.

4. Eliza Cassey (1810-1891), an American abolitionist and women's rights activist who was involved in the Underground Railroad and the early women's suffrage movement.

5. John Cassey (1879-1957), a Welsh labor leader and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party in the early 20th century.

The Cassey surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Cassey Island in County Donegal and Cassey Hill in County Sligo, further reflecting its deep-rooted Irish heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cassey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cassey 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. Middlesex leads with 45 Casseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.64x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 45 1.64x
Wiltshire 36 14.80x
Lancashire 32 0.98x
Lanarkshire 23 2.59x
Yorkshire 22 0.81x
Durham 17 2.08x
Surrey 14 1.04x
Midlothian 13 3.53x
Northumberland 11 2.69x
Warwickshire 11 1.59x
Ayrshire 8 3.89x
Essex 7 1.29x
Kent 6 0.64x
Angus 5 1.96x
Glamorgan 5 1.04x
Somerset 5 1.13x
Staffordshire 4 0.43x
Berwickshire 2 6.00x
Cheshire 2 0.33x
Leicestershire 2 0.66x
Lincolnshire 2 0.45x
Perthshire 2 1.62x
Renfrewshire 2 0.94x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.90x
Cornwall 1 0.32x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.35x
Norfolk 1 0.24x
Stirlingshire 1 0.99x
Sussex 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wilton in Wiltshire leads with 16 Casseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 930.23x.

Place Total Index
Wilton 16 930.23x
Birmingham 11 4.76x
Tottenham 11 25.11x
Fisherton Anger 8 177.78x
Poplar London 8 15.41x
Ryhope 7 123.24x
Salisbury St Thomas 7 362.69x
St Pancras London 7 3.16x
Ancroft 6 416.67x
Croydon 6 8.06x
Govan 6 2.73x
Hornsey 6 17.25x
Manchester 6 4.09x
Dalmellington 5 82.64x
Portbury 5 675.68x
Preston 5 5.73x
Salisbury St Martin 5 197.63x
Scarborough 5 20.19x
St Luke London 5 11.33x
West Ham 5 4.17x
Bermondsey 4 4.88x
Brotton 4 112.36x
Dalserf 4 45.05x
Dundee 4 4.20x
Edinburgh St Johns 4 171.67x
Inveresk 4 40.08x
Liverpool 4 2.02x
North Shields 4 48.96x
Barony 3 1.33x
Edinburgh Tron Church 3 173.41x
Escomb 3 79.79x
Oldham 3 2.85x
Rutherglen 3 22.99x
Strood 3 56.07x
Wakefield 3 14.33x
Avondale 2 38.46x
Bowling 2 7.41x
Chelsea London 2 2.41x
East Murton 2 130.72x
Glasgow 2 1.27x
Horton In Bradford 2 4.70x
Leicester St Mary 2 8.12x
North Meols 2 6.26x
Old Monkland 2 5.67x
Radcliffe 2 12.71x
Sale 2 26.85x
Stoke Upon Trent 2 2.03x
Sutton 2 20.62x
Westoe 2 4.31x
Abbey 1 3.07x
Ayr 1 10.29x
Blaenhonddan 1 44.84x
Brentwood 1 30.21x
Darenth 1 68.97x
Edinburgh New North 1 31.15x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.67x
Folkestone 1 5.49x
Fulwood 1 28.33x
Gainsborough 1 9.64x
Hammersmith London 1 1.48x
Hampstead London 1 2.33x
Hartlepool 1 8.60x
Hastings St Mary 1 8.67x
Holy Trinity 1 1.53x
Langton 1 208.33x
Liff Benvie 1 2.58x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.71x
Milton In Gravesend 1 7.11x
Muirkirk 1 20.70x
New Kilpatrick 1 14.22x
Over Darwen 1 3.84x
Port Glasgow 1 9.70x
Sheffield 1 1.15x
St Marylebone London 1 0.68x
St Quivox 1 14.37x
Tonge 1 14.60x
Toxteth Park 1 0.90x
Wednesbury 1 4.31x
Witton 1 24.33x
Ystradyfodwg 1 2.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Ellen 9
Ann 7
Sarah 6
Eliza 5
Bridget 4
Catherine 4
Clara 4
Margaret 4
Anna 3
Annie 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Charlotte 2
Elizabeth 2
Hannah 2
Harriett 2
Isabella 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Maggie 2
Nellie 2
Patience 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
Bridgett 1
Cathrin 1
Edra 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Eva 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Georgina 1
Harriet 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Juliet 1
Laura 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1
Norah 1
Rose 1
Rosette 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 15
John 14
Thomas 12
William 11
George 7
Edward 4
Frank 4
Joseph 4
Michael 3
Patrick 3
Arthur 2
Harry 2
Sidney 2
Albert 1
Charles 1
Chas. 1
Cliford 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Frederick 1
Herbert 1
J. 1
Johnny 1
Laurence 1
Miathias 1
Michial 1
Pat 1
Patric 1
Percy 1
Reginald 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Timothy 1
Uriah 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Cassey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cassey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 293 people were recorded with the Cassey surname. That placed it at #9,884 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cassey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 159 in 2016. That gives Cassey a modern rank of #22,798.

What does the Cassey surname mean?

An Anglicized version of the French surname Chassé, derived from the Old French word meaning "hunter".

What does the Cassey map show?

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