NameCensus.

UK surname

Cassidy

An Anglicized form of an Irish patronymic surname meaning "descendant of Caiside," derived from an Irish nickname meaning "curly-haired."

In the 1881 census there were 3,646 people recorded with the Cassidy surname, ranking it #1,246 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 10,615, ranked #612, up from #1,246 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Gateshead and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Drumchapel North, Anderston and Easterhouse East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cassidy is 10,680 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 191.1%.

1881 census count

3,646

Ranked #1,246

Modern count

10,615

2016, ranked #612

Peak year

2010

10,680 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cassidy had 3,646 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,246 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 10,615 in 2016, ranked #612.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,537 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Cassidy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cassidy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cassidy 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 1,283 #2,233
1861 historical 1,688 #1,694
1881 historical 3,646 #1,246
1891 historical 3,720 #1,286
1901 historical 4,537 #1,257
1911 historical 2,973 #1,749
1997 modern 9,535 #658
1998 modern 9,838 #661
1999 modern 9,916 #661
2000 modern 9,948 #654
2001 modern 9,708 #654
2002 modern 9,949 #652
2003 modern 9,688 #657
2004 modern 9,723 #651
2005 modern 9,769 #640
2006 modern 9,819 #638
2007 modern 10,007 #627
2008 modern 10,150 #622
2009 modern 10,433 #622
2010 modern 10,680 #621
2011 modern 10,559 #620
2012 modern 10,283 #623
2013 modern 10,530 #617
2014 modern 10,663 #613
2015 modern 10,632 #611
2016 modern 10,615 #612

Geography

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Where Cassidys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Gateshead, Manchester, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Drumchapel North, Anderston, Easterhouse East, Glenwood South and Lennoxtown. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Drumchapel North Glasgow City
2 Anderston Glasgow City
3 Easterhouse East Glasgow City
4 Glenwood South Glasgow City
5 Lennoxtown East Dunbartonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cassidy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cassidy

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Cassidy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Cassidy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Cassidy 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

Cassidy is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cassidy falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cassidy 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Cassidy

The surname Cassidy is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name O'Caiside. It originated in Ireland during the 11th century, primarily in County Fermanagh. The name is derived from the Gaelic personal name Caiside, which means "curly-headed" or "curly-haired."

O'Caiside was an important Irish clan, known for their involvement in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 17th century. The name can be found in various ancient Irish manuscripts and records, including the Annals of the Four Masters, which document the history of Ireland from the earliest times to the 17th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cassidy dates back to the 13th century, when a man named Gillebertus O'Caiside was mentioned in the Annals of Ulster in 1261. The name was also found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of records from the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I.

The Cassidy surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir Thomas Cassidy (c. 1570-1651), an Irish soldier and landowner who fought for the English Crown during the Irish Confederate Wars. Another prominent figure was Patrick Cassidy (1756-1828), an Irish rebel leader who participated in the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

In the 19th century, John Cassidy (1809-1865) was a prominent Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the 84th Mayor of New York City from 1858 to 1859. William Cassidy (1815-1873) was an Irish-American prelate who served as the Bishop of Brooklyn from 1853 until his death.

More recently, Brendan Cassidy (1924-2016) was an Irish Jesuit priest, theologian, and author, known for his work on Thomas Aquinas and Catholic social teaching. Shaun Cassidy (born 1958) is an American actor, writer, and producer, best known for his roles in the 1970s television series "The Hardy Boys" and "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cassidy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cassidy 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. Lancashire leads with 912 Cassidys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.15x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 912 2.15x
Lanarkshire 816 7.07x
Durham 334 3.14x
Yorkshire 221 0.62x
Renfrewshire 151 5.46x
Middlesex 137 0.38x
Northumberland 119 2.24x
Angus 94 2.84x
Cumberland 92 2.99x
Dunbartonshire 69 7.19x
Cheshire 65 0.82x
Midlothian 62 1.30x
Surrey 56 0.32x
Ayrshire 55 2.06x
Essex 43 0.61x
Staffordshire 41 0.34x
Stirlingshire 40 3.04x
Perthshire 35 2.18x
Warwickshire 35 0.39x
Kent 34 0.28x
Nottinghamshire 29 0.60x
Hampshire 27 0.37x
East Lothian 22 4.65x
Derbyshire 18 0.32x
Sussex 13 0.22x
Buteshire 12 5.55x
Aberdeenshire 10 0.30x
Argyllshire 10 1.01x
Flintshire 9 0.94x
Glamorgan 9 0.14x
Kirkcudbrightshire 9 1.74x
Leicestershire 8 0.20x
Royal Navy 8 1.88x
Wigtownshire 8 1.69x
Clackmannanshire 7 2.37x
West Lothian 7 1.30x
Devon 5 0.07x
Channel Islands 4 0.38x
Cornwall 4 0.10x
Gloucestershire 4 0.06x
Hertfordshire 4 0.16x
Monmouthshire 4 0.15x
Isle of Man 3 0.45x
Worcestershire 3 0.06x
Berkshire 2 0.07x
Dorset 2 0.09x
Fife 2 0.09x
Brecknockshire 1 0.14x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.13x
Lincolnshire 1 0.02x
Norfolk 1 0.02x
Northamptonshire 1 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.09x
Somerset 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 252 Cassidys recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.29x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 252 12.29x
Barony 208 7.12x
Govan 206 7.21x
Liverpool 165 6.41x
Gateshead 78 9.81x
Manchester 67 3.52x
Everton 61 4.52x
Toxteth Park 52 3.62x
Dundee 50 4.05x
Ashton Under Lyne 46 4.97x
Salford 32 2.57x
West Derby 32 2.58x
Oldham 31 2.27x
Leeds 30 1.50x
Old Kilpatrick 30 26.45x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 27 5.87x
Falkirk 26 8.43x
Middlesbrough 24 5.21x
Birmingham 23 0.77x
Hamilton 23 7.14x
Paisley Middle Church 23 14.27x
Huddersfield 22 4.27x
West Greenock 22 4.43x
Linthorpe 21 9.94x
Old Monkland 21 4.58x
Liff Benvie 20 3.98x
Pendleton In Salford 20 3.96x
West Ham 20 1.29x
Heworth 19 9.08x
Nottingham St Mary 19 1.53x
Seaton 19 52.97x
Blackburn 18 1.60x
Cornsay 18 62.92x
Widnes 18 5.89x
Wigan 18 3.04x
Abbey 17 4.03x
Kilmarnock 17 5.34x
Lambeth 17 0.55x
Kirkdale 16 2.24x
Longbenton 16 7.11x
Newcastle On Tyne St 16 5.81x
Newton 16 4.90x
Parr 16 10.55x
Stockton On Tees 16 3.12x
Workington 16 9.09x
Bothwell 15 4.79x
Chorlton On Medlock 15 2.23x
Hulme 15 1.70x
Openshaw 15 7.56x
Wallsend 15 8.90x
Batley 14 4.16x
Darlington 14 3.41x
Eastwood 14 8.21x
Heap 14 6.23x
Islington London 14 0.40x
Whitworth 14 18.00x
Bootle Cum Linacre 13 3.86x
Bury 13 2.69x
Eaglesham 13 76.65x
Haddington 13 18.62x
Mile End Old Town London 13 1.71x
Warrington 13 2.59x
Dalserf 12 10.41x
East Greenock 12 4.59x
Largs 12 19.06x
New Monkland 12 3.51x
Newchurch 12 3.46x
Rothesay 12 11.45x
Saddleworth 12 4.40x
Westoe 12 1.99x
Bradford 11 5.55x
Cleator 11 8.60x
Conside Knitsley 11 13.32x
Cowpen 11 8.99x
Lochee 11 37.28x
Mearns 11 22.69x
Sheffield 11 0.98x
Shettleston 11 10.64x
West Calder 11 11.66x
Wardleworth 10 4.13x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 249
Margaret 86
Catherine 74
Elizabeth 70
Ellen 57
Bridget 50
Sarah 39
Ann 38
Annie 29
Jane 25
Hannah 18
Kate 18
Agnes 16
Eliza 16
Rose 13
Alice 11
Emma 10
Frances 10
Isabella 10
Julia 10
Maria 10
Martha 9
Emily 7
Anne 6
Elizth. 6
Esther 6
Harriet 6
Susan 6
Margt. 5
Susannah 5
Cathrine 4
Edith 4
Jessie 4
Teresa 4
Amelia 3
Charlotte 3
Fanny 3
Florence 3
Grace 3
Lizzie 3
Louisa 3
Maggie 3
Margret 3
Norah 3
Rebecca 3
Winifred 3
Catharine 2
Honora 2
M. 2
Margeret 2

Top male names

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

FAQ

Cassidy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cassidy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,646 people were recorded with the Cassidy surname. That placed it at #1,246 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cassidy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 10,615 in 2016. That gives Cassidy a modern rank of #612.

What does the Cassidy surname mean?

An Anglicized form of an Irish patronymic surname meaning "descendant of Caiside," derived from an Irish nickname meaning "curly-haired."

What does the Cassidy map show?

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