NameCensus.

UK surname

Caw

A surname derived from the English word "caw", likely indicating an ancestor's occupation or location related to crows or ravens.

In the 1881 census there were 56 people recorded with the Caw surname, ranking it #25,733 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 142, ranked #24,625, up from #25,733 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Crieff. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ibrox, Nitshill and Hillpark.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Caw is 230 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 153.6%.

1881 census count

56

Ranked #25,733

Modern count

142

2016, ranked #24,625

Peak year

1901

230 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Caw had 56 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,733 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016, ranked #24,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 230 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Routine Occupations or Retirement.

Caw surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Caw surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Caw 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 184 #11,120
1881 historical 56 #25,733
1891 historical 179 #16,198
1901 historical 230 #13,851
1997 modern 130 #23,021
1998 modern 132 #23,394
1999 modern 135 #23,279
2000 modern 134 #23,358
2001 modern 126 #23,883
2002 modern 135 #23,398
2003 modern 136 #23,045
2004 modern 138 #22,997
2005 modern 137 #23,110
2006 modern 134 #23,590
2007 modern 125 #24,987
2008 modern 139 #23,635
2009 modern 140 #24,033
2010 modern 149 #23,598
2011 modern 138 #24,615
2012 modern 134 #25,059
2013 modern 139 #24,912
2014 modern 143 #24,621
2015 modern 146 #24,148
2016 modern 142 #24,625

Geography

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Where Caws are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Crieff, Perth and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ibrox, Nitshill, Hillpark, Newbattle and Dalhousie and Moodiesburn West. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Edinburgh Edinburgh
2 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
3 Crieff Perth
4 Perth Perth
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ibrox Glasgow City
2 Nitshill Glasgow City
3 Hillpark Stirling
4 Newbattle and Dalhousie Midlothian
5 Moodiesburn West North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Caw

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Caw

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Routine Occupations or Retirement

Nationally, the Caw surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Routine Occupations or Retirement, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Caw household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are characterised by high proportions of single, often never-married adults of normal retirement age or older, including many that are in the most advanced age groups. Most adults are UK born and live at high residential densities, and many of the children living with parents are in adulthood. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are uncommon, but above average proportions of households include individuals that identify with different ethnic groups. Long-term disability is relatively common, and the dominant accommodation type is flats. Unemployment rates are high, with most of those employed working in routine occupations. Few individuals have high level qualifications. Car ownership is not high.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Caw is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Caw is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Caw 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 Caw is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Caw

The surname Caw originated in Scotland during the medieval period, believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "cath," meaning "battle" or "combat." It is thought to have been an occupational name, possibly referring to someone who was a warrior or soldier.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Caw can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England after his conquest of Scotland. In this record, a certain Gillechrist Caw is mentioned as being from the county of Stirling.

During the 16th century, the Caw surname was particularly prevalent in the Scottish Lowlands, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such person was John Caw, who was born in Ayrshire around 1530 and later became a respected scholar and minister in the Church of Scotland.

The Caw name also appears in various parish records and legal documents throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, often associated with the regions of Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire. One notable individual from this period was Robert Caw, a merchant from Glasgow who was born in 1675 and played a significant role in the city's trade and commerce.

In the 19th century, the Caw surname continued to be found across Scotland, with several individuals achieving recognition in various fields. One such person was James Caw, born in Stirlingshire in 1814, who became a renowned landscape painter and contributed to the development of the Scottish art scene.

Another notable figure was William Caw, born in Lanarkshire in 1856, who was a pioneering engineer and inventor. He is credited with developing several innovative mining and tunneling technologies, which were widely adopted in the coal mining industry.

While the Caw surname is still present in Scotland today, it has also spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Scottish emigration and diaspora communities. However, its roots and historical significance remain firmly tied to the rugged landscapes and rich cultural heritage of Scotland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Caw families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Caw 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. Perthshire leads with 55 Caws recorded in 1881 and an index of 56.34x.

County Total Index
Perthshire 55 56.34x
Lanarkshire 40 5.69x
Midlothian 17 5.83x
Angus 15 7.44x
Dunbartonshire 14 23.95x
Lancashire 11 0.43x
Devon 10 2.21x
Yorkshire 9 0.42x
Ayrshire 7 4.30x
Fife 7 5.44x
Kincardineshire 7 26.43x
Essex 5 1.16x
Middlesex 4 0.18x
Inverness-shire 3 4.62x
Kent 3 0.40x
Warwickshire 3 0.55x
Hampshire 2 0.45x
Lincolnshire 2 0.58x
Northumberland 2 0.62x
Surrey 2 0.19x
Clackmannanshire 1 5.57x
Cumberland 1 0.53x
East Lothian 1 3.47x
Hertfordshire 1 0.67x
Royal Navy 1 3.86x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 21 Caws recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.80x.

Place Total Index
Barony 21 11.80x
Perth East Church 19 206.52x
Glasgow 13 10.41x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 12 10.24x
Dundee 11 14.62x
Ermington 10 606.06x
Row 8 105.82x
Auchterarder 7 256.41x
Ayr 7 91.15x
Fettercairn 7 619.47x
Perth St Pauls 7 309.73x
Bonhill 6 63.97x
Crieff 5 137.74x
Cupar 5 89.29x
Great Baddow 5 326.80x
Hulme 5 9.28x
West Derby 5 6.62x
Blackford 4 336.13x
Edinburgh St Andrews 4 165.98x
Perth West Church 4 86.39x
Skircoat 4 47.06x
Govan 3 1.72x
Halifax 3 9.48x
Inverness 3 18.36x
Methven 3 209.79x
Redgorton 3 277.78x
Scone 3 173.41x
Avondale 2 48.66x
Birmingham 2 1.09x
Forgan 2 80.97x
Kirriemuir 2 40.24x
Mains 2 116.96x
Plumstead 2 8.08x
Portsea 2 2.29x
St Nicholas Lincoln 2 60.24x
Aberlady 1 133.33x
Bothwell 1 5.24x
Edmonton 1 5.70x
Kingston On Thames 1 3.93x
Lambeth 1 0.53x
Layton With Warbreck 1 10.56x
Little Houghton 1 714.29x
Maidstone 1 4.52x
Middlesbrough 1 3.56x
Newcastle On Tyne 1 285.71x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 5.17x
North Leith 1 7.41x
Paddington London 1 1.25x
Ratcliffe London 1 8.33x
Shoreditch London 1 1.06x
Tillicoultry 1 25.00x
Warwick St Mary 1 21.01x
Watford 1 8.61x
Workington 1 9.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Charlotte 3
Elizabeth 2
Martha 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Albert 1
Alica 1
Alice 1
Annabella 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
France 1
Frances 1
Geogiana 1
Georgina 1
Harriet 1
Isobel 1
Louisa 1
Maria 1
Mary 1
Polly 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
William 4
Arthur 2
Croft 2
Edward 2
James 2
Alfred 1
Charles 1
George 1
Joseph 1
Lam 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1
Wm. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Caw households.

FAQ

Caw surname: questions and answers

How common was the Caw surname in 1881?

In 1881, 56 people were recorded with the Caw surname. That placed it at #25,733 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Caw surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016. That gives Caw a modern rank of #24,625.

What does the Caw surname mean?

A surname derived from the English word "caw", likely indicating an ancestor's occupation or location related to crows or ravens.

What does the Caw map show?

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