NameCensus.

UK surname

Clabby

A surname derived from an Irish nickname meaning "muddy" or "cloggy".

In the 1881 census there were 72 people recorded with the Clabby surname, ranking it #23,371 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 175, ranked #21,383, up from #23,371 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caerphilly, Portobello and Greenock Upper Central.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clabby is 175 in 2012. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 143.1%.

1881 census count

72

Ranked #23,371

Modern count

175

2016, ranked #21,383

Peak year

2012

175 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clabby had 72 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,371 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 175 in 2016, ranked #21,383.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 89 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Clabby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Clabby surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clabby 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 26 #28,667
1861 historical 40 #28,970
1881 historical 72 #23,371
1891 historical 64 #28,781
1901 historical 78 #25,500
1911 historical 89 #23,922
1997 modern 149 #21,214
1998 modern 155 #21,227
1999 modern 145 #22,305
2000 modern 153 #21,520
2001 modern 151 #21,375
2002 modern 172 #20,108
2003 modern 166 #20,320
2004 modern 150 #21,830
2005 modern 147 #22,057
2006 modern 149 #22,013
2007 modern 150 #22,212
2008 modern 156 #21,862
2009 modern 161 #21,879
2010 modern 169 #21,652
2011 modern 160 #22,282
2012 modern 175 #20,984
2013 modern 168 #21,914
2014 modern 167 #22,180
2015 modern 173 #21,542
2016 modern 175 #21,383

Geography

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Where Clabbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caerphilly, Portobello, Greenock Upper Central and Blackhill and Barmulloch East. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caerphilly 004 Caerphilly
2 Portobello City of Edinburgh
3 Greenock Upper Central Inverclyde
4 Caerphilly 003 Caerphilly
5 Blackhill and Barmulloch East Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clabby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clabby

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

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Clabby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Clabby household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Clabby is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Clabby is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Clabby 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 Clabby is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Clabby

The surname Clabby is believed to have originated in Ireland during the medieval period. It is thought to be a variant spelling of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Cléibigh, which means "descendant of Cléitheach." The name Cléitheach was derived from the old Irish word "clé," meaning "left-handed" or "awkward."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Clabby surname can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. This document mentions a man named Murchadh Ó Cléibigh, who lived in the late 13th century and was a member of a prominent family in County Louth.

By the 16th century, the Clabby surname had spread to other parts of Ireland, particularly the counties of Meath and Westmeath. A notable figure from this time was Diarmaid Clabby, a landowner and chieftain who lived in the early 1500s and was involved in various conflicts with neighboring clans.

In the 17th century, during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, many Clabby families were forced to relocate or had their lands confiscated. Despite these upheavals, the name persisted, and several Clabbys served in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s.

One of the most famous individuals with the Clabby surname was Conn Clabby, a Catholic priest and historian who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He wrote extensively about the history of Ireland and the struggles of the Irish people during this turbulent period.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Clabby surname became more widespread, with families settling in various parts of Ireland, as well as emigrating to other countries, such as the United States and Canada. Notable individuals from this time include:

1. John Clabby (1790-1862), an Irish politician and landowner who served as a member of the British Parliament. 2. Patrick Clabby (1819-1895), an Irish-American immigrant who became a prominent businessman and philanthropist in New York City. 3. Mary Clabby (1850-1928), an Irish author and poet who wrote extensively about the struggles of the Irish people during the late 19th century.

Throughout its history, the Clabby surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Clabbie, Clabie, and Clebby, among others. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the ancient Irish Gaelic language and the medieval history of Ireland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clabby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clabby 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. Yorkshire leads with 19 Clabbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.73x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 19 2.73x
Surrey 12 3.51x
Cheshire 8 5.16x
Durham 7 3.35x
Warwickshire 6 3.39x
Lancashire 5 0.60x
Worcestershire 5 5.45x
Midlothian 4 4.25x
Staffordshire 4 1.69x
Angus 1 1.54x
Middlesex 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sherburn in Yorkshire leads with 13 Clabbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2280.70x.

Place Total Index
Sherburn 13 2280.70x
Battersea 8 30.96x
Runcorn 8 224.09x
Gateshead 7 44.76x
Birmingham 6 10.16x
Hunslet 6 55.30x
Dudley 5 44.84x
Edinburgh Old 4 701.75x
Newcastle Under Lyme 4 95.47x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 22.66x
Lambeth 3 4.90x
Clapham 1 11.39x
Dundee 1 4.12x
Gorton 1 12.77x
Hornsey 1 11.26x
Manchester 1 2.67x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

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 Clabby households.

FAQ

Clabby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clabby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 72 people were recorded with the Clabby surname. That placed it at #23,371 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clabby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 175 in 2016. That gives Clabby a modern rank of #21,383.

What does the Clabby surname mean?

A surname derived from an Irish nickname meaning "muddy" or "cloggy".

What does the Clabby map show?

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