NameCensus.

UK surname

Clarry

Originally a metonymic occupational surname for a town crier or herald.

In the 1881 census there were 146 people recorded with the Clarry surname, ranking it #15,752 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 158, ranked #22,904, down from #15,752 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cavendish, Cockfield and St James. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Norfolk, Horsham and Amber Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clarry is 183 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.2%.

1881 census count

146

Ranked #15,752

Modern count

158

2016, ranked #22,904

Peak year

1998

183 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clarry had 146 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,752 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 158 in 2016, ranked #22,904.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 181 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Clarry surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Clarry surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clarry 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 101 #17,036
1861 historical 94 #21,883
1881 historical 146 #15,752
1891 historical 175 #16,467
1901 historical 181 #16,107
1911 historical 175 #16,246
1997 modern 178 #18,958
1998 modern 183 #19,106
1999 modern 181 #19,380
2000 modern 179 #19,494
2001 modern 177 #19,357
2002 modern 181 #19,463
2003 modern 179 #19,416
2004 modern 178 #19,603
2005 modern 165 #20,468
2006 modern 158 #21,229
2007 modern 154 #21,804
2008 modern 153 #22,132
2009 modern 161 #21,879
2010 modern 168 #21,733
2011 modern 161 #22,187
2012 modern 164 #21,883
2013 modern 167 #21,984
2014 modern 165 #22,356
2015 modern 161 #22,599
2016 modern 158 #22,904

Geography

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Where Clarrys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cavendish, Cockfield, St James, Saxham, Great and Bulmer. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Norfolk, Horsham, Amber Valley, Rotherham and Carlisle. 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 Cavendish Suffolk
2 Cockfield Durham
3 St James Suffolk
4 Saxham, Great Suffolk
5 Bulmer Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Norfolk 006 South Norfolk
2 Horsham 010 Horsham
3 Amber Valley 006 Amber Valley
4 Rotherham 030 Rotherham
5 Carlisle 010 Carlisle

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clarry

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clarry

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Clarry surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Clarry household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Clarry is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Clarry 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

Clarry falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Clarry 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 Clarry, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Clarry

The surname Clarry is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "claere," meaning "clear" or "bright," and was likely initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with bright or clear features.

Clarry is a variant spelling of the more common surname Clary, which can be found in historical records as early as the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it appears as "Johannes Clary."

During the Middle Ages, the Clarry surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire and Berkshire in southern England. It is possible that the name was derived from a place name, such as Clary in Somerset or Clareborough in Nottinghamshire, although direct connections to specific locations are difficult to establish with certainty.

Notable individuals who bore the Clarry surname include John Clarry, a merchant from Bristol who lived in the 15th century, and William Clarry, a landowner from Oxfordshire mentioned in the Feet of Fines records in 1557. In the 17th century, Thomas Clarry was a prominent figure in the town of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, serving as a churchwarden and mayor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Clarry spelling can be found in the parish records of St. Botolph's Church in Aldgate, London, where the baptism of Elizabeth Clarry is recorded in 1635. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Ralph Clarry (1636-1712), a Member of Parliament for Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, during the reign of King William III.

In the 18th century, the Clarry surname was present in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, where a family of that name held land in the village of Elloughton. John Clarry (1720-1789) was a respected landowner and farmer from this Yorkshire branch of the family.

While the Clarry surname may not be as widely recognized as some other English surnames, it has a long and storied history, with bearers of the name leaving their mark in various fields and regions throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clarry families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clarry 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. Suffolk leads with 68 Clarrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.20x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 68 39.20x
Essex 36 12.81x
Kent 14 2.88x
Middlesex 10 0.70x
Derbyshire 5 2.24x
Durham 5 1.18x
Midlothian 3 1.57x
Yorkshire 2 0.14x
Gloucestershire 1 0.36x
Hampshire 1 0.34x
Surrey 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. Bury St Edmunds St James in Suffolk leads with 15 Clarrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 323.97x.

Place Total Index
Bury St Edmunds St James 15 323.97x
Cavendish 14 2500.00x
Bulmer 12 3529.41x
West Mersea 12 2222.22x
Great Saxham 11 9166.67x
Chevington 7 2592.59x
Bethnal Green London 5 8.08x
Evenwood Barony 5 347.22x
Litchurch 5 55.74x
Little Saxham 5 6250.00x
Milton In Gravesend 5 68.59x
Chatham 4 29.92x
Hackney London 4 5.01x
Ipswich St Peter 4 170.94x
Maidstone 4 27.64x
Mundon 4 2500.00x
Sudbury St Peter 4 421.05x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 3 92.02x
Edinburgh Canongate 3 61.73x
Walthamstow 3 29.64x
Colchester St James 2 175.44x
Denham 2 909.09x
Greenstead 2 487.80x
Ipswich St Mathew 2 41.15x
Newington 2 51.41x
Cheltenham 1 4.64x
Eastchurch 1 208.33x
Hargrave 1 500.00x
Lambeth 1 0.81x
Southampton St Mary 1 5.45x
St Pancras London 1 0.87x
Tendring 1 243.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 11
John 10
Charles 6
James 4
Walter 4
Edward 3
Henry 3
Josiah 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Frederick 2
Robert 2
Thomas 2
William 2
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Chas 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Elijah 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fredk.Wm. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Hezekiah 1
Horace 1
Martin 1

FAQ

Clarry surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clarry surname in 1881?

In 1881, 146 people were recorded with the Clarry surname. That placed it at #15,752 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clarry surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 158 in 2016. That gives Clarry a modern rank of #22,904.

What does the Clarry surname mean?

Originally a metonymic occupational surname for a town crier or herald.

What does the Clarry map show?

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