NameCensus.

UK surname

Clasby

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "clay village" or "village near clay pits".

In the 1881 census there were 80 people recorded with the Clasby surname, ranking it #22,225 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 206, ranked #19,183, up from #22,225 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Dibden (incl. Culverley) and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ceredigion, Southampton and Cambridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clasby is 261 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 157.5%.

1881 census count

80

Ranked #22,225

Modern count

206

2016, ranked #19,183

Peak year

2000

261 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clasby had 80 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,225 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 206 in 2016, ranked #19,183.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 119 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Clasby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Clasby surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clasby 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 43 #25,518
1861 historical 93 #22,009
1881 historical 80 #22,225
1891 historical 110 #22,557
1901 historical 114 #21,166
1911 historical 119 #20,535
1997 modern 241 #15,638
1998 modern 254 #15,508
1999 modern 256 #15,557
2000 modern 261 #15,314
2001 modern 257 #15,236
2002 modern 259 #15,453
2003 modern 244 #15,861
2004 modern 220 #17,129
2005 modern 216 #17,283
2006 modern 219 #17,254
2007 modern 213 #17,744
2008 modern 216 #17,758
2009 modern 216 #18,120
2010 modern 214 #18,601
2011 modern 210 #18,677
2012 modern 205 #18,909
2013 modern 205 #19,218
2014 modern 212 #18,945
2015 modern 210 #18,958
2016 modern 206 #19,183

Geography

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Where Clasbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Dibden (incl. Culverley), London parishes, Salisbury St Edmund and Southampton St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ceredigion, Southampton, Cambridge and Portsmouth. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Dibden (incl. Culverley) Hampshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Salisbury St Edmund Wiltshire
5 Southampton St Mary Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ceredigion 007 Ceredigion
2 Southampton 028 Southampton
3 Southampton 005 Southampton
4 Cambridge 011 Cambridge
5 Portsmouth 008 Portsmouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clasby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clasby

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Clasby, 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 Clasby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Clasby 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Clasby is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Clasby is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Clasby 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 Clasby is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Clasby

The surname CLASBY is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the northwestern county of Lancashire. It is thought to date back to the 12th or 13th century and is likely derived from the Old English words "clæg" meaning clay and "by" meaning a settlement or village. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a clay-rich area or worked with clay.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name CLASBY can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from 1292, where a person named Richard de Clasbury is mentioned. This variation in spelling, with the addition of the suffix "-bury" instead of "-by," was common in medieval times. The name may also have connections to the village of Claughton in Lancashire, which was historically known as Claiton or Claigtun, sharing a similar root.

In the 14th century, the CLASBY surname appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, suggesting that the name had spread to neighboring regions. One entry from 1315 mentions a John de Claysby, further demonstrating variations in the spelling.

Notably, the CLASBY surname is not found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners and their holdings throughout England. This absence may indicate that the name emerged after the Norman Conquest or was not yet widely adopted.

One of the earliest individuals of note with the CLASBY surname was Thomas Clasby, a merchant and alderman in the city of York during the late 16th century. He was born around 1545 and served as the Lord Mayor of York in 1592.

In the 17th century, Edward Clasby (1619-1692) was a prominent Quaker preacher and writer from Lancashire. He traveled extensively throughout England and authored several religious works, including "The Anarchy of the Ranters" and "The Life and Immortality of the Soul."

Another notable figure was John Clasby (1730-1809), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. He achieved the rank of Admiral and was awarded several honors for his service.

During the 19th century, Mary Ann Clasby (1823-1898) was a renowned English opera singer and actress, known for her performances in various operas and theatrical productions in London and other major cities.

In more recent times, one of the most famous individuals with the CLASBY surname was Sir Robert Clasby (1901-1976), a British businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Clasby Group, a successful conglomerate, and was knighted for his contributions to industry and charitable causes.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clasby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clasby 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. Hampshire leads with 26 Clasbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.26x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 26 16.26x
Staffordshire 11 4.18x
Devon 10 6.16x
Yorkshire 10 1.29x
Middlesex 7 0.90x
Wiltshire 5 7.25x
Surrey 4 1.05x
Sussex 4 3.04x
Lancashire 3 0.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dibden in Hampshire leads with 11 Clasbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8461.54x.

Place Total Index
Dibden 11 8461.54x
Portsea 9 28.71x
Stoke 9 1363.64x
Wolverhampton 9 44.44x
Fulham London 7 61.84x
Salisbury The Close 5 2941.18x
Southampton St Mary 5 49.70x
Battersea 4 13.93x
Huddersfield 4 35.52x
Leeds 3 6.87x
Southwick 3 428.57x
Brighton 1 3.77x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 6.80x
Devonport 1 53.48x
Easingwold 1 181.82x
Manchester 1 2.40x
Scorton 1 909.09x
Stafford St Mary 1 26.81x
Urmston 1 166.67x
Wakefield 1 16.84x
Wednesfield 1 25.77x
Weeke 1 208.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Ellen 4
Ann 3
Annie 3
Alice 2
Bridget 2
Elizabeth 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Sarah 2
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Catherine 1
Florey 1
Hannah 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Louisa 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
George 7
Frederick 4
Stephen 4
Charles 2
Patrick 2
William 2
Bill 1
Edwd.H. 1
Geo.W. 1
Harry 1
Martin 1
Michael 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Willm. 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 Clasby households.

FAQ

Clasby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clasby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 80 people were recorded with the Clasby surname. That placed it at #22,225 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clasby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 206 in 2016. That gives Clasby a modern rank of #19,183.

What does the Clasby surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "clay village" or "village near clay pits".

What does the Clasby map show?

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