NameCensus.

UK surname

Clason

Occupational surname derived from the Old French word for nail or bolt maker.

In the 1881 census there were 30 people recorded with the Clason surname, ranking it #29,363 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 88, ranked #32,396, down from #29,363 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Birmingham, Grangemouth - Newlands and Carse and Grangemouth Old Town.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clason is 110 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 193.3%.

1881 census count

30

Ranked #29,363

Modern count

88

2016, ranked #32,396

Peak year

2004

110 bearers

Map years

2

1998 to 2006

Key insights

  • Clason had 30 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,363 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 88 in 2016, ranked #32,396.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 71 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Clason surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Clason surname density by area, 2006 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clason 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 37 #26,673
1861 historical 71 #24,765
1881 historical 30 #29,363
1891 historical 37 #31,398
1901 historical 52 #28,377
1911 historical 13 #32,172
1997 modern 99 #27,039
1998 modern 103 #27,141
1999 modern 105 #27,035
2000 modern 97 #28,142
2001 modern 96 #27,976
2002 modern 103 #27,443
2003 modern 101 #27,561
2004 modern 110 #26,451
2005 modern 106 #27,044
2006 modern 102 #27,926
2007 modern 104 #28,020
2008 modern 104 #28,341
2009 modern 105 #28,815
2010 modern 104 #29,618
2011 modern 97 #30,552
2012 modern 90 #31,790
2013 modern 86 #32,557
2014 modern 89 #32,409
2015 modern 89 #32,325
2016 modern 88 #32,396

Geography

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Where Clasons 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 Birmingham, Grangemouth - Newlands, Carse and Grangemouth Old Town, Brightons and Wallacestone and Merton. 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 Birmingham 128 Birmingham
2 Grangemouth - Newlands Falkirk
3 Carse and Grangemouth Old Town Falkirk
4 Brightons and Wallacestone Falkirk
5 Merton 002 Merton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clason

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clason

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Clason, 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 Clason surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Clason 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Clason is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Clason is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Clason 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 Clason 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 Clason, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Clason

The surname Clason has its origins in Sweden, dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse name Classon, which translates to "son of Claes" or "son of Nicholas." The name Claes itself is a Swedish variant of the more common Nicholas, which has Greek roots meaning "victory of the people."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Clason surname can be found in the Swedish church records from the late 1500s, where a family with the name Classon is mentioned in the parish of Östergötland. It is likely that this family's name later evolved into the modern spelling of Clason.

In the 17th century, the Clason name appeared in several historical documents and records, including the Swedish Census of 1680. During this time, the surname was primarily concentrated in the regions of Småland and Östergötland, suggesting that these areas were the epicenters of the Clason family's origins.

Notable individuals with the Clason surname include Isak Clason (1590-1652), a Swedish merchant and nobleman who played a significant role in the Swedish East India Company. Another prominent figure was Johan Clason (1693-1771), a Swedish theologian and bishop of Kalmar.

In the 18th century, the Clason name gained prominence with the birth of Pehr Clason (1762-1830), a Swedish statesman and politician who served as the Governor of Stockholm. His son, Isak Gustaf Clason (1805-1890), followed in his footsteps and became a respected lawyer and politician.

Moving into the 19th century, one of the most renowned individuals with the Clason surname was Samuel Clason (1834-1904), a Swedish industrialist and philanthropist. He founded the Clason Engineering Works, which became one of the largest industrial companies in Sweden at the time.

Throughout history, the Clason surname has maintained a strong presence in Sweden, with various branches of the family contributing to various fields, including business, politics, academia, and the arts. While the name has spread to other parts of the world through immigration, its origins can be traced back to the Swedish regions of Småland and Östergötland in the late 16th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clason families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clason 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. Lanarkshire leads with 15 Clasons recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.86x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 15 15.86x
Stirlingshire 6 55.61x
Midlothian 5 12.76x
Essex 1 1.73x
Kent 1 1.00x
Lancashire 1 0.29x
Perthshire 1 7.62x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Falkirk in Stirlingshire leads with 6 Clasons recorded in 1881 and an index of 238.10x.

Place Total Index
Falkirk 6 238.10x
Govan 6 25.65x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 31.73x
Glasgow 5 29.78x
Barony 4 16.71x
Doddinghurst 1 2500.00x
Dunblane 1 322.58x
Ramsgate 1 61.35x
Salford 1 9.79x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Amanda 1
Ellen 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Phill 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 Clason households.

FAQ

Clason surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clason surname in 1881?

In 1881, 30 people were recorded with the Clason surname. That placed it at #29,363 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clason surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 88 in 2016. That gives Clason a modern rank of #32,396.

What does the Clason surname mean?

Occupational surname derived from the Old French word for nail or bolt maker.

What does the Clason map show?

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