NameCensus.

UK surname

Cleasby

An English locational surname referring to someone from the village of Cleasby in Yorkshire.

In the 1881 census there were 328 people recorded with the Cleasby surname, ranking it #9,126 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 505, ranked #9,919, down from #9,126 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkby Stephen, Millom, Muncaster and Auckland St Andrew. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Lakeland, Barrow-in-Furness and Eden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cleasby is 536 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.0%.

1881 census count

328

Ranked #9,126

Modern count

505

2016, ranked #9,919

Peak year

1999

536 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cleasby had 328 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,126 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 505 in 2016, ranked #9,919.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 480 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cleasby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cleasby surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Cleasby 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 241 #9,037
1861 historical 223 #10,942
1881 historical 328 #9,126
1891 historical 347 #9,894
1901 historical 420 #9,169
1911 historical 480 #8,076
1997 modern 480 #9,602
1998 modern 505 #9,518
1999 modern 536 #9,159
2000 modern 516 #9,396
2001 modern 504 #9,413
2002 modern 532 #9,216
2003 modern 507 #9,391
2004 modern 501 #9,511
2005 modern 495 #9,516
2006 modern 495 #9,554
2007 modern 492 #9,677
2008 modern 497 #9,681
2009 modern 506 #9,759
2010 modern 518 #9,778
2011 modern 521 #9,660
2012 modern 517 #9,644
2013 modern 528 #9,633
2014 modern 535 #9,594
2015 modern 514 #9,823
2016 modern 505 #9,919

Geography

Back to top

Where Cleasbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkby Stephen, Millom, Muncaster, Auckland St Andrew, Manchester and Asby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Lakeland, Barrow-in-Furness, Eden and County Durham. 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 Kirkby Stephen Westmorland
2 Millom, Muncaster Cumberland
3 Auckland St Andrew Durham
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Asby Westmorland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Lakeland 008 South Lakeland
2 South Lakeland 004 South Lakeland
3 Barrow-in-Furness 010 Barrow-in-Furness
4 Eden 006 Eden
5 County Durham 059 County Durham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Cleasby

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Cleasby

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Cleasby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cleasby household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Cleasby 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

Cleasby 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

Cleasby falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cleasby is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Cleasby

The surname Cleasby is an English locational name that originated from the village of Cleasby in North Yorkshire, England. The name is derived from the Old English words "clif" meaning cliff or slope, and "bi" meaning a farm or settlement, suggesting that the original bearers of this name lived near or on a sloping hillside.

The village of Cleasby is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, the historical record commissioned by William the Conqueror. This indicates that the name Cleasby has been in existence since at least the 11th century, and likely earlier as a place name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cleasby can be found in the Poll Tax records of Yorkshire in 1379, where a John de Cleseby is listed. The use of the prefix "de" in this spelling suggests a Norman French influence on the name.

In the 16th century, the name Cleasby appears in various records with varying spellings, such as Clesby, Cleasbie, and Cleasebie. This was a common occurrence in English surnames before standardized spelling became more prevalent.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Cleasby include:

1. Sir Anthony Cleasby (1499-1572), an English politician who served as the Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1554. 2. Mark Cleasby (1800-1890), an English philologist and scholar who studied and published works on Icelandic literature and language. 3. Michael Cleasby (1834-1907), a British architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the Victorian era. 4. William Cleasby (1719-1789), an English clergyman and author who wrote a history of the parish of Whitby in Yorkshire. 5. Thomas Cleasby (1662-1732), an English merchant and landowner who owned extensive properties in the North Riding of Yorkshire.

The name Cleasby has also been associated with various place names in Yorkshire, such as Cleasby Hill, Cleasby Moor, and Cleasby Beck, reflecting the geographical origins of the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Cleasby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cleasby 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 76 Cleasbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.39x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 76 2.39x
Westmorland 68 96.41x
Durham 54 5.66x
Lancashire 46 1.21x
Middlesex 43 1.34x
Cumberland 22 7.96x
Surrey 8 0.51x
Worcestershire 4 0.95x
Cambridgeshire 3 1.48x
Hampshire 2 0.30x
Kent 1 0.09x
Northamptonshire 1 0.33x
Sussex 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kendal in Westmorland leads with 19 Cleasbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 147.17x.

Place Total Index
Kendal 19 147.17x
Millom 17 200.71x
Coundon Grange 15 717.70x
Kaber 12 5454.55x
Wilton In Guisbrough 11 774.65x
Asby 10 1851.85x
St Luke London 10 19.43x
Barton Upon Irwell 9 31.39x
Brandon Byshottles 9 75.25x
Dalton In Furness 9 61.22x
Headingley Cum Burley 9 43.97x
Kirkburton 9 240.00x
St Giles Cripplegate 9 211.27x
Barrow In Furness 7 13.52x
Hartley 7 4375.00x
Pittington 7 261.19x
Soothill 7 60.92x
St Bartholomew Great 7 239.73x
Kimblesworth 6 468.75x
Kirkby Stephen 6 327.87x
Mitcham 6 60.73x
Over Darwen 6 19.72x
Shoreditch London 6 4.31x
Temple Sowerby 6 1304.35x
Wortley In Bramley 6 23.82x
Birkdale 5 51.92x
Halifax 5 10.71x
Barnard Castle 4 84.75x
Manchester 4 2.34x
Monkwearmouth Shore 4 21.46x
Reeth 4 506.33x
Stainmore 4 740.74x
Hackney London 3 1.67x
Heaton Norris 3 13.84x
Offenham 3 491.80x
St Giles 3 50.34x
St Pancras London 3 1.16x
St Sepulchre London 3 63.83x
Whittlesey St Mary St 3 42.25x
Bagby 2 645.16x
Hutton Soil 2 476.19x
Laverton 2 588.24x
Linthorpe 2 10.54x
Penrith 2 19.59x
Portsea 2 1.55x
Richmond 2 9.13x
Salford 2 1.79x
Sedbergh 2 170.94x
Shap 2 128.21x
Shildon 2 26.08x
Stockton On Tees 2 4.35x
Thirsk 2 54.50x
Thornaby 2 16.84x
Acton 1 5.32x
Ainderby Quernhow 1 769.23x
Aysgarth 1 243.90x
Boldon 1 29.41x
Brougham 1 303.03x
Claines 1 8.70x
Gate Fulford 1 13.46x
Graystoke 1 204.08x
Hastings St Mary 1 7.42x
Hawes 1 48.08x
Healaugh 1 384.62x
Horsforth 1 14.35x
Horton Kirby 1 59.17x
Kilsby 1 151.52x
Leeds 1 0.56x
Low Abbotside 1 714.29x
Muker 1 108.70x
Oldham 1 0.81x
Skipton On Swale 1 625.00x
Smardale 1 2000.00x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.77x
Stranton 1 3.11x
Whitby 1 9.33x
York All Sts North 1 63.69x
York St George 1 39.84x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Ann 12
Hannah 10
Jane 10
Sarah 10
Elizabeth 9
Margaret 6
Alice 5
Eliza 5
Florence 5
Ada 4
Eleanor 4
Catherine 3
Isabella 3
Agnes 2
Dorothy 2
Edith 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Grace 2
Lucy 2
M. 2
Maria 2
Anna 1
Annas 1
Anne 1
Bathsheba 1
Bertha 1
Betsy 1
Betty 1
Cecilia 1
Clara 1
Deborah 1
Dinah 1
Eliz. 1
Ellena 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Everline 1
Fannie 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Leah 1
Lessie 1
Mabel 1
Margeret 1
Maud 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 24
Thomas 16
William 15
James 13
Robert 9
Henry 7
Joseph 7
Edward 6
George 5
Wm. 5
David 4
Richard 4
Anthony 3
Arthur 3
Charles 3
Thos. 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Cooper 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Frederick 2
Herbert 2
Tyrus 2
Walter 2
Alf. 1
Art. 1
Beaumont 1
Benjamin 1
Chas. 1
Edwin 1
Frk. 1
Herman 1
J. 1
Johnson 1
Jos. 1
Josh. 1
Kaye 1
Mark 1
Miles 1
Milton 1
Myles 1
Penrith 1
Peurette 1
Ralph 1
Richd. 1
Sidney 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Cleasby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cleasby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 328 people were recorded with the Cleasby surname. That placed it at #9,126 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cleasby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 505 in 2016. That gives Cleasby a modern rank of #9,919.

What does the Cleasby surname mean?

An English locational surname referring to someone from the village of Cleasby in Yorkshire.

What does the Cleasby map show?

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