NameCensus.

UK surname

Clephane

A surname of Scottish origin, possibly derived from the Gaelic words clach (stone) and bàn (light-colored).

In the 1881 census there were 69 people recorded with the Clephane surname, ranking it #23,816 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 143, ranked #24,505, down from #23,816 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to KInghorn, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hillyland, Tulloch and Inveralmond, North East Lincolnshire and Leslie and Newcastle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clephane is 150 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 107.2%.

1881 census count

69

Ranked #23,816

Modern count

143

2016, ranked #24,505

Peak year

2014

150 bearers

Map years

4

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clephane had 69 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,816 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016, ranked #24,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 113 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Clephane surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Clephane surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clephane 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 59 #22,756
1861 historical 91 #22,206
1881 historical 69 #23,816
1891 historical 113 #22,162
1901 historical 92 #23,800
1911 historical 19 #31,416
1997 modern 137 #22,301
1998 modern 136 #23,013
1999 modern 137 #23,083
2000 modern 144 #22,357
2001 modern 141 #22,344
2002 modern 130 #23,903
2003 modern 122 #24,628
2004 modern 120 #25,078
2005 modern 120 #25,066
2006 modern 115 #25,969
2007 modern 107 #27,557
2008 modern 110 #27,391
2009 modern 116 #27,062
2010 modern 125 #26,448
2011 modern 128 #25,793
2012 modern 128 #25,852
2013 modern 136 #25,252
2014 modern 150 #23,864
2015 modern 147 #24,036
2016 modern 143 #24,505

Geography

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Where Clephanes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around KInghorn, London parishes, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Walcott, Charlcome. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hillyland, Tulloch and Inveralmond, North East Lincolnshire, Leslie and Newcastle, Fenland and North Tyneside. 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 KInghorn Fife
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Walcott, Charlcome Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hillyland, Tulloch and Inveralmond Perth and Kinross
2 North East Lincolnshire 002 North East Lincolnshire
3 Leslie and Newcastle Fife
4 Fenland 006 Fenland
5 North Tyneside 016 North Tyneside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clephane

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clephane

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Clephane, 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 Clephane surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Clephane household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Clephane 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

Clephane 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

Clephane falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Clephane

The surname Clephane has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Gille Crìosd," meaning "servant of Christ." The name was later anglicized to its present form, Clephane.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Clephane surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homages rendered to King Edward I of England. The rolls mention a certain Adam Clephan from the county of Fife, Scotland.

In the 16th century, the Clephane family held lands in the parish of Creich, in the county of Fife. The name is also associated with the village of Carslogie, which was once owned by a branch of the Clephane clan.

Notable individuals bearing the Clephane surname include Andrew Clephane (1592-1670), a Scottish minister who served as the Rector of the University of St Andrews. Another significant figure was James Clephane (1639-1697), a Scottish Episcopal clergyman who played a role in the establishment of the Scottish Episcopal Church.

In the 18th century, John Clephane (1718-1758) was a Scottish poet and playwright. His works include "The Tormented Lover" and "The Shepherdess of Endrick Vale."

The 19th century saw the rise of Major-General Robert Clephane (1801-1860), a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the Crimean War. He is remembered for his role in the Battle of Balaclava, where he commanded the 2nd Brigade of the Cavalry Division.

Another notable Clephane was James Oliphant Murray Clephane (1829-1908), a Scottish lawyer and antiquarian. He published several works on Scottish history and genealogy, including "The Baronage and the Senate, or, the House of Lords, its Traditions and Traditions."

Throughout its history, the Clephane surname has been subject to various spellings, such as Clephan, Clepane, and Clephane. Its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Scotland, where it emerged as a prominent Scottish surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clephane families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clephane 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. Midlothian leads with 45 Clephanes recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.91x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 45 49.91x
Middlesex 12 1.78x
Fife 7 17.57x
Lanarkshire 2 0.92x
Hampshire 1 0.72x
Perthshire 1 3.31x
Somerset 1 0.92x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. South Leith in Midlothian leads with 11 Clephanes recorded in 1881 and an index of 108.37x.

Place Total Index
South Leith 11 108.37x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 9 422.54x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 8 22.05x
Westminster St John 7 85.37x
Cramond 6 882.35x
Edinburgh St Georges 5 267.38x
Arngask 4 3076.92x
Edinburgh Canongate 4 174.67x
Westminster St James 4 57.80x
Abbotshall 3 201.34x
Barony 2 3.63x
Auchterarder 1 119.05x
Colinton 1 99.01x
North Leith 1 23.98x
Portsea 1 3.70x
Shoreditch London 1 3.43x
Walcot 1 17.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Matilda 2
Annie 1
Emily 1
Isabella 1
Latitia 1
Mary 1
Maud 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alexander 2
Peter 2
John 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 Clephane households.

FAQ

Clephane surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clephane surname in 1881?

In 1881, 69 people were recorded with the Clephane surname. That placed it at #23,816 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clephane surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016. That gives Clephane a modern rank of #24,505.

What does the Clephane surname mean?

A surname of Scottish origin, possibly derived from the Gaelic words clach (stone) and bàn (light-colored).

What does the Clephane map show?

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