NameCensus.

UK surname

Climie

A surname likely originating from a placename and possibly a habitational name referring to someone who lived on a hillside or slope.

In the 1881 census there were 56 people recorded with the Climie surname, ranking it #25,733 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 179, ranked #21,086, up from #25,733 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Greenock and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cumnock Rural, Cumnock North and Arran.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Climie is 192 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 219.6%.

1881 census count

56

Ranked #25,733

Modern count

179

2016, ranked #21,086

Peak year

2010

192 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Climie had 56 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,733 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 179 in 2016, ranked #21,086.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 155 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Climie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Climie surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Climie 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 86 #18,820
1861 historical 67 #25,342
1881 historical 56 #25,733
1891 historical 101 #23,870
1901 historical 155 #17,704
1911 historical 3 #33,789
1997 modern 164 #19,944
1998 modern 165 #20,423
1999 modern 166 #20,458
2000 modern 167 #20,332
2001 modern 159 #20,710
2002 modern 153 #21,609
2003 modern 164 #20,483
2004 modern 162 #20,756
2005 modern 170 #20,066
2006 modern 174 #19,921
2007 modern 181 #19,680
2008 modern 174 #20,385
2009 modern 181 #20,277
2010 modern 192 #19,960
2011 modern 184 #20,363
2012 modern 176 #20,915
2013 modern 177 #21,170
2014 modern 183 #20,880
2015 modern 184 #20,719
2016 modern 179 #21,086

Geography

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Where Climies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Greenock, Glasgow, Kilmarnock and Kilbarchan. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cumnock Rural, Cumnock North, Arran, Tandridge and Ayr South Harbour and Town Centre. 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 New Monkland Lanark
2 Greenock Renfrew
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Kilmarnock Ayr
5 Kilbarchan Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cumnock Rural East Ayrshire
2 Cumnock North East Ayrshire
3 Arran North Ayrshire
4 Tandridge 006 Tandridge
5 Ayr South Harbour and Town Centre South Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Climie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Climie

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

Read profile summary

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Climie is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Climie 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

Climie falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Climie

The surname Climie originated in Scotland during the 11th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word 'clamiath,' which means 'lame' or 'crippled.' This suggests that the name may have been given as a nickname to someone with a physical disability.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Climie can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a series of historical documents that recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as 'Clami' in these rolls.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name began to spread throughout various regions of Scotland, including Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and Renfrewshire. In these areas, the name often took on different spellings, such as 'Clammie,' 'Clemmie,' and 'Clamie.'

In the 16th century, the name Climie appeared in the records of the Scottish Parliament. A notable figure from this period was John Climie, a landowner from Ayrshire who was born in 1523 and participated in the Scottish Reformation.

As the centuries passed, the Climie surname became more widespread across Scotland and began to appear in other parts of the United Kingdom. In the 18th century, a prominent figure with this name was Robert Climie, a Scottish poet and philosopher who was born in 1733 and published several works on ethics and morality.

Another notable individual with the surname Climie was William Climie, a Scottish architect who lived from 1802 to 1878. He designed several important buildings in Glasgow, including the Merchants' House and the Western Club.

In the 19th century, the Climie name made its way to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, as Scottish immigrants settled in these regions. One example is James Climie, a Canadian politician who was born in 1843 and served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Throughout its history, the surname Climie has been associated with various occupations and professions, including landowners, poets, architects, and politicians. While its origins can be traced back to a physical characteristic, the name has evolved to encompass a diverse range of individuals and their achievements.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Climie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Climie 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. Ayrshire leads with 32 Climies recorded in 1881 and an index of 78.32x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 32 78.32x
Renfrewshire 14 33.09x
Lanarkshire 5 2.83x
Buteshire 2 60.42x
Lancashire 2 0.31x
Midlothian 1 1.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Old Cumnock in Ayrshire leads with 11 Climies recorded in 1881 and an index of 1208.79x.

Place Total Index
Old Cumnock 11 1208.79x
West Greenock 10 131.58x
Ayr 8 414.51x
Dalmellington 7 583.33x
Dundonald 4 264.90x
New Monkland 4 76.63x
Kilbarchan 2 155.04x
Liverpool 2 5.08x
Paisley Low Church 2 149.25x
Sorn 2 250.00x
Barony 1 2.24x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 3.40x
Kilbride 1 243.90x
Kilmory 1 208.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Edward 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 Climie households.

Occupation Count
Paver 1

FAQ

Climie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Climie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 56 people were recorded with the Climie surname. That placed it at #25,733 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Climie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 179 in 2016. That gives Climie a modern rank of #21,086.

What does the Climie surname mean?

A surname likely originating from a placename and possibly a habitational name referring to someone who lived on a hillside or slope.

What does the Climie map show?

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