NameCensus.

UK surname

Closs

A surname derived from the English word "close," referring to someone who lived near an enclosed area or courtyard.

In the 1881 census there were 129 people recorded with the Closs surname, ranking it #17,013 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 181, ranked #20,955, down from #17,013 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, London parishes and Ipswich St Nicholas, Ipswich St Mary at Elms. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Orbiston, Kensington and Chelsea and Eastleigh.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Closs is 184 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.3%.

1881 census count

129

Ranked #17,013

Modern count

181

2016, ranked #20,955

Peak year

1997

184 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Closs had 129 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,013 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 181 in 2016, ranked #20,955.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 177 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Closs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Closs surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Closs 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 143 #13,343
1861 historical 128 #17,375
1881 historical 129 #17,013
1891 historical 161 #17,473
1901 historical 177 #16,342
1911 historical 126 #19,831
1997 modern 184 #18,580
1998 modern 183 #19,106
1999 modern 182 #19,317
2000 modern 176 #19,698
2001 modern 171 #19,770
2002 modern 175 #19,902
2003 modern 167 #20,245
2004 modern 168 #20,300
2005 modern 176 #19,667
2006 modern 167 #20,447
2007 modern 164 #20,973
2008 modern 160 #21,521
2009 modern 176 #20,632
2010 modern 174 #21,259
2011 modern 177 #20,874
2012 modern 169 #21,437
2013 modern 177 #21,170
2014 modern 176 #21,413
2015 modern 177 #21,220
2016 modern 181 #20,955

Geography

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Where Closs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, London parishes, Ipswich St Nicholas, Ipswich St Mary at Elms, Lambeth and Llanberis. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Orbiston, Kensington and Chelsea, Eastleigh, South Northamptonshire and Irvine Fullarton. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Ipswich St Nicholas, Ipswich St Mary at Elms Suffolk
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Llanberis Carnarvonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Orbiston North Lanarkshire
2 Kensington and Chelsea 020 Kensington and Chelsea
3 Eastleigh 003 Eastleigh
4 South Northamptonshire 007 South Northamptonshire
5 Irvine Fullarton North Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Closs

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Closs

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Closs is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Closs 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

Closs falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Closs

The surname Closs is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, around the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old German word "klos," which means "a lump" or "a ball," and was likely initially used as a descriptive nickname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Closs can be found in the tax records of the town of Halberstadt, dated around 1350. These records mention a certain "Hans Closs," who was a local landowner. The name also appears in several medieval manuscripts from the region, indicating its widespread use during that period.

In the 15th century, the Closs family gained prominence in the city of Leipzig, where they were involved in the textile trade. Johann Closs (1445-1521), a prominent merchant and banker, is considered one of the earliest notable figures bearing this surname. His son, Hans Closs (1478-1543), was a respected scholar and humanist who served as a professor at the University of Leipzig.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Closs name spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring countries. One notable figure from this period was Friedrich Closs (1591-1658), a Lutheran theologian and author who served as a minister in the city of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland).

In the 18th century, the Closs family established itself in the region of Silesia, which was then part of Prussia. Johann Gottfried Closs (1725-1798) was a renowned philosopher and educator who founded several schools in the region. His son, Karl Friedrich Closs (1761-1838), was a prolific writer and translator who contributed to the spread of German literature.

As the surname Closs spread across Europe, it also found its way to other parts of the world through emigration. One notable figure from the 19th century was Wilhelm Closs (1832-1901), a German-American architect who designed several prominent buildings in Chicago, including the Old Colony Building and the Rookery Building.

Throughout its history, the surname Closs has been associated with various professions, ranging from scholars and educators to merchants and artisans. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, the name has since become widespread and can be found in various parts of the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Closs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Closs 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. Caernarfonshire leads with 30 Closs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.96x.

County Total Index
Caernarfonshire 30 58.96x
Surrey 22 3.59x
Lanarkshire 15 3.69x
Kent 13 3.03x
Suffolk 10 6.52x
Gloucestershire 8 3.24x
Middlesex 6 0.48x
West Lothian 6 31.66x
Ayrshire 5 5.31x
Devon 5 1.91x
Dunbartonshire 3 8.87x
Nottinghamshire 2 1.18x
Essex 1 0.40x
Midlothian 1 0.59x
Norfolk 1 0.52x
Renfrewshire 1 1.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Llanberis in Caernarfonshire leads with 29 Closs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2213.74x.

Place Total Index
Llanberis 29 2213.74x
New Monkland 13 108.06x
Deptford St Paul 11 33.22x
Lambeth 10 9.11x
Gloucester Barton St 7 482.76x
Bathgate 6 145.99x
Felixstow 6 1621.62x
Maybole 5 174.22x
Bermondsey 4 10.68x
Exeter St George The 4 1379.31x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 15.80x
Camberwell 3 3.73x
Fulham London 3 16.44x
Hackney London 3 4.25x
Ipswich St Nicholas 3 357.14x
Old Kilpatrick 3 75.00x
Barony 2 1.94x
Nottingham St Mary 2 4.56x
Tonbridge 2 12.92x
Colchester St Giles 1 40.82x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.47x
Great Yarmouth 1 6.24x
Ipswich St Mary Key 1 250.00x
Llanddeiniolen 1 33.67x
Newington 1 2.15x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 4.96x
Tidenham 1 263.16x
West Greenock 1 5.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ellen 5
Mary 5
Elizabeth 3
Sarah 3
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Gayney 2
Jane 2
Maria 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Emma 1
Emmeline 1
Ethel 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Henrietta 1
Hephsibah 1
Hester 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Louisia 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Minnie 1
Miriam 1
Rosa 1
Ruth 1
Victor. 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Robert 6
William 5
Samuel 4
George 3
John 3
Thomas 3
Albert 2
Frederick 2
Griffith 2
Arthur 1
Auguste 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
David 1
Edward 1
Geo.Sidney 1
Griffth 1
Henry 1
Howard 1
Humphrey 1
James 1
Owen 1
Sidney 1
Stanley 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Closs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Closs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 129 people were recorded with the Closs surname. That placed it at #17,013 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Closs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 181 in 2016. That gives Closs a modern rank of #20,955.

What does the Closs surname mean?

A surname derived from the English word "close," referring to someone who lived near an enclosed area or courtyard.

What does the Closs map show?

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