NameCensus.

UK surname

Cluness

In the 1881 census there were 84 people recorded with the Cluness surname, ranking it #21,690 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 131, ranked #26,004, down from #21,690 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fetlar and Yell, Govan Combination and Lerwick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lerwick North, East and West Mainland and Insch, Oyne and Ythanwells.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cluness is 140 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 56.0%.

1881 census count

84

Ranked #21,690

Modern count

131

2016, ranked #26,004

Peak year

2014

140 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cluness had 84 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,690 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016, ranked #26,004.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 103 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Cluness surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cluness surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Cluness 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 58 #22,928
1861 historical 63 #25,901
1881 historical 84 #21,690
1891 historical 88 #25,677
1901 historical 103 #22,444
1911 historical 15 #31,938
1997 modern 118 #24,423
1998 modern 122 #24,556
1999 modern 115 #25,620
2000 modern 106 #26,848
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 103 #27,443
2003 modern 95 #28,536
2004 modern 102 #27,637
2005 modern 104 #27,369
2006 modern 107 #27,179
2007 modern 108 #27,391
2008 modern 112 #27,061
2009 modern 114 #27,363
2010 modern 130 #25,775
2011 modern 123 #26,512
2012 modern 131 #25,439
2013 modern 134 #25,525
2014 modern 140 #24,977
2015 modern 130 #26,093
2016 modern 131 #26,004

Geography

Back to top

Where Cluness' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Fetlar and Yell, Govan Combination, Lerwick, Toxteth Park and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lerwick North, East and West Mainland, Insch, Oyne and Ythanwells, Restalrig and Lochend and Lerwick South. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Fetlar and Yell Shetland
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Lerwick Shetland
4 Toxteth Park Lancashire
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lerwick North Shetland Islands
2 East and West Mainland Shetland Islands
3 Insch, Oyne and Ythanwells Aberdeenshire
4 Restalrig and Lochend City of Edinburgh
5 Lerwick South Shetland Islands

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Cluness

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Cluness

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Cluness is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cluness 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

Cluness falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Cluness families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cluness 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. Shetland leads with 44 Cluness' recorded in 1881 and an index of 532.04x.

County Total Index
Shetland 44 532.04x
Renfrewshire 8 12.75x
Lanarkshire 7 2.67x
Midlothian 7 6.45x
Banffshire 6 35.74x
Aberdeenshire 3 4.00x
Lancashire 3 0.31x
Leicestershire 3 3.34x
Devon 1 0.59x
Kincardineshire 1 10.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Unst in Shetland leads with 17 Cluness' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2833.33x.

Place Total Index
Unst 17 2833.33x
Lerwick Gulberwick 13 1015.63x
Yell Mid 11 4074.07x
Eastwood 8 207.25x
Govan 7 10.81x
North Leith 6 119.52x
Alvah 3 789.47x
Leicester St Margaret 3 13.70x
Rothiemay 3 789.47x
West Derby 3 10.68x
Yell South 3 1500.00x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 2 14.26x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 2.29x
Fetteresso 1 64.94x
King Edward 1 116.28x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 7.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Charlotte 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Duncan 1
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 Cluness households.

FAQ

Cluness surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cluness surname in 1881?

In 1881, 84 people were recorded with the Cluness surname. That placed it at #21,690 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cluness surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016. That gives Cluness a modern rank of #26,004.

What does the Cluness map show?

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