NameCensus.

UK surname

Crabbe

An occupational surname alluding to a fisherman who caught crabs.

In the 1881 census there were 417 people recorded with the Crabbe surname, ranking it #7,732 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 898, ranked #6,312, up from #7,732 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, East Devon and Isle of Wight.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crabbe is 1,032 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 115.3%.

1881 census count

417

Ranked #7,732

Modern count

898

2016, ranked #6,312

Peak year

1999

1,032 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crabbe had 417 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,732 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 898 in 2016, ranked #6,312.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 670 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Crabbe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crabbe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crabbe 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 116 #15,545
1861 historical 162 #14,310
1881 historical 417 #7,732
1891 historical 510 #7,307
1901 historical 670 #6,496
1911 historical 556 #7,221
1997 modern 997 #5,516
1998 modern 1,007 #5,642
1999 modern 1,032 #5,570
2000 modern 988 #5,745
2001 modern 947 #5,837
2002 modern 970 #5,824
2003 modern 935 #5,911
2004 modern 922 #5,967
2005 modern 899 #6,037
2006 modern 915 #5,961
2007 modern 921 #5,987
2008 modern 929 #5,989
2009 modern 933 #6,074
2010 modern 950 #6,124
2011 modern 942 #6,103
2012 modern 942 #6,026
2013 modern 933 #6,176
2014 modern 941 #6,171
2015 modern 924 #6,203
2016 modern 898 #6,312

Geography

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Where Crabbes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, East Devon, Isle of Wight, Swansea and Rhondda Cynon Taf. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 009 Forest of Dean
2 East Devon 007 East Devon
3 Isle of Wight 012 Isle of Wight
4 Swansea 016 Swansea
5 Rhondda Cynon Taf 027 Rhondda Cynon Taf

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crabbe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crabbe

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Crabbe 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

Crabbe is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Crabbe falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Crabbe

The surname Crabbe is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "crabba" meaning "crab." It is believed to have originated as an occupational surname, referring to someone who caught or sold crabs.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the late 12th century, with a Robert Crabbe mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1198. It is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, with a William Crabbe listed.

The name appears in various historical records throughout the centuries, including the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, where a John Crabbe is recorded. In the 14th century, the name was also found in the forms of "Crab" and "Crabb."

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir William Crabbe, a member of the English Parliament for Helston in 1397. Another was Robert Crabbe, a 15th-century English poet and author of the satirical work "The Mirrour of the World."

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name was particularly prevalent in East Anglia, where several places bore names derived from the surname, such as Crabbe's Green in Norfolk and Crabbe's Hill in Suffolk.

In the 18th century, George Crabbe (1754-1832) was a renowned English poet, naturalist, and clergyman, best known for his works "The Village" and "The Borough." He is considered one of the leading poets of the Romantic era.

Other notable individuals with the surname include Charles Crabbe (1888-1966), an English cricketer who played for Essex and England, and Sir Walter Crabbe (1917-2004), a British diplomat and former ambassador to several countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crabbe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crabbe 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. Middlesex leads with 56 Crabbes recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.36x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 56 1.36x
Surrey 46 2.29x
Glamorgan 39 5.44x
Somerset 26 3.92x
Angus 25 6.56x
Gloucestershire 23 2.85x
Lancashire 21 0.43x
Hampshire 16 1.90x
Devon 15 1.75x
Kent 15 1.07x
Dorset 14 5.18x
Warwickshire 14 1.35x
Yorkshire 13 0.32x
Lanarkshire 11 0.83x
Midlothian 11 1.99x
Ayrshire 10 3.25x
Staffordshire 8 0.58x
Cambridgeshire 6 2.30x
Hertfordshire 5 1.76x
Renfrewshire 5 1.57x
Aberdeenshire 4 1.05x
Essex 4 0.49x
Norfolk 4 0.63x
Channel Islands 3 2.46x
Derbyshire 3 0.47x
Herefordshire 3 1.78x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.54x
Suffolk 3 0.60x
Fife 2 0.82x
Royal Navy 2 4.08x
Sussex 2 0.29x
Wiltshire 2 0.55x
Cheshire 1 0.11x
Cornwall 1 0.21x
Durham 1 0.08x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 1.68x
Leicestershire 1 0.22x
Northamptonshire 1 0.26x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.76x
Perthshire 1 0.54x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Swansea Town in Glamorgan leads with 30 Crabbes recorded in 1881 and an index of 51.05x.

Place Total Index
Swansea Town 30 51.05x
Aston 12 4.20x
Hampstead London 12 18.72x
Dundee 11 7.73x
Newington 10 6.58x
Sculcoates 10 15.46x
Battersea 9 5.94x
Clifton 9 22.05x
Hackney London 9 3.90x
Liff Benvie 9 15.55x
Bedminster 7 11.24x
Kilbirnie 7 94.59x
Newcastle Under Lyme 7 28.47x
North Leith 7 27.43x
Portsea 7 4.23x
Ash Normandy 6 219.78x
Barony 6 1.78x
Batheaston 6 264.32x
Bristol St Michael 6 86.71x
Charlton Next Woolwich 6 40.96x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 6 52.77x
Litherland 6 58.77x
Weston Super Mare 6 35.86x
Camberwell 5 1.90x
Charminster 5 232.56x
Chipping Barnet 5 100.81x
Govan 5 1.52x
Liverpool 5 1.69x
Roath 5 15.36x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 6.04x
St George Hanover Square 5 6.89x
Stretford 5 18.61x
Sturminster Marshall 5 442.48x
West Greenock 5 8.73x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 4 5.61x
Buckland Dinham 4 625.00x
Christchurch 4 21.86x
Exeter St David 4 54.64x
Swansea Lower 4 109.29x
Teddington London 4 42.87x
Auckinleck 3 31.45x
Beckenham 3 16.34x
Bristol St Augustine 3 23.02x
Buxton 3 55.05x
Islington London 3 0.75x
Kensington London 3 1.31x
Lambeth 3 0.84x
St Pancras London 3 0.91x
St Peter Port 3 13.29x
Widnes 3 8.52x
Wotton Ville 3 389.61x
Brentwood 2 40.40x
Bungay St Mary 2 80.65x
Charmouth 2 227.27x
Chelsea London 2 1.61x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 0.90x
Exeter Heavitree 2 31.30x
Exeter St John 2 327.87x
Exeter St Sidwell 2 10.19x
Heston 2 14.63x
Holmer 2 65.79x
Kingston On Thames 2 4.15x
Milton In Gravesend 2 9.50x
Montrose 2 8.65x
Poplar London 2 2.57x
Royal Navy 2 4.77x
Salisbury St Martin 2 52.77x
Scoonie 2 37.88x
Snenton 2 9.17x
South Lynn 2 28.01x
St George Martyr London 2 23.98x
Westminster St James 2 4.73x
Dawlish 1 15.65x
Inveresk 1 6.70x
Kirkden 1 41.84x
Norwood 1 10.63x
Nottingham St Mary 1 0.70x
Rattery 1 178.57x
St George In East London 1 2.58x
Wandsworth 1 2.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Elizabeth 17
Eliza 9
Emily 9
Sarah 9
Alice 7
Annie 7
Ellen 7
Emma 6
Caroline 5
Charlotte 5
Florence 4
Jane 4
Margaret 4
Martha 4
Anne 3
Catherine 3
Edith 3
Lucy 3
Susan 3
Ann 2
Elizth. 2
Esther 2
Eunice 2
Frances 2
Harriett 2
Matilda 2
Minnie 2
Christian 1
Clara 1
Constance 1
Daisy 1
Elmina 1
Emelia 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Grace 1
Honor 1
Isabella 1
Janet 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Katharine 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Lydness 1
M. 1
Margret 1
Marguerite 1
Winnefred 1

FAQ

Crabbe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crabbe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 417 people were recorded with the Crabbe surname. That placed it at #7,732 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crabbe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 898 in 2016. That gives Crabbe a modern rank of #6,312.

What does the Crabbe surname mean?

An occupational surname alluding to a fisherman who caught crabs.

What does the Crabbe map show?

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