NameCensus.

UK surname

Crass

A surname suggesting coarse or unrefined manners or behavior.

In the 1881 census there were 155 people recorded with the Crass surname, ranking it #15,174 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 103, ranked #30,515, down from #15,174 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Jarrow and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Coventry, North Tyneside and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crass is 256 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 33.5%.

1881 census count

155

Ranked #15,174

Modern count

103

2016, ranked #30,515

Peak year

1861

256 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crass had 155 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,174 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016, ranked #30,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 256 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Crass surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crass surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crass 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 162 #12,215
1861 historical 256 #9,667
1881 historical 155 #15,174
1891 historical 226 #13,668
1901 historical 193 #15,469
1911 historical 128 #19,664
1997 modern 115 #24,834
1998 modern 104 #26,981
1999 modern 102 #27,468
2000 modern 105 #27,001
2001 modern 100 #27,402
2002 modern 104 #27,303
2003 modern 97 #28,217
2004 modern 99 #28,136
2005 modern 90 #29,527
2006 modern 90 #29,893
2007 modern 92 #29,929
2008 modern 91 #30,431
2009 modern 97 #30,076
2010 modern 100 #30,225
2011 modern 99 #30,218
2012 modern 103 #29,733
2013 modern 98 #31,078
2014 modern 98 #31,370
2015 modern 101 #30,816
2016 modern 103 #30,515

Geography

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Where Crass' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Jarrow, Gateshead, Ryton and Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Coventry, North Tyneside, Northumberland and Basingstoke and Deane. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Jarrow Durham
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Ryton Durham
5 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Coventry 001 Coventry
2 North Tyneside 027 North Tyneside
3 North Tyneside 023 North Tyneside
4 Northumberland 006 Northumberland
5 Basingstoke and Deane 011 Basingstoke and Deane

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crass

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crass

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Crass 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

Crass is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Crass 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 Crass is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Crass, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Crass

The surname CRASS is of German origin, derived from the Old High German word "crās," meaning "curly-haired." This name likely emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century, in the regions of modern-day Germany and Switzerland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the "Stadtbücher" (city books) of Nuremberg, Germany, where a certain Hanns Crass is mentioned in the year 1431. Another early reference comes from the "Steuerlisten" (tax records) of Zurich, Switzerland, which list a Jörg Crass in 1487.

The name CRASS is also associated with several notable individuals throughout history. For instance, Johann Crass (1501-1567) was a German theologian and Protestant reformer, known for his work in the city of Wittenberg. In the 18th century, there was a renowned German artist named Johann Caspar Crass (1712-1777), who specialized in portrait painting and was a member of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in Paris.

Moving on to the 19th century, we find Johann Crass (1824-1901), a German-born American businessman and politician who served as the mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, from 1881 to 1885. Another noteworthy figure was Karl Crass (1865-1945), a German engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early automobiles and aircraft.

In the early 20th century, there was a German-American journalist named Ferdinand Crass (1878-1953), who worked for several newspapers in New York City and was known for his coverage of World War I and the Prohibition era.

Over the centuries, the name CRASS has also been associated with various place names, particularly in Germany and Switzerland. For example, the village of Crasshütte in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, as well as the Crassier commune in the Swiss canton of Vaud, likely derived their names from individuals bearing the surname CRASS.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crass families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crass 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. Durham leads with 45 Crass' recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.01x.

County Total Index
Durham 45 10.01x
Northumberland 26 11.56x
Surrey 17 2.31x
Middlesex 14 0.93x
Devon 10 3.18x
Midlothian 9 4.44x
Nottinghamshire 8 3.93x
Kent 6 1.16x
Lanarkshire 4 0.82x
Yorkshire 3 0.20x
Gloucestershire 2 0.67x
Lancashire 2 0.11x
Berkshire 1 0.88x
Cumberland 1 0.77x
Essex 1 0.34x
Hampshire 1 0.32x
Huntingdonshire 1 3.33x
Lincolnshire 1 0.41x
Norfolk 1 0.43x
Staffordshire 1 0.20x
Warwickshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Winlaton in Durham leads with 20 Crass' recorded in 1881 and an index of 464.04x.

Place Total Index
Winlaton 20 464.04x
Westoe 11 43.14x
Egg Buckland 10 1851.85x
Benwell 9 365.85x
Clapham 9 47.62x
South Leith 9 39.49x
Radford 8 77.29x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 7 52.12x
Crook Billy Row 5 86.81x
Kensington London 5 5.95x
Preston In Tynemouth 5 568.18x
Barony 4 3.23x
Plumstead 4 23.27x
Battersea 3 5.39x
Doncaster 3 27.40x
Elswick 3 16.71x
Gateshead 3 8.91x
Kyo 3 141.51x
Lambeth 3 2.28x
St Marylebone London 3 3.72x
Chelsea London 2 4.39x
Prescot 2 61.73x
South Shields 2 49.88x
Westminster St James 2 12.87x
Wimbledon 2 24.18x
Alston 1 41.67x
Birmingham 1 0.79x
Bishopwearmouth 1 2.59x
Bitton Oldland 1 33.00x
Bradfield 1 166.67x
Clifton 1 6.67x
Islington London 1 0.68x
Ospringe 1 158.73x
Paddington London 1 1.80x
Portsmouth 1 14.03x
Romford 1 21.19x
Scunthorpe 1 91.74x
Southoe 1 714.29x
Tynemouth 1 8.30x
Wallsend 1 14.03x
West Beckham 1 625.00x
Wolverhampton 1 2.55x
Wrotham 1 58.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 8
Elizabeth 7
Mary 7
Margaret 6
Ann 4
Annie 4
Isabella 4
Emily 3
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Emma 2
Jemima 2
Jessie 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Alena 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Blanch 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Christiana 1
Edith 1
Ellen 1
Ellin 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Harriet 1
Hengele 1
Miss 1
Susan 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
William 9
James 6
Thomas 6
Robert 5
Charles 3
Henry 3
Joseph 3
David 2
George 2
Albion 1
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Chas. 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
Georghie 1
Job 1
Mitchel 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Thos.H. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Crass surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crass surname in 1881?

In 1881, 155 people were recorded with the Crass surname. That placed it at #15,174 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crass surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016. That gives Crass a modern rank of #30,515.

What does the Crass surname mean?

A surname suggesting coarse or unrefined manners or behavior.

What does the Crass map show?

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