NameCensus.

UK surname

Cribbin

A locational surname derived from a place in Ireland named Cribbin.

In the 1881 census there were 86 people recorded with the Cribbin surname, ranking it #21,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 177, ranked #21,230, up from #21,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Toxteth Park and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Aberuthven and Almondbank, Trafford and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cribbin is 188 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 105.8%.

1881 census count

86

Ranked #21,449

Modern count

177

2016, ranked #21,230

Peak year

2010

188 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cribbin had 86 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 177 in 2016, ranked #21,230.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 127 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Cribbin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cribbin surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cribbin 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 31 #27,734
1861 historical 28 #30,405
1881 historical 86 #21,449
1891 historical 85 #26,080
1901 historical 78 #25,500
1911 historical 127 #19,749
1997 modern 174 #19,231
1998 modern 176 #19,584
1999 modern 180 #19,454
2000 modern 185 #19,118
2001 modern 184 #18,907
2002 modern 179 #19,598
2003 modern 168 #20,171
2004 modern 172 #20,008
2005 modern 177 #19,598
2006 modern 168 #20,368
2007 modern 170 #20,471
2008 modern 171 #20,595
2009 modern 180 #20,341
2010 modern 188 #20,235
2011 modern 180 #20,649
2012 modern 177 #20,836
2013 modern 171 #21,654
2014 modern 170 #21,914
2015 modern 172 #21,649
2016 modern 177 #21,230

Geography

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Where Cribbins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Toxteth Park, Gateshead, Manchester and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Aberuthven and Almondbank, Trafford, County Durham, Leeds and Halton. 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 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Aberuthven and Almondbank Perth and Kinross
2 Trafford 018 Trafford
3 County Durham 004 County Durham
4 Leeds 028 Leeds
5 Halton 011 Halton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cribbin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cribbin

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Cribbin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cribbin is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cribbin 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 Cribbin 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Cribbin

The surname Cribbin is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to the counties of Galway and Mayo in the western region of Ireland. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "cribín" or "criobhín," meaning a small branch or twig.

This surname likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who lived near a small brook or stream, or perhaps someone who worked with wood or had a slender build. It's also possible that the name could have referred to a person who lived in a specific place or townland associated with small branches or twigs.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention a Domhnall Ó Cribín, a member of a prominent family in Connacht, who was involved in a conflict in the year 1244.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Cribbin, Cribben, and Cribeen, reflecting the evolving nature of Irish surnames and the influence of English orthography.

Notable figures bearing the Cribbin surname include Michael Cribbin (1832-1901), an Irish-born Catholic priest and founder of the first Catholic Church in Omaha, Nebraska. Another significant individual was John Cribbin (1842-1919), a British engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of the Liverpool Overhead Railway.

In the literary world, John Edwin Cribbin (1884-1963) was an American author and journalist who wrote several books on Irish history and culture, including "The Tramp Abroad" and "The Life Story of an Old Rebel."

Moving forward in time, Patrick Cribbin (1920-2001) was an Irish politician and member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament, representing the Fianna Fáil party from 1957 to 1981.

Lastly, John Cribbin (born 1956) is a contemporary Irish author and journalist, known for his works on Irish history, culture, and travel, including "Sligo: The Irish Riviera" and "Timeless Galway."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cribbin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cribbin 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. Lancashire leads with 34 Cribbins recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.42x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 34 3.42x
Durham 8 3.21x
Yorkshire 8 0.96x
Cheshire 7 3.78x
Staffordshire 7 2.47x
Lanarkshire 6 2.21x
Middlesex 5 0.60x
Warwickshire 5 2.36x
Kent 3 1.05x
Cumberland 2 2.77x
Hampshire 1 0.58x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Toxteth Park in Lancashire leads with 15 Cribbins recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.51x.

Place Total Index
Toxteth Park 15 44.51x
Whickham 8 347.83x
Horton In Bradford 7 53.93x
Sale 7 308.37x
Barony 6 8.74x
Everton 6 18.92x
Walsall Foreign 6 41.04x
Aston 5 8.59x
Manchester 4 8.94x
Deal 3 122.95x
St Giles In Fields London 3 72.99x
Crosscanonby 2 83.68x
Great Crosby 2 73.80x
Little Bolton 2 15.63x
Liverpool 2 3.31x
Bickerstaffe 1 153.85x
Chapel Allerton 1 80.65x
Hound 1 85.47x
Newcastle Under Lyme 1 19.96x
Radcliffe 1 20.83x
St Pancras London 1 1.48x
Warrington 1 8.47x
Whitechapel London 1 12.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Margaret 6
Sarah 5
Ellen 2
Kathleen 2
Ann 1
Annie 1
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Christina 1
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Georgina 1
Johanna 1
Mabel 1
Margret 1
Parnell 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
Thomas 5
William 5
George 3
James 3
Michael 3
Andrew 1
Anthony 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Dancil 1
David 1
Dennis 1
Edward 1
Harry 1
Horatio 1
Joseph 1
Julius 1
Patrick 1
Richard 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Cribbin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cribbin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 86 people were recorded with the Cribbin surname. That placed it at #21,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cribbin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 177 in 2016. That gives Cribbin a modern rank of #21,230.

What does the Cribbin surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place in Ireland named Cribbin.

What does the Cribbin map show?

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