NameCensus.

UK surname

Crosbie

A surname derived from the name of a Scottish town of Norman origin.

In the 1881 census there were 1,539 people recorded with the Crosbie surname, ranking it #2,727 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,540, ranked #2,602, up from #2,727 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Melrose, Hawick and Wilton and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lochside and Lincluden, Summerville and Toryglen and Oatlands.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crosbie is 2,555 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.0%.

1881 census count

1,539

Ranked #2,727

Modern count

2,540

2016, ranked #2,602

Peak year

2010

2,555 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crosbie had 1,539 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,727 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,540 in 2016, ranked #2,602.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,914 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Crosbie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crosbie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crosbie 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 1,120 #2,518
1861 historical 1,108 #2,527
1881 historical 1,539 #2,727
1891 historical 1,577 #2,814
1901 historical 1,914 #2,758
1911 historical 849 #5,229
1997 modern 2,391 #2,620
1998 modern 2,477 #2,636
1999 modern 2,524 #2,611
2000 modern 2,495 #2,623
2001 modern 2,435 #2,618
2002 modern 2,504 #2,613
2003 modern 2,434 #2,622
2004 modern 2,423 #2,638
2005 modern 2,409 #2,624
2006 modern 2,398 #2,631
2007 modern 2,394 #2,662
2008 modern 2,429 #2,644
2009 modern 2,507 #2,635
2010 modern 2,555 #2,647
2011 modern 2,547 #2,627
2012 modern 2,467 #2,656
2013 modern 2,467 #2,698
2014 modern 2,533 #2,647
2015 modern 2,518 #2,639
2016 modern 2,540 #2,602

Geography

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Where Crosbies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Melrose, Hawick and Wilton, Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dumfries. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lochside and Lincluden, Summerville, Toryglen and Oatlands, Troqueer and Dumfries Central. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Melrose Roxburgh
2 Hawick and Wilton Roxburgh
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dumfries Dumfries

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lochside and Lincluden Dumfries and Galloway
2 Summerville Dumfries and Galloway
3 Toryglen and Oatlands Glasgow City
4 Troqueer Dumfries and Galloway
5 Dumfries Central Dumfries and Galloway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crosbie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crosbie

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Crosbie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Crosbie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Crosbie 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

Crosbie 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

Crosbie falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Crosbie

The surname Crosbie has its origins in the Isle of Man, an island situated between Great Britain and Ireland. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse words 'kross' meaning cross and 'byr' meaning farm or settlement, suggesting that the name may have referred to a settlement or dwelling place near a cross or crossroads.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Manx Book of Pleas from the late 14th century, where it appears as 'Crosbey'. This indicates that the name was already well-established on the island by that time.

In the 16th century, the Crosbie family was prominently involved in the governance of the Isle of Man. Sir John Crosbie (c.1500-1565) served as the Lieutenant-Governor of the island under the Stanley family, who held the lordship of Man. His son, William Crosbie (c.1530-1604), succeeded him in the same role.

The name also appears in historical records from Scotland, where it is believed to have been introduced by individuals from the Isle of Man or through connections with the island. One notable Scot bearing the name was Andrew Crosbie (1735-1785), a lawyer and advocate who served as the Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1776 to 1782.

In Ireland, the name is associated with the Crosbie family of County Kerry, who traced their ancestry back to the Isle of Man. Sir Edward Crosbie (1590-1668) was an influential figure in the Irish Confederate Wars, serving as the President of Munster for the Irish Catholic Confederation.

Another notable individual with the Crosbie surname was Sir William Crosbie (1804-1899), a British Army officer who served in the Crimean War and was awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest military honor, for his bravery at the Battle of Balaclava in 1854.

Hugh Thomas Crosbie (1840-1916) was an Irish-Canadian businessman and newspaper publisher, who founded the Toronto World newspaper in 1880 and played a significant role in the development of the Canadian media industry.

While the surname Crosbie has its origins in the Isle of Man, it has since spread to various parts of the British Isles, North America, and beyond, carried by individuals and families who have contributed to the rich tapestry of history across different regions and fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crosbie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crosbie 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 203 Crosbies recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.14x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 203 1.14x
Lanarkshire 198 4.08x
Dumfriesshire 169 51.03x
Kirkcudbrightshire 154 70.95x
Midlothian 121 6.02x
Middlesex 91 0.61x
Ayrshire 85 7.58x
Roxburghshire 72 26.51x
Selkirkshire 48 35.39x
Surrey 43 0.59x
Cheshire 31 0.94x
Yorkshire 25 0.17x
Northumberland 24 1.08x
Berwickshire 21 11.57x
Stirlingshire 20 3.62x
Essex 18 0.61x
Warwickshire 18 0.48x
Dunbartonshire 15 3.72x
Renfrewshire 15 1.29x
Isle of Man 14 5.03x
Cumberland 13 1.01x
Durham 11 0.25x
Staffordshire 10 0.20x
Devon 9 0.29x
Hertfordshire 9 0.87x
Huntingdonshire 9 3.02x
Norfolk 9 0.39x
Peeblesshire 9 12.76x
Sussex 9 0.36x
Berkshire 7 0.62x
Hampshire 6 0.20x
Buteshire 5 5.50x
Banffshire 4 1.29x
Shropshire 4 0.31x
Wigtownshire 4 2.01x
Wiltshire 4 0.30x
Derbyshire 3 0.13x
East Lothian 3 1.51x
Somerset 3 0.12x
Suffolk 3 0.16x
Fife 2 0.23x
Kent 2 0.04x
Leicestershire 2 0.12x
Worcestershire 2 0.10x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.07x
Angus 1 0.07x
Caithness 1 0.49x
Cardiganshire 1 0.27x
Dorset 1 0.10x
Gloucestershire 1 0.03x
Lincolnshire 1 0.04x
Morayshire 1 0.43x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.05x
Oxfordshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 69 Crosbies recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.54x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 69 8.54x
Barony 53 4.32x
Govan 51 4.25x
Liverpool 46 4.26x
Urr 42 148.78x
Everton 39 6.88x
Dumfries 33 101.01x
Lesmahagow 31 60.45x
Galashiels 30 59.82x
Lambeth 30 2.29x
Carlaverock 29 537.04x
Glasgow 27 3.14x
Kelton 24 134.60x
Troqueer 23 80.79x
Wilton 23 77.18x
Kensington London 21 2.52x
Kilmarnock 20 14.98x
Duddingston 19 47.12x
Toxteth Park 18 2.99x
West Derby 18 3.46x
Melrose 17 49.80x
Rerrick 17 182.60x
Islington London 15 1.03x
Maryhill 15 15.80x
Bothwell 14 10.65x
Falkirk 14 10.82x
Sanquhar 14 120.27x
Walton On Hill 14 14.53x
Broughton In Salford 13 7.99x
Kelso 13 48.04x
Hawick 12 19.74x
Kirkdale 12 4.01x
Barling 11 585.11x
Birkenhead 11 4.17x
Muirkirk 11 41.75x
South Leith 11 4.87x
St Quivox 11 28.99x
Birmingham 10 0.79x
Dalry 10 18.94x
Durrisdeer 10 176.06x
Leeds 10 1.19x
Penpont 10 164.20x
Salford 10 1.91x
Ancrum 9 127.84x
Belford 9 189.47x
Edrom 9 115.68x
Innerleithen 9 48.08x
Lower Darwen 9 38.54x
Tottenham 9 3.77x
Caldewgate 8 11.31x
Great Yarmouth 8 4.19x
Kells 8 160.64x
Kirkcudbright 8 44.54x
Lonan 8 47.45x
Morton 8 72.79x
New Kilpatrick 8 20.87x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 8 21.01x
Berwick Upon Tweed 7 14.81x
Bray 7 21.17x
Galston 7 22.81x
Hammersmith London 7 1.90x
Holywood 7 126.58x
Liberton 7 22.58x
Mile End Old Town London 7 2.19x
Moffat 7 46.33x
West Ham 7 1.07x
Brighton 6 1.18x
Buittle 6 117.65x
Chester St Mary On Hill 6 21.13x
Closeburn 6 77.72x
Cockburnspath 6 103.45x
Crossmichael 6 87.46x
Glatton Holme 6 365.85x
Melrose 6 25.55x
Newington 6 1.08x
Paddington London 6 1.09x
Renfrew 6 15.64x
Stirling 6 8.61x
Tynron 6 277.78x
Westoe 6 2.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 33
Elizabeth 24
Jane 23
Sarah 16
Emily 11
Margaret 11
Alice 9
Catherine 8
Agnes 7
Janet 7
Jessie 7
Annie 6
Eliza 6
Ann 5
Ellen 5
Maria 5
Anne 4
Clara 4
Edith 4
Helen 4
Marion 4
Matilda 4
Ada 3
Emma 3
Frances 3
Isabella 3
Martha 3
Rosa 3
Amelia 2
Eva 2
Fanny 2
Georgina 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Henrietta 2
Jannet 2
Jemima 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Maggie 2
Margt. 2
Susan 2
Anges 1
Bessie 1
C. 1
Caroline 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Janette 1
Wanchope 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Crosbie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crosbie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,539 people were recorded with the Crosbie surname. That placed it at #2,727 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crosbie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,540 in 2016. That gives Crosbie a modern rank of #2,602.

What does the Crosbie surname mean?

A surname derived from the name of a Scottish town of Norman origin.

What does the Crosbie map show?

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