NameCensus.

UK surname

Crosier

An occupational surname referring to someone who carried a bishop's crook or pastoral staff.

In the 1881 census there were 290 people recorded with the Crosier surname, ranking it #9,946 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 183, ranked #20,813, down from #9,946 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newcastle St Andrew, Gateshead and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sedgemoor, Scarborough and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crosier is 294 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 36.9%.

1881 census count

290

Ranked #9,946

Modern count

183

2016, ranked #20,813

Peak year

1901

294 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crosier had 290 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,946 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 183 in 2016, ranked #20,813.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 294 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Crosier surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crosier surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crosier 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 232 #9,296
1861 historical 168 #13,895
1881 historical 290 #9,946
1891 historical 270 #12,027
1901 historical 294 #11,805
1911 historical 276 #12,099
1997 modern 209 #17,157
1998 modern 211 #17,532
1999 modern 228 #16,790
2000 modern 228 #16,743
2001 modern 223 #16,765
2002 modern 221 #17,206
2003 modern 207 #17,746
2004 modern 195 #18,500
2005 modern 192 #18,640
2006 modern 188 #19,023
2007 modern 190 #19,088
2008 modern 188 #19,387
2009 modern 190 #19,656
2010 modern 185 #20,453
2011 modern 187 #20,132
2012 modern 183 #20,356
2013 modern 189 #20,273
2014 modern 191 #20,302
2015 modern 184 #20,719
2016 modern 183 #20,813

Geography

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Where Crosiers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newcastle St Andrew, Gateshead, St Pancras, Glasgow and Upminster. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sedgemoor, Scarborough, East Riding of Yorkshire and Richmondshire. 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 Newcastle St Andrew Northumberland
2 Gateshead Durham
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Upminster Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sedgemoor 012 Sedgemoor
2 Scarborough 004 Scarborough
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 003 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 Richmondshire 006 Richmondshire
5 Scarborough 014 Scarborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crosier

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crosier

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Crosier 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

Crosier 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

Crosier falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Crosier

The surname Crosier is of Anglo-Norman French origins, derived from the Old French word 'crosier' meaning a bishop's staff or crosier. It originated in medieval England during the 11th century following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name was likely an occupational name for someone who carried or made crosiers for religious officials.

The earliest recorded example of the surname Crosier dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Crosur' in Cambridgeshire. Other early spellings include 'Croseour', 'Crosiour', and 'Crosyer'. These variations suggest the name was initially pronounced with a soft 'c' sound, later adopting the harder 'k' sound.

In the 13th century, the surname is recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire as 'Crosiour'. The Hundred Rolls were a census of landowners commissioned by King Edward I in 1273. This early record indicates the Crosier family had established themselves in Oxfordshire by this time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Sir John Crosier, a knight who lived in Gloucestershire during the late 13th century. He is mentioned in records from the reign of King Edward I (1272-1307).

Another notable figure was William Crosier, a merchant and alderman in the City of London during the 15th century. He served as Sheriff of London in 1464 and 1465.

In the 16th century, the Crosier surname is found in various places across southern England, particularly in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. The village of Crosier in Somerset may have derived its name from an early resident with this surname.

During the 17th century, Henry Crosier (c.1590-1670) was a noted English clergyman who served as the Dean of Bristol Cathedral from 1644 to 1670.

John Crosier (1637-1718) was a English-born clergyman who emigrated to America and became the first Anglican minister of the Narragansett Church in Rhode Island in 1704.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crosier families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crosier 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. Yorkshire leads with 71 Crosiers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.52x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 71 2.52x
Northumberland 57 13.50x
Lancashire 40 1.19x
Durham 33 3.91x
Essex 23 4.10x
Middlesex 20 0.70x
Lanarkshire 18 1.96x
Cumberland 8 3.27x
Roxburghshire 6 11.67x
Ayrshire 3 1.41x
Cambridgeshire 3 1.67x
Devon 2 0.34x
Hampshire 2 0.34x
Berwickshire 1 2.91x
Cornwall 1 0.31x
Hertfordshire 1 0.51x
Selkirkshire 1 3.89x
West Lothian 1 2.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Warrington in Lancashire leads with 21 Crosiers recorded in 1881 and an index of 52.59x.

Place Total Index
Warrington 21 52.59x
Barony 18 7.75x
Westoe 17 35.51x
Elswick 13 38.56x
Gateshead 13 20.56x
Birdsall 12 3870.97x
Chelmsford 12 124.87x
Newcastle On Tyne St 11 50.25x
Hutton Cranswick 9 762.71x
Scampston 9 3913.04x
Scarborough 8 31.30x
Benwell 7 151.52x
Hartburn Grange 7 11666.67x
Humshaugh 7 1521.74x
Settrington 7 1296.30x
Habergham Eaves 6 19.49x
Hawick 6 52.13x
Holme Abbey 6 659.34x
Mile End Old Town London 6 9.93x
Rillington 6 705.88x
St Marylebone London 6 3.96x
Stretford 6 32.38x
Westgate 6 22.94x
Hackney London 4 2.51x
Layton With Warbreck 4 32.36x
Sledmere Cum Croom 4 816.33x
Stisted 4 555.56x
Barrow In Furness 3 6.55x
Braintree 3 59.64x
Brinkley 3 1034.48x
Holy Trinity 3 4.43x
St Pancras London 3 1.31x
Bedlington 2 14.18x
Bishopwearmouth 2 2.76x
Great Driffield 2 34.66x
Loudoun 2 39.14x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 2 7.93x
Norton In Malton 2 58.65x
Old Malton 2 112.99x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 4.39x
Portsea 2 1.75x
Takeley 2 250.00x
Threlkeld 2 487.80x
Abercorn 1 117.65x
Barton Le Street 1 625.00x
Clifton In York 1 17.01x
Cold Norton 1 555.56x
Earsdon 1 29.07x
Isleworth 1 7.92x
Kirby Grindalyth 1 400.00x
Lauder 1 52.63x
Leeds 1 0.63x
Melrose 1 15.48x
Moor Town 1 3333.33x
Slingsby 1 172.41x
Stevenston 1 18.05x
Tynemouth 1 4.42x
Uny Lelant 1 57.47x
Walthamstow 1 4.96x
Watford 1 6.59x
Wharram Percy 1 1666.67x
Whickham 1 12.87x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 16
Thomas 11
William 11
George 10
Robert 9
Charles 8
Joseph 6
James 5
Harry 4
Henry 3
Peter 3
Samuel 3
Walter 3
Wm. 3
Arthur 2
Edwin 2
Jonas 2
Adamson 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Christopher 1
Cuthbert 1
David 1
Edward 1
Elisha 1
Fred. 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Hepburn 1
Joshua 1
Josiah 1
Lancelot 1
Miles 1
Ralph 1
Richard 1
Skelton 1
Thos 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Crosier surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crosier surname in 1881?

In 1881, 290 people were recorded with the Crosier surname. That placed it at #9,946 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crosier surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 183 in 2016. That gives Crosier a modern rank of #20,813.

What does the Crosier surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who carried a bishop's crook or pastoral staff.

What does the Crosier map show?

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