NameCensus.

UK surname

Crossan

A variant of the Gaelic surname Crosáin referring to someone who lived beside a crossroads.

In the 1881 census there were 411 people recorded with the Crossan surname, ranking it #7,826 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,845, ranked #3,437, up from #7,826 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bothwell, Govan Combination and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Castle Douglas, Doon Valley South and Pollokshields West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crossan is 1,845 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 348.9%.

1881 census count

411

Ranked #7,826

Modern count

1,845

2016, ranked #3,437

Peak year

2016

1,845 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crossan had 411 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,826 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,845 in 2016, ranked #3,437.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 684 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Crossan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crossan surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crossan 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 188 #10,939
1861 historical 257 #9,629
1881 historical 411 #7,826
1891 historical 465 #7,874
1901 historical 684 #6,394
1911 historical 57 #27,099
1997 modern 1,564 #3,777
1998 modern 1,644 #3,742
1999 modern 1,633 #3,797
2000 modern 1,623 #3,802
2001 modern 1,603 #3,772
2002 modern 1,665 #3,704
2003 modern 1,618 #3,722
2004 modern 1,637 #3,697
2005 modern 1,669 #3,601
2006 modern 1,671 #3,596
2007 modern 1,685 #3,600
2008 modern 1,717 #3,567
2009 modern 1,771 #3,552
2010 modern 1,808 #3,550
2011 modern 1,744 #3,614
2012 modern 1,740 #3,570
2013 modern 1,784 #3,560
2014 modern 1,823 #3,517
2015 modern 1,834 #3,478
2016 modern 1,845 #3,437

Geography

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Where Crossans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bothwell, Govan Combination, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Old Luce and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Castle Douglas, Doon Valley South, Pollokshields West, Orbiston and Stockton-on-Tees. 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 Bothwell Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Old Luce Wigtown
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Castle Douglas Dumfries and Galloway
2 Doon Valley South East Ayrshire
3 Pollokshields West Glasgow City
4 Orbiston North Lanarkshire
5 Stockton-on-Tees 018 Stockton-on-Tees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crossan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crossan

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Crossan 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

Crossan 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

Crossan 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 Crossan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Crossan

The surname Crossan originated in Ireland, derived from the Gaelic name "O'Crossain," meaning "descendant of Crossan." Crossan itself is a personal name derived from the word "crosán," meaning "little cross."

The earliest recorded instances of the name Crossan can be traced back to the late 16th century in County Armagh, Ireland. The name was particularly prominent in the Ulster region, where many Crossan families were based.

One of the earliest known references to the name Crossan appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The Annals mention a certain Seán Crossan, who was involved in a battle in County Fermanagh in 1598.

In the 17th century, the name Crossan was also found in various Parish records and land surveys in counties Armagh, Tyrone, and Fermanagh. During this period, variations in spelling included Crossane, Crosane, and Crosain.

Notable individuals with the surname Crossan throughout history include:

1. Terence Crossan (1809-1884), an Irish Catholic priest and writer from County Armagh. 2. John Crossan (1857-1937), an Irish-born Australian politician and member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. 3. John Dominic Crossan (born 1934), an Irish-American biblical scholar and former Catholic priest, known for his work on the historical Jesus. 4. Sarah Crossan (born 1981), an Irish writer and author of young adult fiction. 5. Dominic Crossan (born 1949), an Irish former professional footballer who played as a defender for various clubs in England and Scotland.

While the name Crossan has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to Irish emigration, particularly to countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crossan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crossan 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. Lanarkshire leads with 214 Crossans recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.59x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 214 16.59x
Renfrewshire 56 18.11x
Ayrshire 24 8.04x
Wigtownshire 22 41.53x
Angus 21 5.68x
Lancashire 16 0.34x
Kirkcudbrightshire 14 24.24x
Stirlingshire 8 5.44x
Durham 5 0.42x
Leicestershire 5 1.13x
Selkirkshire 5 13.85x
Devon 4 0.48x
Bedfordshire 2 0.97x
Middlesex 2 0.05x
Perthshire 2 1.12x
Roxburghshire 2 2.77x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.93x
Midlothian 1 0.19x
Northumberland 1 0.17x
Royal Navy 1 2.10x
Shropshire 1 0.29x
Surrey 1 0.05x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 75 Crossans recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.97x.

Place Total Index
Barony 75 22.97x
Glasgow 39 17.02x
Govan 29 9.09x
West Greenock 23 41.44x
Dundee 16 11.60x
Shettleston 15 129.87x
Old Monkland 11 21.48x
Neilston 10 64.43x
New Monkland 10 26.22x
Maryhill 9 35.63x
Shotts 9 58.29x
Toxteth Park 9 5.61x
Bothwell 8 22.86x
Inch 8 154.74x
Falkirk 7 20.32x
Renfrew 6 58.77x
Sorbie 6 258.62x
St Quivox 6 59.41x
Galashiels 5 37.48x
Kelton 5 105.49x
Leicester St Margaret 5 4.64x
Middle Greenock 5 59.24x
Abbey 4 8.48x
East Stonehouse 4 24.45x
Girthon 4 206.19x
Girvan 4 53.40x
Kilbirnie 4 55.79x
Kirkcudbright 4 83.68x
Liff Benvie 4 7.13x
Old Luce 4 119.76x
Penninghame 4 74.07x
Dalziel 3 21.61x
Lochwinnoch 3 65.08x
Warrington 3 5.35x
Ayr 2 14.19x
Cambuslang 2 15.37x
Cavers 2 110.50x
Collierley 2 37.81x
Coylton 2 47.17x
Dundonald 2 18.17x
East Greenock 2 6.85x
Luton 2 5.59x
Rattray 2 47.96x
Tarbolton 2 40.73x
Balfron 1 54.95x
Blantyre 1 7.45x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 1.33x
Coundon Grange 1 38.46x
Dalry 1 7.12x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.47x
Gorbals 1 13.05x
Hamilton 1 2.78x
Hampstead London 1 1.61x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 1.95x
Houston Killallan 1 33.44x
Liverpool 1 0.35x
Mearns 1 18.45x
Minnigaff 1 46.08x
Montrose 1 4.46x
Newbrough 1 95.24x
Normanby In 1 9.46x
North Meols 1 2.16x
Old Kilpatrick 1 7.89x
Oswestry Rural 1 18.94x
Paisley High Church 1 4.06x
Royal Navy 1 2.46x
Rutherglen 1 5.28x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.42x
Troon 1 1250.00x
West Derby 1 0.72x
West Herrington 1 24.04x
Woking 1 8.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 3
William 3
Alexander 2
George 2
Henry 2
Thos. 2
Arthur 1
Hugh 1
James 1
Matthew 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Crossan households.

FAQ

Crossan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crossan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 411 people were recorded with the Crossan surname. That placed it at #7,826 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crossan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,845 in 2016. That gives Crossan a modern rank of #3,437.

What does the Crossan surname mean?

A variant of the Gaelic surname Crosáin referring to someone who lived beside a crossroads.

What does the Crossan map show?

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