NameCensus.

UK surname

Crosse

A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Crosse.

In the 1881 census there were 317 people recorded with the Crosse surname, ranking it #9,359 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 357, ranked #12,953, down from #9,359 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Cullompton and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Hertfordshire, North Dorset and Breich Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crosse is 422 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.6%.

1881 census count

317

Ranked #9,359

Modern count

357

2016, ranked #12,953

Peak year

1999

422 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crosse had 317 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,359 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 357 in 2016, ranked #12,953.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 390 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Crosse surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crosse surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crosse 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 153 #12,721
1861 historical 153 #15,032
1881 historical 317 #9,359
1891 historical 259 #12,399
1901 historical 390 #9,650
1911 historical 378 #9,698
1997 modern 395 #11,106
1998 modern 416 #11,037
1999 modern 422 #10,999
2000 modern 414 #11,127
2001 modern 395 #11,324
2002 modern 397 #11,497
2003 modern 399 #11,284
2004 modern 385 #11,607
2005 modern 381 #11,619
2006 modern 364 #12,106
2007 modern 384 #11,726
2008 modern 370 #12,182
2009 modern 371 #12,399
2010 modern 391 #12,207
2011 modern 381 #12,300
2012 modern 366 #12,520
2013 modern 366 #12,733
2014 modern 367 #12,801
2015 modern 363 #12,793
2016 modern 357 #12,953

Geography

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Where Crosses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Cullompton, London parishes and Whitchurch. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Hertfordshire, North Dorset, Breich Valley, South Cambridgeshire and Wirral. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Cullompton Devon
3 London parishes London 1
4 Whitchurch Shropshire
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Hertfordshire 014 North Hertfordshire
2 North Dorset 003 North Dorset
3 Breich Valley West Lothian
4 South Cambridgeshire 019 South Cambridgeshire
5 Wirral 039 Wirral

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crosse

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crosse

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Crosse, 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 Crosse surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Crosse 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, Crosse 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

Crosse 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

Crosse falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Crosse

The surname Crosse originated in France and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "croce," which means "cross" or "crosier." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a cross-shaped landmark or may have been associated with the Christian church, such as a member of the clergy or a bearer of the crosier.

In the 12th century, the name was recorded as Croche and Croiche in various regions of France, including Normandy and Brittany. These early spellings reflect the changes in pronunciation over time. The name also appeared in Latin documents as Crux, further indicating its connection to the religious symbolism of the cross.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Crosse can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conquer. The entry mentions a landowner named Rodbert de Crosse, who held estates in Worcestershire.

In the 13th century, the name Crosse appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Cambridgeshire, which recorded tax payments made to the English government. This suggests that the name had spread to various parts of England by this time.

Notable individuals with the surname Crosse include:

1. William Crosse (c. 1370 - c. 1440), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Shropshire during the reign of Henry VI. 2. Robert Crosse (c. 1570 - 1638), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Clogher in Ireland. 3. John Crosse (1611 - 1676), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of logarithms and celestial mechanics. 4. Andrew Crosse (1784 - 1855), an English scientist and pioneer in the field of electricity and electromagnetism. He conducted experiments that reportedly led to the spontaneous generation of life from inorganic matter, although his claims were heavily debated. 5. Kate Crosse (1866 - 1942), an Irish writer and novelist known for her works set in the Irish countryside and her exploration of rural life and culture.

The surname Crosse has also been associated with various place names throughout history, such as Crosse Hall in Lancashire, England, and Crosse River in New Brunswick, Canada, further reflecting its geographic spread and local variations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crosse families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crosse 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. Middlesex leads with 60 Crosses recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.90x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 60 1.90x
Devon 30 4.57x
Yorkshire 27 0.86x
Shropshire 25 9.18x
Lancashire 23 0.62x
Somerset 22 4.34x
Suffolk 16 4.17x
Surrey 16 1.04x
Hampshire 14 2.17x
Norfolk 12 2.48x
Sussex 12 2.26x
Berkshire 9 3.81x
Kent 7 0.65x
Cambridgeshire 6 3.01x
Wiltshire 6 2.15x
Channel Islands 5 5.36x
Essex 5 0.80x
Warwickshire 4 0.50x
Bedfordshire 3 1.84x
Derbyshire 3 0.61x
Oxfordshire 3 1.54x
Gloucestershire 2 0.32x
Northamptonshire 2 0.67x
Radnorshire 2 7.87x
Cheshire 1 0.14x
Cornwall 1 0.28x
Herefordshire 1 0.77x
Hertfordshire 1 0.46x
Lanarkshire 1 0.10x
Monmouthshire 1 0.44x
Royal Navy 1 2.66x
Staffordshire 1 0.09x
Worcestershire 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Derby in Lancashire leads with 13 Crosses recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.89x.

Place Total Index
West Derby 13 11.89x
South Hayling 11 956.52x
Taunton St James 11 148.65x
Kensington London 10 5.71x
St Pancras London 10 3.94x
Totnes 10 260.42x
Paddington London 9 7.77x
St George Bloomsbury 8 44.25x
Bedminster 7 14.69x
Greenwich 7 13.96x
Linthorpe 7 37.57x
South Molton 7 194.44x
Whitchurch 7 132.58x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 6 83.33x
Corsham 6 147.42x
Heeley 6 63.22x
Pontesbury 6 181.27x
Terrington St Clement 6 273.97x
Chelsea London 5 5.27x
Condover 5 260.42x
Easthope 5 4166.67x
Harewood 5 649.35x
Lambeth 5 1.82x
Norwich St Giles 5 322.58x
Reading St Giles 5 21.55x
St George Hanover Square 5 9.01x
Birmingham 4 1.51x
Brighton 4 3.73x
Clapham 4 10.15x
Collumpton 4 1290.32x
Dewsbury 4 12.49x
Limehouse London 4 11.56x
Liverpool 4 1.76x
Mile End Old Town London 4 5.96x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 7.92x
Shelland 4 4000.00x
St Andrewthe Less 4 17.54x
St Peter Port 4 23.16x
Hammersmith London 3 3.87x
Hastings St Mary 3 22.69x
Portsea 3 2.37x
Stowmarket 3 67.72x
Studham 3 333.33x
Taunton St Mary 3 32.22x
Tormoham 3 10.81x
Upminster 3 232.56x
Woolpit 3 267.86x
Battersea 2 1.73x
Blackburn 2 2.01x
Great Faringdon 2 58.82x
Hastings Holy Trinity 2 51.15x
Knighton 2 97.56x
Newington 2 1.72x
Northampton Priory St 2 11.25x
Spondon 2 105.26x
Stoke 2 27.62x
West Ham 2 1.46x
Bath St James 1 18.90x
Chapel Allerton 1 21.41x
Cheltenham 1 2.10x
Chester St Bridget 1 84.03x
Cowley 1 16.47x
Ditchingham 1 86.21x
Hackney London 1 0.57x
Hereford St Owen 1 23.42x
Hove 1 4.29x
Little Bolton 1 2.08x
Llanwenarth Ultra 1 60.24x
Noke 1 769.23x
North Duffield 1 243.90x
Ottery St Mary 1 23.26x
Royal Navy 1 3.12x
Sandhurst 1 21.83x
Stone 1 7.35x
Stretford 1 4.86x
Thornton In Fylde 1 12.22x
Wadhurst 1 28.65x
Wimbledon 1 5.80x
Wisbech St Peter 1 9.99x
Withyam 1 44.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 22
Elizabeth 9
Charlotte 8
Sarah 8
Emily 7
Alice 6
Florence 6
Annie 5
Jane 5
Ann 4
Edith 4
Ellen 4
Emma 4
Anne 3
Frances 3
Ada 2
Amy 2
Constance 2
Eliza 2
Fanny 2
Katherine 2
Lilian 2
Lucy 2
Matilda 2
Allthea 1
Amelia 1
Beatrice 1
Bessie 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Clotilde 1
Daisy 1
Dorothy 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.M. 1
Ella 1
Gergina 1
Gertrude 1
Gladys 1
Halen 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Isabella 1
Jeanette 1
Jennie 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Katie 1
Winnie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 12
Charles 9
William 9
Arthur 8
John 8
Henry 7
James 7
Edward 5
Forester 3
Frederick 3
Richard 3
Walter 3
Wm. 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Claude 2
Earnest 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Hammond 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Josiah 2
Marlborough 2
Reginald 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Sidney 2
Sydney 2
Thos. 2
Cecil 1
Cyril 1
David 1
E. 1
Edmund 1
Forrester 1
Frank 1
George 1
Gordon 1
H.W.R.R. 1
Jacob 1
Lionell 1
Llewellyn 1
Mortimer 1
Percival 1
Philip 1
Radolphe 1
Saml. 1
Silas 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Crosse surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crosse surname in 1881?

In 1881, 317 people were recorded with the Crosse surname. That placed it at #9,359 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crosse surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 357 in 2016. That gives Crosse a modern rank of #12,953.

What does the Crosse surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Crosse.

What does the Crosse map show?

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