NameCensus.

UK surname

Crotty

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O'Crotaigh," meaning "descendant of Crotach," a nickname for a hunchbacked person.

In the 1881 census there were 163 people recorded with the Crotty surname, ranking it #14,689 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 646, ranked #8,212, up from #14,689 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Toxteth Park and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eastleigh, Camden and Mid Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Crotty is 702 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 296.3%.

1881 census count

163

Ranked #14,689

Modern count

646

2016, ranked #8,212

Peak year

1999

702 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Crotty had 163 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,689 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 646 in 2016, ranked #8,212.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 248 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Crotty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Crotty surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Crotty 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 64 #21,914
1861 historical 73 #24,492
1881 historical 163 #14,689
1891 historical 184 #15,869
1901 historical 212 #14,611
1911 historical 248 #12,988
1997 modern 634 #7,817
1998 modern 687 #7,591
1999 modern 702 #7,500
2000 modern 677 #7,689
2001 modern 661 #7,692
2002 modern 674 #7,736
2003 modern 643 #7,885
2004 modern 651 #7,828
2005 modern 646 #7,807
2006 modern 642 #7,881
2007 modern 639 #7,976
2008 modern 648 #7,930
2009 modern 673 #7,876
2010 modern 686 #7,894
2011 modern 673 #7,937
2012 modern 656 #8,011
2013 modern 681 #7,908
2014 modern 664 #8,115
2015 modern 652 #8,177
2016 modern 646 #8,212

Geography

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Where Crottys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Toxteth Park, Manchester and Aberystruth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Eastleigh, Camden, Mid Devon, Denbighshire and North Hertfordshire. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Aberystruth Monmouthshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Eastleigh 014 Eastleigh
2 Camden 009 Camden
3 Mid Devon 009 Mid Devon
4 Denbighshire 017 Denbighshire
5 North Hertfordshire 002 North Hertfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Crotty

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Crotty

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Crotty 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

Crotty is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Crotty 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 Crotty 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 Crotty, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Crotty

The surname Crotty is of Irish origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Gaelic word "crott," which means "hump" or "lump." It is thought that the name was initially given as a nickname to someone with a hunched back or a distinctive physical feature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Crotty surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In these annals, there is a reference to a family named "O'Crottaigh" in County Cork, Ireland, in the 14th century.

The name Crotty has been associated with several notable historical figures over the centuries. In the 16th century, a man named Dermot Crotty was a leader of the Irish Rebellion of 1598, fighting against English rule in Ireland. Another prominent figure with this surname was William Crotty (1775-1847), an Irish Catholic priest and educator who founded several schools in County Cork.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Crotty name was particularly concentrated in the counties of Cork and Kerry in the southwest of Ireland. Some variations in the spelling of the name, such as "Crotti" and "Crottie," were also observed in historical records from this period.

One notable bearer of the Crotty name was Patrick Crotty (1827-1876), an Irish-born prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Boston from 1870 until his death. Another was Denis Crotty (1851-1920), an Irish politician and member of the Irish Parliamentary Party who represented the Cork City constituency in the British House of Commons.

In the 20th century, a prominent figure with the Crotty surname was Terence Crotty (1915-2005), an Irish economist and author who made significant contributions to the study of agricultural economics and rural development in Ireland. He was recognized for his work with the prestigious Cunningham Medal awarded by the Royal Irish Academy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Crotty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Crotty 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 48 Crottys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.53x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 48 2.53x
Middlesex 26 1.63x
Monmouthshire 16 13.83x
Surrey 14 1.80x
Glamorgan 10 3.59x
Essex 9 2.85x
Yorkshire 9 0.57x
Staffordshire 6 1.11x
Nottinghamshire 4 1.86x
Gloucestershire 3 0.96x
Royal Navy 3 15.74x
Channel Islands 2 4.22x
Cheshire 2 0.57x
Hampshire 2 0.61x
Kent 2 0.37x
Pembrokeshire 2 3.93x
Bedfordshire 1 1.21x
Devon 1 0.30x
Hertfordshire 1 0.91x
Warwickshire 1 0.25x
Wiltshire 1 0.71x
Worcestershire 1 0.48x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberystruth in Monmouthshire leads with 11 Crottys recorded in 1881 and an index of 107.95x.

Place Total Index
Aberystruth 11 107.95x
Merthyr Tydfil 9 33.62x
Westminster St James 8 48.63x
Bermondsey 7 14.70x
Clitheroe 6 107.33x
Hulme 6 15.14x
Sutton 6 94.19x
Barking 5 54.11x
Bradford 5 13.03x
Islington London 5 3.22x
Kirkdale 5 15.66x
Mile End Old Town London 5 14.68x
Oldham 5 8.16x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 15.53x
Bleasby 4 2500.00x
Toxteth Park 4 6.22x
West Ham 4 5.74x
Barton Upon Irwell 3 20.99x
Bristol St James St Paul 3 28.68x
Everton 3 4.96x
Huddersfield 3 12.99x
Newport 3 54.35x
Preston 3 5.91x
Salford 3 5.37x
Tipton 3 18.14x
Walsall Foreign 3 10.76x
Camberwell 2 1.96x
Christchurch 2 55.87x
Huyton With Roby 2 90.09x
Paddington London 2 3.40x
Royal Navy 2 12.27x
St Marylebone London 2 2.34x
Steynton 2 121.95x
Aston 1 0.90x
Blunham 1 178.57x
Cardiff St Mary 1 6.52x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 3.32x
Dibden 1 357.14x
Gate Fulford 1 27.03x
Kensington London 1 1.12x
Liscard 1 15.72x
Liverpool 1 0.87x
Lonbridge Deverill 1 200.00x
Milton In Gravesend 1 12.22x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 3.90x
Portsmouth 1 13.25x
St George Bloomsbury 1 10.89x
St Giles Cripplegate 1 47.17x
St Lawrence 1 77.52x
St Pancras London 1 0.78x
Stockport Etchells 1 133.33x
Trinity 1 90.91x
Ware 1 31.65x
Wollaston 1 75.19x
Woolwich 1 4.96x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Julia 5
Ellen 4
Kate 4
Alice 3
Ann 3
Annie 3
Elizabeth 3
Jane 3
Martha 3
Bridget 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Hannah 2
Johanna 2
Margaret 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Christina 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elsie 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Hanora 1
Isabel 1
Johannah 1
Katherine 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Nelly 1
Norah 1
Zillah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 15
John 14
Thomas 9
James 6
Francis 4
Charles 3
David 3
Patrick 3
Robert 3
Richard 2
Arthur 1
Denis 1
Edward 1
Eugene 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
George 1
Joseph 1
Martin 1
Maurice 1
Michael 1
Partrick 1
Peter 1
Pierce 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Crotty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Crotty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 163 people were recorded with the Crotty surname. That placed it at #14,689 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Crotty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 646 in 2016. That gives Crotty a modern rank of #8,212.

What does the Crotty surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O'Crotaigh," meaning "descendant of Crotach," a nickname for a hunchbacked person.

What does the Crotty map show?

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