NameCensus.

UK surname

Glasgow

A locational surname referring to someone from the city of Glasgow in Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 661 people recorded with the Glasgow surname, ranking it #5,434 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,738, ranked #3,601, up from #5,434 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kilbirnie, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sandwell, Drumoyne and Shieldhall and Castlemilk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Glasgow is 1,752 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 162.9%.

1881 census count

661

Ranked #5,434

Modern count

1,738

2016, ranked #3,601

Peak year

2014

1,752 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Glasgow had 661 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,434 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,738 in 2016, ranked #3,601.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 877 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Glasgow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Glasgow surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Glasgow 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 408 #5,946
1861 historical 475 #5,480
1881 historical 661 #5,434
1891 historical 762 #5,234
1901 historical 877 #5,235
1911 historical 517 #7,634
1997 modern 1,535 #3,832
1998 modern 1,580 #3,877
1999 modern 1,578 #3,913
2000 modern 1,611 #3,827
2001 modern 1,589 #3,803
2002 modern 1,628 #3,783
2003 modern 1,567 #3,843
2004 modern 1,584 #3,812
2005 modern 1,577 #3,778
2006 modern 1,610 #3,714
2007 modern 1,626 #3,719
2008 modern 1,639 #3,722
2009 modern 1,665 #3,754
2010 modern 1,727 #3,694
2011 modern 1,693 #3,715
2012 modern 1,704 #3,639
2013 modern 1,737 #3,634
2014 modern 1,752 #3,617
2015 modern 1,746 #3,601
2016 modern 1,738 #3,601

Geography

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Where Glasgows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kilbirnie, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Govan Combination. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sandwell, Drumoyne and Shieldhall, Castlemilk, County Durham and Wycombe. 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 Kilbirnie Ayr
2 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
3 London parishes London 1
4 Govan Combination Lanark
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sandwell 037 Sandwell
2 Drumoyne and Shieldhall Glasgow City
3 Castlemilk Glasgow City
4 County Durham 014 County Durham
5 Wycombe 013 Wycombe

Forenames

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First names often paired with Glasgow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Glasgow

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

Glasgow 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

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

Meaning and origin of Glasgow

The surname Glasgow originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the city of Glasgow, which was originally known as Glas-cau or "Green Hollow" in the Old Welsh language. The name likely referred to the green, grassy area where the city was founded along the River Clyde.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The rolls included the name Johan de Glasgu, indicating the surname was in use by the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various Scottish records and charters, including a mention of a John de Glasgw in 1329. The spelling of the surname varied during this period, with forms such as Glasgu, Glascou, and Glasgowe being used interchangeably.

A notable bearer of the Glasgow surname was James Glasgow (c. 1455-1528), who served as Bishop of Glasgow from 1492 until his death. He played a significant role in the construction of the iconic Glasgow Cathedral and helped establish the city as an important religious and cultural center.

In the 16th century, the surname spread beyond Scotland as bearers migrated to other parts of the British Isles and, later, to the American colonies. One prominent figure was William Glasgow (c. 1580-1662), a Scottish merchant who settled in Virginia and became a wealthy landowner and member of the House of Burgesses.

Another notable bearer of the Glasgow name was Ellen Glasgow (1873-1945), an American novelist and literary critic from Virginia. She was a pioneer of the Southern literary renaissance and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1942 for her novel "In This Our Life."

Throughout history, the surname Glasgow has been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Glasgow in Renfrewshire, where the city of Glasgow is located, and the former county of Lanarkshire, where the surname likely originated.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Glasgow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Glasgow 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 142 Glasgows recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.86x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 142 6.86x
Midlothian 129 15.05x
Middlesex 68 1.06x
Ayrshire 44 9.19x
Lancashire 38 0.50x
Northumberland 29 3.05x
Renfrewshire 25 5.04x
East Lothian 23 27.14x
Warwickshire 17 1.05x
Durham 16 0.84x
Buckinghamshire 14 3.62x
Kent 13 0.60x
Stirlingshire 13 5.51x
Westmorland 9 6.40x
Radnorshire 8 15.49x
Herefordshire 7 2.67x
Staffordshire 7 0.32x
Angus 5 0.84x
Peeblesshire 5 16.61x
Perthshire 5 1.74x
Yorkshire 5 0.08x
Surrey 4 0.13x
Berwickshire 3 3.87x
Leicestershire 3 0.42x
Suffolk 3 0.38x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.74x
Channel Islands 2 1.05x
Dunbartonshire 2 1.16x
Fife 2 0.53x
Lincolnshire 2 0.20x
Bedfordshire 1 0.30x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.25x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.71x
Essex 1 0.08x
Gloucestershire 1 0.08x
Hertfordshire 1 0.23x
Norfolk 1 0.10x
Northamptonshire 1 0.17x
Royal Navy 1 1.31x
West Lothian 1 1.04x
Wiltshire 1 0.18x

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 46 Glasgows recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.34x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 46 13.34x
Govan 46 8.99x
Barony 43 8.21x
Kilbirnie 21 182.61x
South Leith 17 17.62x
Kensington London 15 4.22x
Beith 14 97.97x
Birmingham 14 2.60x
Chesham 14 98.18x
Salford 13 5.82x
Shotts 13 52.50x
Woolwich 13 16.12x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 11 54.24x
Bishopwearmouth 10 6.12x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 10 17.59x
North Leith 10 25.21x
Willesden 10 16.58x
Hamilton 9 15.59x
Kendal 9 34.97x
Kirknewton East 9 251.40x
Shoreditch London 9 3.24x
Slamannan 9 69.66x
Corstorphine 8 169.13x
Little Bolton 8 8.19x
Aberlady 7 318.18x
Bootle Cum Linacre 7 11.61x
Byker 7 14.87x
Crawford 7 181.35x
Glasgow 7 1.90x
Hammersmith London 7 4.44x
Handsworth 7 13.15x
Kilmalcolm 7 117.85x
Nantmel 7 259.26x
Athelstaneford 6 359.28x
Clerkenwell London 6 3.97x
Hereford All Sts 6 49.92x
Lasswade 6 30.61x
Prestonkirk 6 141.51x
St Pancras London 6 1.16x
Abbey 5 6.61x
Borthwick 5 130.55x
Carstairs 5 116.55x
Longbenton 5 12.40x
Symington 5 495.05x
Cranston 4 182.65x
Dalry 4 17.75x
Dundee 4 1.81x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 4 67.34x
Gorbals 4 32.57x
Middle Greenock 4 29.56x
Paisley Middle Church 4 13.86x
Stirling 4 13.44x
Thornaby 4 16.88x
Auchterarder 3 37.41x
Berwick Upon Tweed 3 14.87x
Edgbaston 3 6.00x
Elswick 3 3.95x
Gateshead 3 2.10x
Leicester St Margaret 3 1.73x
Peebles 3 33.71x
Toxteth Park 3 1.17x
Tranent 3 26.20x
Bardwell 2 120.48x
Conside Knitsley 2 13.51x
Drumelzier 2 434.78x
Eccles 2 58.82x
Edinburgh St Georges 2 11.24x
Hulme 2 1.26x
Islington London 2 0.32x
Kilmarnock 2 3.51x
Lambeth 2 0.36x
Llanelly 2 3.29x
Manchester 2 0.59x
Paddington London 2 0.85x
Paisley Low Church 2 12.74x
Rattray 2 29.90x
Serjeants Inn London 2 952.38x
St Anne Soho London 2 5.47x
St Marylebone London 2 0.59x
St Peter Port 2 5.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 24
William 12
George 11
James 9
Robert 9
Charles 6
David 6
Thomas 6
Alfred 5
Henry 5
Andrew 4
Joseph 3
Walter 3
Benjamin 2
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Jas. 2
Peter 2
Richard 2
Wm. 2
Abraham 1
Alexander 1
Alexr. 1
Archibald 1
Arthur 1
Chas. 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fredk.A. 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Jonathan 1
Marcus 1
Neville 1
Philip 1
Reginald 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Glasgow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Glasgow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 661 people were recorded with the Glasgow surname. That placed it at #5,434 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Glasgow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,738 in 2016. That gives Glasgow a modern rank of #3,601.

What does the Glasgow surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from the city of Glasgow in Scotland.

What does the Glasgow map show?

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