NameCensus.

UK surname

Glasper

One who works with glass or is a glazier, derived from the Middle English word "glasper" or "glasseper."

In the 1881 census there were 98 people recorded with the Glasper surname, ranking it #19,999 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 384, ranked #12,251, up from #19,999 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stokesley, Auckland St Andrew and Brancepeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Glasper is 416 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 291.8%.

1881 census count

98

Ranked #19,999

Modern count

384

2016, ranked #12,251

Peak year

2010

416 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Glasper had 98 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,999 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 384 in 2016, ranked #12,251.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 269 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Glasper surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Glasper surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Glasper 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 76 #20,127
1861 historical 68 #25,196
1881 historical 98 #19,999
1891 historical 138 #19,411
1901 historical 236 #13,616
1911 historical 269 #12,300
1997 modern 396 #11,086
1998 modern 405 #11,241
1999 modern 415 #11,136
2000 modern 411 #11,185
2001 modern 404 #11,142
2002 modern 414 #11,151
2003 modern 394 #11,384
2004 modern 390 #11,495
2005 modern 388 #11,437
2006 modern 395 #11,364
2007 modern 391 #11,570
2008 modern 399 #11,494
2009 modern 413 #11,436
2010 modern 416 #11,627
2011 modern 414 #11,533
2012 modern 396 #11,807
2013 modern 398 #11,967
2014 modern 392 #12,192
2015 modern 390 #12,139
2016 modern 384 #12,251

Geography

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Where Glaspers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stokesley, Auckland St Andrew, Brancepeth, Bishop Wearmouth and Middlesborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Darlington and County Durham. 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 Stokesley Yorkshire, North Riding
2 Auckland St Andrew Durham
3 Brancepeth Durham
4 Bishop Wearmouth Durham
5 Middlesborough Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 019 Herefordshire, County of
2 Middlesbrough 018 Middlesbrough
3 Redcar and Cleveland 009 Redcar and Cleveland
4 Darlington 004 Darlington
5 County Durham 046 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Glasper

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Glasper

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Glasper surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Glasper household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Glasper is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Glasper is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Glasper 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 Glasper is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Glasper

The surname Glasper has its origins in the Scottish Borders region, emerging in the 13th century. It derives from the Old English words 'glæs' meaning 'glass' and 'pere' meaning 'pear', suggesting an association with someone who worked with glassmaking or lived near a pear-shaped hill. The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears as 'Gilaspard' in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage pledges to Edward I of England.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Thomas Glasper, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Records also indicate a William Glasper who owned land near Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders in the late 14th century. The Glasper family later expanded their presence across Scotland and into northern England.

In the 16th century, the name Glasper appears in various forms, such as 'Glaspere' and 'Glaspair', in parish records and court documents from the Scottish Borders region. Notably, John Glasper, a merchant from Hawick, is mentioned in the Burgh Records of Selkirk in 1573.

During the 17th century, the Glasper name gained prominence in the Scottish Lowlands. Robert Glasper (1620-1678), a Presbyterian minister from East Lothian, was a prominent figure in the Covenanter movement and was imprisoned for his religious beliefs. In the same period, a branch of the Glasper family settled in Northumberland, England, where they established themselves as landowners and farmers.

In the 18th century, the name spread further across the British Isles. James Glasper (1745-1820), a Scottish engineer, made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and worked closely with James Watt. In England, William Glasper (1771-1843), a renowned landscape painter, gained recognition for his depictions of rural scenes and coastal landscapes.

As the 19th century unfolded, the Glasper name continued to be associated with notable individuals. Sir John Glasper (1803-1879), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist, made his fortune in the textile industry and funded the construction of several schools and hospitals in Glasgow. Across the Atlantic, Mary Glasper (1832-1902), an American educator, played a pivotal role in establishing one of the first schools for African American children in Mississippi during the Reconstruction era.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Glasper families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Glasper 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. Durham leads with 47 Glaspers recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.53x.

County Total Index
Durham 47 16.53x
Yorkshire 44 4.65x
Lancashire 6 0.53x
Northumberland 1 0.70x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stokesley in Yorkshire leads with 26 Glaspers recorded in 1881 and an index of 4406.78x.

Place Total Index
Stokesley 26 4406.78x
Sherburn 8 919.54x
Gainford 7 2413.79x
Middlesbrough 7 56.77x
Stockley 7 1944.44x
Barnard Castle 6 425.53x
Everton 6 16.60x
Ford 6 705.88x
Whorlton 6 2727.27x
Bishopwearmouth 3 12.29x
Sunderland 3 59.76x
Whitworth 3 144.23x
Elswick 1 8.81x
Forcett With Carkin 1 555.56x
Hart 1 144.93x
Heworth 1 17.86x
Ingleby Greenhow 1 769.23x
Manfield 1 1111.11x
Newholme Cum Dunsley 1 769.23x
Piercebridge 1 1428.57x
Stockton On Tees 1 7.29x
Upsall In Thirsk 1 2500.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Ann 5
Elizabeth 5
Sarah 5
Annie 3
Jane 3
Ada 2
Isabella 2
Margaret 2
Martha 2
Alice 1
Anne 1
Christiana 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Elizth.A. 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Lily 1
Margt. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
Thomas 7
Robert 6
Edward 5
William 4
George 3
Henry 3
James 3
Joseph 3
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Jonathan 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Thos 1

FAQ

Glasper surname: questions and answers

How common was the Glasper surname in 1881?

In 1881, 98 people were recorded with the Glasper surname. That placed it at #19,999 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Glasper surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 384 in 2016. That gives Glasper a modern rank of #12,251.

What does the Glasper surname mean?

One who works with glass or is a glazier, derived from the Middle English word "glasper" or "glasseper."

What does the Glasper map show?

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