NameCensus.

UK surname

Glassey

A name derived from a Middle English word meaning a grassy meadow or pasture.

In the 1881 census there were 162 people recorded with the Glassey surname, ranking it #14,746 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 252, ranked #16,699, down from #14,746 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Prees and Whitchurch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolsover, Coventry and Peterborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Glassey is 264 in 2012. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.6%.

1881 census count

162

Ranked #14,746

Modern count

252

2016, ranked #16,699

Peak year

2012

264 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Glassey had 162 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,746 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 252 in 2016, ranked #16,699.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 235 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Glassey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Glassey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Glassey 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 68 #21,302
1861 historical 107 #20,008
1881 historical 162 #14,746
1891 historical 186 #15,740
1901 historical 235 #13,662
1911 historical 212 #14,423
1997 modern 250 #15,281
1998 modern 258 #15,354
1999 modern 243 #16,094
2000 modern 235 #16,423
2001 modern 230 #16,415
2002 modern 231 #16,677
2003 modern 224 #16,859
2004 modern 229 #16,684
2005 modern 232 #16,480
2006 modern 240 #16,177
2007 modern 244 #16,186
2008 modern 236 #16,736
2009 modern 240 #16,896
2010 modern 249 #16,837
2011 modern 256 #16,383
2012 modern 264 #15,904
2013 modern 250 #16,778
2014 modern 251 #16,865
2015 modern 249 #16,858
2016 modern 252 #16,699

Geography

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Where Glasseys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Prees, Whitchurch, Malpas and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolsover, Coventry, Peterborough and Halton. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Prees Shropshire
3 Whitchurch Shropshire
4 Malpas Cheshire
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolsover 003 Bolsover
2 Coventry 039 Coventry
3 Peterborough 004 Peterborough
4 Coventry 035 Coventry
5 Halton 006 Halton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Glassey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Glassey

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Glassey is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Glassey is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Glassey falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Glassey

The surname Glassey originated in the British Isles, specifically in Scotland and northern England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "glas," meaning "green" or "gray," likely referring to a person who lived near a grassy or grayish area.

The earliest known recording of the name dates back to the late 12th century in Northumberland, England, where a Robert de Glassei was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1197. It is possible that this early spelling variation could have been a locational surname, referring to a place called Glassey or a similar name.

In Scotland, the name appears in various historical records from the 13th century onwards. One notable example is Sir John Glassey, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century.

Another individual of historical significance was William Glassey, a prominent merchant and burgess of Edinburgh in the late 15th century. He is mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1488 to 1490.

The Domesday Book, a famous medieval census commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Glassey. However, it does record several place names that may have contributed to the formation of the surname, such as Glaston in Somerset and Glasbury in Herefordshire.

In the 16th century, the spelling variations of the name became more standardized, with forms like Glassey, Glassie, and Glassy appearing in various records across Scotland and northern England. One notable bearer of the name during this period was John Glassey, a Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Brechin from 1556 to 1558.

Over the centuries, the Glassey surname has been associated with several notable individuals, including James Glassey (1784-1857), a Scottish architect who designed various buildings in Edinburgh, and William Glassey (1843-1915), an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Glassey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Glassey 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 38 Glasseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.03x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 38 2.03x
Shropshire 38 27.83x
Angus 15 10.25x
Cheshire 15 4.30x
Warwickshire 11 2.76x
Durham 10 2.13x
Northumberland 9 3.83x
Staffordshire 5 0.94x
Berkshire 4 3.37x
Lanarkshire 4 0.78x
Lincolnshire 3 1.19x
Middlesex 3 0.19x
Denbighshire 2 3.35x
Worcestershire 2 0.97x
Yorkshire 2 0.13x
Perthshire 1 1.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liff Benvie in Angus leads with 15 Glasseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 67.51x.

Place Total Index
Liff Benvie 15 67.51x
Widnes 13 96.15x
Bedlington 9 114.65x
Salford 9 16.32x
Prees 8 481.93x
Astley 7 5384.62x
Monks Coppenhall 7 53.19x
Pelton 6 267.86x
Whitchurch Hollyhurst 6 30000.00x
Broughton In Salford 5 29.17x
Cuerdley 5 3846.15x
Birkenhead 4 14.38x
Chester Le Street 4 110.80x
Cheswardine 4 689.66x
Edgbaston 4 32.36x
Govan 4 3.16x
Leintwardine 4 606.06x
Madeley 4 300.75x
Newton Regis 4 1666.67x
Reading St Lawrence 4 157.48x
West Derby 4 7.29x
Whitchurch 4 150.94x
Aston 3 2.73x
Hammersmith London 3 7.71x
St Botolph Lincoln 3 164.84x
Abergele 2 116.28x
Drayton In Hales 2 71.17x
Kings Norton 2 10.81x
Allostock 1 370.37x
Audlem 1 121.95x
Darcy Lever 1 92.59x
East Ayton 1 454.55x
Leeds 1 1.13x
Liverpool 1 0.88x
Marburywith Quoisley 1 270.27x
Moreton Say 1 285.71x
Newhall In Nantwich 1 256.41x
Newport 1 60.61x
Perth West Church 1 29.67x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 1.77x
Wem 1 49.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 19
Thomas 10
John 8
Samuel 8
Joseph 4
George 3
Henry 3
James 3
Alfred 2
Ernest 2
Amos 1
Charles 1
Elias 1
Frank 1
H. 1
Hemery 1
Herbert 1
L. 1
Levi 1
Levie 1
Loyd 1
Moses 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Saml. 1
Thos.Frank 1

FAQ

Glassey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Glassey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 162 people were recorded with the Glassey surname. That placed it at #14,746 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Glassey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 252 in 2016. That gives Glassey a modern rank of #16,699.

What does the Glassey surname mean?

A name derived from a Middle English word meaning a grassy meadow or pasture.

What does the Glassey map show?

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