NameCensus.

UK surname

Gleason

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Glasáin, meaning "descendant of Glasán," derived from glas, meaning "green" or "gray."

In the 1881 census there were 89 people recorded with the Gleason surname, ranking it #21,091 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 109, ranked #29,402, down from #21,091 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Durham St Oswald, Manchester and Durham St Nicholas. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, East Dorset and Great Yarmouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gleason is 134 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.5%.

1881 census count

89

Ranked #21,091

Modern count

109

2016, ranked #29,402

Peak year

1861

134 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gleason had 89 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,091 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016, ranked #29,402.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 134 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Gleason surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gleason surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gleason 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 59 #22,756
1861 historical 134 #16,754
1881 historical 89 #21,091
1891 historical 73 #27,677
1901 historical 58 #27,724
1911 historical 59 #26,914
1997 modern 105 #26,188
1998 modern 106 #26,689
1999 modern 110 #26,315
2000 modern 112 #25,978
2001 modern 108 #26,184
2002 modern 109 #26,552
2003 modern 111 #26,091
2004 modern 112 #26,159
2005 modern 109 #26,583
2006 modern 104 #27,646
2007 modern 109 #27,253
2008 modern 103 #28,519
2009 modern 101 #29,445
2010 modern 106 #29,305
2011 modern 111 #28,294
2012 modern 104 #29,543
2013 modern 105 #29,916
2014 modern 109 #29,452
2015 modern 110 #29,157
2016 modern 109 #29,402

Geography

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Where Gleasons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Durham St Oswald, Manchester, Durham St Nicholas, Warrington and Monk Hesledon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, East Dorset and Great Yarmouth. 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 Durham St Oswald Durham
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Durham St Nicholas Durham
4 Warrington Lancashire
5 Monk Hesledon Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 029 County Durham
2 County Durham 027 County Durham
3 East Dorset 012 East Dorset
4 County Durham 026 County Durham
5 Great Yarmouth 006 Great Yarmouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gleason

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gleason

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Gleason surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Gleason household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Gleason is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gleason 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

Gleason falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gleason

The surname Gleason originated in Ireland and is derived from the Gaelic personal name 'Gíolla Iasachta', which means 'servant of Jesus'. It was first found in County Mayo, where the name is believed to have originated from the Gaelic 'O'Gillaisigh' sept.

The name Gleason has been anglicized and modified from its original Gaelic form over the centuries. Some of the earliest recorded spellings include Gyllyson, Gyllyshon, and Gillison, which were found in various medieval records and manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Gleason can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention a member of the Gleason family, Aodh O'Gillaisigh, who was a prominent figure in the Gaelic nobility of County Mayo in the 15th century.

In the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there is no record of the name Gleason or its variants, suggesting that the name was not yet established in England at that time.

One of the most notable figures in history with the surname Gleason was Patrick Gleason (1856-1926), an American politician who served as the Mayor of Long Island City, New York, from 1898 to 1900. Another prominent Gleason was James Gleason (1886-1959), an American actor and writer who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout his career.

Other notable individuals with the surname Gleason include:

1. Jackie Gleason (1916-1987), an American comedian, actor, and writer best known for his television series "The Honeymooners" and his film work. 2. Donald Gleason (1925-2010), an American baseball player who played for the Cleveland Indians and the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1950s. 3. Andrew Gleason (1921-2008), an American mathematician and professor at Harvard University, known for his contributions to the field of abstract algebra. 4. Kathleen Gleason (born 1950), an American actress and writer who has appeared in several films and television shows, including "The Incredible Hulk" and "The Silence of the Lambs".

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gleason families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gleason 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 43 Gleasons recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.65x.

County Total Index
Durham 43 16.65x
Lancashire 18 1.75x
Yorkshire 13 1.51x
Middlesex 6 0.69x
Staffordshire 3 1.02x
Berkshire 1 1.53x
Cheshire 1 0.52x
Essex 1 0.58x
Gloucestershire 1 0.59x
Monmouthshire 1 1.59x
Warwickshire 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Durham St Nicholas in Durham leads with 11 Gleasons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1746.03x.

Place Total Index
Durham St Nicholas 11 1746.03x
Stanhope 10 374.53x
Newbottle 7 496.45x
Saddleworth 7 105.58x
Preston 6 21.78x
Bradford 4 19.21x
Hutton Henry 4 740.74x
Ratcliffe London 4 83.51x
South Bedburn Hamsterley 4 4000.00x
Wolsingham 4 170.21x
Toxteth Park 2 5.74x
Widnes 2 26.92x
Aberystruth 1 18.08x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 1 32.05x
Atherstone 1 89.29x
Barton Upon Irwell 1 12.90x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 12.22x
Cheadle 1 70.92x
Clifton 1 11.61x
East Ham 1 31.45x
Framwellgate 1 65.36x
Hart Thorpe Bulmer 1 1000.00x
Hulme 1 4.65x
Leeds 1 2.06x
Newcastle Under Lyme 1 19.31x
Newchurch 1 11.86x
Newton 1 12.59x
Norton 1 1000.00x
Oswaldtwistle 1 27.47x
Paddington London 1 3.13x
Pemberton 1 24.33x
Reading St Lawrence 1 71.94x
St Botolph Aldgate London 1 55.87x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 3.22x
Westoe 1 6.83x
Wigan 1 6.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Isabella 5
Margaret 5
Bridget 2
Alice 1
Annie 1
Clara 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Hannah 1
Honoria 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Julya 1
Katherine 1
Margret 1
Mari 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
Thomas 8
James 4
Patrick 4
George 3
Michael 3
Anthony 2
Robert 2
William 2
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Dennis 1
Edward 1
Henry 1
Jacob 1
Micheal 1
Patk. 1
Ralph 1

FAQ

Gleason surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gleason surname in 1881?

In 1881, 89 people were recorded with the Gleason surname. That placed it at #21,091 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gleason surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016. That gives Gleason a modern rank of #29,402.

What does the Gleason surname mean?

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Glasáin, meaning "descendant of Glasán," derived from glas, meaning "green" or "gray."

What does the Gleason map show?

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