NameCensus.

UK surname

Rasberry

An occupational surname for a person who grew or sold raspberries, or lived near a raspberry bush.

In the 1881 census there were 90 people recorded with the Rasberry surname, ranking it #20,965 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 97, ranked #31,585, down from #20,965 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Snettisham, Hull Holy Trinity and Gayton Thorpe. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rasberry is 107 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7.8%.

1881 census count

90

Ranked #20,965

Modern count

97

2016, ranked #31,585

Peak year

2002

107 bearers

Map years

3

1891 to 1998

Key insights

  • Rasberry had 90 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,965 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016, ranked #31,585.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 103 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Rasberry surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rasberry surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rasberry 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 28 #28,274
1861 historical 38 #29,216
1881 historical 90 #20,965
1891 historical 103 #23,558
1901 historical 101 #22,726
1911 historical 89 #23,922
1997 modern 99 #27,039
1998 modern 105 #26,822
1999 modern 104 #27,164
2000 modern 100 #27,695
2001 modern 95 #28,101
2002 modern 107 #26,849
2003 modern 104 #27,101
2004 modern 100 #27,964
2005 modern 101 #27,854
2006 modern 99 #28,453
2007 modern 97 #29,156
2008 modern 100 #29,001
2009 modern 103 #29,127
2010 modern 102 #29,930
2011 modern 98 #30,384
2012 modern 97 #30,798
2013 modern 94 #31,656
2014 modern 95 #31,792
2015 modern 96 #31,624
2016 modern 97 #31,585

Geography

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Where Rasberrys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Snettisham, Hull Holy Trinity, Gayton Thorpe, King's Lynn St Margaret and Peterborough St John the Baptist. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk. 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 Snettisham Norfolk
2 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
3 Gayton Thorpe Norfolk
4 King's Lynn St Margaret Norfolk
5 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 012 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 006 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 004 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 005 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 009 King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rasberry

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rasberry

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Rasberry surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Rasberry household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Rasberry is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rasberry is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Rasberry

The surname "RASBERRY" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a variant spelling of the more common English surname "Raspberry," which is derived from the Old English words "rasp" and "beri," meaning "bramble berry."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "RASBERRY" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1246, where a person named Richard Raspebury is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have initially been a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a patch of raspberries.

In the 14th century, the name "RASBERRY" appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, where a William Raspbury is listed. This spelling variation likely arose due to the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during that era.

During the Tudor period, the surname "RASBERRY" gained some prominence with the birth of John Rasberry (c. 1520 - 1585), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire. His descendants continued to use the "RASBERRY" spelling for several generations.

Another notable individual with this surname was Sir Thomas Rasberry (1645 - 1718), a prominent English soldier who served in the Nine Years' War and later became the governor of the Isle of Wight.

In the 18th century, the surname "RASBERRY" appeared in various parish records across England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Somerset, suggesting that the name had established roots in these regions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in North America dates back to the late 17th century, when a family by the name of Rasberry settled in the colonial town of Jamestown, Virginia.

While the name "RASBERRY" is not as common as its more widely recognized variant "Raspberry," it has a rich history spanning several centuries and can be traced back to its origins in medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rasberry families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rasberry 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. Norfolk leads with 57 Rasberrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.23x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 57 42.23x
Yorkshire 9 1.03x
Lancashire 8 0.77x
Nottinghamshire 7 5.92x
Northamptonshire 5 6.06x
Middlesex 3 0.34x
Derbyshire 1 0.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Harpley in Norfolk leads with 15 Rasberrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 11538.46x.

Place Total Index
Harpley 15 11538.46x
Gayton 11 4782.61x
Oldham 8 23.80x
Gayton Thorpe 7 14000.00x
Snettisham 7 1891.89x
Swaffham 7 636.36x
Langar 6 4615.38x
Denver 5 2000.00x
Peterborough 5 83.61x
Sculcoates 5 36.26x
Hook 4 209.42x
East Walton 3 5000.00x
Islington London 2 2.35x
Chelsea London 1 3.78x
Clenchwarton 1 500.00x
Derby St Werburgh 1 12.59x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 24.69x
Wiverton Hall 1 10000.00x

Top female names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Rasberry households.

FAQ

Rasberry surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rasberry surname in 1881?

In 1881, 90 people were recorded with the Rasberry surname. That placed it at #20,965 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rasberry surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016. That gives Rasberry a modern rank of #31,585.

What does the Rasberry surname mean?

An occupational surname for a person who grew or sold raspberries, or lived near a raspberry bush.

What does the Rasberry map show?

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