NameCensus.

UK surname

Belgrave

A locational surname referring to someone from Belgrave in Leicestershire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 37 people recorded with the Belgrave surname, ranking it #28,418 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 408, ranked #11,711, up from #28,418 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Leeds and Brent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Belgrave is 425 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1002.7%.

1881 census count

37

Ranked #28,418

Modern count

408

2016, ranked #11,711

Peak year

2011

425 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Belgrave had 37 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,418 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 408 in 2016, ranked #11,711.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 40 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Belgrave surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Belgrave surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Belgrave 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 35 #29,571
1881 historical 37 #28,418
1891 historical 25 #32,259
1901 historical 40 #29,678
1911 historical 39 #29,025
1997 modern 361 #11,892
1998 modern 382 #11,779
1999 modern 375 #12,004
2000 modern 371 #12,052
2001 modern 359 #12,153
2002 modern 363 #12,296
2003 modern 353 #12,345
2004 modern 368 #12,001
2005 modern 361 #12,090
2006 modern 364 #12,106
2007 modern 373 #12,005
2008 modern 385 #11,828
2009 modern 397 #11,793
2010 modern 422 #11,493
2011 modern 425 #11,285
2012 modern 390 #11,946
2013 modern 417 #11,556
2014 modern 421 #11,544
2015 modern 410 #11,686
2016 modern 408 #11,711

Geography

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Where Belgraves are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Leeds, Brent, Kensington and Chelsea and Calderdale. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 059 Bradford
2 Leeds 042 Leeds
3 Brent 032 Brent
4 Kensington and Chelsea 004 Kensington and Chelsea
5 Calderdale 004 Calderdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Belgrave

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Belgrave

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Belgrave surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Belgrave household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Belgrave 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

Belgrave 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

Belgrave falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Belgrave is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

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

Meaning and origin of Belgrave

The surname Belgrave originates from England and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "bel" meaning "pretty" or "beautiful" and "graef" meaning "grove" or "small wood." Thus, the name literally translates to "beautiful grove" or "pretty wood."

The name Belgrave is closely associated with the village of Belgrave in Leicestershire, England. This village was first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Belegrave." The earliest recorded instance of the surname dates back to the 12th century, when it appeared as "de Belegrave" in the Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire.

In the 13th century, the name was commonly spelled as "Belegrave" or "Belgrave." During this time, the Belgrave family held significant landholdings in Leicestershire and Warwickshire. One notable figure was Sir John Belgrave, who fought alongside Edward III in the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War in 1346.

The Belgrave family continued to play an influential role in English history throughout the centuries. In the 15th century, Sir Ralph Belgrave served as the High Sheriff of Warwickshire and Leicestershire. Another prominent member was Sir Robert Belgrave, who was knighted by King Henry VIII in the 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name "Belgrave" was sometimes spelled as "Bellgrave" or "Bellegrave." One notable figure from this period was Sir Thomas Belgrave, who served as the Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire in the 1660s.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, several members of the Belgrave family achieved distinction in various fields. William Belgrave (1765-1844) was a renowned English architect who designed numerous buildings in London. General Sir Robert Belgrave (1784-1865) was a highly decorated British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the Crimean War.

Other notable individuals with the surname Belgrave include Harriet Belgrave (1794-1858), an English novelist and writer, and James Belgrave (1856-1923), a New Zealand politician and businessman who served as the Mayor of Wellington.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Belgrave families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Belgrave 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. Leicestershire leads with 8 Belgraves recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.00x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 8 20.00x
Kent 7 5.69x
Middlesex 5 1.39x
Sussex 5 8.22x
Surrey 4 2.28x
Bedfordshire 3 16.06x
Cambridgeshire 2 8.75x
Dorset 1 4.22x
Hampshire 1 1.35x
Oxfordshire 1 4.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. North Kilworth in Leicestershire leads with 8 Belgraves recorded in 1881 and an index of 13333.33x.

Place Total Index
North Kilworth 8 13333.33x
Hastings St Mary In The 5 384.62x
Kensington London 4 19.94x
Lambeth 4 12.71x
Maidstone 4 108.99x
Heath Reach 3 2307.69x
Plumstead 3 73.17x
The Holy Sepulchre 2 3333.33x
Oxford St Aldate 1 434.78x
Parkstone 1 357.14x
Southampton St Mary 1 21.51x
St Marylebone London 1 5.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ellen 3
Mary 3
Annie 2
Sarah 2
A. 1
Ada 1
Charlotte 1
Eleana 1
Eliza 1
Ethel 1
Evelyn 1
Frances 1
Jane 1
Louisa 1
Maud 1
Susan 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 2
Thomas 2
Charles 1
Dasnes 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Gurney 1
Hew 1
Hugh 1
Percy 1
William 1

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 Belgrave households.

FAQ

Belgrave surname: questions and answers

How common was the Belgrave surname in 1881?

In 1881, 37 people were recorded with the Belgrave surname. That placed it at #28,418 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Belgrave surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 408 in 2016. That gives Belgrave a modern rank of #11,711.

What does the Belgrave surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Belgrave in Leicestershire, England.

What does the Belgrave map show?

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