NameCensus.

UK surname

Colgrave

In the 1881 census there were 144 people recorded with the Colgrave surname, ranking it #15,891 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 197, ranked #19,777, down from #15,891 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Clapham and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bedford, Winchester and Sheffield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Colgrave is 237 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.8%.

1881 census count

144

Ranked #15,891

Modern count

197

2016, ranked #19,777

Peak year

1911

237 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Colgrave had 144 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,891 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 197 in 2016, ranked #19,777.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 237 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Colgrave surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Colgrave surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Colgrave 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 75 #20,268
1861 historical 111 #19,429
1881 historical 144 #15,891
1891 historical 181 #16,065
1901 historical 186 #15,839
1911 historical 237 #13,406
1997 modern 210 #17,104
1998 modern 211 #17,532
1999 modern 200 #18,237
2000 modern 193 #18,616
2001 modern 198 #18,047
2002 modern 197 #18,474
2003 modern 196 #18,358
2004 modern 194 #18,566
2005 modern 200 #18,144
2006 modern 195 #18,564
2007 modern 201 #18,428
2008 modern 200 #18,640
2009 modern 202 #18,896
2010 modern 215 #18,551
2011 modern 223 #17,940
2012 modern 206 #18,837
2013 modern 204 #19,276
2014 modern 205 #19,375
2015 modern 198 #19,714
2016 modern 197 #19,777

Geography

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Where Colgraves are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Clapham, Sheffield, Chester St John the Baptist, St Mary-on-the-Hill, St Olave, St Michael, Spittle Boughton, Chester Ca and West Ham,Wanstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bedford, Winchester and Sheffield. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 Clapham Bedfordshire
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Chester St John the Baptist, St Mary-on-the-Hill, St Olave, St Michael, Spittle Boughton, Chester Ca Cheshire
5 West Ham,Wanstead Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bedford 004 Bedford
2 Winchester 006 Winchester
3 Winchester 008 Winchester
4 Sheffield 054 Sheffield
5 Bedford 012 Bedford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Colgrave

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Colgrave

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Colgrave surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Colgrave household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Colgrave is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

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Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Colgrave is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Colgrave falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Colgrave 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
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Colgrave families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Colgrave 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. Bedfordshire leads with 49 Colgraves recorded in 1881 and an index of 67.37x.

County Total Index
Bedfordshire 49 67.37x
Yorkshire 33 2.37x
Nottinghamshire 11 5.81x
Lancashire 9 0.54x
Middlesex 8 0.57x
Staffordshire 8 1.69x
Northamptonshire 5 3.78x
Northumberland 5 2.39x
Surrey 5 0.73x
Cheshire 3 0.97x
Buckinghamshire 2 2.36x
Leicestershire 2 1.28x
Berkshire 1 0.95x
Essex 1 0.36x
Lincolnshire 1 0.45x
Sussex 1 0.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Colmworth in Bedfordshire leads with 33 Colgraves recorded in 1881 and an index of 17368.42x.

Place Total Index
Colmworth 33 17368.42x
Ecclesall Bierlow 12 42.39x
Clapham 9 3103.45x
Walsall Foreign 8 32.67x
Clarborough 7 492.96x
Sheffield 6 13.54x
Camberwell 5 5.57x
North South Gosforth 5 1851.85x
Northampton Priory St 5 63.05x
St Pancras London 5 4.42x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 4 30.84x
Bradfield 4 74.49x
Brightside Bierlow 4 14.65x
Gorton 4 25.53x
Kneesall 4 2857.14x
Ampthill 3 275.23x
Chester St John Baptist 3 53.86x
Guiseley 3 168.54x
Islington London 3 2.20x
Liverpool 3 2.96x
Bedford St Peter 2 105.82x
Newport Pagnell 2 112.36x
Bedford St Paul 1 20.04x
Brighton 1 2.09x
Burbage 1 123.46x
Clee With Weelsby 1 20.33x
Eaton Socon 1 87.72x
Loughborough 1 14.14x
Manchester 1 1.33x
Romford 1 22.83x
Sandhurst 1 49.02x
Walton On Hill 1 11.07x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Colgrave surname: questions and answers

How common was the Colgrave surname in 1881?

In 1881, 144 people were recorded with the Colgrave surname. That placed it at #15,891 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Colgrave surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 197 in 2016. That gives Colgrave a modern rank of #19,777.

What does the Colgrave map show?

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