NameCensus.

UK surname

Gleaves

An English habitational surname referring to someone from a place marked by groves or thickets.

In the 1881 census there were 444 people recorded with the Gleaves surname, ranking it #7,385 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 415, ranked #11,550, down from #7,385 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Willingham, Wolstanton and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton, Copeland and Hartlepool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gleaves is 634 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 6.5%.

1881 census count

444

Ranked #7,385

Modern count

415

2016, ranked #11,550

Peak year

1911

634 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gleaves had 444 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,385 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 415 in 2016, ranked #11,550.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 634 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Gleaves surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gleaves surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gleaves 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 265 #8,395
1861 historical 262 #9,458
1881 historical 444 #7,385
1891 historical 478 #7,694
1901 historical 608 #7,000
1911 historical 634 #6,555
1997 modern 393 #11,144
1998 modern 477 #9,955
1999 modern 469 #10,139
2000 modern 476 #10,004
2001 modern 459 #10,082
2002 modern 476 #9,999
2003 modern 459 #10,113
2004 modern 440 #10,494
2005 modern 432 #10,531
2006 modern 440 #10,435
2007 modern 441 #10,513
2008 modern 444 #10,535
2009 modern 433 #11,031
2010 modern 442 #11,066
2011 modern 434 #11,096
2012 modern 410 #11,518
2013 modern 411 #11,669
2014 modern 411 #11,768
2015 modern 415 #11,583
2016 modern 415 #11,550

Geography

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Where Gleaves' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Willingham, Wolstanton, London parishes and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton, Copeland, Hartlepool, Bury and Newcastle-under-Lyme. 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 Willingham Cambridgeshire
2 Wolstanton Staffordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 005 Bolton
2 Copeland 008 Copeland
3 Hartlepool 002 Hartlepool
4 Bury 011 Bury
5 Newcastle-under-Lyme 004 Newcastle-under-Lyme

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gleaves

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gleaves

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

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Gleaves surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Gleaves 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 predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gleaves 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.

Read profile summary

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

Gleaves is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gleaves 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 Gleaves is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gleaves

The surname Gleaves is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "glēaf," meaning a glade or clearing in a forest. The name likely originated in the medieval period as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a glade or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327, where a John del Gleve was listed. The name was also recorded in various other medieval records, such as the Court Rolls of Wigan in 1381, where a Richard del Gleve was mentioned.

The name Gleaves is believed to have evolved from the earlier spellings "del Gleve" and "de la Gleve," which were derived from the Old French phrase "de la glève," meaning "of the glade." This suggests that the name may have been introduced to England by Norman settlers after the conquest of 1066.

In the 16th century, the name began to appear in its modern spelling, with records showing instances such as Thomas Gleaves in the Wills and Administrations of Chester in 1578. The surname was particularly concentrated in the counties of Lancashire and Cheshire, where many families bearing the name lived near areas known as "glades" or "greaves."

Notable individuals with the surname Gleaves throughout history include:

1. Sir Edmund Gleaves (1490-1558), an English lawyer and judge who served as a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas. 2. John Gleaves (1545-1612), an English clergyman and academic who was the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1608 to 1609. 3. Albert Gleaves (1858-1937), an American naval officer who served as Commander-in-Chief of the United States Asiatic Fleet during World War I. 4. Mary Gleaves (1866-1952), an American educator and activist who founded the first African American library in Nashville, Tennessee. 5. Reginald Gleaves (1888-1971), a British sailor and Olympic gold medalist in the 8-metre class sailing event at the 1908 Summer Olympics.

While the surname Gleaves is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by individuals of note in various fields, from law and academia to the military and sports.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gleaves families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gleaves 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 141 Gleaves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.71x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 141 2.71x
Staffordshire 84 5.68x
Cheshire 49 5.07x
Cambridgeshire 47 16.94x
Yorkshire 28 0.65x
Middlesex 25 0.57x
Cumberland 14 3.71x
Shropshire 12 3.17x
Norfolk 9 1.34x
Kent 8 0.54x
Somerset 8 1.13x
Durham 5 0.38x
Surrey 5 0.23x
Hampshire 4 0.45x
Isle of Man 4 4.92x
Essex 2 0.23x
Flintshire 1 0.85x
Lincolnshire 1 0.14x
Oxfordshire 1 0.37x
Royal Navy 1 1.92x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Willingham in Cambridgeshire leads with 32 Gleaves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1350.21x.

Place Total Index
Willingham 32 1350.21x
Wolstanton 29 64.59x
Little Bolton 22 32.92x
Wolstanton Chesterton 19 251.32x
Audley 16 109.36x
Manchester 16 6.85x
Ardwick 13 27.73x
Hackney London 13 5.29x
Ellesmere 12 184.62x
Openshaw 12 49.30x
Barton Upon Irwell 11 28.12x
Great Bolton 11 15.98x
Mile End Old Town London 11 11.80x
Butley 10 1204.82x
Cleator 10 63.69x
Stoke Upon Trent 10 6.38x
Burslem 9 21.25x
Everton 9 5.43x
Hyde 9 31.55x
Walton On Hill 9 31.97x
Worsley 9 28.10x
Denver 8 640.00x
Pendleton In Salford 8 12.92x
Eccleshill 7 66.29x
Hulme 7 6.45x
Monks Coppenhall 7 19.19x
Salford 7 4.58x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 7 81.30x
Chesterton 6 70.18x
Middlesbrough 6 10.62x
Bradford 5 4.76x
Sculcoates 5 7.27x
Walcot 5 13.32x
Bishopwearmouth 4 3.58x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 4 33.06x
Horton In Bradford 4 5.90x
Lewisham 4 5.02x
Millom 4 34.60x
Onchan 4 17.07x
Camberwell 3 1.07x
Greenwich 3 4.30x
Hurdsfield 3 50.42x
Newchurch 3 147.06x
Wells St Andrew 3 476.19x
Brinnington 2 22.15x
Delamere 2 229.89x
Ewell 2 44.35x
Fazakerley 2 246.91x
Greasby 2 645.16x
Newton 2 4.99x
Runcorn 2 8.97x
Tranmere 2 5.63x
Chester St Oswald 1 5.71x
Cuddington In Northwich 1 163.93x
Elm 1 36.76x
Escomb 1 16.69x
Flint 1 14.97x
Great Crosby 1 7.06x
Horncastle 1 13.83x
Leeds 1 0.41x
Levenshulme 1 18.69x
Leverington 1 54.64x
Macclesfield 1 2.33x
North Leigh 1 102.04x
Portsea 1 0.57x
Royal Navy 1 2.24x
St Andrewthe Great 1 27.86x
St Marylebone London 1 0.43x
Stretford 1 3.50x
Sutton 1 43.48x
Theydon Bois 1 76.34x
Walmer 1 15.38x
Welney 1 64.94x
West Ham 1 0.52x
Wisbech St Peter 1 7.19x
Wolstanton Ranscliffe 1 192.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 36
Elizabeth 16
Ann 14
Sarah 13
Hannah 9
Jane 9
Annie 8
Eliza 8
Emily 8
Margaret 8
Emma 6
Martha 6
Fanny 5
Alice 4
Agnes 3
Maria 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Arabella 2
Betsy 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Eleanor 2
Ellen 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Jessie 2
Ruth 2
Susan 2
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Bertram 1
Betty 1
Cyril 1
Edna 1
Eliz. 1
Elizabth. 1
Elizth. 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Hariott 1
Helen 1
Ida 1
Julia 1
Lea 1
Lilly 1
Lousia 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 32
William 32
Thomas 28
James 19
Joseph 12
Charles 7
Samuel 7
George 6
Albert 5
Edmund 5
Henry 5
Peter 5
Robert 5
Arthur 4
Frederick 4
Alfred 3
Edward 3
Herbert 3
Walter 3
Wm. 3
Benjamin 2
Francis 2
Harry 2
Aaron 1
Alexander 1
David 1
Earnest 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Elizabeth 1
Enoch 1
Ernest 1
Eugene 1
Frank 1
Garry 1
Hardy 1
Henshaw 1
Huckell 1
Jas.W. 1
Jesse 1
Lenord 1
Neville 1
Ralph 1
Richard 1
Sidey 1
Sidney 1
Smith 1
Thos. 1
Wm.Fisher 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Gleaves surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gleaves surname in 1881?

In 1881, 444 people were recorded with the Gleaves surname. That placed it at #7,385 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gleaves surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 415 in 2016. That gives Gleaves a modern rank of #11,550.

What does the Gleaves surname mean?

An English habitational surname referring to someone from a place marked by groves or thickets.

What does the Gleaves map show?

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