NameCensus.

UK surname

Grace

From the Latin "gratia," meaning favor, thanks, or blessing, referring to a person who was favored or blessed.

In the 1881 census there were 3,998 people recorded with the Grace surname, ranking it #1,134 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,986, ranked #1,128, up from #1,134 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Berkshire, Chiltern and Aylesbury Vale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grace is 5,986 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.7%.

1881 census count

3,998

Ranked #1,134

Modern count

5,986

2016, ranked #1,128

Peak year

2016

5,986 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grace had 3,998 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,134 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,986 in 2016, ranked #1,128.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,304 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Grace surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grace surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Grace 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 2,709 #1,088
1861 historical 3,193 #901
1881 historical 3,998 #1,134
1891 historical 4,200 #1,144
1901 historical 4,800 #1,178
1911 historical 5,304 #987
1997 modern 5,738 #1,140
1998 modern 5,940 #1,142
1999 modern 5,984 #1,142
2000 modern 5,919 #1,144
2001 modern 5,753 #1,152
2002 modern 5,796 #1,168
2003 modern 5,711 #1,153
2004 modern 5,685 #1,154
2005 modern 5,591 #1,156
2006 modern 5,592 #1,159
2007 modern 5,612 #1,161
2008 modern 5,655 #1,159
2009 modern 5,872 #1,146
2010 modern 5,944 #1,159
2011 modern 5,891 #1,154
2012 modern 5,792 #1,150
2013 modern 5,968 #1,135
2014 modern 5,968 #1,145
2015 modern 5,917 #1,146
2016 modern 5,986 #1,128

Geography

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Where Graces are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Toxteth Park and Wakefield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Berkshire, Chiltern, Aylesbury Vale, IZ16 and Wakefield. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Toxteth Park Lancashire
5 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Berkshire 018 West Berkshire
2 Chiltern 002 Chiltern
3 Aylesbury Vale 003 Aylesbury Vale
4 IZ16 West Dunbartonshire
5 Wakefield 015 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Grace

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Grace

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Grace surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Grace 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Grace 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

Grace 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

Grace falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Grace is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Grace

The surname GRACE has its origins in England and dates back to the Norman conquest of 1066. It is derived from the Norman French word "gras", meaning plump or stout. Initially, the name was likely used as a nickname for someone who was of a larger build.

During the Middle Ages, the name GRACE appeared in various forms, such as Gras, Grasse, and Gresse. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Gras".

As time passed, the name evolved and took on different spellings, including Grace, Gryce, and Greyce. In the 13th century, a notable figure named Walter le Gras was documented in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire.

In the 14th century, the surname GRACE gained prominence when a family from Norfolk, England, adopted it. This family produced several notable individuals, including Sir John Grace, who served as a Member of Parliament in the late 15th century.

Another prominent historical figure with the surname GRACE was Walter Grace, a 16th-century Catholic martyr and scholar. He was born in Nidd, Yorkshire, in 1525 and was executed in 1588 for his religious beliefs.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the GRACE surname spread throughout England and was associated with several places, such as Grace Dieu in Leicestershire and Grace Hill in Shropshire.

In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was Archibald Grace, a Scottish architect born in 1758. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Assembly Rooms.

The 19th century saw the emergence of William Russell Grace, an Irish-American businessman and politician born in 1832. He founded the W.R. Grace and Company, a prominent chemical company, and served as the first Roman Catholic mayor of New York City.

Another prominent figure with the GRACE surname was William Gilbert Grace, an English cricketer born in 1848. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time, he played first-class cricket for over 40 years and scored an astonishing 54,211 runs.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Grace families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grace 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 647 Graces recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.39x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 647 1.39x
Middlesex 536 1.37x
Yorkshire 354 0.91x
Hampshire 315 3.93x
Surrey 279 1.46x
Buckinghamshire 277 11.71x
Kent 190 1.42x
Derbyshire 116 1.89x
Berkshire 115 3.92x
Gloucestershire 112 1.46x
Hertfordshire 109 4.04x
Oxfordshire 90 3.72x
Sussex 90 1.36x
Warwickshire 78 0.79x
Cheshire 69 0.80x
Glamorgan 69 1.01x
Wiltshire 67 1.94x
Bedfordshire 65 3.21x
Durham 48 0.41x
Lanarkshire 42 0.33x
Leicestershire 41 0.95x
Essex 34 0.44x
Nottinghamshire 29 0.55x
Staffordshire 29 0.22x
Devon 24 0.29x
Northumberland 22 0.38x
Worcestershire 22 0.43x
Channel Islands 16 1.38x
Somerset 13 0.21x
Angus 12 0.33x
Cumberland 12 0.36x
Monmouthshire 11 0.39x
Lincolnshire 9 0.14x
Shropshire 9 0.27x
Perthshire 8 0.46x
Aberdeenshire 7 0.19x
Northamptonshire 7 0.19x
Royal Navy 6 1.29x
Cornwall 4 0.09x
Dorset 4 0.16x
Fife 4 0.17x
Midlothian 4 0.08x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.12x
Denbighshire 2 0.14x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.16x
Suffolk 2 0.04x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.06x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.12x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.13x
Norfolk 1 0.02x
Renfrewshire 1 0.03x
Rutland 1 0.35x
Wigtownshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Derby in Lancashire leads with 63 Graces recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.64x.

Place Total Index
West Derby 63 4.64x
St Pancras London 61 1.94x
Everton 60 4.05x
Liverpool 57 2.02x
Islington London 55 1.45x
Camberwell 44 1.76x
Tring 43 59.72x
Halewood 41 164.86x
Wakefield 41 13.77x
St Marylebone London 39 1.87x
Toxteth Park 37 2.35x
Salford 36 2.64x
Aston 35 1.29x
Lambeth 35 1.03x
Garston 33 24.08x
Kirkdale 29 3.71x
Nottingham St Mary 29 2.13x
Whitchurch 29 298.66x
Holbrook 28 203.34x
Manchester 28 1.34x
Southampton St Mary 28 5.55x
Cheltenham 27 4.56x
Portsea 27 1.72x
Bermondsey 26 2.23x
Shoreditch London 26 1.53x
South Stoneham 26 14.95x
Lewisham 25 3.51x
Brighton 24 1.80x
Hackney London 23 1.05x
Newington 23 1.59x
Great Marlow 22 34.46x
Steeple Claydon 22 192.31x
Blewbury 21 209.16x
Chelsea London 21 1.78x
Kensington London 21 0.97x
Tilehurst 21 35.40x
Battersea 20 1.39x
Paddington London 20 1.39x
Brotherton 19 122.27x
Husborne Crawley 19 295.95x
Much Woolton 19 30.16x
St George In East London 19 5.16x
Westbury On Trym 19 7.31x
Goodworth Clatford 18 267.86x
Thornhill 18 15.91x
Winslow 18 80.83x
Berkhampstead 17 28.04x
Bishopwearmouth 17 1.70x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 17 12.27x
Windle 17 6.51x
Birkenhead 16 2.32x
Birmingham 16 0.49x
Bow London 16 3.21x
Leighton Buzzard 16 18.36x
Over Wallop 16 220.08x
Peasemore 16 396.04x
Southampton All Sts 16 11.63x
St Peter Port 16 7.46x
West Ham 16 0.94x
Bicester Market End 15 33.81x
Clerkenwell London 15 1.62x
Eling 15 18.47x
Holy Trinity 15 1.61x
Keighley 15 3.63x
Littlehampton 15 28.48x
Bowling 14 3.65x
Deptford St Paul 14 1.36x
Eccleston In Prescot 14 6.01x
Glasgow 14 0.62x
Leeds 14 0.64x
Linslade 14 60.42x
Andover 13 17.16x
Bethnal Green London 13 0.76x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 13 1.80x
Cardiff St Mary 13 3.46x
Hove 13 4.49x
Hunmanby 13 71.86x
Leek Lowe 13 7.40x
Michelmersh 13 83.60x
Woolwich 13 2.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 249
Elizabeth 153
Sarah 149
Ellen 81
Ann 71
Emily 68
Jane 65
Alice 62
Annie 58
Emma 54
Margaret 51
Eliza 43
Hannah 37
Catherine 32
Fanny 30
Edith 28
Kate 28
Louisa 26
Martha 26
Caroline 23
Harriet 22
Charlotte 21
Maria 20
Rose 19
Florence 18
Agnes 17
Anne 16
Clara 16
Susan 16
Ada 15
Frances 15
Lucy 15
Esther 14
Sophia 14
Julia 13
Matilda 12
Elizth. 11
Gertrude 11
Helen 11
Harriett 10
Amelia 9
Bridget 9
Rebecca 9
Eleanor 8
Grace 7
Lydia 7
Minnie 7
Amy 6
Beatrice 6
Francis 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 238
John 184
Thomas 152
George 151
James 115
Henry 85
Charles 82
Joseph 66
Alfred 54
Edward 53
Frederick 46
Albert 41
Arthur 37
Robert 33
Walter 33
Richard 29
Samuel 19
Francis 17
Daniel 16
Frank 16
Michael 15
Edwin 13
Herbert 12
Ernest 10
Peter 10
David 9
Edmund 9
Harry 9
Isaac 9
Patrick 9
Tom 9
Mark 8
Chas. 7
Wm. 7
Fredrick 6
Thos. 6
Fred 5
Geo. 5
Jeremiah 5
Percy 5
Willm. 5
Alexander 4
Christopher 4
Eli 4
Fredk. 4
Stephen 4
Andrew 3
Benjamin 3
Jas. 3
Robt. 3

FAQ

Grace surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grace surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,998 people were recorded with the Grace surname. That placed it at #1,134 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grace surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,986 in 2016. That gives Grace a modern rank of #1,128.

What does the Grace surname mean?

From the Latin "gratia," meaning favor, thanks, or blessing, referring to a person who was favored or blessed.

What does the Grace map show?

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