NameCensus.

UK surname

Grafham

In the 1881 census there were 44 people recorded with the Grafham surname, ranking it #27,447 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 125, ranked #26,827, up from #27,447 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Catherington, Waterloo, Ewell and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mole Valley, Isle of Wight and Rother.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grafham is 152 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 184.1%.

1881 census count

44

Ranked #27,447

Modern count

125

2016, ranked #26,827

Peak year

1999

152 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grafham had 44 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,447 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 125 in 2016, ranked #26,827.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 133 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Grafham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grafham surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Grafham 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 23 #29,205
1861 historical 44 #28,433
1881 historical 44 #27,447
1891 historical 76 #27,290
1901 historical 101 #22,726
1911 historical 133 #19,214
1997 modern 132 #22,821
1998 modern 146 #22,031
1999 modern 152 #21,636
2000 modern 142 #22,544
2001 modern 147 #21,756
2002 modern 145 #22,392
2003 modern 140 #22,634
2004 modern 142 #22,573
2005 modern 133 #23,502
2006 modern 136 #23,378
2007 modern 127 #24,748
2008 modern 127 #25,020
2009 modern 131 #25,056
2010 modern 124 #26,582
2011 modern 123 #26,512
2012 modern 122 #26,696
2013 modern 123 #26,974
2014 modern 127 #26,634
2015 modern 123 #27,088
2016 modern 125 #26,827

Geography

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Where Grafhams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Catherington, Waterloo, Ewell, London parishes, Hove and Hanwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mole Valley, Isle of Wight and Rother. 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 Catherington, Waterloo Hampshire
2 Ewell Surrey
3 London parishes London 3
4 Hove Sussex
5 Hanwell Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mole Valley 008 Mole Valley
2 Isle of Wight 007 Isle of Wight
3 Mole Valley 010 Mole Valley
4 Mole Valley 011 Mole Valley
5 Rother 001 Rother

Forenames

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First names often paired with Grafham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Grafham

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Grafham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Grafham household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Grafham is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Grafham is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Grafham falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Grafham 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 Grafham, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Grafham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grafham 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. Middlesex leads with 17 Grafhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.96x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 17 3.96x
Surrey 15 7.17x
Hampshire 12 13.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Luke London in Middlesex leads with 10 Grafhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 145.35x.

Place Total Index
St Luke London 10 145.35x
Ewell 7 1590.91x
Dorking 5 357.14x
Portsea 5 29.00x
Christchurch 3 157.07x
Enfield 3 106.38x
Mile End Old Town London 3 32.86x
Catherington 2 1052.63x
Fareham 2 188.68x
Kingston On Thames 2 39.84x
Kensington London 1 4.19x
Sutton 1 66.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Jane 3
Elizabeth 2
Emily 2
Margaret 2
Ann 1
Eliza 1
Elizzie 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Harriett 1
Hester 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
George 3
James 3
Thomas 3
Alfred 1
Charles 1
Ernest 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Hiram 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 Grafham households.

FAQ

Grafham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grafham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 44 people were recorded with the Grafham surname. That placed it at #27,447 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grafham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 125 in 2016. That gives Grafham a modern rank of #26,827.

What does the Grafham map show?

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