NameCensus.

UK surname

Grafton

A locational surname derived from various places in England meaning "grove farm" or "gravel homestead."

In the 1881 census there were 827 people recorded with the Grafton surname, ranking it #4,550 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 921, ranked #6,194, down from #4,550 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Worksop, London parishes and Kings Norton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Middlesbrough, Newark and Sherwood and North East Derbyshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grafton is 1,020 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.4%.

1881 census count

827

Ranked #4,550

Modern count

921

2016, ranked #6,194

Peak year

1911

1,020 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grafton had 827 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,550 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 921 in 2016, ranked #6,194.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,020 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Grafton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grafton surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Grafton 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 505 #4,949
1861 historical 483 #5,407
1881 historical 827 #4,550
1891 historical 834 #4,880
1901 historical 952 #4,932
1911 historical 1,020 #4,475
1997 modern 979 #5,595
1998 modern 999 #5,679
1999 modern 1,009 #5,674
2000 modern 997 #5,700
2001 modern 977 #5,681
2002 modern 1,010 #5,644
2003 modern 964 #5,771
2004 modern 974 #5,719
2005 modern 954 #5,764
2006 modern 970 #5,690
2007 modern 972 #5,737
2008 modern 973 #5,769
2009 modern 977 #5,872
2010 modern 1,004 #5,860
2011 modern 974 #5,930
2012 modern 950 #5,981
2013 modern 972 #5,961
2014 modern 967 #6,033
2015 modern 941 #6,119
2016 modern 921 #6,194

Geography

Back to top

Where Graftons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Worksop, London parishes, Kings Norton, Sheffield and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Middlesbrough, Newark and Sherwood, North East Derbyshire, Harrogate and Mansfield. 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 Worksop Nottinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Kings Norton Worcestershire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Middlesbrough 007 Middlesbrough
2 Newark and Sherwood 001 Newark and Sherwood
3 North East Derbyshire 009 North East Derbyshire
4 Harrogate 009 Harrogate
5 Mansfield 006 Mansfield

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Grafton

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Grafton

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Grafton, 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 Grafton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Grafton 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, Grafton 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

Grafton is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Grafton 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 Grafton 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 Grafton, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Grafton

The surname Grafton is of English origin and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is a locational name derived from the town of Grafton in Northamptonshire, England. The name Grafton itself is derived from the Old English words "graef" meaning grove or small woods, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement.

The earliest recorded spelling of the surname Grafton appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Graftone". This record suggests that the name was well-established in England at the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Over the centuries, the name Grafton has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest examples is Richard Grafton (c. 1511-1572), an English historian and printer who published the first printed edition of the "Chronicles of England" in 1568.

Another prominent figure with the surname Grafton was Augustus Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Grafton (1735-1811), a British Whig statesman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1768 to 1770. He was also a prominent patron of the arts and a noted racehorse owner.

In the literary world, Richard Grafton (1892-1937) was a British author and journalist who wrote several popular novels, including "The Peasants' Revolt" and "The Uncrowned King".

The name Grafton has also been associated with places in both England and the United States. In England, there are several villages and parishes named Grafton, including Grafton Regis in Northamptonshire and Grafton Flyford in Worcestershire.

In the United States, the city of Grafton in West Virginia was named after Sir Dudley Grafton, a prominent English landowner in the 18th century. The town of Grafton, Massachusetts, was also likely named after the English town of Grafton.

Another notable figure with the surname Grafton was Sue Grafton (1940-2017), an American author best known for her "alphabet series" of mystery novels featuring the private investigator Kinsey Millhone.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Grafton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grafton 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 120 Graftons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.49x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 120 1.49x
Yorkshire 105 1.31x
Lancashire 75 0.78x
Durham 53 2.21x
Worcestershire 47 4.46x
Derbyshire 44 3.48x
Surrey 34 0.87x
Shropshire 33 4.73x
Essex 32 2.01x
Nottinghamshire 32 2.94x
Staffordshire 31 1.14x
Oxfordshire 26 5.22x
Devon 25 1.49x
Warwickshire 23 1.13x
Cumberland 21 3.02x
Cheshire 17 0.95x
Gloucestershire 17 1.07x
Herefordshire 17 5.14x
Lanarkshire 9 0.35x
Angus 8 1.07x
Kent 7 0.25x
Midlothian 7 0.65x
East Lothian 6 5.62x
Monmouthshire 6 1.03x
Wigtownshire 5 4.67x
Somerset 4 0.31x
Dorset 3 0.57x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.27x
Bedfordshire 2 0.48x
Brecknockshire 2 1.24x
Glamorgan 2 0.14x
Northamptonshire 2 0.26x
Royal Navy 2 2.08x
Argyllshire 1 0.45x
Ayrshire 1 0.17x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.20x
Channel Islands 1 0.42x
Cornwall 1 0.11x
Lincolnshire 1 0.08x
Sussex 1 0.07x
Westmorland 1 0.56x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 37 Graftons recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.56x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 37 10.56x
Sheffield 26 10.22x
Worksop 25 77.52x
West Ham 24 6.83x
Middridge 23 970.46x
Kings Norton 22 23.29x
Kinnerley 18 542.17x
St Pancras London 16 2.46x
Brightside Bierlow 15 9.57x
Hackney London 15 3.32x
Shoreditch London 15 4.29x
Aston 13 2.32x
Millom 13 61.09x
Rotherham 13 28.84x
Islington London 12 1.53x
Thornaby 12 40.17x
Ashton Under Lyne 11 5.26x
Beeley 11 1100.00x
Chesterfield 11 23.23x
Great Bolton 11 8.68x
Knaresborough 11 87.58x
Tudhoe 11 52.38x
Ecclesall Bierlow 10 6.15x
Exeter Allhallows On The 10 363.64x
Bishopwearmouth 9 4.37x
Madeley 9 35.23x
Pendleton In Salford 9 7.89x
Birtle Cum Bamford 8 128.00x
Charlbury 8 143.11x
Kingston On Thames 8 8.47x
Walthamstow 8 13.96x
Cossall 7 1044.78x
Dronfield 7 43.26x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 1.61x
Exeter St Mary Major 7 69.17x
Liff Benvie 7 6.17x
Litchurch 7 13.77x
Salter Eskat 7 1296.30x
Toxteth Park 7 2.16x
Wednesfield 7 17.47x
Willesden 7 9.21x
Wingate 7 42.55x
Barony 6 0.91x
Birmingham 6 0.88x
Haddington 6 38.05x
Headingley Cum Burley 6 11.66x
Ince In Makerfield 6 13.47x
Moston 6 62.50x
Wolstanton Knutton 6 36.08x
Worcester St Clement 6 89.55x
Berkeley 5 56.82x
Brinnington 5 30.07x
Chipping Norton 5 43.40x
Inch 5 47.89x
Kingham 5 292.40x
Llanover 5 25.10x
Neithrop 5 29.87x
Newbold Dunston 5 41.67x
Putney 5 13.60x
St Marylebone London 5 1.16x
Tipton 5 6.00x
Westminster St John 5 5.09x
Worcester St Michael 5 413.22x
Birkenhead 4 2.82x
Burntwood Edial 4 23.00x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 2.63x
Eye 4 206.19x
Hagley 4 117.30x
Marske In Guisbrough 4 28.17x
Newington 4 1.34x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 3.09x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 2.46x
Southwark St Saviour 4 9.65x
Stroud 4 12.99x
Wolverhampton 4 1.91x
Yarpole 4 239.52x
Battersea 3 1.01x
Claines 3 10.38x
Lower Darwen 3 23.89x
Newton In Leominster 3 1666.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 50
William 43
James 32
George 30
Thomas 25
Henry 18
Charles 12
Joseph 9
Richard 9
Edward 8
Samuel 8
Alfred 7
David 7
Arthur 6
Robert 6
Walter 6
Francis 5
Herbert 5
Edwin 4
Thos. 4
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Harry 3
Martin 3
Ernest 2
Frederic 2
Fredrick 2
Sidney 2
Stephen 2
Wm. 2
Alexr. 1
Archibold 1
Arnold 1
Chas. 1
Daniel 1
Ebenezer 1
Edmond 1
Ferdinand 1
Frances 1
Fred 1
Freddy 1
Fredk.Wm. 1
Geo. 1
Joshua 1
Leonard 1
Lewis 1
Lionel 1
Mark 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1

FAQ

Grafton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grafton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 827 people were recorded with the Grafton surname. That placed it at #4,550 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grafton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 921 in 2016. That gives Grafton a modern rank of #6,194.

What does the Grafton surname mean?

A locational surname derived from various places in England meaning "grove farm" or "gravel homestead."

What does the Grafton map show?

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