NameCensus.

UK surname

Grainger

An English occupational surname referring to a person who managed a granary or dealt in grain.

In the 1881 census there were 4,619 people recorded with the Grainger surname, ranking it #969 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 8,334, ranked #788, up from #969 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedgley, London parishes and Dudley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Broxtowe, Dudley and Erewash.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grainger is 8,975 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 80.4%.

1881 census count

4,619

Ranked #969

Modern count

8,334

2016, ranked #788

Peak year

1999

8,975 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grainger had 4,619 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #969 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 8,334 in 2016, ranked #788.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,408 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Grainger surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grainger surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Grainger 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 2,329 #1,272
1861 historical 2,460 #1,187
1881 historical 4,619 #969
1891 historical 5,480 #858
1901 historical 6,837 #811
1911 historical 7,408 #701
1997 modern 8,534 #739
1998 modern 8,907 #738
1999 modern 8,975 #738
2000 modern 8,861 #744
2001 modern 8,657 #744
2002 modern 8,733 #753
2003 modern 8,573 #750
2004 modern 8,486 #756
2005 modern 8,328 #760
2006 modern 8,235 #775
2007 modern 8,357 #767
2008 modern 8,373 #773
2009 modern 8,529 #779
2010 modern 8,723 #778
2011 modern 8,616 #776
2012 modern 8,369 #781
2013 modern 8,561 #779
2014 modern 8,568 #781
2015 modern 8,399 #785
2016 modern 8,334 #788

Geography

Back to top

Where Graingers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedgley, London parishes, Dudley and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Broxtowe, Dudley, Erewash, East Riding of Yorkshire and Hambleton. 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 Sedgley Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Dudley Staffordshire
4 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Broxtowe 002 Broxtowe
2 Dudley 017 Dudley
3 Erewash 001 Erewash
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 011 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Hambleton 004 Hambleton

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Grainger

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Grainger

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

Grainger is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Grainger falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Grainger

The surname GRAINGER originated in Northern England, particularly in the areas of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "granger," which means a grange or a farmstead. The name can be traced back to the 12th century, when the grange system was introduced by monastic orders to manage their agricultural properties.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GRAINGER surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a person named William le Granger is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk in 1273, which lists a John le Graungere.

During the medieval period, the GRAINGER surname was often associated with individuals who worked on granges or farms owned by religious establishments. It's possible that the name originated as an occupational surname for those employed in such roles.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the GRAINGER surname was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, with notable families residing in areas like Cumbria, Durham, and Northumberland. One of the earliest recorded place names associated with the surname is Grainger Townfield in Northumberland, which dates back to the 13th century.

Among the notable individuals with the GRAINGER surname throughout history are:

1. Sir Thomas Grainger (1535-1591), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne. 2. Richard Grainger (1798-1861), a prominent builder and developer in Newcastle upon Tyne, responsible for much of the city's Georgian architecture. 3. Percy Grainger (1882-1961), an Australian-born composer and pianist known for works like "Country Gardens" and his advocacy of folk music. 4. Lilian Grainger (1893-1981), a British mathematician and one of the first women to receive a doctorate in mathematics from the University of Cambridge. 5. Harry Grainger (1915-1995), an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper for clubs like Newcastle United and Huddersfield Town.

While the GRAINGER surname has spread worldwide, its origins can be traced back to the agricultural communities of northern England, where it was likely derived from the Old English word for a grange or farmstead.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Grainger families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grainger 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. Yorkshire leads with 702 Graingers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.58x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 702 1.58x
Staffordshire 698 4.61x
Middlesex 368 0.82x
Worcestershire 284 4.84x
Durham 249 1.86x
Lancashire 216 0.41x
Warwickshire 215 1.90x
Surrey 184 0.84x
Derbyshire 145 2.06x
Sussex 128 1.69x
Shropshire 126 3.25x
Cumberland 105 2.72x
Kent 94 0.61x
Lanarkshire 82 0.56x
Nottinghamshire 76 1.26x
Northumberland 71 1.06x
Berkshire 66 1.96x
Cambridgeshire 63 2.22x
Oxfordshire 57 2.06x
Gloucestershire 56 0.64x
Cheshire 54 0.54x
Hampshire 52 0.57x
Midlothian 50 0.83x
Leicestershire 46 0.92x
Suffolk 39 0.71x
Essex 35 0.39x
Glamorgan 35 0.45x
Norfolk 26 0.38x
Somerset 26 0.36x
Aberdeenshire 23 0.55x
Dunbartonshire 23 1.91x
Wiltshire 23 0.58x
Stirlingshire 20 1.21x
Herefordshire 19 1.03x
Hertfordshire 17 0.55x
Lincolnshire 16 0.22x
Ayrshire 15 0.45x
West Lothian 13 1.92x
Peeblesshire 12 5.68x
Renfrewshire 10 0.29x
East Lothian 8 1.35x
Angus 7 0.17x
Devon 7 0.07x
Dorset 7 0.24x
Fife 7 0.26x
Buckinghamshire 6 0.22x
Brecknockshire 5 0.56x
Northamptonshire 5 0.12x
Royal Navy 3 0.56x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.14x
Bedfordshire 1 0.04x
Buteshire 1 0.37x
Cornwall 1 0.02x
Flintshire 1 0.08x
Monmouthshire 1 0.03x
Rutland 1 0.30x
Selkirkshire 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dudley in Worcestershire leads with 186 Graingers recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.09x.

Place Total Index
Dudley 186 26.09x
Sedgley 117 20.78x
Kingswinford 114 20.72x
West Bromwich 88 10.14x
Birmingham 73 1.93x
Tipton 58 12.50x
Aston 56 1.80x
St Marylebone London 50 2.09x
Heanor 38 36.15x
St Pancras London 36 1.00x
Well 36 727.27x
Rowley Regis 34 8.05x
Stoke Upon Trent 34 2.12x
Lambeth 31 0.79x
Wolverhampton 31 2.66x
Bishopwearmouth 30 2.62x
Holy Trinity 30 2.80x
Leeds 30 1.19x
Newington 29 1.75x
Bethnal Green London 27 1.38x
Brighton 27 1.77x
Camberwell 27 0.94x
Islington London 26 0.60x
Wednesbury 26 6.86x
Barrow In Furness 24 3.31x
Bilston 23 7.83x
Harborne 22 4.53x
Deptford St Paul 21 1.78x
Glasgow 21 0.81x
Middlesbrough 21 3.62x
Ditchling 20 96.95x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 20 0.83x
Falkirk 20 5.16x
Stranton 20 4.45x
Walsall Foreign 20 2.55x
Caldewgate 19 8.97x
Coventry St Michael 19 5.22x
Darlaston 19 9.07x
Salford 19 1.21x
Thirsk 19 37.01x
Wellington 19 8.71x
Aberdeen Old Machar 18 2.07x
Shoreditch London 18 0.92x
Brinkley 17 372.81x
Elswick 17 3.19x
Kensington London 17 0.68x
Brandsby Cum Stearsby 16 347.07x
Dumbarton 16 9.53x
Gateshead 16 1.60x
Hunslet 16 2.31x
Much Wenlock 16 44.72x
North Wingfield 16 50.92x
Oldbury 16 5.55x
Toxteth Park 16 0.89x
Willesden 16 3.78x
Chesterfield 15 5.69x
Frimley 15 24.07x
Manea 15 83.61x
Stockton On Tees 15 2.33x
Battersea 14 0.85x
Borrowby In 14 282.26x
Govan 14 0.39x
Lewisham 14 1.71x
Limehouse London 14 2.84x
Radford 14 4.55x
Sunderland 14 5.93x
Calne 13 15.90x
Coventry Holy Trinity 13 3.84x
Finchley 13 7.55x
Hamilton 13 3.21x
Hasbury 13 33.90x
Hasland 13 18.17x
Stretford 13 4.43x
Westgate 13 3.14x
Willenhall 13 4.58x
Birkenhead 12 1.52x
Ilkestonderbypart 12 58.34x
Newchurch 12 2.75x
Portsea 12 0.67x
Stapleford 12 24.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 306
Sarah 163
Elizabeth 132
Jane 105
Eliza 90
Ann 82
Emma 75
Hannah 68
Annie 66
Alice 60
Ellen 50
Emily 49
Margaret 43
Harriet 34
Martha 32
Louisa 31
Maria 30
Ada 29
Fanny 25
Frances 24
Caroline 23
Charlotte 23
Florence 22
Lucy 21
Clara 20
Edith 19
Isabella 19
Agnes 17
Harriett 16
Anne 15
Catherine 12
Rebecca 12
Rose 12
Kate 11
Amy 10
Eleanor 10
Phoebe 10
Sophia 10
Susan 10
Susannah 10
Esther 9
Matilda 9
Selina 9
Amelia 8
Betsy 7
Jessie 7
Julia 7
Minnie 7
Rachel 7
Ruth 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 266
William 263
Thomas 170
George 160
James 136
Joseph 103
Charles 81
Henry 76
Edward 60
Alfred 53
Arthur 51
Richard 51
Robert 44
Samuel 38
Frederick 33
Albert 30
Walter 29
Herbert 23
David 18
Benjamin 16
Francis 14
Harry 14
Stephen 13
Ernest 12
Frank 12
Tom 12
Wm. 12
Edwin 11
Noah 10
Daniel 9
Isaac 9
Peter 9
Thos. 9
Christopher 6
Matthew 6
Andrew 5
Frederic 5
Geo. 5
Jonathan 5
Joshua 5
Josiah 5
Edmund 4
Fred 4
Fredk. 4
Fredrick 4
Harold 4
Jabez 4
Job 4
Robt. 4
Jacob 3

FAQ

Grainger surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grainger surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,619 people were recorded with the Grainger surname. That placed it at #969 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grainger surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 8,334 in 2016. That gives Grainger a modern rank of #788.

What does the Grainger surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a person who managed a granary or dealt in grain.

What does the Grainger map show?

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