NameCensus.

UK surname

Granby

English habitational surname from a place in Nottinghamshire, likely meaning "large cottage" or "farmstead."

In the 1881 census there were 71 people recorded with the Granby surname, ranking it #23,517 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 139, ranked #25,001, down from #23,517 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pembrokeshire, Basildon and Horsham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Granby is 169 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 95.8%.

1881 census count

71

Ranked #23,517

Modern count

139

2016, ranked #25,001

Peak year

1997

169 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Granby had 71 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,517 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 139 in 2016, ranked #25,001.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 94 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Granby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Granby surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Granby 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 46 #24,985
1861 historical 55 #27,007
1881 historical 71 #23,517
1891 historical 94 #24,820
1901 historical 64 #27,010
1911 historical 70 #25,853
1997 modern 169 #19,578
1998 modern 167 #20,258
1999 modern 165 #20,535
2000 modern 160 #20,903
2001 modern 155 #21,047
2002 modern 149 #22,001
2003 modern 147 #21,977
2004 modern 135 #23,326
2005 modern 133 #23,502
2006 modern 138 #23,156
2007 modern 139 #23,377
2008 modern 140 #23,511
2009 modern 148 #23,141
2010 modern 141 #24,460
2011 modern 137 #24,716
2012 modern 143 #24,019
2013 modern 145 #24,207
2014 modern 143 #24,621
2015 modern 139 #24,956
2016 modern 139 #25,001

Geography

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Where Granbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pembrokeshire, Basildon, Horsham and Sefton. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pembrokeshire 012 Pembrokeshire
2 Basildon 009 Basildon
3 Horsham 010 Horsham
4 Sefton 013 Sefton
5 Sefton 001 Sefton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Granby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Granby

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Granby, 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 Granby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Granby 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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Granby is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Granby 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

Granby falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Granby

The surname Granby has its origins in England, where it first appeared in the 12th century as a habitational name derived from the town of Granby in Nottinghamshire. The name is believed to be derived from the Old Norse elements "gran" (pine tree) and "by" (village or town), suggesting that the original bearers of the name likely hailed from a settlement near a pine forest.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Granby can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Grenebei." This entry suggests that the name was already established in England before the Norman Conquest of 1066.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "de Greneby" and "de Grenebi," indicating its use as a locational surname. This practice of adopting surnames derived from place names was common during the medieval period, as it helped distinguish individuals from different regions.

One notable bearer of the Granby surname was John Manners, 1st Duke of Rutland (1638-1711), who inherited the Granby estates in Nottinghamshire. His son, John Manners, Marquess of Granby (1721-1770), was a celebrated military commander during the Seven Years' War and is remembered for his victories at the battles of Minden and Warburg.

Another prominent figure was Granby Proby, 4th Earl of Carysfort (1781-1868), a British diplomat and politician who served as the Ambassador to Prussia and the Netherlands.

In the United States, the name Granby gained recognition through Granby Cobb (1825-1908), a successful lawyer and businessman from Georgia who played a significant role in the development of the city of Athens.

John Manners, Marquess of Granby (1692-1765), was a British nobleman and politician who served as the Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

Granby Calcraft (1770-1826), an English criminal and notorious highway robber, was known for his daring exploits and eventual execution for robbery and murder.

The Granby surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Granby, Massachusetts, and Granby, Quebec, which were likely named after the Marquess of Granby or in honor of the Granby family.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Granby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Granby 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 17 Granbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.44x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 17 2.44x
Derbyshire 13 11.82x
Bedfordshire 12 32.99x
Lancashire 9 1.08x
Middlesex 9 1.28x
Hertfordshire 6 12.39x
Surrey 2 0.58x
Cheshire 1 0.65x
Durham 1 0.48x
Kent 1 0.42x
Nottinghamshire 1 1.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wootton in Bedfordshire leads with 9 Granbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2903.23x.

Place Total Index
Wootton 9 2903.23x
Chesterfield 8 194.17x
Everton 8 30.12x
Leeds 7 17.81x
Abbots Langley 6 833.33x
Brampton 5 324.68x
Idle 5 154.80x
Bethnal Green London 3 9.83x
Ellerby In Skirlaugh 3 3750.00x
Wilshampstead 3 1500.00x
Newington 2 7.71x
Shoreditch London 2 6.57x
St Pancras London 2 3.54x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 1 15.43x
Emswell Cum Kellythorpe 1 2500.00x
Liverpool 1 1.98x
Newark Upon Trent 1 29.41x
St Marylebone London 1 2.67x
Thelwall 1 833.33x
Upchurch 1 370.37x
Westminster St John 1 11.70x
Westoe 1 8.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Ann 4
Emily 4
Alice 3
Ada 2
Caroline 2
Margaret 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Charlotte 1
Elizabeth 1
Fanney 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Hilda 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Martha 1
Rose 1
Susan 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
George 6
William 3
Chas. 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Charles 1
Cyrns 1
Daniel 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Humphrey 1
Joel 1
Joseph 1
W. 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 Granby households.

FAQ

Granby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Granby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 71 people were recorded with the Granby surname. That placed it at #23,517 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Granby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 139 in 2016. That gives Granby a modern rank of #25,001.

What does the Granby surname mean?

English habitational surname from a place in Nottinghamshire, likely meaning "large cottage" or "farmstead."

What does the Granby map show?

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