NameCensus.

UK surname

Gransden

From the green valley.

In the 1881 census there were 73 people recorded with the Gransden surname, ranking it #23,220 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 188, ranked #20,417, up from #23,220 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to High Halstow, St Mary's Hoo, London parishes and St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swale and Southampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gransden is 220 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 157.5%.

1881 census count

73

Ranked #23,220

Modern count

188

2016, ranked #20,417

Peak year

2002

220 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gransden had 73 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,220 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 188 in 2016, ranked #20,417.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 118 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gransden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gransden surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gransden 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 52 #23,915
1861 historical 35 #29,571
1881 historical 73 #23,220
1891 historical 95 #24,694
1901 historical 115 #21,050
1911 historical 118 #20,649
1997 modern 182 #18,693
1998 modern 200 #18,114
1999 modern 206 #17,905
2000 modern 212 #17,554
2001 modern 205 #17,683
2002 modern 220 #17,249
2003 modern 214 #17,343
2004 modern 209 #17,706
2005 modern 202 #18,016
2006 modern 193 #18,675
2007 modern 200 #18,485
2008 modern 198 #18,753
2009 modern 207 #18,600
2010 modern 217 #18,443
2011 modern 208 #18,783
2012 modern 203 #19,025
2013 modern 200 #19,524
2014 modern 201 #19,641
2015 modern 198 #19,714
2016 modern 188 #20,417

Geography

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Where Gransdens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around High Halstow, St Mary's Hoo, London parishes, St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford, Bredgar and Milton next Sittingbourne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swale and Southampton. 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 High Halstow, St Mary's Hoo Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford London (South Districts)
4 Bredgar Kent
5 Milton next Sittingbourne Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swale 008 Swale
2 Swale 005 Swale
3 Swale 004 Swale
4 Swale 003 Swale
5 Southampton 026 Southampton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gransden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gransden

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Gransden is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Gransden 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

Gransden falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gransden

The surname Gransden originated in the county of Huntingdonshire, England. It is a locational name, derived from the village of Gransden in that region. The name Gransden itself is thought to come from the Old English words "gran" meaning a branching tree or grove, and "denu" meaning a valley.

The first recorded use of the surname Gransden dates back to the late 12th century, where it appears in the Pipe Rolls of Huntingdonshire from the year 1195. This early record suggests the name had already been established as a hereditary surname by that time.

Gransden is also mentioned in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Grantesdene" and "Grantes Dene". This indicates the name's origins can be traced back to at least the 11th century in that area.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John de Gransden, who was recorded as a landowner in the village of Gransden in 1273. Another early example is William de Gransden, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1301.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname Gransden. These include John Gransden (c. 1340 - 1399), who was a English scholar and theologian at the University of Oxford. Thomas Gransden (1493 - 1570) was a notable English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Other prominent Gransdens include Sir Richard Gransden (1564 - 1635), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament. William Gransden (1671 - 1753) was a successful merchant and landowner in the county of Cambridgeshire. And in more recent history, Antonia Gransden (1928 - 2018) was a respected English historian and academic who specialized in medieval studies.

While the name Gransden is not among the most common surnames today, its long history and locational origins provide a fascinating glimpse into the linguistic and cultural heritage of England's past.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gransden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gransden 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. Kent leads with 65 Gransdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.76x.

County Total Index
Kent 65 26.76x
Hampshire 4 2.74x
Northumberland 3 2.83x
Surrey 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Deptford St Paul in Kent leads with 15 Gransdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 80.04x.

Place Total Index
Deptford St Paul 15 80.04x
Bredgar 10 6666.67x
Chatham 10 149.70x
Milton In Milton 9 873.79x
High Halstow 8 8888.89x
Southampton St Mary 4 43.57x
Cuxton 3 3000.00x
Plumstead 3 37.04x
Tonbridge 3 34.25x
Berwick Upon Tweed 2 89.29x
Charlton Next Woolwich 2 79.05x
Bermondsey 1 4.72x
Bexley 1 46.51x
Lewisham 1 7.72x
Morpeth 1 80.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Emily 4
Alice 2
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Clara 2
Eliza 2
Elizabeth 2
Jemima 2
Phillis 2
Rosa 2
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Bessie 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Esther 1
Harriet 1
Jane 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
Mary 1
Phyllis 1
Rose 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

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 Gransden households.

FAQ

Gransden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gransden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 73 people were recorded with the Gransden surname. That placed it at #23,220 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gransden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 188 in 2016. That gives Gransden a modern rank of #20,417.

What does the Gransden surname mean?

From the green valley.

What does the Gransden map show?

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