NameCensus.

UK surname

Grass

An occupational surname referring to someone who lived or worked in a grassy area or meadow.

In the 1881 census there were 228 people recorded with the Grass surname, ranking it #11,826 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 248, ranked #16,910, down from #11,826 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Watford and Carnbee. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Forest Heath and Breckland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grass is 322 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.8%.

1881 census count

228

Ranked #11,826

Modern count

248

2016, ranked #16,910

Peak year

1911

322 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grass had 228 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,826 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 248 in 2016, ranked #16,910.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 322 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Grass surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grass surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Grass 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 137 #13,812
1861 historical 191 #12,467
1881 historical 228 #11,826
1891 historical 266 #12,169
1901 historical 303 #11,569
1911 historical 322 #10,873
1997 modern 239 #15,718
1998 modern 242 #16,037
1999 modern 242 #16,146
2000 modern 239 #16,239
2001 modern 232 #16,314
2002 modern 232 #16,637
2003 modern 233 #16,394
2004 modern 244 #15,948
2005 modern 230 #16,583
2006 modern 238 #16,288
2007 modern 229 #16,941
2008 modern 235 #16,777
2009 modern 238 #17,002
2010 modern 247 #16,931
2011 modern 237 #17,235
2012 modern 237 #17,132
2013 modern 240 #17,251
2014 modern 239 #17,429
2015 modern 242 #17,191
2016 modern 248 #16,910

Geography

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Where Grass' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Watford, Carnbee and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Forest Heath, Breckland, Telford and Wrekin and Melton. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Watford Hertfordshire
4 Carnbee Fife
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 019 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 Forest Heath 001 Forest Heath
3 Breckland 012 Breckland
4 Telford and Wrekin 009 Telford and Wrekin
5 Melton 001 Melton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Grass

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Grass

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

Grass 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

Grass falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Grass

The surname Grass is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the word "gras" which means "grass" in German. The name likely originated as a descriptive surname, given to someone who lived near a grassy area or meadow.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Grass surname can be found in the records of the town of Nuremberg, Germany, dating back to the 14th century. In these records, a person named Hans Grass is listed as a citizen of the town in the year 1387.

Another early reference to the name Grass can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the region of Brandenburg, Germany. In this collection, a person named Nikolaus Grass is mentioned in a legal document from the year 1412.

The Grass surname was also present in other areas of Germany during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period. For example, in the town of Lübeck, a merchant named Johann Grass is recorded in the city's records from the year 1527.

One notable person with the surname Grass was Günter Grass, a German novelist, playwright, and artist, who was born in 1927 and died in 2015. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1999 for his influential work, including the novels "The Tin Drum" and "Dog Years."

Another famous bearer of the Grass surname was Albert Grass, a German architect who lived from 1810 to 1892. He was known for his work on the construction of the Berlin Cathedral, which was completed in 1905.

In the 16th century, a person named Hans Grass was recorded as a citizen of the town of Strasbourg, France, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire at the time. This suggests that the name had spread beyond the borders of Germany during that period.

The surname Grass can also be found in historical records from other European countries, such as Austria and Switzerland, likely due to migration patterns and the movement of people across borders in the past.

Overall, the surname Grass has a long and rich history, dating back to the Middle Ages in Germany. It has been borne by notable individuals in various fields, including literature, architecture, and commerce, and has spread across different regions of Europe over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Grass families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grass 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. Norfolk leads with 43 Grass' recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.52x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 43 12.52x
Middlesex 21 0.94x
Lancashire 19 0.72x
Leicestershire 19 7.67x
Northamptonshire 17 8.09x
Nottinghamshire 17 5.65x
Hertfordshire 10 6.49x
Ayrshire 9 5.38x
Fife 8 6.05x
Suffolk 7 2.57x
Buckinghamshire 6 4.44x
Cumberland 6 3.12x
Surrey 6 0.55x
Cheshire 5 1.01x
Wiltshire 5 2.53x
Durham 4 0.60x
Essex 4 0.91x
Yorkshire 4 0.18x
Midlothian 3 1.00x
Cornwall 2 0.79x
Hampshire 2 0.44x
Kent 2 0.26x
Somerset 2 0.56x
Staffordshire 2 0.27x
Berkshire 1 0.60x
Derbyshire 1 0.29x
Dorset 1 0.68x
Gloucestershire 1 0.23x
Lanarkshire 1 0.14x
Royal Navy 1 3.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brandon in Norfolk leads with 25 Grass' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1351.35x.

Place Total Index
Brandon 25 1351.35x
Leyland 11 238.61x
Watford 10 83.75x
Ballantrae 9 810.81x
Edwinstowe 9 1267.61x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 8 77.59x
Above Derwent 6 845.07x
Bilsthorpe 6 4000.00x
Knipton 6 2400.00x
Northampton All Sts 6 84.15x
Preston Bisset 6 2307.69x
Shoreditch London 6 6.20x
Belvoir 5 4545.45x
Eccleston 5 2000.00x
Hammersmith London 5 9.09x
Moulton 5 427.35x
St Monance 5 316.46x
Blackburn 4 5.67x
Harwich St Nicholas 4 117.30x
Stranton 4 17.88x
Thorpe Arnold 4 3636.36x
Beverley St Mary 3 92.88x
Carnbee 3 370.37x
Eaton 3 1111.11x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 2.49x
Eyke 3 1034.48x
Thetford St Mary 3 319.15x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 2 39.14x
Chelsea London 2 2.97x
Farnborough 2 41.58x
Gorton 2 8.03x
Irchester 2 153.85x
Liskeard 2 47.28x
Manchester 2 1.68x
Northampton Priory St 2 15.86x
Peterborough 2 13.15x
Rendlesham 2 740.74x
Spitalfields London 2 11.90x
Stanford 2 1538.46x
Thetford St Cuthbert 2 161.29x
Tollard Royal 2 952.38x
West Tisbury 2 327.87x
West Tofts 2 1428.57x
Whitechapel London 2 9.08x
Wrington 2 165.29x
Anstey 1 454.55x
Barkestone 1 434.78x
Bermondsey 1 1.50x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 6.84x
Cookham 1 19.12x
Dalziel 1 12.87x
Dorking 1 13.68x
Greasley 1 14.73x
Hackney London 1 0.80x
Halifax 1 3.08x
Ham 1 204.08x
Hornsey 1 3.54x
Ilam 1 625.00x
Islington London 1 0.46x
Keele 1 125.00x
Kingston On Thames 1 3.83x
Lambeth 1 0.51x
Mile End Old Town London 1 2.10x
Norwell 1 312.50x
Penge 1 7.01x
Plumstead 1 3.94x
Royal Navy 1 4.40x
Shaftesbury St Peter 1 147.06x
South Lynn 1 25.77x
Upper Langwith 1 625.00x
Westerham 1 56.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Elizabeth 11
Ann 5
Annie 5
Sarah 5
Susan 5
Caroline 4
Emma 4
Alice 3
Emily 3
Jane 3
Ada 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Elizth. 2
Hannah 2
Isabella 2
Lucy 2
Martha 2
Agnes 1
Annah 1
Annette 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Dinah 1
Eliza 1
Eliza. 1
Elizth.A. 1
Ellen 1
Gerda 1
Harriett 1
Judith 1
Lilly 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Mrs 1
Naomi 1
Rachel 1
Rose 1
Rose.Ellen. 1
Rosena 1
Ruth 1
Selina 1
Susannah 1
William 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Grass surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grass surname in 1881?

In 1881, 228 people were recorded with the Grass surname. That placed it at #11,826 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grass surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 248 in 2016. That gives Grass a modern rank of #16,910.

What does the Grass surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who lived or worked in a grassy area or meadow.

What does the Grass map show?

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