NameCensus.

UK surname

Grassby

In the 1881 census there were 187 people recorded with the Grassby surname, ranking it #13,407 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 243, ranked #17,131, down from #13,407 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, Wakefield and Snaith. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire and West Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grassby is 316 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.9%.

1881 census count

187

Ranked #13,407

Modern count

243

2016, ranked #17,131

Peak year

1911

316 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grassby had 187 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,407 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 243 in 2016, ranked #17,131.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 316 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Grassby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grassby surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Grassby 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 120 #15,144
1861 historical 117 #18,635
1881 historical 187 #13,407
1891 historical 186 #15,740
1901 historical 297 #11,721
1911 historical 316 #11,031
1997 modern 268 #14,585
1998 modern 255 #15,470
1999 modern 258 #15,467
2000 modern 253 #15,623
2001 modern 248 #15,606
2002 modern 267 #15,123
2003 modern 254 #15,454
2004 modern 251 #15,655
2005 modern 249 #15,679
2006 modern 243 #16,052
2007 modern 247 #16,042
2008 modern 255 #15,859
2009 modern 267 #15,661
2010 modern 267 #16,029
2011 modern 259 #16,237
2012 modern 258 #16,165
2013 modern 259 #16,392
2014 modern 251 #16,865
2015 modern 249 #16,858
2016 modern 243 #17,131

Geography

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Where Grassbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, Wakefield, Snaith, Barton St Peter and St Mary and Barrow-on-Humber. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire and West Dorset. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Snaith Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Barton St Peter and St Mary Lincolnshire
5 Barrow-on-Humber Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 040 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 West Dorset 010 West Dorset
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 031 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 037 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 038 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Grassby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Grassby

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Grassby, 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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Grassby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Grassby household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Grassby is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Grassby 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

Grassby falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Grassby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grassby 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 104 Grassbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.75x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 104 5.75x
Lincolnshire 56 19.20x
Surrey 7 0.79x
Lancashire 5 0.23x
Lanarkshire 4 0.68x
Dorset 3 2.51x
Middlesex 3 0.16x
Derbyshire 2 0.70x
Bedfordshire 1 1.06x
Essex 1 0.28x
Staffordshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sculcoates in Yorkshire leads with 29 Grassbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 101.19x.

Place Total Index
Sculcoates 29 101.19x
Barton St Mary 22 1506.85x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 16 243.90x
Goole 11 363.04x
Barrow On Humber 9 532.54x
Templenewsam 9 687.02x
Barton St Peter 7 522.39x
Heck 7 5000.00x
Penge 7 60.09x
Wootton 7 1944.44x
Leeds 6 5.88x
Holy Trinity 5 11.50x
Kirton In Lindsey 5 431.03x
Preston 5 8.63x
Barony 4 2.68x
Bridlington 4 96.62x
Holy Trinity St Mary 4 145.45x
Clee With Weelsby 3 46.95x
Fordington 3 116.28x
Oulton Cum Woodlesford 3 204.08x
St George In East London 3 17.48x
St Mary 3 247.93x
Derby St Werburgh 2 12.13x
Long Riston 2 869.57x
Newington 2 40.16x
Burton Upon Trent 1 6.94x
Hunslet 1 3.55x
Kirk Deighton 1 454.55x
Langton By Horncastle 1 555.56x
Leyton Low 1 13.66x
Luton 1 6.12x
New Sleaford 1 53.48x
Preston 1 100.00x
Winterton 1 100.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Sarah 9
Hannah 5
Ann 4
Rebecca 4
Elizabeth 3
Jane 3
Margaret 3
Martha 3
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Ethel 2
Maria 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Annie 1
Blanche 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Eva 1
Eveline 1
F.Q. 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Hester 1
Jannet 1
Julia 1
L. 1
Margrett 1
Marria 1
Miyra 1
N. 1
Ruth 1
Selina 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 17
Thomas 10
William 10
Joseph 6
George 5
Arthur 3
Henry 3
Hodgson 3
Robert 3
Thos. 3
Frederick 2
Geo. 2
Herbert 2
James 2
Jeverson 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Alfred 1
Charley 1
Elisha 1
F.J.G. 1
Fergus 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Furges 1
Harry 1
Hy. 1
Hy.V. 1
Isaiah 1
Jas.Albert 1
Jno. 1
Samuel 1
Ths. 1
Tom. 1
Wm.R. 1
Woodliffe 1

FAQ

Grassby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grassby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 187 people were recorded with the Grassby surname. That placed it at #13,407 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grassby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 243 in 2016. That gives Grassby a modern rank of #17,131.

What does the Grassby map show?

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