NameCensus.

UK surname

Gravatt

An English surname derived from a Norman French placename meaning "small grove".

In the 1881 census there were 78 people recorded with the Gravatt surname, ranking it #22,500 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 101, ranked #30,929, down from #22,500 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Walthamstow, Low Leyton, London parishes and St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bristol, Barnet and Uttlesford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gravatt is 144 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.5%.

1881 census count

78

Ranked #22,500

Modern count

101

2016, ranked #30,929

Peak year

1891

144 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gravatt had 78 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,500 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016, ranked #30,929.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 144 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Gravatt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gravatt surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gravatt 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 95 #17,707
1861 historical 62 #26,041
1881 historical 78 #22,500
1891 historical 144 #18,842
1901 historical 128 #19,822
1911 historical 139 #18,745
1997 modern 105 #26,188
1998 modern 103 #27,141
1999 modern 108 #26,602
2000 modern 110 #26,248
2001 modern 103 #26,927
2002 modern 103 #27,443
2003 modern 101 #27,561
2004 modern 95 #28,746
2005 modern 89 #29,683
2006 modern 87 #30,292
2007 modern 87 #30,666
2008 modern 89 #30,713
2009 modern 87 #31,489
2010 modern 92 #31,366
2011 modern 92 #31,301
2012 modern 92 #31,528
2013 modern 97 #31,239
2014 modern 97 #31,518
2015 modern 99 #31,168
2016 modern 101 #30,929

Geography

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Where Gravatts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Walthamstow, Low Leyton, London parishes, St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford, Carshalton and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bristol, Barnet, Uttlesford, Sevenoaks and Wandsworth. 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 Walthamstow, Low Leyton Essex
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford London (South Districts)
4 Carshalton Surrey
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bristol 036 Bristol, City of
2 Barnet 032 Barnet
3 Uttlesford 007 Uttlesford
4 Sevenoaks 013 Sevenoaks
5 Wandsworth 012 Wandsworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gravatt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gravatt

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Gravatt surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Gravatt household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Gravatt is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gravatt 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

Gravatt 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 Gravatt is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 20-25 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

4
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Gravatt, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gravatt

The surname Gravatt has its origins in England, and it is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "graefa" and "aett," which together mean "grove of trees" or "at the grove." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a grove or a wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gravatt can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273. In this document, a person named Richard de la Grevett is mentioned, which is likely an early spelling variation of the surname Gravatt.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Gravatt appeared in various historical records across different regions of England. In the 1524 Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a William Gravett is listed, while in the 1598 Subsidy Rolls of Buckinghamshire, a John Gravatt is recorded.

Interestingly, the surname Gravatt has also been associated with certain place names in England. For instance, there is a hamlet called Gravatt in Shropshire, which may have influenced the development of the surname in that area.

One notable individual with the surname Gravatt was Sir Thomas Gravatt (c. 1545-1609), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Shropshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was William Gravatt (1617-1678), an English Protestant minister and author who served as the Rector of Masham in Yorkshire.

In the 18th century, John Gravatt (1689-1764) was a successful merchant and landowner in Northamptonshire, while in the early 19th century, John Gravatt (1788-1854) was a notable architect and surveyor who worked on various projects in London and the surrounding areas.

A more recent example is Sir Christopher Gravatt (1908-1994), a British civil servant and diplomat who served as the High Commissioner to Canada from 1967 to 1972.

Throughout history, the surname Gravatt has undergone various spelling variations, such as Grevett, Gravett, and Grevatt, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal practices of different time periods and locations within England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gravatt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gravatt 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. Middlesex leads with 20 Gravatts recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.63x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 20 2.63x
Sussex 20 15.59x
Surrey 15 4.05x
Essex 11 7.33x
Berkshire 5 8.76x
Kent 4 1.54x
Warwickshire 3 1.56x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 11 Gravatts recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.50x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 11 42.50x
Clerkenwell London 8 44.54x
Leyton 8 308.88x
Hackney London 6 14.07x
Hendon 4 145.99x
New Shoreham 4 519.48x
Wandsworth 4 54.64x
Birmingham 3 4.69x
Clewer 3 128.21x
Newington 3 10.68x
Tonbridge 3 32.05x
West Ham 3 9.05x
Camberwell 2 4.12x
Ewhurst 2 869.57x
Lower Beeding 2 588.24x
Reading St Lawrence 2 163.93x
Chertsey 1 41.67x
Croydon 1 4.86x
Deptford St Paul 1 5.00x
Hove 1 17.76x
Kensington London 1 2.36x
Pulborough 1 212.77x
Putney 1 28.82x
Shere 1 222.22x
Sompting 1 555.56x
St George Hanover Square 1 7.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Ellen 4
Eliza 3
Sarah 3
Ann 2
Emily 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Louise 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Anna 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Elizh.Hannah 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Harriet 1
Jesse 1
Jessie 1
Katherine 1
Lilian 1
Lucy 1
Minnie 1
Nelly 1
Susan 1
T. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alfred 4
Edward 4
John 4
Charles 3
George 3
Ernest 2
Robert 2
Arthur 1
E. 1
Edwin 1
German 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
James 1
Sidney 1
Walter 1
William 1

FAQ

Gravatt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gravatt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 78 people were recorded with the Gravatt surname. That placed it at #22,500 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gravatt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016. That gives Gravatt a modern rank of #30,929.

What does the Gravatt surname mean?

An English surname derived from a Norman French placename meaning "small grove".

What does the Gravatt map show?

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