NameCensus.

UK surname

Gravelle

A French toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "gravel" or "sand."

In the 1881 census there were 1 people recorded with the Gravelle surname, ranking it #34,027 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 162, ranked #22,512, up from #34,027 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire and Chichester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gravelle is 184 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16100.0%.

1881 census count

1

Ranked #34,027

Modern count

162

2016, ranked #22,512

Peak year

2004

184 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gravelle had 1 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #34,027 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 162 in 2016, ranked #22,512.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 43 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gravelle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gravelle surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gravelle 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 1 #33,412
1861 historical 3 #33,861
1881 historical 1 #34,027
1891 historical 8 #33,550
1901 historical 12 #32,772
1911 historical 43 #28,581
1997 modern 155 #20,684
1998 modern 161 #20,754
1999 modern 159 #21,030
2000 modern 167 #20,332
2001 modern 174 #19,562
2002 modern 179 #19,598
2003 modern 179 #19,416
2004 modern 184 #19,183
2005 modern 172 #19,908
2006 modern 160 #21,066
2007 modern 165 #20,893
2008 modern 169 #20,745
2009 modern 178 #20,486
2010 modern 173 #21,327
2011 modern 173 #21,172
2012 modern 159 #22,361
2013 modern 163 #22,342
2014 modern 165 #22,356
2015 modern 166 #22,159
2016 modern 162 #22,512

Geography

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Where Gravelles 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 Carmarthenshire and Chichester. 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 Carmarthenshire 021 Carmarthenshire
2 Chichester 003 Chichester
3 Carmarthenshire 006 Carmarthenshire
4 Carmarthenshire 023 Carmarthenshire
5 Carmarthenshire 008 Carmarthenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gravelle

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gravelle

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Gravelle is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gravelle is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gravelle falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gravelle is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gravelle

The surname Gravelle originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "gravele," which means "gravel" or "small stones." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked with gravel or small stones, such as a gravel worker or someone living near a gravelly area.

The earliest known record of the Gravelle surname dates back to the 13th century in the Normandy region of northern France. It is believed that the name spread to other parts of France and Europe during the Middle Ages due to migration and trade.

In the 14th century, the name Gravelle appeared in the Hundred Rolls, a census-like record of landowners in England during the reign of King Edward I. This suggests that individuals with the surname had already migrated to England by that time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Gravelle was Jean Gravelle, who was born in Rouen, France, in the late 15th century. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the region.

During the 16th century, the Gravelle family played a significant role in the French Wars of Religion between Catholics and Protestants. Pierre Gravelle (1530-1598) was a Huguenot (French Protestant) leader who fought alongside Henry of Navarre, the future King Henry IV of France.

In the 17th century, Jacques Gravelle (1620-1678) was a French explorer and fur trader who traveled to North America and established trading posts in present-day Canada. He is considered one of the pioneers of the fur trade in the region.

Another notable figure with the Gravelle surname was Marie-Madeleine Gravelle (1745-1825), a French Catholic nun who founded the Congregation of the Daughters of the Cross. She dedicated her life to educating young girls and establishing schools in France and Belgium.

During the 19th century, the Gravelle surname spread to other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada, due to immigration from France and other European countries. One example is William Gravelle (1818-1892), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gravelle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gravelle 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. Montgomeryshire leads with 1 Gravelles recorded in 1881 and an index of 454.55x.

County Total Index
Montgomeryshire 1 454.55x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Llanfair Caereinion in Montgomeryshire leads with 1 Gravelles recorded in 1881 and an index of 10000.00x.

Place Total Index
Llanfair Caereinion 1 10000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annee 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 Gravelle households.

Occupation Count
Annuitant 1

FAQ

Gravelle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gravelle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1 people were recorded with the Gravelle surname. That placed it at #34,027 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gravelle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 162 in 2016. That gives Gravelle a modern rank of #22,512.

What does the Gravelle surname mean?

A French toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "gravel" or "sand."

What does the Gravelle map show?

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