NameCensus.

UK surname

Graveson

A locational surname derived from a place where graveyards existed.

In the 1881 census there were 161 people recorded with the Graveson surname, ranking it #14,801 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 222, ranked #18,277, down from #14,801 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Warton, Windermere and Millom, Muncaster. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton, South Lakeland and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Graveson is 241 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.9%.

1881 census count

161

Ranked #14,801

Modern count

222

2016, ranked #18,277

Peak year

2010

241 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Graveson had 161 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,801 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 222 in 2016, ranked #18,277.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 180 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Graveson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Graveson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Graveson 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 75 #20,268
1861 historical 121 #18,148
1881 historical 161 #14,801
1891 historical 159 #17,636
1901 historical 176 #16,401
1911 historical 180 #15,961
1997 modern 224 #16,392
1998 modern 236 #16,304
1999 modern 225 #16,931
2000 modern 230 #16,644
2001 modern 230 #16,415
2002 modern 226 #16,939
2003 modern 233 #16,394
2004 modern 225 #16,882
2005 modern 219 #17,126
2006 modern 213 #17,563
2007 modern 212 #17,803
2008 modern 221 #17,495
2009 modern 228 #17,486
2010 modern 241 #17,186
2011 modern 231 #17,530
2012 modern 232 #17,401
2013 modern 237 #17,423
2014 modern 231 #17,813
2015 modern 225 #18,050
2016 modern 222 #18,277

Geography

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Where Gravesons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Warton, Windermere, Millom, Muncaster, Bolton-le-Moors and Holme Cultram. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton, South Lakeland, County Durham, Eden and Allerdale. 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 Warton Lancashire
2 Windermere Westmorland
3 Millom, Muncaster Cumberland
4 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
5 Holme Cultram Cumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 024 Bolton
2 South Lakeland 003 South Lakeland
3 County Durham 036 County Durham
4 Eden 007 Eden
5 Allerdale 001 Allerdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Graveson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Graveson

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

Graveson is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Graveson falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Graveson

The surname Graveson has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "graefe" and "tun," which collectively translate to "grove settlement" or "woodland town." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with individuals who resided in or near a forested area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a collection of records from the late 13th century, where it appears as "de Gravestone." This variation in spelling provides insight into the potential evolution of the name over time.

During the medieval period, the Graveson surname was predominantly concentrated in the counties of Essex and Suffolk, although it also had a presence in other parts of England. It is worth noting that the name shares similarities with place names such as Gravesend in Kent, which may indicate a connection between the surname and geographical locations.

In the 16th century, the Graveson name appeared in various legal documents and parish records, including those of John Graveson, who was born in Essex in 1542, and William Graveson, a landowner from Suffolk born in 1578. These early examples demonstrate the established presence of the name in East Anglia during this time.

Notable individuals with the Graveson surname throughout history include:

1. Sir Richard Graveson (1584-1662), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Charles I. 2. Elizabeth Graveson (1645-1712), a prominent Quaker minister and writer from Essex. 3. James Graveson (1779-1844), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. 4. Henry Graveson (1816-1892), a prominent architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London. 5. Sir Arthur Graveson (1892-1968), a distinguished legal scholar and professor of law at the University of Cambridge.

While the Graveson name has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, likely due to migration and the movement of people over the centuries. However, the earliest recorded instances and the apparent origins of the surname can be traced back to the medieval period in the counties of Essex and Suffolk.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Graveson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Graveson 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. Lancashire leads with 48 Gravesons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.58x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 48 2.58x
Westmorland 46 133.26x
Cumberland 26 19.23x
Lincolnshire 15 5.97x
Cheshire 8 2.31x
Leicestershire 4 2.30x
Yorkshire 4 0.26x
Durham 3 0.64x
Hertfordshire 3 2.77x
Middlesex 3 0.19x
Kent 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kendal in Westmorland leads with 27 Gravesons recorded in 1881 and an index of 427.22x.

Place Total Index
Kendal 27 427.22x
Haxey 14 1308.41x
Colton 9 927.84x
Undermilbeck 9 789.47x
Liscard 8 128.00x
Everton 6 10.10x
Sharples 6 297.03x
Borwick 5 3571.43x
Crosscanonby 5 111.86x
Ellenborough Ewanrigg 5 531.91x
Ashton Under Lyne 4 9.82x
Broughton Astley 4 1052.63x
Low Holme 4 526.32x
Lower Holker 4 1111.11x
Millom 4 96.62x
Ulpha 4 2500.00x
Underbarrow Bradley 4 1600.00x
Ackworth 3 250.00x
Barrow In Furness 3 11.83x
Hertford All Saints 3 491.80x
Islington London 3 1.97x
Liverpool 3 2.65x
Preston 3 6.02x
Ambleside 2 186.92x
Bishop Auckland 2 31.90x
Dalton In Furness 2 27.82x
Oughterside Allerby 2 740.74x
Blackburn 1 2.02x
Borden 1 147.06x
Darlington 1 5.54x
Heversham With Milnthorpe 1 120.48x
High Bolton 1 666.67x
Kirkby Lonsdale 1 107.53x
Levens 1 196.08x
Little Bolton 1 4.17x
Louth 1 17.36x
Over Staveley 1 256.41x
Torpenhow Whitrigg 1 666.67x
Ulverston 1 18.42x
Wath On Dearne 1 32.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Sarah 14
Agnes 4
Elizabeth 4
Ann 3
Hannah 3
Jane 3
Martha 3
Ada 2
Annie 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Margaret 2
Agness 1
Alice 1
Barbara 1
Bertha 1
Cammilla 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz.Ann 1
Eliza 1
Elizh. 1
Emily 1
Emmeline 1
Esther 1
Isabel 1
Isabell 1
Isabella 1
Lilly 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Maggie 1
Margrate 1
Margret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 10
John 10
James 8
Thomas 7
William 6
Robert 5
Henry 3
Thos. 3
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Fredrick 2
Alfred 1
Amos 1
Arron 1
Charles 1
Eawin 1
Edwin 1
Hary 1
Michael 1
Preston 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Samuel 1
Sisson 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Graveson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Graveson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 161 people were recorded with the Graveson surname. That placed it at #14,801 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Graveson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 222 in 2016. That gives Graveson a modern rank of #18,277.

What does the Graveson surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place where graveyards existed.

What does the Graveson map show?

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