NameCensus.

UK surname

Gravil

A surname derived from the French word "gravelle" meaning gravel or sand.

In the 1881 census there were 52 people recorded with the Gravil surname, ranking it #26,281 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 220, ranked #18,376, up from #26,281 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hatfield, Fishlake, Thorne, Crowle (Eastoft), Eckington and Wakefield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Lincolnshire, Doncaster and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gravil is 239 in 2006. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 323.1%.

1881 census count

52

Ranked #26,281

Modern count

220

2016, ranked #18,376

Peak year

2006

239 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gravil had 52 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,281 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 220 in 2016, ranked #18,376.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 146 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Gravil surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gravil surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gravil 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 47 #24,810
1861 historical 20 #31,364
1881 historical 52 #26,281
1891 historical 64 #28,781
1901 historical 94 #23,588
1911 historical 146 #18,179
1997 modern 212 #16,996
1998 modern 228 #16,706
1999 modern 229 #16,744
2000 modern 223 #16,978
2001 modern 211 #17,376
2002 modern 218 #17,338
2003 modern 220 #17,033
2004 modern 225 #16,882
2005 modern 226 #16,782
2006 modern 239 #16,224
2007 modern 237 #16,571
2008 modern 234 #16,827
2009 modern 229 #17,431
2010 modern 229 #17,805
2011 modern 227 #17,733
2012 modern 222 #17,921
2013 modern 218 #18,441
2014 modern 222 #18,355
2015 modern 225 #18,050
2016 modern 220 #18,376

Geography

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Where Gravils are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hatfield, Fishlake, Thorne, Crowle (Eastoft), Eckington, Wakefield, Snaith and Rotherham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Lincolnshire, Doncaster and East Riding of Yorkshire. 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 Hatfield, Fishlake, Thorne, Crowle (Eastoft) Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Eckington Derbyshire
3 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Snaith Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Rotherham Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Lincolnshire 020 North Lincolnshire
2 Doncaster 003 Doncaster
3 Doncaster 006 Doncaster
4 Doncaster 004 Doncaster
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 041 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gravil

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gravil

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Gravil surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Gravil household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gravil 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

Gravil is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gravil falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gravil

The surname Gravil is of English origin, first appearing in records from the late 12th century. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, referring to someone who lived near a gravelly area or a small pit. The name is derived from the Old English word "gravel," meaning small pebbles or coarse sand.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a Richard de Gravel is mentioned. This spelling variation suggests that the name may have initially been associated with the French word "gravel" before evolving into its modern English form.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various documents from different parts of England, including the Assize Rolls of Somerset from 1268, which mention a William de Gravele. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 also record a John de Gravele in Oxfordshire.

During the 14th century, the name continued to be found in various regions of England. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include a reference to a Johannes Gravell, while the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332 mention a William Gravel.

One notable individual with the surname Gravil was Sir Thomas Gravil, a soldier and landowner who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was born around 1460 and served as a captain in the army of King Henry VII during the Wars of the Roses.

Another historical figure with this surname was John Gravil, a member of the English Parliament who represented the borough of Shaftesbury in Dorset during the 16th century. Records indicate that he served in the Parliament of 1554-1555 under Queen Mary I.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records and court documents across England. One example is William Gravil, who was born in Cheshire in 1612 and served as a magistrate in the county.

During the 18th century, the surname Gravil was found in various parts of England, including London, where a John Gravil was recorded as a merchant in the city's registers in 1732.

Another notable individual with this surname was Thomas Gravil, a prominent lawyer and landowner from Gloucestershire, who lived from 1720 to 1789. He served as a Justice of the Peace and played an active role in local affairs.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gravil families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gravil 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 44 Gravils recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.93x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 44 8.93x
Lincolnshire 4 5.03x
Derbyshire 1 1.28x
Glamorgan 1 1.16x
Nottinghamshire 1 1.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Thorne in Yorkshire leads with 28 Gravils recorded in 1881 and an index of 4590.16x.

Place Total Index
Thorne 28 4590.16x
Wakefield 11 291.01x
Cudworth 3 1666.67x
Epworth 2 540.54x
Althorpe 1 555.56x
Gainsborough 1 53.48x
Glossop Dale 1 27.40x
Hessle In Sculcoates 1 227.27x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 12.02x
Newark Upon Trent 1 41.49x
Sculcoates 1 12.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alice 3
Elizabeth 3
Mary 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Beatrice 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Nancey 1
Ruby 1
S. 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Charles 3
Walter 3
William 3
George 2
Tom 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Fred 1
Henry 1
James 1
Kitchingman 1
Richard 1
Solomon 1
Spawforth 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 Gravil households.

FAQ

Gravil surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gravil surname in 1881?

In 1881, 52 people were recorded with the Gravil surname. That placed it at #26,281 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gravil surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 220 in 2016. That gives Gravil a modern rank of #18,376.

What does the Gravil surname mean?

A surname derived from the French word "gravelle" meaning gravel or sand.

What does the Gravil map show?

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