NameCensus.

UK surname

Grealey

In the 1881 census there were 105 people recorded with the Grealey surname, ranking it #19,183 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 119, ranked #27,704, down from #19,183 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Rochdale and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Knowsley, Havant and Stratford-on-Avon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grealey is 130 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.3%.

1881 census count

105

Ranked #19,183

Modern count

119

2016, ranked #27,704

Peak year

1911

130 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grealey had 105 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,183 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016, ranked #27,704.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 130 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Grealey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grealey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Grealey 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 15 #30,614
1861 historical 29 #30,287
1881 historical 105 #19,183
1891 historical 120 #21,292
1901 historical 127 #19,893
1911 historical 130 #19,504
1997 modern 99 #27,039
1998 modern 112 #25,856
1999 modern 113 #25,913
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 106 #26,468
2002 modern 107 #26,849
2003 modern 104 #27,101
2004 modern 105 #27,181
2005 modern 102 #27,689
2006 modern 100 #28,283
2007 modern 102 #28,351
2008 modern 112 #27,061
2009 modern 119 #26,637
2010 modern 126 #26,312
2011 modern 127 #25,926
2012 modern 119 #27,100
2013 modern 121 #27,255
2014 modern 122 #27,358
2015 modern 119 #27,684
2016 modern 119 #27,704

Geography

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Where Grealeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Rochdale, London parishes, Manchester and Kidderminster. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Knowsley, Havant and Stratford-on-Avon. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Rochdale Lancashire
3 London parishes London 1
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Kidderminster Worcestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Knowsley 001 Knowsley
2 Knowsley 005 Knowsley
3 Knowsley 003 Knowsley
4 Havant 015 Havant
5 Stratford-on-Avon 001 Stratford-on-Avon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Grealey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Grealey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Grealey, 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 Grealey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Grealey 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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Grealey is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Grealey is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Grealey 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 Grealey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Grealey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grealey 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 62 Grealeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.10x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 62 5.10x
Staffordshire 10 2.89x
Middlesex 8 0.78x
Derbyshire 6 3.74x
Lanarkshire 5 1.51x
Northumberland 5 3.28x
Cheshire 4 1.77x
Durham 2 0.66x
Yorkshire 2 0.20x
Warwickshire 1 0.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bootle Cum Linacre in Lancashire leads with 13 Grealeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 134.72x.

Place Total Index
Bootle Cum Linacre 13 134.72x
West Derby 10 28.12x
Kingswinford 9 71.71x
Blackburn 7 21.65x
Salford 7 19.58x
Derby St Michael 6 1764.71x
Westminster St Margaret 6 121.46x
Wallsend 5 103.52x
Wardleworth 5 71.94x
Bury 4 28.82x
Cheadle 4 92.59x
Liverpool 4 5.42x
Cheetham 3 33.08x
Maryhill 3 46.30x
Warrington 3 20.82x
Barony 2 2.39x
Leeds 2 3.49x
Sutton 2 49.02x
Winlaton 2 68.49x
Ashton In Makerfield 1 28.90x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 3.77x
Birmingham 1 1.16x
Everton 1 2.58x
Kirkdale 1 4.89x
St Pancras London 1 1.21x
Stafford St Mary 1 20.45x
Westminster St John 1 8.02x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Annie 4
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Margaret 3
Ann 2
Elizabeth 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Bedelia 1
Catherine 1
Cathrine 1
Charlotte 1
Elizth. 1
Ellin 1
Emily 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Lucy 1
Marcell 1
Maria 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Grealey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grealey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 105 people were recorded with the Grealey surname. That placed it at #19,183 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grealey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016. That gives Grealey a modern rank of #27,704.

What does the Grealey map show?

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