NameCensus.

UK surname

Greathead

An English surname derived from a person with a large or prominent head.

In the 1881 census there were 449 people recorded with the Greathead surname, ranking it #7,335 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 540, ranked #9,422, down from #7,335 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Middlesborough and Richmond. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Greathead is 650 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.3%.

1881 census count

449

Ranked #7,335

Modern count

540

2016, ranked #9,422

Peak year

1911

650 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Greathead had 449 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,335 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 540 in 2016, ranked #9,422.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 650 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Greathead surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Greathead surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Greathead 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 374 #6,376
1861 historical 424 #6,061
1881 historical 449 #7,335
1891 historical 496 #7,478
1901 historical 576 #7,293
1911 historical 650 #6,443
1997 modern 634 #7,817
1998 modern 622 #8,181
1999 modern 634 #8,118
2000 modern 647 #7,961
2001 modern 628 #7,995
2002 modern 635 #8,120
2003 modern 600 #8,340
2004 modern 596 #8,389
2005 modern 560 #8,679
2006 modern 550 #8,814
2007 modern 544 #8,972
2008 modern 529 #9,229
2009 modern 549 #9,190
2010 modern 557 #9,270
2011 modern 563 #9,102
2012 modern 534 #9,391
2013 modern 540 #9,483
2014 modern 558 #9,280
2015 modern 552 #9,277
2016 modern 540 #9,422

Geography

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Where Greatheads are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Middlesborough, Richmond, Stranton and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Middlesborough Durham
3 Richmond Yorkshire, North Riding
4 Stranton Durham
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 021 County Durham
2 County Durham 057 County Durham
3 County Durham 052 County Durham
4 County Durham 058 County Durham
5 County Durham 056 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Greathead

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Greathead

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

Greathead 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

Greathead falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Greathead is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Greathead

The surname Greathead is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "great" and "heafod," which translate to "large head." This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone with a particularly large or prominent head during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instances of the Greathead surname can be found in various English records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1327, where a John Grethed is mentioned. The name also appears in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1332, listing a Roger Grethed.

One of the notable early bearers of the Greathead surname was William Greathead, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a renowned architect and engineer, best known for his work on the construction of the Eddystone Lighthouse off the coast of Plymouth, England, completed in 1698.

Another significant figure was Henry Greathead (1757-1816), a British engineer and inventor. He is credited with designing and patenting the life-saving apparatus known as the "Greathead Lifeboat," which revolutionized maritime rescue efforts and is still used today in various forms.

In the literary realm, Samuel Greathead (1786-1852) was an English poet and author, known for his works such as "The Wanderer's Grave" and "The Patrician's Daughter."

During the 19th century, Thomas Greathead (1811-1882) made his mark as a civil engineer, contributing to the construction of several notable railway lines in England, including the Metropolitan Railway, the world's first underground railway system.

The Greathead surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Greathead Lane in Staffordshire and Greathead Croft in Yorkshire, further strengthening its connection to the region's history and geography.

While the Greathead surname may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has since evolved into a distinguished and respected surname, borne by individuals who have made significant contributions across various fields throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Greathead families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Greathead 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 121 Greatheads recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.78x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 121 2.78x
Durham 104 7.96x
Warwickshire 68 6.14x
Lancashire 40 0.77x
Middlesex 21 0.48x
Leicestershire 14 2.88x
Lincolnshire 11 1.57x
Nottinghamshire 10 1.69x
Staffordshire 10 0.67x
Surrey 10 0.47x
Kent 9 0.60x
Worcestershire 7 1.22x
Gloucestershire 5 0.58x
Northumberland 4 0.61x
Somerset 4 0.57x
Cambridgeshire 3 1.08x
Norfolk 3 0.44x
Westmorland 2 2.07x
Essex 1 0.12x
Hampshire 1 0.11x
Hertfordshire 1 0.33x
Oxfordshire 1 0.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 36 Greatheads recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.81x.

Place Total Index
Aston 36 11.81x
Birmingham 26 7.05x
Romanby 17 2698.41x
Darlington 13 25.78x
Hulme 13 11.95x
Ormesby 12 102.65x
Richmond 12 176.47x
Bishopwearmouth 11 9.81x
Harpurhey 9 124.48x
Stranton 9 20.47x
Helmington Row 8 131.58x
Sedgley 8 14.53x
Stockton On Tees 8 12.71x
Burrill Cum Cowling 7 4666.67x
Byers Green 7 190.22x
Downholme 7 4117.65x
Lambeth 7 1.83x
Sancton Houghton 7 1250.00x
Worksop 7 39.89x
Brandon Byshottles 6 36.67x
Broughton Astley 6 566.04x
Catterick 6 612.24x
Ecclesall Bierlow 6 6.78x
Holmside 6 186.34x
Whaplode 6 251.05x
Wingate 6 67.04x
Wolsingham 6 50.42x
Yafforth 6 2142.86x
Fulham London 5 7.85x
Great Bolton 5 7.25x
Loughborough 5 22.63x
St George In East London 5 12.11x
Stretford 5 17.45x
Conisbrough 4 98.04x
Horsforth 4 41.93x
Kings Norton 4 7.78x
Nether Hallam 4 6.80x
North Bedburn 4 109.59x
Reeth 4 370.37x
Rochester St Margaret 4 25.33x
Sherburn 4 100.76x
Solihull 4 50.25x
Stickney 4 384.62x
Whitechapel London 4 9.24x
Auckland St Helen 3 218.98x
Battersea 3 1.86x
Chelsea London 3 2.27x
Elswick 3 5.75x
Heigham 3 8.28x
Leicester St Margaret 3 2.53x
Ripon 3 29.73x
Shildon 3 28.60x
West Auckland 3 62.76x
Westerham 3 86.96x
Wortley In Bramley 3 8.71x
Yardley 3 20.45x
Burton On Ure 2 869.57x
Chilvers Coton 2 43.96x
Haswell 2 21.37x
Helmsley 2 85.84x
Mansfield Woodhouse 2 50.76x
Mile End Old Town London 2 2.14x
Northallerton 2 36.04x
Oldham 2 1.19x
Pemberton 2 9.63x
St Marythe Great 2 222.22x
Stapleton 2 12.25x
Thoralby 2 625.00x
Westbury On Trym 2 6.86x
Abbots Langley 1 22.27x
Charlton Kings 1 16.78x
Dunkerton 1 65.36x
Grinton 1 175.44x
Hackney London 1 0.41x
Maidstone 1 2.24x
North Otterington 1 909.09x
Paddington London 1 0.62x
Salford 1 0.65x
Skeeby 1 416.67x
West Derby 1 0.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 29
Elizabeth 19
Sarah 16
Ann 14
Jane 13
Margaret 11
Ellen 10
Eliza 8
Hannah 7
Annie 5
Frances 5
Ada 4
Alice 4
Emma 4
Florence 4
Louisa 4
Agnes 3
Amy 3
Catherine 3
Emily 3
Isabella 3
Maria 3
Martha 3
Anne 2
Edith 2
Esther 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Henrietta 2
Lucy 2
Susannah 2
Betty 1
Charlotte 1
Dorothy 1
Elenor 1
Ellenor 1
Gertrude 1
Hariet 1
Helena 1
James 1
Julia 1
June 1
Kate 1
Kathrine 1
Lydia 1
Margaretta 1
Margeret 1
Margret 1
Margus 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 43
Thomas 24
William 24
George 19
James 10
Samuel 8
Charles 6
Henry 6
Joseph 6
Albert 5
Richard 5
Robert 5
Alfred 4
Edward 4
Francis 4
Arthur 3
Ernest 3
Walter 3
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Isaac 2
Peter 2
Baby 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Edmund 1
Elijah 1
Eugene 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
Fredk. 1
Goe. 1
Harold 1
Hutton 1
Jesse 1
Josheph 1
Mark 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Middleton 1
Nathan 1
Nathanael 1
Seth 1
Silas 1
Stephenson 1
Thos. 1
W. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Greathead surname: questions and answers

How common was the Greathead surname in 1881?

In 1881, 449 people were recorded with the Greathead surname. That placed it at #7,335 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Greathead surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 540 in 2016. That gives Greathead a modern rank of #9,422.

What does the Greathead surname mean?

An English surname derived from a person with a large or prominent head.

What does the Greathead map show?

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