NameCensus.

UK surname

Greaves

An occupational surname referring to a maker of armor for the legs, derived from the Old English "grefa".

In the 1881 census there were 8,773 people recorded with the Greaves surname, ranking it #479 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 10,908, ranked #593, down from #479 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Sheffield and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Melton, Chesterfield and Barnsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Greaves is 11,464 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.3%.

1881 census count

8,773

Ranked #479

Modern count

10,908

2016, ranked #593

Peak year

1999

11,464 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Greaves had 8,773 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #479 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 10,908 in 2016, ranked #593.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 11,176 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Greaves surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Greaves surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Greaves 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 5,698 #488
1861 historical 5,819 #468
1881 historical 8,773 #479
1891 historical 9,000 #492
1901 historical 10,568 #497
1911 historical 11,176 #436
1997 modern 11,037 #556
1998 modern 11,416 #558
1999 modern 11,464 #562
2000 modern 11,361 #561
2001 modern 11,113 #563
2002 modern 11,283 #567
2003 modern 11,049 #565
2004 modern 11,082 #561
2005 modern 10,880 #570
2006 modern 10,863 #568
2007 modern 10,833 #577
2008 modern 10,901 #579
2009 modern 11,190 #578
2010 modern 11,451 #575
2011 modern 11,279 #577
2012 modern 10,984 #577
2013 modern 11,120 #582
2014 modern 11,190 #584
2015 modern 11,002 #588
2016 modern 10,908 #593

Geography

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Where Greaves' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Sheffield, London parishes, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Melton, Chesterfield, Barnsley and North East Derbyshire. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
3 London parishes London 2
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Melton 003 Melton
2 Chesterfield 002 Chesterfield
3 Barnsley 020 Barnsley
4 North East Derbyshire 014 North East Derbyshire
5 North East Derbyshire 013 North East Derbyshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Greaves

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Greaves

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

Greaves is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Greaves 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 Greaves 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 Greaves, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Greaves

The surname Greaves is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "grēfe," meaning a small wood or thicket. It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near or in a small grove or wooded area.

In the late 11th century, the name appears in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, compiled by order of William the Conqueror. This record mentions individuals with the surname Greaves, or variations such as Greve or Grieve, living in various parts of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, dated 1195, which mention a William de Grevis. The name was also spelled as Greyves, Grevys, or Grevys in various medieval records from different parts of England.

In the 13th century, the name Greaves was associated with the village of Greves in Lancashire, which was likely named after someone with the surname Greaves who lived there or owned land in the area.

One notable individual with the surname Greaves was Sir Ralph Greaves, a military leader who fought in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century. He was born around 1430 and was knighted for his service to King Edward IV.

Another famous bearer of the name was John Greaves, an English mathematician, antiquarian, and traveler, who lived from 1602 to 1652. He is known for his work on ancient weights and measures, as well as his travels to Egypt and the Middle East.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure with the surname Greaves was Thomas Greaves, an English clergyman and biblical scholar, who was born in 1612 and died in 1676. He is best known for his work on the translation of the Bible into Persian.

The surname Greaves was also associated with the Greaves family of Beeley, Derbyshire, who were landowners and influential in the region during the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable member was Sir John Greaves, born in 1602, who served as a Member of Parliament.

Another individual of note was John Greaves, an English engraver and illustrator, who lived from 1786 to 1853. He is renowned for his intricate illustrations of scientific subjects, particularly in the fields of botany and zoology.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Greaves families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Greaves 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 2,803 Greaves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.30x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,803 3.30x
Lancashire 2,107 2.07x
Derbyshire 456 3.40x
Middlesex 438 0.51x
Warwickshire 430 1.99x
Nottinghamshire 323 2.80x
Cheshire 286 1.51x
Worcestershire 263 2.35x
Durham 195 0.77x
Staffordshire 188 0.65x
Leicestershire 179 1.89x
Surrey 137 0.33x
Norfolk 133 1.01x
Lincolnshire 97 0.71x
Northumberland 91 0.71x
Buckinghamshire 59 1.14x
Cambridgeshire 52 0.96x
Sussex 50 0.35x
Cumberland 45 0.61x
Essex 42 0.25x
Hampshire 41 0.23x
Kent 35 0.12x
Northamptonshire 30 0.37x
Westmorland 27 1.43x
Shropshire 26 0.35x
Oxfordshire 23 0.43x
Gloucestershire 22 0.13x
Berkshire 19 0.30x
Herefordshire 14 0.40x
Lanarkshire 14 0.05x
Glamorgan 11 0.07x
Radnorshire 11 1.59x
Isle of Man 10 0.63x
Selkirkshire 10 1.29x
Devon 9 0.05x
Dorset 8 0.14x
Hertfordshire 8 0.14x
Somerset 8 0.06x
Suffolk 8 0.08x
Wiltshire 8 0.11x
Huntingdonshire 7 0.41x
Royal Navy 7 0.69x
Midlothian 6 0.05x
Caernarfonshire 5 0.14x
Bedfordshire 4 0.09x
Channel Islands 4 0.16x
Renfrewshire 4 0.06x
Rutland 4 0.64x
Wigtownshire 4 0.35x
Monmouthshire 3 0.05x
Morayshire 3 0.23x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.03x
Flintshire 2 0.09x
Ayrshire 1 0.02x
Berwickshire 1 0.10x
Buteshire 1 0.19x
Cornwall 1 0.01x
Denbighshire 1 0.03x
Inverness-shire 1 0.04x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.05x
Ross-shire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 326 Greaves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.94x.

Place Total Index
Oldham 326 9.94x
Sheffield 200 7.40x
Birmingham 188 2.61x
Ashton Under Lyne 166 7.47x
Aston 166 2.79x
Ecclesall Bierlow 164 9.50x
Crompton 146 50.45x
Leeds 145 3.03x
Ecclesfield 139 22.34x
Nether Hallam 125 10.89x
Bradfield 78 23.84x
Pudsey 78 17.20x
Hunslet 73 5.52x
Eckington 69 21.18x
Blackburn 62 2.29x
Brightside Bierlow 62 3.73x
Castleton 62 6.11x
Spotland 61 5.40x
Royton 60 19.30x
Salford 55 1.84x
St Pancras London 54 0.78x
Nottingham St Mary 53 1.78x
Chadderton 52 10.47x
Shirland 52 51.85x
Failsworth 50 21.51x
Islington London 49 0.59x
Lytham 46 29.65x
Headingley Cum Burley 45 8.24x
Pilkington 45 11.66x
Chelsea London 44 1.71x
Holbeck 44 7.83x
Holy Trinity 44 2.16x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 41 5.19x
Armley 40 10.69x
Liverpool 40 0.65x
Chorlton On Medlock 39 2.42x
Dukinfield 39 4.46x
Newchurch 39 4.69x
Worksop 39 11.39x
Shipley 38 8.63x
Bramley In Bramley 37 11.39x
Bradford 36 1.75x
Kimberworth 36 7.64x
Manchester 36 0.79x
Barrow In Furness 34 2.46x
Leicester St Mary 34 4.43x
Morley 34 7.71x
Stoke Upon Trent 34 1.11x
Wortley In Bramley 34 5.06x
Gomersal 32 8.08x
Ulverston 32 10.81x
Accrington 31 3.36x
Derby St Werburgh 31 4.00x
Newton 31 3.96x
Saddleworth 30 4.58x
Dewsbury 29 3.33x
Gorton 29 3.04x
Hackney London 29 0.60x
Leicester St Margaret 28 1.21x
Macclesfield 28 3.33x
Mirfield 28 6.01x
Rawdon 28 28.02x
Halifax 27 2.17x
Killamarsh 27 32.37x
Lambeth 27 0.36x
Brighton 26 0.89x
Toxteth Park 26 0.76x
West Ham 26 0.70x
Batley 25 3.10x
Bethnal Green London 25 0.67x
Dronfield 25 14.55x
Kings Norton 25 2.49x
Livesey 25 14.02x
Everton 24 0.74x
Hulme 24 1.13x
Kidderminster Borough 24 3.67x
Rotherham 24 5.02x
Stoke Prior 24 34.79x
Trentham 24 9.76x
Gateshead 23 1.21x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 640
Sarah 407
Elizabeth 313
Ann 181
Jane 161
Alice 153
Hannah 140
Annie 125
Eliza 112
Ellen 107
Emma 107
Martha 102
Margaret 90
Emily 79
Harriet 69
Ada 63
Fanny 63
Maria 61
Lucy 57
Charlotte 51
Florence 51
Edith 48
Louisa 47
Clara 46
Frances 38
Agnes 33
Caroline 30
Kate 27
Anne 26
Isabella 25
Betty 24
Amelia 23
Gertrude 23
Catherine 22
Esther 22
Sophia 22
Susan 20
Eleanor 18
Ethel 18
Maud 18
Susannah 18
Rebecca 17
Minnie 16
Rachel 16
Elizth. 14
Harriett 14
Rose 14
Ruth 14
Grace 13
Lizzie 13

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 578
William 492
George 306
James 292
Thomas 292
Joseph 201
Henry 157
Charles 152
Robert 110
Edward 95
Samuel 93
Arthur 87
Richard 73
Walter 71
Alfred 66
Albert 63
Frederick 58
Harry 50
Benjamin 43
Herbert 40
Frank 37
Edwin 31
Ernest 28
Wm. 28
Fred 26
Francis 25
Joshua 21
Jonathan 18
Thos. 18
Abraham 17
David 16
Geo. 16
Tom 13
Robt. 12
Isaac 10
Percy 10
Willie 10
Alexander 9
Ben 9
Daniel 9
Edmund 8
Fredk. 8
Joe 8
Jesse 7
Matthew 7
Philip 7
Christopher 6
Fredrick 6
Louis 6
Roger 6

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 Greaves households.

FAQ

Greaves surname: questions and answers

How common was the Greaves surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8,773 people were recorded with the Greaves surname. That placed it at #479 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Greaves surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 10,908 in 2016. That gives Greaves a modern rank of #593.

What does the Greaves surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a maker of armor for the legs, derived from the Old English "grefa".

What does the Greaves map show?

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