NameCensus.

UK surname

Grebby

In the 1881 census there were 90 people recorded with the Grebby surname, ranking it #20,965 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 140, ranked #24,865, down from #20,965 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wilne, Sawley and Newcastle All Saints. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Erewash and East Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grebby is 172 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.6%.

1881 census count

90

Ranked #20,965

Modern count

140

2016, ranked #24,865

Peak year

1998

172 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grebby had 90 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,965 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 140 in 2016, ranked #24,865.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 160 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Grebby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grebby surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Grebby 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 37 #26,673
1861 historical 37 #29,339
1881 historical 90 #20,965
1891 historical 119 #21,415
1901 historical 110 #21,604
1911 historical 160 #17,151
1997 modern 160 #20,259
1998 modern 172 #19,883
1999 modern 165 #20,535
2000 modern 171 #20,044
2001 modern 165 #20,199
2002 modern 161 #20,925
2003 modern 151 #21,574
2004 modern 143 #22,471
2005 modern 143 #22,473
2006 modern 136 #23,378
2007 modern 133 #24,059
2008 modern 140 #23,511
2009 modern 138 #24,276
2010 modern 150 #23,482
2011 modern 144 #23,962
2012 modern 142 #24,148
2013 modern 145 #24,207
2014 modern 143 #24,621
2015 modern 139 #24,956
2016 modern 140 #24,865

Geography

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Where Grebbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wilne, Sawley, Newcastle All Saints, Horncastle (incl. Horncastle allotments) and Ilkeston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Erewash and East Lindsey. 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 Wilne Derbyshire
2 Sawley Derbyshire
3 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
4 Horncastle (incl. Horncastle allotments) Lincolnshire
5 Ilkeston Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Erewash 007 Erewash
2 East Lindsey 003 East Lindsey
3 Erewash 003 Erewash
4 Erewash 013 Erewash
5 Erewash 001 Erewash

Forenames

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First names often paired with Grebby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Grebby

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Grebby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Grebby household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Grebby 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

Grebby 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

Grebby falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Grebby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grebby 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. Lincolnshire leads with 38 Grebbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.07x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 38 27.07x
Derbyshire 28 20.37x
Yorkshire 12 1.38x
Northumberland 6 4.59x
Nottinghamshire 2 1.69x
Kent 1 0.33x
Leicestershire 1 1.03x
Middlesex 1 0.11x
Surrey 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ilkestonderbypart in Derbyshire leads with 16 Grebbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4000.00x.

Place Total Index
Ilkestonderbypart 16 4000.00x
Long Eaton 12 662.98x
Barlings 7 5000.00x
Horncastle 7 482.76x
Byker 6 92.88x
Ripon 6 297.03x
Claythorpe 5 16666.67x
Willoughby 5 2631.58x
Howden Thorpe In 4 4444.44x
Metheringham 4 714.29x
East Leake 2 714.29x
Louth 2 62.11x
Orby 2 1666.67x
Sutton Stoneferry 2 80.32x
Toynton All Sts 2 2000.00x
Barton St Peter 1 156.25x
Clerkenwell London 1 4.83x
Eltham 1 56.82x
Glenfield 1 526.32x
Heckington 1 188.68x
High Toynton 1 2500.00x
Hundleby 1 526.32x
Newington 1 3.08x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
Joseph 6
Henry 5
George 4
Robert 4
Edwin 2
Fredrick 2
Harry 2
Thomas 2
Albert 1
Amos 1
Arthur 1
Cartwright 1
Charles 1
James 1
Jas.H. 1
Michael 1
Richard 1
Saml. 1
Samuel 1
T. 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
William 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 Grebby households.

FAQ

Grebby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grebby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 90 people were recorded with the Grebby surname. That placed it at #20,965 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grebby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 140 in 2016. That gives Grebby a modern rank of #24,865.

What does the Grebby map show?

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