NameCensus.

UK surname

Greer

A Scottish topographical surname referring to someone who lived near a patch of gravelly soil.

In the 1881 census there were 1,010 people recorded with the Greer surname, ranking it #3,876 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,347, ranked #2,029, up from #3,876 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ09, Bolton and Knowsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Greer is 3,456 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 231.4%.

1881 census count

1,010

Ranked #3,876

Modern count

3,347

2016, ranked #2,029

Peak year

2010

3,456 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Greer had 1,010 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,876 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,347 in 2016, ranked #2,029.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,355 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Greer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Greer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Greer 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 303 #7,590
1861 historical 425 #6,043
1881 historical 1,010 #3,876
1891 historical 1,017 #4,088
1901 historical 1,355 #3,703
1911 historical 681 #6,206
1997 modern 2,992 #2,159
1998 modern 3,167 #2,117
1999 modern 3,200 #2,110
2000 modern 3,176 #2,117
2001 modern 3,119 #2,108
2002 modern 3,196 #2,101
2003 modern 3,139 #2,092
2004 modern 3,150 #2,084
2005 modern 3,209 #2,028
2006 modern 3,249 #2,015
2007 modern 3,257 #2,033
2008 modern 3,306 #2,023
2009 modern 3,420 #1,997
2010 modern 3,456 #2,019
2011 modern 3,344 #2,054
2012 modern 3,272 #2,057
2013 modern 3,340 #2,053
2014 modern 3,380 #2,043
2015 modern 3,352 #2,037
2016 modern 3,347 #2,029

Geography

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Where Greers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Manchester, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ09, Bolton, Knowsley and Pollokshaws. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ09 West Dunbartonshire
2 Bolton 025 Bolton
3 Knowsley 001 Knowsley
4 Bolton 023 Bolton
5 Pollokshaws Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Greer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Greer

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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, Greer 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

Greer is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Greer

The surname Greer originated in Scotland and is derived from the Gaelic word "griar," which means "watchman" or "guardian." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who served as a watchman or guardian, perhaps for a Scottish clan or landowner.

The earliest recorded instances of the Greer surname date back to the 12th century in Scotland. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Gillechrist Gryr, who was mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

The Greer surname is also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Greerston in Renfrewshire and Greers in Aberdeenshire. These place names may have derived from the surname or vice versa, with the name potentially originating from a particular location where the family resided.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the Greer surname was Robert Greer, a Scottish Protestant reformer and minister who lived from around 1510 to 1590. He was a prominent figure in the Scottish Reformation and played a role in the establishment of Presbyterianism in Scotland.

Another historical figure with the Greer surname was Sir Robert Greer, a Scottish military commander who lived from 1638 to 1708. He served as a colonel in the British Army and fought in several battles during the Williamite War in Ireland.

In the 18th century, John Greer (1720-1805) was a Scottish-born American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He served as a captain in the Continental Army and was present at the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775.

Moving to the 19th century, Eliza Greer (1804-1887) was a Scottish-born American philanthropist and educator. She founded several schools and educational institutions in the United States, including Greer College in Hoopeston, Illinois.

In the 20th century, Germaine Greer (born 1939) is an Australian academic, writer, and feminist activist. She is best known for her influential book "The Female Eunuch," which became a landmark publication in the women's liberation movement of the 1960s and 1970s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Greer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Greer 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. Lanarkshire leads with 311 Greers recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.80x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 311 9.80x
Lancashire 217 1.86x
Renfrewshire 90 11.83x
Middlesex 57 0.58x
Dunbartonshire 47 17.82x
Ayrshire 41 5.58x
Yorkshire 34 0.35x
Kent 28 0.84x
Midlothian 23 1.75x
Surrey 18 0.38x
Angus 16 1.76x
Lincolnshire 14 0.89x
Hampshire 12 0.60x
Cumberland 11 1.30x
Cheshire 9 0.42x
Monmouthshire 8 1.13x
Devon 7 0.34x
Somerset 7 0.44x
Aberdeenshire 6 0.66x
Staffordshire 6 0.18x
Warwickshire 6 0.24x
Essex 5 0.26x
Kirkcudbrightshire 5 3.52x
Wigtownshire 5 3.84x
Argyllshire 3 1.10x
Glamorgan 3 0.18x
Isle of Man 3 1.65x
Derbyshire 2 0.13x
Durham 2 0.07x
Norfolk 2 0.13x
Royal Navy 2 1.71x
Herefordshire 1 0.25x
Kincardineshire 1 0.84x
Perthshire 1 0.23x
Suffolk 1 0.08x
West Lothian 1 0.68x
Worcestershire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 79 Greers recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.02x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 79 14.02x
Barony 75 9.34x
Govan 71 9.05x
Liverpool 37 5.23x
West Greenock 28 20.51x
Old Kilpatrick 23 73.81x
Bothwell 22 25.56x
Manchester 19 3.63x
Old Monkland 19 15.09x
Abbey 18 15.51x
Everton 18 4.85x
Pendleton In Salford 18 12.97x
Shettleston 16 56.32x
Toxteth Park 15 3.80x
Eastwood 13 27.75x
Hampstead London 13 8.51x
Barrow In Furness 12 7.58x
Ardrossan 11 43.27x
Salford 11 3.21x
Bootle Cum Linacre 10 10.81x
Maryhill 10 16.10x
Openshaw 10 18.34x
St Luke London 10 6.35x
Willesborough 10 111.11x
Liff Benvie 9 6.52x
West Derby 9 2.64x
Bedwellty 8 6.39x
Currie 8 99.38x
Hulme 8 3.29x
Kilbarchan 8 34.63x
Preston 8 2.57x
St Marylebone London 8 1.53x
Windle 8 12.21x
Beswick 7 23.51x
Cathcart 7 17.01x
Dalry 7 20.25x
Great Grimsby 7 7.03x
Port Glasgow 7 19.04x
Reculver 7 700.00x
Shotts 7 18.43x
South Leith 7 4.73x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 3.54x
St Martin Lincoln 7 48.08x
Thornaby 7 19.26x
Birmingham 6 0.73x
Dumbarton 6 16.35x
East Greenock 6 8.36x
Kilmarnock 6 6.86x
New Monkland 6 6.40x
Row 6 17.59x
Walsall Foreign 6 3.51x
Caldewgate 5 10.80x
Fulham London 5 3.51x
Harrington 5 49.02x
Kilwinning 5 21.08x
Kirkmabreck 5 80.52x
Litherland 5 20.53x
Mile End Old Town London 5 2.39x
Montrose 5 9.07x
Portpatrick 5 114.42x
Portsea 5 1.27x
Sculcoates 5 3.24x
West Calder 5 19.30x
Bonhill 4 9.45x
Bradford 4 7.34x
Cumbernauld 4 27.68x
Ealing 4 4.56x
Honley 4 23.50x
Leeds 4 0.73x
Lewisham 4 2.24x
Little Bolton 4 2.67x
Nailsea 4 64.10x
New Kilpatrick 4 15.94x
Putney 4 8.94x
St Anne Soho London 4 7.14x
Thornton Le Beans 4 555.56x
Birkenhead 3 1.74x
Cramond 3 30.12x
St George Hanover Square 3 1.74x
Tranmere 3 3.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 31
John 29
James 22
Thomas 18
Robert 11
Joseph 9
George 8
Alfred 7
Henry 7
Arthur 6
Charles 6
Samuel 5
Alexander 4
Francis 4
Frederick 3
Richard 3
Albert 2
Harry 2
Michael 2
Peter 2
Augustus 1
Bryce 1
David 1
Ebenezer 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Felix 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Geo.Herbert 1
Gerald 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
Lawrence 1
Leo 1
Lionel 1
Lumley 1
Patrick 1
Percy 1
Reginald 1
Richardson 1
Sidney 1
Stephenson 1
Thos. 1
Timothy 1
Wilfred 1
Wiliam 1

FAQ

Greer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Greer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,010 people were recorded with the Greer surname. That placed it at #3,876 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Greer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,347 in 2016. That gives Greer a modern rank of #2,029.

What does the Greer surname mean?

A Scottish topographical surname referring to someone who lived near a patch of gravelly soil.

What does the Greer map show?

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