NameCensus.

UK surname

Greet

A surname derived from the Scottish word "greit", meaning coarse or thick.

In the 1881 census there were 447 people recorded with the Greet surname, ranking it #7,350 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 426, ranked #11,279, down from #7,350 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Leicester St Mary, Devonport Stoke Damerel and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall and Teignbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Greet is 484 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.7%.

1881 census count

447

Ranked #7,350

Modern count

426

2016, ranked #11,279

Peak year

1911

484 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Greet had 447 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,350 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 426 in 2016, ranked #11,279.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 484 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Greet surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Greet surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Greet 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 278 #8,089
1861 historical 265 #9,355
1881 historical 447 #7,350
1891 historical 452 #8,050
1901 historical 470 #8,432
1911 historical 484 #8,026
1997 modern 464 #9,831
1998 modern 463 #10,192
1999 modern 456 #10,354
2000 modern 458 #10,281
2001 modern 447 #10,294
2002 modern 461 #10,228
2003 modern 453 #10,241
2004 modern 439 #10,516
2005 modern 432 #10,531
2006 modern 430 #10,624
2007 modern 436 #10,597
2008 modern 447 #10,481
2009 modern 454 #10,590
2010 modern 465 #10,618
2011 modern 459 #10,607
2012 modern 436 #10,940
2013 modern 443 #10,968
2014 modern 430 #11,323
2015 modern 430 #11,226
2016 modern 426 #11,279

Geography

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Where Greets are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Leicester St Mary, Devonport Stoke Damerel, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Perranzabuloe and Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall and Teignbridge. 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 Leicester St Mary Leicestershire
2 Devonport Stoke Damerel Devon
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 Perranzabuloe Cornwall
5 Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 073 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 072 Cornwall
3 Teignbridge 019 Teignbridge
4 Cornwall 048 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 027 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Greet

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Greet

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

Greet is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Greet falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Greet is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Greet

The surname "Greet" is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is believed to have originated in England during the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English word "grētan," which means "to greet" or "to salute." This name was likely given to someone who had a friendly or welcoming demeanor, or perhaps to a town crier or messenger whose job involved greeting people.

The earliest known record of the name "Greet" appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land holdings and wealth ordered by William the Conqueror. In this record, a person named "Greta" is listed as a landowner in the county of Norfolk.

During the 13th century, the name "Greet" was found in various spellings, such as "Greet," "Grete," and "Gret." These variations were likely due to the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping at the time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Greet" is that of John Greet, who was born in Oxfordshire, England, around 1350. He was a prominent landowner and served as a member of the local parliament during the reign of King Edward III.

Another notable person with the surname "Greet" was William Greet, born in 1535 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a renowned scholar and author who wrote several works on theology and philosophy.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure named Elizabeth Greet, born in 1612 in Somerset, England, was known for her philanthropic efforts and work in establishing schools and orphanages in her local community.

During the 18th century, the name "Greet" was also found in various place names, such as Greet's Green in Staffordshire and Greet's Hill in Gloucestershire, suggesting that the name may have been associated with specific locations or landholdings.

One of the most famous people with the surname "Greet" was Sir William Greet (1795-1872), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became an influential politician and member of parliament.

Another notable figure was Mary Greet (1867-1944), an English artist and painter known for her landscape and portrait works, which were exhibited at the Royal Academy and other prestigious galleries.

While the surname "Greet" is not as common today as it once was, it has a rich history and cultural significance, reflecting the friendly and welcoming nature of its bearers throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Greet families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Greet 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. Cornwall leads with 181 Greets recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.42x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 181 36.42x
Leicestershire 88 18.08x
Devon 50 5.47x
Gloucestershire 16 1.86x
Sussex 15 2.03x
Kent 12 0.80x
Durham 10 0.77x
Middlesex 10 0.23x
Warwickshire 8 0.72x
Yorkshire 8 0.18x
Hampshire 7 0.78x
Lincolnshire 6 0.85x
Surrey 6 0.28x
Worcestershire 6 1.05x
Northumberland 5 0.77x
Somerset 5 0.71x
Royal Navy 3 5.74x
Norfolk 2 0.30x
Staffordshire 2 0.14x
Suffolk 2 0.37x
Berkshire 1 0.30x
Dorset 1 0.35x
East Lothian 1 1.72x
Essex 1 0.12x
Hertfordshire 1 0.33x
Lanarkshire 1 0.07x
Monmouthshire 1 0.32x
Renfrewshire 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 30 Greets recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.28x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 30 25.28x
St Just In Roseland 23 1055.05x
Antony 22 458.33x
Leicester St Mary 20 50.86x
Leicester All Sts 19 198.74x
St Stephens By Saltash 16 747.66x
Gwinear 13 550.85x
Linkinhorne 12 346.82x
Stoke Damerel 11 17.20x
Bristol St James St Paul 10 34.83x
Houghton Le Spring 10 110.74x
Newlyn 10 471.70x
Stoke 10 270.27x
Blaby 9 459.18x
Duloe 9 616.44x
Tregoney St James 9 978.26x
Bradninch 8 310.08x
Loughborough 8 36.22x
Brighton 7 4.69x
St Germans 7 201.73x
Veryan 7 364.58x
Chatham 6 14.56x
Clifton 6 13.79x
Gerrans 6 447.76x
Lancing 6 295.57x
Paignton 6 86.33x
Plymouth St Andrew 6 8.52x
Charlton Next Woolwich 5 32.01x
Claines 5 31.79x
Gwennap 5 53.36x
Leamington Priors 5 18.36x
Lovington 5 1612.90x
Norham 5 344.83x
Saltash 5 129.87x
St Blazey 5 114.68x
Croydon 4 3.37x
Cuby 4 1818.18x
Maker 4 87.15x
Middlesbrough 4 7.06x
Milford 4 152.09x
St Mewan 4 261.44x
Tywardreath 4 125.39x
Beerferris 3 168.54x
Great Ayton 3 112.78x
Leamington 3 40.87x
Royal Navy 3 6.71x
Cleethorpes 2 48.43x
Hackney London 2 0.81x
Ipswich St Clement 2 14.72x
Kensington London 2 0.82x
Phillack 2 31.20x
Sheringham 2 114.94x
St Pancras London 2 0.57x
Sutton In Marsh 2 370.37x
Tipton 2 4.41x
Wimbledon 2 8.33x
Budock 1 26.74x
Colchester St Botolph 1 13.57x
Compton Gifford 1 34.97x
Enfield 1 3.47x
Exeter Heavitree 1 14.68x
Exeter St Leonard 1 40.00x
Exeter St Mary Major 1 18.15x
Greenock Oldor West 1 107.53x
Greenwich 1 1.43x
Gulval 1 31.25x
Hitchin 1 7.32x
Keighley 1 2.16x
Lanlivery 1 47.85x
Luxulyan 1 60.61x
Millbrook 1 4.41x
Newport 1 6.61x
Philleigh 1 250.00x
Portland 1 6.46x
Probus 1 49.02x
Quethiock 1 136.99x
St Austell 1 5.89x
St Marylebone London 1 0.43x
Wargrave 1 35.34x
West Looe 1 76.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 26
William 21
George 18
Thomas 15
Joseph 10
Richard 10
Charles 7
James 7
Frederick 6
Philip 6
Henry 5
Arthur 4
Luke 4
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Harry 3
Nicholas 3
Samuel 3
Walter 3
Alexander 2
Alfred 2
Andrew 2
Bennet 2
Caleb 2
Edward 2
Herbert 2
Jesse 2
Robert 2
B. 1
Benjamin 1
Cecil 1
Colwill 1
Edmond 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Geo. 1
Horace 1
Job 1
Jonathan 1
Joshua 1
Michael 1
Nichols 1
Percival 1
Rinaldo 1
Silas 1
Sydney 1
Thos.Isaac 1
Thos.N. 1

FAQ

Greet surname: questions and answers

How common was the Greet surname in 1881?

In 1881, 447 people were recorded with the Greet surname. That placed it at #7,350 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Greet surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 426 in 2016. That gives Greet a modern rank of #11,279.

What does the Greet surname mean?

A surname derived from the Scottish word "greit", meaning coarse or thick.

What does the Greet map show?

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