NameCensus.

UK surname

Gregson

Derived from a patronymic form of the given name Gregory, meaning "watchful" or "alert."

In the 1881 census there were 4,146 people recorded with the Gregson surname, ranking it #1,092 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,909, ranked #1,732, down from #1,092 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to North Meols, Lytham and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, Fylde and Preston.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gregson is 5,194 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 5.7%.

1881 census count

4,146

Ranked #1,092

Modern count

3,909

2016, ranked #1,732

Peak year

1911

5,194 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gregson had 4,146 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,092 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,909 in 2016, ranked #1,732.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,194 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Gregson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gregson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gregson 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 2,400 #1,242
1861 historical 2,360 #1,243
1881 historical 4,146 #1,092
1891 historical 4,227 #1,134
1901 historical 4,890 #1,155
1911 historical 5,194 #1,006
1997 modern 4,127 #1,570
1998 modern 4,204 #1,606
1999 modern 4,223 #1,612
2000 modern 4,192 #1,611
2001 modern 4,136 #1,590
2002 modern 4,171 #1,613
2003 modern 4,051 #1,630
2004 modern 4,062 #1,617
2005 modern 3,981 #1,633
2006 modern 3,973 #1,636
2007 modern 4,017 #1,638
2008 modern 4,006 #1,655
2009 modern 4,061 #1,670
2010 modern 4,092 #1,697
2011 modern 4,037 #1,698
2012 modern 3,944 #1,707
2013 modern 3,980 #1,718
2014 modern 4,013 #1,721
2015 modern 3,957 #1,720
2016 modern 3,909 #1,732

Geography

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Where Gregsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around North Meols, Lytham, Preston, Liverpool and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan, Fylde, Preston and Blackburn with Darwen. 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 North Meols Lancashire
2 Lytham Lancashire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 033 Wigan
2 Fylde 002 Fylde
3 Preston 012 Preston
4 Blackburn with Darwen 009 Blackburn with Darwen
5 Fylde 007 Fylde

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gregson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gregson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gregson, 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 Gregson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Gregson 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, Gregson 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

Gregson 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

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

Meaning and origin of Gregson

The surname Gregson is of English origin, derived from the Old English personal name Gregge, a diminutive form of Greg which means "watchful" or "vigilant." The name likely emerged in the northern counties of England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire, during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gregson surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which listed a landholder named Gregge in Cheshire. The name also appeared in various tax rolls and church records from the 13th and 14th centuries, with spellings such as Greggesone, Gregesone, and Griggesone.

The Gregson surname is closely associated with several place names in Lancashire, such as Gregson Lane in Hoghton and Gregson Bridge in Bamber Bridge. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

Notable individuals with the Gregson surname include:

1. Mathew Gregson (c.1599-1669), an English mathematician and astronomer who contributed to the development of logarithms. 2. Thomas Gregson (1635-1699), an English clergyman and author who wrote "A View of the Dangers and Difficulties attending the Romish Religion." 3. William Gregson (1714-1786), an English merchant and banker who served as the High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1764. 4. Mary Gregson (1759-1828), an English novelist and poet known for her works "The Citizen of the World" and "The Emigrant's Tale." 5. Henry Gregson (1819-1905), an English politician and businessman who served as the Mayor of Liverpool from 1878 to 1879.

The Gregson surname has been carried across the globe by English emigrants and can be found in various countries with significant British ancestry, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gregson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gregson 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. Lancashire leads with 2,751 Gregsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.74x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2,751 5.74x
Yorkshire 582 1.45x
Durham 118 0.98x
Derbyshire 100 1.58x
Cheshire 89 1.00x
Middlesex 88 0.22x
Northumberland 67 1.11x
Surrey 36 0.18x
Westmorland 35 3.94x
Staffordshire 30 0.22x
Warwickshire 25 0.25x
Kent 21 0.15x
Cumberland 18 0.52x
Nottinghamshire 13 0.24x
Hampshire 12 0.14x
Norfolk 12 0.19x
Lincolnshire 11 0.17x
Caernarfonshire 10 0.61x
Berkshire 9 0.30x
Berwickshire 9 1.84x
Glamorgan 9 0.13x
Northamptonshire 9 0.24x
Sussex 9 0.13x
Denbighshire 8 0.52x
Leicestershire 8 0.18x
Gloucestershire 7 0.09x
Kincardineshire 6 1.22x
Lanarkshire 6 0.05x
Wiltshire 6 0.17x
Aberdeenshire 5 0.13x
Huntingdonshire 5 0.62x
Renfrewshire 5 0.16x
Worcestershire 5 0.09x
Bedfordshire 4 0.19x
Devon 3 0.04x
Suffolk 3 0.06x
Essex 2 0.03x
Monmouthshire 2 0.07x
Oxfordshire 2 0.08x
Anglesey 1 0.14x
Cornwall 1 0.02x
Dorset 1 0.04x
Hertfordshire 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. Preston in Lancashire leads with 314 Gregsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.47x.

Place Total Index
Preston 314 24.47x
Blackburn 312 24.45x
North Meols 130 27.69x
Liverpool 70 2.40x
West Derby 70 4.99x
Little Bolton 62 10.05x
Salford 50 3.54x
Walton Le Dale 47 36.46x
Accrington 46 10.55x
Bury 44 8.03x
Lancaster 44 15.42x
Thornton In Fylde 41 39.07x
Northowram 39 13.88x
Layton With Warbreck 37 21.02x
Windle 37 13.71x
Lathom 36 62.15x
Manchester 36 1.67x
Lea Ashton Ingol 35 109.92x
Kirkham 34 53.61x
Leeds 34 1.50x
Clayton 33 33.66x
Oswaldtwistle 32 18.88x
Manningham 31 6.28x
Marton 31 97.18x
North Bierley 31 14.33x
Toxteth Park 31 1.91x
Chorley 30 11.15x
Fulwood 30 57.88x
Leyland 30 35.95x
Wigan 29 4.33x
Bishopwearmouth 28 2.71x
Hipperholme Cum 28 15.91x
Barrow In Furness 26 3.99x
Derby St Werburgh 26 7.11x
Habergham Eaves 26 5.93x
Hackney London 24 1.06x
Radcliffe 24 10.38x
Clayton Le Moors 23 24.71x
Keighley 22 5.15x
Sculcoates 22 3.46x
Spotland 22 4.13x
Warrington 22 3.87x
Aspull 21 18.61x
Bradford 21 2.17x
Atherton 19 10.88x
Farnworth 19 6.61x
Over Darwen 19 4.96x
Pendleton In Salford 19 3.32x
Westleigh 19 17.44x
Colne 18 12.60x
Skipton 18 14.28x
Elswick 17 3.54x
Rastrick 17 15.28x
Bramley In Bramley 16 10.43x
Fishwick 16 53.93x
Newcastle On Tyne St 16 5.13x
St Pancras London 16 0.49x
Eccleston In Prescot 15 6.23x
Euxton 15 94.28x
Great Bolton 15 2.36x
Livesey 15 17.82x
Lytham 15 20.48x
Tranmere 15 4.57x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 15 10.86x
Witton 15 24.86x
Everton 14 0.92x
Higher Booths 14 16.19x
Hulme 14 1.40x
Lower Booths 14 16.29x
Newton In Makerfield 14 9.53x
Pudsey 14 6.54x
Westby With Plumpton 14 189.19x
Barnsley 13 3.15x
Birkenhead 13 1.83x
Birmingham 13 0.38x
Derby St Peter 13 6.45x
Islington London 13 0.33x
Mansfield Woodhouse 13 35.86x
Oldham 13 0.84x
Little Hulton 12 15.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 312
Elizabeth 221
Jane 129
Sarah 127
Ann 119
Margaret 118
Alice 105
Ellen 91
Martha 52
Annie 44
Hannah 41
Eliza 38
Emma 35
Catherine 34
Emily 26
Isabella 25
Ada 24
Edith 18
Nancy 18
Maria 17
Agnes 15
Anne 15
Harriet 15
Rebecca 14
Betty 13
Fanny 12
Kate 12
Betsy 10
Esther 10
Frances 10
Caroline 9
Ruth 9
Clara 8
Dorothy 8
Eleanor 8
Rachel 8
Susannah 8
Elizth. 7
Florence 7
Grace 7
Lucy 7
Amelia 6
Charlotte 6
Ethel 6
Gertrude 6
Jessie 6
Louisa 6
Rose 6
Lilly 5
Lily 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 272
William 259
Thomas 197
James 184
Robert 109
George 93
Richard 77
Joseph 63
Henry 62
Edward 53
Charles 35
Alfred 30
Arthur 30
Harry 21
Samuel 20
Frank 17
Hugh 17
Walter 17
Herbert 15
Peter 14
Albert 13
Stephen 12
Wm. 12
Frederick 10
Ernest 9
Fred 9
Thos. 7
Amos 6
David 6
Moses 6
Nicholas 6
Daniel 5
Francis 5
Harold 5
Jno. 5
Leonard 5
Sam 5
Alexander 4
Geo. 4
Jonathan 4
Luke 4
Matthew 4
Michael 4
Ralph 4
Bryan 3
Jas. 3
Jonas 3
Jos. 3
Oliver 3
Percy 3

FAQ

Gregson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gregson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,146 people were recorded with the Gregson surname. That placed it at #1,092 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gregson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,909 in 2016. That gives Gregson a modern rank of #1,732.

What does the Gregson surname mean?

Derived from a patronymic form of the given name Gregory, meaning "watchful" or "alert."

What does the Gregson map show?

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