NameCensus.

UK surname

Grehan

A surname derived from the Irish Gaelic word "greidhin" meaning hedgehog.

In the 1881 census there were 32 people recorded with the Grehan surname, ranking it #29,082 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 273, ranked #15,800, up from #29,082 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bridge of Earn and Abernethy, Herefordshire and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grehan is 293 in 2008. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 753.1%.

1881 census count

32

Ranked #29,082

Modern count

273

2016, ranked #15,800

Peak year

2008

293 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grehan had 32 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,082 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 273 in 2016, ranked #15,800.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 65 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Grehan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grehan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Grehan 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 45 #25,168
1861 historical 20 #31,364
1881 historical 32 #29,082
1891 historical 65 #28,660
1901 historical 32 #30,501
1911 historical 16 #31,804
1997 modern 271 #14,486
1998 modern 274 #14,759
1999 modern 276 #14,762
2000 modern 264 #15,191
2001 modern 259 #15,151
2002 modern 261 #15,369
2003 modern 273 #14,715
2004 modern 265 #15,110
2005 modern 274 #14,663
2006 modern 286 #14,322
2007 modern 292 #14,313
2008 modern 293 #14,364
2009 modern 286 #14,910
2010 modern 290 #15,096
2011 modern 272 #15,653
2012 modern 264 #15,904
2013 modern 275 #15,719
2014 modern 276 #15,788
2015 modern 270 #15,911
2016 modern 273 #15,800

Geography

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Where Grehans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bridge of Earn and Abernethy, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Sandwell and Wigan. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bridge of Earn and Abernethy Perth and Kinross
2 Herefordshire 001 Herefordshire, County of
3 Shropshire 038 Shropshire
4 Sandwell 030 Sandwell
5 Wigan 040 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Grehan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Grehan

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Grehan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Grehan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Grehan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Grehan is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Grehan falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Grehan 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Grehan

The surname Grehan is believed to have originated in Ireland, specifically in the counties of Galway and Mayo. It is thought to derive from the Irish Gaelic word "gréin," which means "sun" or "sunny." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in a particularly sunny or bright area.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Grehan date back to the 16th century, with records showing families of this surname living in the western regions of Ireland. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Seán Ó Gréacháin, a scholar and poet who lived in County Mayo in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name Grehan appeared in various historical documents, including the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history written by the Franciscan scholars Michael O'Clery, Peregrine O'Clery, Conor O'Clery, and Peregrine O'Duignan between 1632 and 1636.

One notable figure with the surname Grehan was Sir John Grehan, an Irish lawyer and politician who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He served as Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer from 1701 to 1717 and was a member of the Irish House of Commons.

In the 19th century, the Grehan name was associated with several notable individuals, including John Grehan (1828-1913), an Irish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Victoria, and James Grehan (1857-1923), an Irish-born Australian journalist and author who co-founded the Catholic Press newspaper.

Another significant bearer of the Grehan surname was Brendan Grehan (1908-1985), an Irish actor and playwright who was known for his work with the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and his plays, including "The Righteous are Bold" and "The Whiteheaded Boy."

Throughout history, variations of the Grehan surname have included Greahan, Greaghyn, Grehan, Greehan, and Grehane, among others. While the name has roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Australia, the United States, and Canada, due to immigration patterns.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Grehan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grehan 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 10 Grehans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.70x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 10 2.70x
Yorkshire 7 2.26x
Lanarkshire 6 5.95x
Devon 4 6.16x
Inverness-shire 2 21.46x
Cheshire 1 1.45x
Durham 1 1.08x
Gloucestershire 1 1.63x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Farnworth in Lancashire leads with 7 Grehans recorded in 1881 and an index of 315.32x.

Place Total Index
Farnworth 7 315.32x
Keighley 6 181.82x
Glasgow 4 22.32x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 80.00x
Dalziel 2 183.49x
Inverness 2 85.47x
Bradford 1 13.37x
Bristol St James In 1 111.11x
Esh 1 147.06x
Hapton 1 434.78x
Leftwich 1 322.58x
Liverpool 1 4.45x
Wardleworth 1 47.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Jane 2
Agnes 1
Bridget 1
Margaret 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
Augustine 1
Dennis 1
Hugh 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Michael 1
Patrick 1
Peter 1
Thomas 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 Grehan households.

FAQ

Grehan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grehan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 32 people were recorded with the Grehan surname. That placed it at #29,082 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grehan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 273 in 2016. That gives Grehan a modern rank of #15,800.

What does the Grehan surname mean?

A surname derived from the Irish Gaelic word "greidhin" meaning hedgehog.

What does the Grehan map show?

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