NameCensus.

UK surname

Greig

A Scottish and English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "grey" or "green."

In the 1881 census there were 4,777 people recorded with the Greig surname, ranking it #927 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,943, ranked #1,132, down from #927 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Longside and Rattray, Stobswell and Friockheim.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Greig is 6,073 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.4%.

1881 census count

4,777

Ranked #927

Modern count

5,943

2016, ranked #1,132

Peak year

2010

6,073 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Greig had 4,777 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #927 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,943 in 2016, ranked #1,132.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,911 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Greig surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Greig surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Greig 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 3,414 #839
1861 historical 3,576 #786
1881 historical 4,777 #927
1891 historical 5,133 #915
1901 historical 5,911 #936
1911 historical 1,424 #3,393
1997 modern 5,768 #1,135
1998 modern 5,955 #1,139
1999 modern 5,962 #1,143
2000 modern 5,968 #1,136
2001 modern 5,774 #1,148
2002 modern 5,946 #1,143
2003 modern 5,774 #1,146
2004 modern 5,800 #1,145
2005 modern 5,856 #1,118
2006 modern 5,806 #1,124
2007 modern 5,878 #1,124
2008 modern 5,877 #1,130
2009 modern 5,955 #1,134
2010 modern 6,073 #1,138
2011 modern 5,938 #1,149
2012 modern 5,784 #1,152
2013 modern 5,883 #1,153
2014 modern 5,946 #1,148
2015 modern 5,956 #1,140
2016 modern 5,943 #1,132

Geography

Back to top

Where Greigs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Longside and Rattray, Stobswell, Friockheim, Barrahill and Mearns North and Inverbervie. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Longside and Rattray Aberdeenshire
2 Stobswell Dundee City
3 Friockheim Angus
4 Barrahill Aberdeenshire
5 Mearns North and Inverbervie Aberdeenshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Greig

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Greig

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Greig surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Greig household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Greig 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

Greig 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

Greig falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Greig

The surname Greig has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the lands of Greig, near Arbroath in the county of Angus. The name is believed to have evolved from the Gaelic word "grìog," meaning a small rocky hillock or a gravelly place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The entry mentions Thomas de Greyge, a landowner from Angus.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including Grig, Grigg, and Greyg, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1359 mention a William de Greyg, who held lands in Fife.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Greig family established themselves as influential landowners and merchants in the coastal towns of Angus and Fife. Notable figures from this period include John Greig (1570-1642), a successful merchant in Dundee, and Alexander Greig (1625-1701), who served as Provost of Montrose.

In the 18th century, the name gained prominence with the exploits of Samuel Greig (1735-1788), a Scottish-Russian admiral who played a significant role in the Russo-Turkish Wars and the expansion of the Russian Navy. He was born in Inverkeithing, Fife, and rose through the ranks of the Russian Imperial Navy, becoming a close confidant of Catherine the Great.

Another notable figure from this era is John Greig (1759-1839), a Scottish-American merchant and politician who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia State Senate.

The 19th century saw the Greig surname spread further afield, with individuals emigrating to various parts of the British Empire and beyond. One notable figure was Sir Robert Greig (1833-1908), a Scottish-Australian entrepreneur and politician who served as Premier of South Australia from 1884 to 1885.

In the 20th century, the name gained recognition through the achievements of Eric Greig (1904-1992), a South African cricketer who captained the national team and later served as a cricket administrator and commentator.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Greig families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Greig 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 932 Greigs recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.76x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 932 21.76x
Midlothian 630 10.17x
Fife 505 18.45x
Angus 467 10.90x
Lanarkshire 455 3.04x
Middlesex 240 0.52x
Kincardineshire 201 35.70x
Durham 152 1.11x
Renfrewshire 132 3.68x
Ayrshire 113 3.27x
Perthshire 76 3.66x
Surrey 76 0.34x
Banffshire 70 7.30x
Yorkshire 57 0.12x
Stirlingshire 56 3.28x
East Lothian 54 8.82x
Lancashire 43 0.08x
Clackmannanshire 42 11.00x
Kent 32 0.20x
Kinross-shire 32 27.38x
Northumberland 31 0.45x
Berwickshire 27 4.82x
West Lothian 26 3.73x
Cumberland 25 0.63x
Shetland 22 4.66x
Ross-shire 20 1.58x
Selkirkshire 18 4.30x
Essex 15 0.16x
Sussex 13 0.17x
Gloucestershire 12 0.13x
Hampshire 11 0.12x
Orkney 11 2.16x
Buckinghamshire 10 0.36x
Roxburghshire 10 1.19x
Argyllshire 9 0.70x
Caithness 9 1.42x
Wigtownshire 9 1.47x
Inverness-shire 8 0.58x
Peeblesshire 8 3.68x
Buteshire 7 2.50x
Cambridgeshire 7 0.24x
Cheshire 7 0.07x
Hertfordshire 7 0.22x
Glamorgan 6 0.07x
Kirkcudbrightshire 6 0.90x
Worcestershire 6 0.10x
Dunbartonshire 5 0.40x
Dumfriesshire 4 0.39x
Warwickshire 4 0.03x
Devon 3 0.03x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.05x
Royal Navy 3 0.54x
Herefordshire 2 0.11x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.22x
Sutherland 2 0.56x
Berkshire 1 0.03x
Derbyshire 1 0.01x
Lincolnshire 1 0.01x
Monmouthshire 1 0.03x
Morayshire 1 0.14x
Rutland 1 0.29x
Somerset 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 266 Greigs recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.67x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 266 10.67x
Aberdeen Old Machar 213 23.82x
Dundee 179 11.19x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 160 19.97x
Barony 129 3.41x
Govan 117 3.16x
Peterhead 87 38.42x
Glasgow 86 3.24x
Liff Benvie 80 12.30x
Dunfermline 60 14.26x
South Leith 54 7.75x
Bishopwearmouth 48 4.07x
Auchterderran 43 62.48x
Duddingston 42 33.78x
Ferry Port On Craig 42 93.27x
Cruden 41 74.36x
Leslie 41 59.15x
Dysart 40 21.70x
Montrose 40 15.41x
St Vigeans 40 17.30x
Tyrie 39 72.56x
Fetteresso 37 41.93x
St Andrews 36 28.90x
Cathcart 33 17.02x
Islington London 33 0.74x
Markinch 33 35.51x
Stranton 33 7.13x
Kirkcaldy 31 22.84x
St Pancras London 31 0.83x
Edinburgh St Marys 30 24.91x
Glenbervie 30 194.55x
Longside 29 56.71x
Tranent 29 35.05x
Alloa 28 15.12x
Fordoun 28 88.78x
Kensington London 28 1.09x
Wemyss 28 24.18x
King Edward 24 48.63x
Monifieth 24 15.86x
Bothwell 23 5.67x
Brechin 22 13.07x
Laurencekirk 21 64.38x
Lonmay 21 54.03x
Old Deer 21 25.88x
Strichen 21 56.44x
Ellon 20 33.96x
Kilmarnock 20 4.86x
Leeds 20 0.77x
New Deer 20 25.80x
New Machar 20 83.13x
North Leith 20 6.98x
Port Glasgow 20 11.55x
Gamrie 19 17.75x
Old Monkland 19 3.20x
East Greenock 18 5.32x
Kinnoull 18 32.99x
Paisley High Church 18 6.31x
Alva 17 20.90x
Ayton 17 52.34x
Banff 17 20.41x
Cambusnethan 17 5.12x
Edinburgh St Andrews 17 33.24x
Kilwinning 17 15.21x
Maryhill 17 5.81x
Rathen 17 37.89x
Scoonie 17 28.68x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 16 10.92x
Largo 16 45.01x
Paisley Low Church 16 14.10x
Bervie 15 44.96x
Cupar 15 12.60x
Hampstead London 15 2.08x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 15 2.52x
Liberton 15 15.69x
Stirling 15 6.98x
Tarves 15 37.04x
Lambeth 14 0.35x
Rutherglen 14 6.38x
Skene 14 49.31x
St Marylebone London 14 0.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 48
James 43
William 41
George 30
Thomas 22
Alexander 20
Robert 20
Charles 16
David 15
Andrew 11
Joseph 8
Edward 7
Alfred 6
Albert 5
Arthur 5
Henry 5
Peter 4
Samuel 4
Francis 3
Frank 3
Jonathan 3
Thos. 3
Walter 3
Allen 2
Clement 2
Duncan 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Forbes 2
Frederick 2
Gordon 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Hugh 2
Jas. 2
Norman 2
Ronald 2
Wm. 2
Benjn.A. 1
C.H. 1
Eliza 1
F. 1
Gavin 1
Geo. 1
Jean 1
Joshua 1
L. 1
L.G.Wood 1
Lambton 1
Wm.James 1

FAQ

Greig surname: questions and answers

How common was the Greig surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,777 people were recorded with the Greig surname. That placed it at #927 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Greig surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,943 in 2016. That gives Greig a modern rank of #1,132.

What does the Greig surname mean?

A Scottish and English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "grey" or "green."

What does the Greig map show?

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