NameCensus.

UK surname

Gren

A surname derived from the Old English word "grene" meaning green or meadow.

In the 1881 census there were 15 people recorded with the Gren surname, ranking it #31,451 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 107, ranked #29,762, up from #31,451 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, Dean and Camborne. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Berkshire, Ibrox and IZ11.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gren is 131 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 613.3%.

1881 census count

15

Ranked #31,451

Modern count

107

2016, ranked #29,762

Peak year

1861

131 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gren had 15 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,451 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 107 in 2016, ranked #29,762.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 131 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Gren surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gren surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gren 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 48 #24,615
1861 historical 131 #17,052
1881 historical 15 #31,451
1891 historical 113 #22,162
1901 historical 37 #30,009
1911 historical 123 #20,128
1997 modern 80 #29,554
1998 modern 83 #29,638
1999 modern 74 #30,759
2000 modern 62 #31,939
2001 modern 56 #32,379
2002 modern 54 #32,927
2003 modern 50 #33,362
2004 modern 58 #32,880
2005 modern 63 #32,602
2006 modern 61 #33,142
2007 modern 71 #32,484
2008 modern 71 #32,753
2009 modern 71 #33,102
2010 modern 93 #31,239
2011 modern 92 #31,301
2012 modern 95 #31,107
2013 modern 98 #31,078
2014 modern 100 #31,033
2015 modern 101 #30,816
2016 modern 107 #29,762

Geography

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Where Grens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George in the East, Dean, Camborne, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Berkshire, Ibrox, IZ11, IZ12 and Dacorum. 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 St George in the East London (East Districts)
2 Dean Lancashire
3 Camborne Cornwall
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Berkshire 020 West Berkshire
2 Ibrox Glasgow City
3 IZ11 West Dunbartonshire
4 IZ12 West Dunbartonshire
5 Dacorum 021 Dacorum

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gren

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gren

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gren, 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 Gren surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Gren 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, Gren 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

Gren 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

Gren 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 Gren 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Gren

The surname GREN has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "grene," which means "green" or "meadow." This association with the color and natural elements suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived in or near a green or grassy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GREN surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1221, which mention a Richard de Grene. This suggests that the name was already established in the county of Gloucestershire during the early 13th century.

The GREN surname also appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landholders in England during the reign of King Edward I. This document includes entries for individuals with the surnames Grene and Grene, indicating variations in the spelling of the name.

Throughout the medieval period, the GREN surname was associated with various locations in England, including the villages of Green and Greene in Buckinghamshire, as well as the manor of Green in Oxfordshire. These place names likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Notable historical figures with the GREN surname include John Gren (c. 1425-1489), a prominent merchant and member of the Drapers' Company in London during the 15th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Richard Gren (c. 1455-1521), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the Tudor period.

In the 16th century, the GREN surname gained further prominence with the birth of Robert Gren (1520-1592), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the understanding of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Captain Thomas Gren (1610-1670) was a notable military figure who fought for the Parliamentarian forces and played a role in the Battle of Naseby in 1645.

In the literary realm, the poet and playwright Edward Gren (1685-1743) was a respected figure in the early 18th century, known for his satirical works and contributions to the development of English drama.

Throughout its history, the GREN surname has been subject to various spelling variations, including Greene, Grene, and Green, reflecting the influence of regional dialects and orthographic conventions of different time periods.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gren families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gren 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. Durham leads with 6 Grens recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.73x.

County Total Index
Durham 6 20.73x
Lancashire 1 0.87x
Middlesex 1 1.03x
Northamptonshire 1 10.93x
Westmorland 1 46.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hedworth Monkton Jarrow in Durham leads with 6 Grens recorded in 1881 and an index of 480.00x.

Place Total Index
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 480.00x
Floore 1 3333.33x
Lupton 1 10000.00x
Oldham 1 26.81x
St George In East London 1 108.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 1
Kate 1
Maggie 1
Margret 1
Mary 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
Thomas 1
William 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 Gren households.

FAQ

Gren surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gren surname in 1881?

In 1881, 15 people were recorded with the Gren surname. That placed it at #31,451 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gren surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 107 in 2016. That gives Gren a modern rank of #29,762.

What does the Gren surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English word "grene" meaning green or meadow.

What does the Gren map show?

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