NameCensus.

UK surname

Grenham

A habitational surname indicating a person who lived near a grindr, or shingle beach.

In the 1881 census there were 40 people recorded with the Grenham surname, ranking it #28,011 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 117, ranked #28,033, down from #28,011 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rushmoor, Gedling and Birmingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grenham is 128 in 2008. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 192.5%.

1881 census count

40

Ranked #28,011

Modern count

117

2016, ranked #28,033

Peak year

2008

128 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grenham had 40 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,011 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016, ranked #28,033.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 87 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Grenham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grenham surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Grenham 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 22 #29,378
1861 historical 47 #28,023
1881 historical 40 #28,011
1891 historical 67 #28,424
1901 historical 72 #26,162
1911 historical 87 #24,147
1997 modern 118 #24,423
1998 modern 113 #25,731
1999 modern 125 #24,366
2000 modern 123 #24,585
2001 modern 117 #24,974
2002 modern 122 #24,874
2003 modern 120 #24,909
2004 modern 115 #25,740
2005 modern 117 #25,433
2006 modern 121 #25,133
2007 modern 125 #24,987
2008 modern 128 #24,901
2009 modern 124 #25,957
2010 modern 126 #26,312
2011 modern 127 #25,926
2012 modern 117 #27,394
2013 modern 119 #27,541
2014 modern 118 #27,961
2015 modern 117 #27,982
2016 modern 117 #28,033

Geography

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Where Grenhams 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 Rushmoor, Gedling, Birmingham, Leeds and Daventry. 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 Rushmoor 004 Rushmoor
2 Gedling 001 Gedling
3 Birmingham 029 Birmingham
4 Leeds 091 Leeds
5 Daventry 001 Daventry

Forenames

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First names often paired with Grenham

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Grenham

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

Grenham is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Grenham falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Grenham

The surname Grenham is of English origin, deriving from the place name Grenham, which was located in Berkshire, England. The name first emerged in the 12th century, with its earliest recorded spelling appearing as Grenham in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire in 1176.

Grenham is believed to be derived from the Old English words 'gren,' meaning green, and 'ham,' meaning a homestead or village. This suggests that the name originated from a settlement or homestead situated in a green or verdant area.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the village of Grenham is mentioned under the spelling 'Greneham,' indicating the long-standing presence of the name in the region. The Domesday Book also records that the village was held by the Abbey of Abingdon at the time of the Norman Conquest.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Grenham was William de Grenham, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Berkshire in 1242. Another early bearer of the name was John de Grenham, whose name appears in the Assize Rolls of Berkshire in 1275.

In the 14th century, the surname Grenham can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Berkshire, where Robert Grenham and John Grenham are listed as taxpayers in 1327 and 1332, respectively.

A notable figure bearing the surname Grenham was Sir William Grenham (1486-1558), who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1547. He played a significant role in the city's governance during the turbulent years of the English Reformation.

Another prominent individual was Thomas Grenham (1571-1635), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Bath from 1621 until his death. He wrote several religious works, including "The Seaven Burning Lampes of Sanctified Obedience" (1619).

In the 17th century, Edward Grenham (1619-1685) was a notable English lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1676 to 1685.

Towards the end of the 18th century, John Grenham (1755-1824) was a British naval officer who participated in several significant battles during the Napoleonic Wars, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Grenham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grenham 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. Middlesex leads with 14 Grenhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.59x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 14 3.59x
Somerset 6 9.56x
Essex 5 6.49x
Kent 4 3.01x
Devon 3 3.70x
Surrey 3 1.58x
Sussex 3 4.56x
Hampshire 1 1.25x
Hertfordshire 1 3.72x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Merriott in Somerset leads with 6 Grenhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 3333.33x.

Place Total Index
Merriott 6 3333.33x
Canewdon 5 5000.00x
St Pancras London 5 15.93x
Brasted 4 2352.94x
Hammersmith London 4 41.62x
Exeter St Mary Major 3 612.24x
Paddington London 2 13.95x
Westminster St James 2 49.88x
Woolbeding 2 4000.00x
Bromley London 1 11.66x
East Barnet 1 188.68x
Farnborough 1 119.05x
Rusper 1 1428.57x
Sutton 1 72.99x
Tandridge 1 1250.00x
Wimbledon 1 46.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Jane 3
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Fanny 2
Martha 2
Sarah 2
Betsy 1
Dorcas 1
Elizabeth 1
Emily 1
Lucy 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Henry 4
Charles 3
Samuel 2
Edward 1
George 1
Harry 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Richard 1
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 Grenham households.

FAQ

Grenham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grenham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 40 people were recorded with the Grenham surname. That placed it at #28,011 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grenham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016. That gives Grenham a modern rank of #28,033.

What does the Grenham surname mean?

A habitational surname indicating a person who lived near a grindr, or shingle beach.

What does the Grenham map show?

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