NameCensus.

UK surname

Grew

An English surname derived from a place name or occupation related to growing crops or plants.

In the 1881 census there were 289 people recorded with the Grew surname, ranking it #9,968 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 691, ranked #7,785, up from #9,968 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Kings Norton and Wednesbury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, Conwy and South Staffordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grew is 723 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 139.1%.

1881 census count

289

Ranked #9,968

Modern count

691

2016, ranked #7,785

Peak year

1999

723 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grew had 289 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,968 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 691 in 2016, ranked #7,785.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 538 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Grew surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grew surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Grew 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 194 #10,662
1861 historical 227 #10,749
1881 historical 289 #9,968
1891 historical 400 #8,878
1901 historical 461 #8,554
1911 historical 538 #7,408
1997 modern 689 #7,337
1998 modern 706 #7,425
1999 modern 723 #7,342
2000 modern 722 #7,330
2001 modern 709 #7,299
2002 modern 700 #7,511
2003 modern 668 #7,672
2004 modern 668 #7,691
2005 modern 642 #7,841
2006 modern 648 #7,819
2007 modern 655 #7,815
2008 modern 662 #7,800
2009 modern 686 #7,759
2010 modern 688 #7,881
2011 modern 677 #7,893
2012 modern 654 #8,040
2013 modern 683 #7,886
2014 modern 689 #7,875
2015 modern 688 #7,828
2016 modern 691 #7,785

Geography

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Where Grews are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Kings Norton, Wednesbury, Bolton-le-Moors and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire, Conwy, South Staffordshire, North Tyneside and Wolverhampton. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Kings Norton Worcestershire
3 Wednesbury Staffordshire
4 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 034 Wiltshire
2 Conwy 013 Conwy
3 South Staffordshire 004 South Staffordshire
4 North Tyneside 025 North Tyneside
5 Wolverhampton 019 Wolverhampton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Grew

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Grew

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Grew surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Grew household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Grew is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Grew is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Grew 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 Grew is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Grew

The surname Grew is an English name derived from an Old English word "grewo" meaning "to grow" or "to flourish." It is believed to have originated in the counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset in the West Midlands region of England during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Grew can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Grewe," referring to individuals who may have been involved in agriculture or horticulture.

In the 13th century, the name Grew was associated with the village of Grew, located in the parish of Munslow, Shropshire. This connection suggests that some Grew families may have taken their name from this particular place name.

Notable individuals with the surname Grew include Obadiah Grew (1607-1689), an English botanist and philosopher who made significant contributions to plant anatomy and the study of microscopic structures. He is considered one of the founders of plant physiology.

Another prominent figure was Nehemiah Grew (1641-1712), a British plant anatomist and physiologist, who is renowned for his pioneering work on the study of plant reproduction and the anatomy of seeds. He was also the author of several influential works, including "The Anatomy of Plants" (1682) and "The Anatomy of Vegetables Begun" (1672).

In the 18th century, Mary Grew (1718-1808) was a British philanthropist and diarist known for her charitable work and detailed accounts of life in Bristol during her time.

During the 19th century, Henry Grew (1781-1862) was an English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Kidderminster, Worcestershire.

In more recent times, Joanna Grew (1623-1681) was an English botanist and artist known for her intricate illustrations of plants and her contributions to the study of plant anatomy and physiology.

While the surname Grew has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and has been adopted by families of various backgrounds and ethnicities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Grew families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grew 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 69 Grews recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.45x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 69 2.45x
Warwickshire 44 6.19x
Staffordshire 34 3.57x
Worcestershire 26 7.06x
Leicestershire 18 5.76x
Kent 17 1.77x
Yorkshire 16 0.57x
Essex 15 2.70x
Lancashire 14 0.42x
Suffolk 9 2.62x
Lincolnshire 7 1.55x
Surrey 6 0.44x
Lanarkshire 5 0.55x
Sussex 3 0.63x
Cheshire 2 0.32x
Derbyshire 1 0.23x
Hampshire 1 0.17x
Midlothian 1 0.26x
Somerset 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 30 Grews recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.98x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 30 10.98x
Bethnal Green London 19 15.51x
Aston 18 9.19x
Kings Norton 18 54.53x
Ashby De La Zouch 17 234.48x
Walsall Foreign 16 32.55x
West Ham 15 12.21x
Birmingham 14 5.91x
Manningham 14 40.67x
Wednesbury 10 42.05x
Lee 9 64.42x
Ealing 7 27.79x
Frindsbury 7 193.37x
Great Grimsby 7 24.47x
Ipswich St Clement 7 80.18x
Tanworth 6 319.15x
Hulme 5 7.16x
Lambeth 5 2.03x
Old Monkland 5 13.82x
West Bromwich 5 9.18x
Whistones 5 187.27x
Toxteth Park 4 3.53x
Acton 3 18.15x
Edgbaston 3 13.61x
Lichfield St Chad 3 140.19x
Little Bolton 3 6.98x
Yardley 3 31.85x
Hastings All Sts 2 44.64x
Huddersfield 2 4.91x
Mile End New Town London 2 35.91x
St Pancras London 2 0.88x
Alvaston 1 79.37x
Atherstone 1 27.55x
Botesdale 1 188.68x
Bramley 1 82.64x
Calbourne 1 161.29x
Carlton 1 384.62x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.35x
Hackney London 1 0.63x
Hampstead London 1 2.28x
Hastings St Mary 1 8.45x
Hillmorton 1 78.74x
Ipswich St Mathew 1 10.40x
Liverpool 1 0.49x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 8.42x
Newton In Ashton Under 1 16.29x
Paddington London 1 0.96x
St Botolph Aldersgate 1 30.96x
St Martin In Fields 1 5.92x
Stayley 1 14.06x
Stoke Newington London 1 4.55x
Stretford 1 5.43x
Sutton Coldfield 1 13.39x
West Calder 1 13.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Sarah 12
Elizabeth 11
Emma 7
Florence 6
Maria 6
Martha 6
Ellen 5
Ann 4
Annie 4
Edith 4
Eliza 4
Emily 4
Catherine 3
Susannah 3
Beatrice 2
Caroline 2
Christiana 2
Jane 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Alice 1
Amy 1
Anna 1
Bertha 1
Cicely 1
Clara 1
Dorothy 1
Elizebeth 1
Ethel 1
Forence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Jessie 1
Judith 1
Julia 1
Kezia 1
Lillie 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Mandy 1
Margt. 1
Matilda 1
Maud 1
Melia 1
Rosa 1
Rosetta 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 19
James 13
John 13
William 12
Henry 9
Charles 6
Samuel 6
Joseph 5
Arthur 4
Francis 4
Frederick 4
Edwin 3
George 3
Richard 3
Alfred 2
Benjamin 2
Ernest 2
Ethelbert 2
Percy 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Willm. 2
Wm. 2
Alex 1
Alfrd. 1
David 1
Earnest 1
Edmund 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
Fredick. 1
Fredk.W. 1
Fredrick 1
Herbert 1
Hubert 1
Josh. 1
Nathaniel 1
Owen 1
Ralph 1
Robert 1
Sydney 1

FAQ

Grew surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grew surname in 1881?

In 1881, 289 people were recorded with the Grew surname. That placed it at #9,968 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grew surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 691 in 2016. That gives Grew a modern rank of #7,785.

What does the Grew surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name or occupation related to growing crops or plants.

What does the Grew map show?

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