NameCensus.

UK surname

Grey

A surname derived from a nickname referring to someone with gray hair or a gray beard.

In the 1881 census there were 6,507 people recorded with the Grey surname, ranking it #655 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,837, ranked #1,150, down from #655 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland and Swansea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grey is 6,507 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 10.3%.

1881 census count

6,507

Ranked #655

Modern count

5,837

2016, ranked #1,150

Peak year

1881

6,507 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grey had 6,507 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #655 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,837 in 2016, ranked #1,150.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,507 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Grey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grey surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Grey 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 4,976 #556
1861 historical 4,748 #595
1881 historical 6,507 #655
1891 historical 6,295 #736
1901 historical 6,441 #863
1911 historical 5,319 #982
1997 modern 5,265 #1,239
1998 modern 5,392 #1,264
1999 modern 5,403 #1,270
2000 modern 5,374 #1,270
2001 modern 5,276 #1,261
2002 modern 5,364 #1,262
2003 modern 5,126 #1,293
2004 modern 5,198 #1,265
2005 modern 5,158 #1,267
2006 modern 5,123 #1,274
2007 modern 5,208 #1,266
2008 modern 5,259 #1,264
2009 modern 5,466 #1,240
2010 modern 5,699 #1,210
2011 modern 5,570 #1,221
2012 modern 5,553 #1,199
2013 modern 5,718 #1,185
2014 modern 5,793 #1,173
2015 modern 5,796 #1,161
2016 modern 5,837 #1,150

Geography

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Where Greys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Gateshead and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland and Swansea. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 006 Northumberland
2 Swansea 009 Swansea
3 Northumberland 001 Northumberland
4 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
5 Swansea 013 Swansea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Grey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Grey

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

Grey 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

Grey falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Grey

The surname Grey is of English origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "gris," meaning gray, which was used to describe someone with gray hair or a grayish complexion.

The earliest known record of the surname Grey can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Grai" or "Grei." This suggests that the name may have been introduced to England by Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 12th century, the Grey family emerged as one of the most prominent noble families in England. The first recorded person with the surname Grey was Anchetil de Greye, who lived in Rotherfield Greys, Oxfordshire, in 1166.

Another notable figure was John de Grey, who was appointed Lord Chancellor of England in 1233. He played a crucial role in the development of English law and served as a regent during the minority of King Henry III.

In the 14th century, the Grey family gained further prominence with Reginald de Grey, who was appointed Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports in 1322. His descendants included Edmund Grey, Earl of Kent (c. 1420-1489), and Thomas Grey, Marquess of Dorset (1457-1501), who was a key figure in the Wars of the Roses.

During the Tudor period, Lady Jane Grey (1537-1554), a descendant of the Grey family, briefly reigned as Queen of England for nine days in 1553. Her claim to the throne was disputed, and she was eventually executed for treason.

Other notable individuals with the surname Grey include Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey (1764-1845), who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1830 to 1834 and was responsible for the Reform Act of 1832, and Zane Grey (1872-1939), an American author best known for his popular Western novels.

While the surname Grey has been spelled in various ways throughout history, including Grai, Grei, Greye, and Gray, the modern spelling of Grey is predominantly used in England and other English-speaking countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Grey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grey 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 793 Greys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.25x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 793 1.25x
Northumberland 724 7.68x
Durham 709 3.76x
Lancashire 502 0.67x
Yorkshire 443 0.71x
Surrey 373 1.21x
Glamorgan 254 2.30x
Kent 157 0.73x
Somerset 146 1.43x
Hampshire 141 1.09x
Wiltshire 131 2.34x
Essex 111 0.89x
Gloucestershire 111 0.89x
Lanarkshire 104 0.51x
Norfolk 104 1.07x
Berkshire 87 1.83x
Devon 85 0.64x
Lincolnshire 85 0.84x
Midlothian 83 0.98x
Warwickshire 83 0.52x
Staffordshire 80 0.37x
Suffolk 75 0.97x
Cheshire 71 0.51x
Nottinghamshire 67 0.78x
Northamptonshire 63 1.06x
Bedfordshire 56 1.71x
Angus 53 0.90x
Cumberland 52 0.95x
Hertfordshire 52 1.19x
Derbyshire 51 0.51x
Sussex 50 0.47x
Cambridgeshire 41 1.02x
Dorset 38 0.91x
Cornwall 37 0.52x
Ayrshire 36 0.76x
Worcestershire 35 0.42x
Aberdeenshire 30 0.51x
Leicestershire 27 0.38x
Kincardineshire 25 3.24x
Oxfordshire 24 0.61x
Fife 21 0.56x
Carmarthenshire 19 0.71x
Monmouthshire 19 0.41x
Caernarfonshire 18 0.70x
Dunbartonshire 17 1.00x
Shropshire 15 0.27x
Shetland 14 2.16x
Renfrewshire 13 0.26x
Royal Navy 12 1.59x
Argyllshire 11 0.62x
Denbighshire 11 0.46x
Buckinghamshire 10 0.26x
West Lothian 10 1.05x
Banffshire 9 0.69x
Clackmannanshire 8 1.53x
Isle of Man 8 0.68x
Morayshire 8 0.81x
Roxburghshire 7 0.61x
Berwickshire 6 0.78x
Caithness 6 0.69x
Perthshire 6 0.21x
Westmorland 6 0.43x
Brecknockshire 5 0.39x
Dumfriesshire 5 0.36x
Anglesey 4 0.36x
Herefordshire 4 0.15x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.20x
Stirlingshire 3 0.13x
Sutherland 3 0.62x
Buteshire 2 0.52x
East Lothian 2 0.24x
Flintshire 2 0.12x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.16x
Inverness-shire 2 0.11x
Kinross-shire 2 1.25x
Merionethshire 2 0.17x
Selkirkshire 2 0.35x
Wigtownshire 2 0.24x
Nairnshire 1 0.52x
Orkney 1 0.14x
Ross-shire 1 0.06x
Rutland 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. Gateshead in Durham leads with 90 Greys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.38x.

Place Total Index
Gateshead 90 6.38x
Lambeth 82 1.48x
Islington London 73 1.19x
St Pancras London 64 1.26x
Bethnal Green London 62 2.25x
St Marylebone London 62 1.83x
Clase 54 13.17x
Camberwell 49 1.21x
Bishopwearmouth 47 2.91x
Liverpool 47 1.03x
Kensington London 46 1.31x
Longbenton 46 11.52x
Sheffield 45 2.25x
Battersea 43 1.85x
Stockton On Tees 39 4.29x
Hammersmith London 36 2.31x
Shoreditch London 36 1.31x
Tynemouth 36 7.13x
Westgate 36 6.17x
St George Hanover Square 34 3.05x
Swansea Town 33 3.65x
Barony 32 0.62x
Byker 32 6.87x
Stanhope 32 16.45x
Aston 30 0.68x
Bradford 30 1.97x
Wyke In Bradford 30 26.73x
West Ham 29 1.05x
Westoe 29 2.71x
Hackney London 28 0.79x
Westport St Mary 27 66.52x
Alnwick 26 16.05x
Birmingham 26 0.49x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 26 0.76x
Poplar London 25 2.09x
Walcot 25 4.60x
Cardiff St Mary 24 3.95x
Castleton 24 3.20x
Chelsea London 24 1.26x
Elswick 24 3.19x
Everton 24 1.00x
Liff Benvie 24 2.69x
Mere 24 37.72x
Southwark St George Martyr 24 1.88x
Crook Billy Row 23 9.53x
Clapham 22 2.78x
Houghton Le Spring 22 16.89x
Walton On Hill 22 5.40x
Burnley 21 3.32x
Darlington 21 2.89x
Deptford St Paul 21 1.26x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 21 2.57x
Manchester 21 0.62x
Whickham 21 12.11x
Cowpen 20 9.22x
Toxteth Park 20 0.79x
Chilton 19 32.30x
Esh 19 13.86x
Govan 19 0.38x
Melksham 19 19.54x
Paddington London 19 0.82x
Salford 19 0.86x
Wigan 19 1.81x
Cwmdu 18 13.40x
Hove 18 3.84x
Llansamlet Higher 18 21.88x
Portsea 18 0.71x
Reading St Giles 18 3.86x
Turton 18 14.63x
Amble 17 39.64x
Arnold 17 13.64x
Dunston 17 282.86x
Glasgow 17 0.47x
Leeds 17 0.48x
Mason 17 78.96x
Morpeth 17 15.34x
Tottenham 17 1.69x
Berwick Upon Tweed 16 8.01x
Chorlton On Medlock 16 1.34x
Hornsey 16 2.00x
Llanelly 16 2.66x
Odd Rode 16 23.10x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 421
Elizabeth 256
Sarah 187
Jane 165
Ann 116
Margaret 116
Alice 106
Annie 96
Ellen 77
Eliza 76
Emma 70
Catherine 63
Hannah 55
Emily 52
Fanny 46
Isabella 44
Martha 42
Charlotte 40
Louisa 39
Maria 34
Susan 33
Harriet 30
Ada 28
Frances 26
Edith 25
Florence 25
Kate 25
Lucy 24
Caroline 23
Dorothy 22
Agnes 20
Anne 20
Amelia 18
Eleanor 17
Clara 14
Esther 14
Rose 14
Julia 13
Minnie 12
Anna 11
Ethel 11
Lydia 11
Matilda 11
Rachel 11
Gertrude 10
Harriett 10
Maud 10
Susannah 10
Elizth. 9
Georgina 9

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 376
William 361
George 224
James 193
Thomas 180
Henry 120
Charles 115
Robert 103
Joseph 78
Edward 73
Alfred 46
Albert 42
Arthur 42
Walter 42
Samuel 40
Frederick 39
Richard 39
David 28
Harry 27
Frank 22
Ernest 19
Benjamin 18
Edwin 18
Herbert 18
Alexander 17
Andrew 17
Francis 17
Wm. 17
Thos. 16
Ralph 14
Peter 12
Fred 11
Geo. 11
Patrick 9
Abraham 8
Jno. 8
Fredrick 7
Matthew 7
Michael 7
Christopher 6
Edgar 6
Mark 6
Martin 6
Chas. 5
Daniel 5
Hugh 5
Jas. 5
W. 5
Archibald 4
Jonathan 4

FAQ

Grey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,507 people were recorded with the Grey surname. That placed it at #655 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,837 in 2016. That gives Grey a modern rank of #1,150.

What does the Grey surname mean?

A surname derived from a nickname referring to someone with gray hair or a gray beard.

What does the Grey map show?

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