NameCensus.

UK surname

Grier

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from the lands of Grier in Dumfriesshire.

In the 1881 census there were 429 people recorded with the Grier surname, ranking it #7,578 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 851, ranked #6,573, up from #7,578 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Whitby, Govan Combination and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Saltcoats North East, Saltcoats Central and Forgewood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grier is 877 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 98.4%.

1881 census count

429

Ranked #7,578

Modern count

851

2016, ranked #6,573

Peak year

2014

877 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grier had 429 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,578 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 851 in 2016, ranked #6,573.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 544 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Grier surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grier surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Grier 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 271 #8,257
1861 historical 295 #8,555
1881 historical 429 #7,578
1891 historical 544 #6,940
1901 historical 492 #8,149
1911 historical 227 #13,795
1997 modern 833 #6,335
1998 modern 851 #6,432
1999 modern 853 #6,464
2000 modern 856 #6,419
2001 modern 830 #6,465
2002 modern 835 #6,547
2003 modern 819 #6,526
2004 modern 819 #6,539
2005 modern 822 #6,459
2006 modern 812 #6,534
2007 modern 824 #6,532
2008 modern 814 #6,647
2009 modern 833 #6,667
2010 modern 849 #6,699
2011 modern 844 #6,651
2012 modern 846 #6,555
2013 modern 869 #6,520
2014 modern 877 #6,497
2015 modern 854 #6,574
2016 modern 851 #6,573

Geography

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Where Griers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Whitby, Govan Combination, London parishes, Edinburgh and Stoneykirk. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Saltcoats North East, Saltcoats Central, Forgewood, Galston and Knowsley. 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 Whitby Yorkshire, North Riding
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Stoneykirk Wigtown

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Saltcoats North East North Ayrshire
2 Saltcoats Central North Ayrshire
3 Forgewood North Lanarkshire
4 Galston East Ayrshire
5 Knowsley 001 Knowsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Grier

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Grier

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Grier is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Grier is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Grier falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Grier

The surname Grier originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic word "greusaiche", meaning a shoemaker or worker of leather goods. The name likely emerged as an occupational surname for those involved in this trade.

The earliest known records of the Grier name can be traced back to the 13th century in the regions of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire in western Scotland. Similar spellings from this era include Grier, Griere, and Griyor. There are references to individuals with the surname Grier in old parish records and medieval charters from this part of Scotland.

One of the earliest documented examples is Willelmus Griere, who is mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Another early record is that of John Grier, a tenant farmer in the village of Lesmahago, Lanarkshire, in the late 14th century.

The Grier surname has strong ties to the region of Galloway in southwestern Scotland. In the 16th century, a notable figure was John Grier of Muirhouse, who served as the Sheriff of Wigtown in 1547. His descendants established themselves as landed gentry in the area.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the Grier surname. One example is Sir Robert Grier (1794-1870), a Scottish-American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1846 to 1870.

Another prominent figure was Alvan Clark Grier (1833-1900), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania from 1891 to 1895.

In the literary world, David Grier (1837-1902) was a Scottish poet and author who wrote under the pen name "Muirland Willie". His works, such as "The Grier's Lament", celebrated the culture and heritage of Galloway.

The surname Grier has also been associated with notable military figures, such as Major General Alvan Cullem Grier (1825-1903), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War, and Air Vice Marshal Horace Grier (1912-1991), a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during World War II.

While the Grier name is most prevalent in Scotland and parts of the United States, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. The surname remains a reminder of the rich history and occupational origins of this Scottish family name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Grier families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grier 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. Lanarkshire leads with 106 Griers recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.69x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 106 7.69x
Ayrshire 48 15.05x
Renfrewshire 34 10.29x
Lancashire 32 0.63x
Yorkshire 23 0.54x
Midlothian 22 3.85x
Middlesex 17 0.40x
Glamorgan 15 2.02x
Wigtownshire 15 26.50x
Kent 14 0.96x
Fife 11 4.36x
Surrey 10 0.48x
Monmouthshire 7 2.27x
Nottinghamshire 7 1.22x
Carmarthenshire 6 3.34x
Channel Islands 6 4.75x
Lincolnshire 5 0.73x
Staffordshire 5 0.35x
Angus 4 1.01x
Dunbartonshire 4 3.49x
Hampshire 4 0.46x
Roxburghshire 4 5.18x
Aberdeenshire 3 0.76x
Durham 3 0.24x
Norfolk 3 0.46x
Northumberland 3 0.47x
Argyllshire 2 1.69x
Buteshire 2 7.74x
Cheshire 2 0.21x
Cornwall 2 0.41x
Devon 2 0.23x
Gloucestershire 2 0.24x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 3.24x
Somerset 2 0.29x
Westmorland 2 2.13x
Dorset 1 0.36x
East Lothian 1 1.77x
Inverness-shire 1 0.79x
Isle of Man 1 1.26x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.74x
Royal Navy 1 1.97x
Stirlingshire 1 0.64x
West Lothian 1 1.56x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 53 Griers recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.65x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 53 21.65x
Barony 27 7.74x
Govan 18 5.28x
Great Bolton 13 19.40x
Ardrossan 11 99.64x
West Greenock 11 18.55x
Dunfermline 10 25.77x
Whitby 10 70.22x
Galston 9 103.21x
Neilston 9 54.28x
Aberdare 8 15.70x
Croydon 7 6.07x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 3.05x
Inverkip 7 89.86x
Leeds 7 2.93x
Nottingham St Mary 7 4.71x
Penicuik 7 90.21x
Eastwood 6 29.48x
Llangennech 6 208.33x
Llanhilleth 6 295.57x
Paddington London 6 3.83x
Riccarton 6 124.74x
Riccarton Hurlford 6 107.14x
Ruswarp 6 127.66x
St Anne 6 265.49x
Stoneykirk 6 148.15x
Edinburgh Canongate 5 34.41x
Eltham 5 58.69x
St Giles In Fields London 5 23.91x
Aberavon 4 58.57x
Dalmellington 4 42.64x
Deptford St Paul 4 3.57x
Everton 4 2.48x
Hawick 4 23.15x
Kensington London 4 1.69x
Rugeley 4 38.72x
St Benedict Lincoln 4 434.78x
West Derby 4 2.70x
Aberdeen Old Machar 3 3.64x
Bishopwearmouth 3 2.76x
Coulsdon 3 79.37x
Eccles 3 967.74x
Irvine 3 33.86x
Kirkinner 3 128.21x
Mochrum 3 88.76x
Preston 3 2.22x
Walton On Hill 3 10.95x
Aldershot 2 6.83x
Ambleside 2 68.97x
Blantyre 2 13.94x
Cheltenham 2 3.10x
Georgeham 2 180.18x
Hamilton 2 5.20x
Hampstead London 2 3.01x
Inch 2 36.23x
Kilwinning 2 19.42x
Kirkcudbright 2 39.14x
Liverpool 2 0.65x
Llanwonno 2 7.50x
Plumstead 2 4.13x
Rothesay 2 15.99x
Saltash 2 53.48x
Shettleston 2 16.21x
St Quivox 2 18.54x
Stevenston 2 24.04x
Clotton Hoofield 1 200.00x
Dumbarton 1 6.27x
Dundee 1 0.68x
Kilfinichen 1 34.01x
Liff Benvie 1 1.67x
Little Bolton 1 1.54x
Little Meolse 1 74.63x
Milton In Gravesend 1 4.59x
Minster In Sheppey 1 4.15x
Onchan 1 4.39x
Prestonpans 1 26.39x
Ryde 1 5.33x
Salford 1 0.67x
Weston Super Mare 1 5.77x
Wolstanton Knutton 1 11.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 14
James 9
William 9
Thomas 6
Charles 5
Robert 4
Alexander 3
Alfred 3
George 3
Michael 3
Joseph 2
Willm. 2
Albert 1
Andrew 1
Chas. 1
Chas.J. 1
David 1
Donald 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Fredk.W. 1
Fredk.Wm. 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
J. 1
Jenkin 1
Lelwyn 1
Martin 1
Mathew 1
Moses 1
Nicholas 1
Phillip 1
Richard 1
Sam. 1
Saunders 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Grier surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grier surname in 1881?

In 1881, 429 people were recorded with the Grier surname. That placed it at #7,578 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grier surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 851 in 2016. That gives Grier a modern rank of #6,573.

What does the Grier surname mean?

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from the lands of Grier in Dumfriesshire.

What does the Grier map show?

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