NameCensus.

UK surname

Grigsby

Derived from a place name meaning "Grig's farmstead" in Old English, referring to a person who lived there.

In the 1881 census there were 200 people recorded with the Grigsby surname, ranking it #12,836 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 201, ranked #19,525, down from #12,836 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lamberhurst, Tunbridge, Bidborough and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swale, Kensington and Chelsea and Greenwich.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grigsby is 260 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.5%.

1881 census count

200

Ranked #12,836

Modern count

201

2016, ranked #19,525

Peak year

1911

260 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grigsby had 200 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,836 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 201 in 2016, ranked #19,525.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 260 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Grigsby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grigsby surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Grigsby 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 166 #11,986
1861 historical 161 #14,392
1881 historical 200 #12,836
1891 historical 219 #13,974
1901 historical 247 #13,238
1911 historical 260 #12,561
1997 modern 228 #16,211
1998 modern 236 #16,304
1999 modern 225 #16,931
2000 modern 221 #17,089
2001 modern 216 #17,103
2002 modern 211 #17,696
2003 modern 206 #17,799
2004 modern 197 #18,368
2005 modern 192 #18,640
2006 modern 186 #19,140
2007 modern 199 #18,542
2008 modern 205 #18,359
2009 modern 204 #18,779
2010 modern 205 #19,140
2011 modern 209 #18,730
2012 modern 207 #18,777
2013 modern 215 #18,598
2014 modern 208 #19,194
2015 modern 205 #19,269
2016 modern 201 #19,525

Geography

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Where Grigsbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lamberhurst, Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes, Marden and Yalding, Aylesford, Burham, Mereworth, Wateringbury, Nettlestead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swale, Kensington and Chelsea, Greenwich and Maldon. 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 Lamberhurst Sussex
2 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 Marden Kent
5 Yalding, Aylesford, Burham, Mereworth, Wateringbury, Nettlestead Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swale 010 Swale
2 Kensington and Chelsea 006 Kensington and Chelsea
3 Greenwich 030 Greenwich
4 Swale 015 Swale
5 Maldon 004 Maldon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Grigsby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Grigsby

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

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Grigsby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Grigsby household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Grigsby 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

Grigsby 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

Grigsby falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Grigsby

The surname Grigsby has its origins in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English personal name Grigge, which means "Greek" or "son of a Greek". This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who had Greek ancestry or connections.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Grigsby can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1176, where it appears as "Griggesbi". This spelling variation indicates that the name was likely derived from a place name, possibly a location called "Grigge's by" or "Grigge's village".

In the 13th century, the name Grigsby appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it was spelled as "Greggesbi". This further reinforces the connection to a place name with the prefix "Gregge" or "Grigge".

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Grigsby was John Grigsby, who was born in Nottinghamshire, England, in the late 14th century. Another notable figure was Sir Robert Grigsby, a wealthy landowner from Yorkshire, who lived during the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Grigsby family established themselves in various parts of England, including Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Cheshire. One prominent member was Thomas Grigsby (1532-1597), a successful merchant from London who amassed considerable wealth through his trade ventures.

During the 17th century, the Grigsby name gained prominence in Virginia, United States, where several members of the family settled and became influential in local affairs. One such individual was Hugh Grigsby (1806-1881), a prominent historian and author who wrote extensively on the history of Virginia.

Another notable figure was Nathaniel Grigsby (1619-1678), who served as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and played a significant role in the early development of the colony.

In the 18th century, the Grigsby family continued to expand their influence in various parts of the United States, with members residing in states such as Kentucky, Tennessee, and Missouri. One prominent individual from this period was John Grigsby (1762-1819), a pioneer settler and landowner in Kentucky.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Grigsby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grigsby 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. Kent leads with 124 Grigsbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.44x.

County Total Index
Kent 124 18.44x
Middlesex 22 1.12x
Lancashire 19 0.81x
Sussex 13 3.91x
Surrey 11 1.15x
Berkshire 10 6.76x
Royal Navy 2 8.52x
Essex 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Marden in Kent leads with 15 Grigsbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 949.37x.

Place Total Index
Marden 15 949.37x
Maidstone 11 54.92x
Stockbury 11 2619.05x
Lamberhurstsussex 10 2325.58x
Sittingbourne 10 188.32x
Charlton 8 178.97x
Everton 8 10.74x
Lambeth 8 4.66x
St Pauls Cray 8 1568.63x
Hornsey 7 28.09x
Mereworth 7 1296.30x
Ashford 6 91.60x
Brenchley 6 248.96x
Withington 6 79.68x
Deptford St Nicholas 5 93.63x
Earley 5 203.25x
Gravesend 5 87.87x
Ospringe 5 602.41x
Reading St Giles 5 34.46x
St Pancras London 5 3.15x
Islington London 4 2.09x
Frindsbury 3 118.58x
Hucking 3 3333.33x
Langley 3 1200.00x
Rochester St Margaret 3 42.31x
Rotherhithe 3 12.32x
Sevenoaks 3 55.05x
St Bride London 3 260.87x
Stretford 3 23.33x
Hartlip 2 769.23x
Milton In Gravesend 2 19.84x
Royal Navy 2 9.97x
Wateringbury 2 227.27x
Boughton Monchelsea 1 135.14x
Chatham 1 5.41x
Chelsea London 1 1.68x
East Malling 1 62.11x
Frinstead 1 714.29x
Icklesham 1 172.41x
Lamberhurst 1 119.05x
Limehouse London 1 4.62x
Litherland 1 20.45x
Moss Side 1 8.13x
Speldhurst 1 29.24x
St Giles In Fields London 1 10.34x
Stebbing 1 133.33x
Tonbridge 1 4.12x
Wadhurst 1 45.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 16
John 9
Charles 8
George 7
Henry 7
Thomas 5
Alfred 4
Edward 4
Herbert 4
Albert 3
Arthur 3
David 3
James 3
Joseph 2
Amos 1
Benjamin 1
Chas.Wm. 1
Cyril 1
Ernest 1
Fredck. 1
Frederick 1
Harold 1
Hodges 1
Infant 1
Maurice 1
Oswald 1
Percy 1
Raymond 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1
Sidny 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Wm.John 1

FAQ

Grigsby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grigsby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 200 people were recorded with the Grigsby surname. That placed it at #12,836 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grigsby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 201 in 2016. That gives Grigsby a modern rank of #19,525.

What does the Grigsby surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "Grig's farmstead" in Old English, referring to a person who lived there.

What does the Grigsby map show?

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