NameCensus.

UK surname

Grimshaw

A locational surname referring to someone from Grimshaw, Lancashire, England, likely derived from Old English meaning "dark wood."

In the 1881 census there were 4,992 people recorded with the Grimshaw surname, ranking it #892 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,668, ranked #1,456, down from #892 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Calverley, Manchester and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hyndburn, Bolton and Rossendale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grimshaw is 6,062 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 6.5%.

1881 census count

4,992

Ranked #892

Modern count

4,668

2016, ranked #1,456

Peak year

1911

6,062 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grimshaw had 4,992 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #892 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,668 in 2016, ranked #1,456.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,062 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Grimshaw surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grimshaw surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Grimshaw 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 3,265 #885
1861 historical 2,992 #963
1881 historical 4,992 #892
1891 historical 5,002 #939
1901 historical 5,993 #926
1911 historical 6,062 #854
1997 modern 5,053 #1,294
1998 modern 5,121 #1,327
1999 modern 5,192 #1,316
2000 modern 5,084 #1,341
2001 modern 4,954 #1,341
2002 modern 5,024 #1,348
2003 modern 4,881 #1,354
2004 modern 4,835 #1,365
2005 modern 4,758 #1,370
2006 modern 4,726 #1,387
2007 modern 4,736 #1,396
2008 modern 4,736 #1,399
2009 modern 4,815 #1,413
2010 modern 4,915 #1,414
2011 modern 4,844 #1,417
2012 modern 4,644 #1,448
2013 modern 4,773 #1,435
2014 modern 4,784 #1,443
2015 modern 4,710 #1,448
2016 modern 4,668 #1,456

Geography

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Where Grimshaws are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Calverley, Manchester, Bradford, Blackburn and Whalley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hyndburn, Bolton, Rossendale and Blackburn with Darwen. 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 Calverley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 Whalley Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hyndburn 004 Hyndburn
2 Hyndburn 008 Hyndburn
3 Bolton 004 Bolton
4 Rossendale 010 Rossendale
5 Blackburn with Darwen 017 Blackburn with Darwen

Forenames

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First names often paired with Grimshaw

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Grimshaw

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Grimshaw surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Grimshaw household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Grimshaw 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

Grimshaw 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

Grimshaw 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 Grimshaw 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 Grimshaw, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Grimshaw

The surname Grimshaw originated in England, derived from the Old English words "grim" meaning "fierce" or "grim-looking" and "sceaga" meaning "grove" or "shaw", referring to a dense thicket or wooded area. It is believed to have emerged as a surname in the late 12th or early 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Grimshaw can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire from 1332, which mentions a person named Richard de Grymeshagh. This spelling variation highlights the connection to the location of the same name, likely a hamlet or village in Lancashire.

In the 16th century, the Grimshaw family was well-established in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. Records from this time show various spellings such as Grymshaw, Grymshawe, and Grymeshawe. One notable figure was John Grimshaw (c. 1545-1637), a clergyman who served as the Vicar of Blackburn from 1589 until his death.

During the English Civil War period in the 17th century, a Grimshaw family member named Adam Grimshaw (c. 1610-1685) was a prominent Puritan preacher and author who wrote several religious works, including "A Sermon Preached at the Publique Entrance of Mr. John Angier" in 1655.

In the 18th century, the Grimshaw name gained further recognition with the life of William Grimshaw (1708-1763), an Anglican clergyman and influential figure in the Methodist movement. He was born in Brindle, Lancashire, and served as the Vicar of Haworth, West Yorkshire, from 1742 until his death.

Another notable individual was Sir Samuel Grimshaw (1619-1700), an English politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1660 and 1661. He played a significant role in the restoration of the monarchy after the English Civil War.

The Grimshaw surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Grimshaw Lane in Blackburn, Grimshaw Park in Leyland, and Grimshaw Street in Preston, all located in Lancashire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Grimshaw families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grimshaw 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. Lancashire leads with 3,504 Grimshaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.05x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 3,504 6.05x
Yorkshire 651 1.35x
Cheshire 189 1.75x
Middlesex 109 0.22x
Surrey 61 0.26x
Berkshire 59 1.61x
Essex 43 0.45x
Derbyshire 34 0.45x
Wiltshire 32 0.74x
Durham 30 0.21x
Staffordshire 30 0.18x
Devon 25 0.25x
Glamorgan 23 0.27x
Kent 20 0.12x
Lanarkshire 18 0.11x
Warwickshire 14 0.11x
Oxfordshire 13 0.43x
Gloucestershire 12 0.13x
Hampshire 12 0.12x
Shropshire 12 0.28x
Buckinghamshire 10 0.34x
Hertfordshire 10 0.30x
Leicestershire 9 0.17x
Somerset 8 0.10x
Cumberland 7 0.17x
Northamptonshire 7 0.15x
Norfolk 6 0.08x
Westmorland 6 0.56x
Bedfordshire 5 0.20x
Channel Islands 5 0.35x
Renfrewshire 5 0.13x
Sussex 5 0.06x
Dorset 4 0.12x
Northumberland 4 0.06x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.06x
Royal Navy 4 0.69x
Brecknockshire 3 0.31x
Angus 2 0.04x
Lincolnshire 2 0.03x
Monmouthshire 2 0.06x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.05x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.09x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.14x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 372 Grimshaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.14x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 372 24.14x
Oswaldtwistle 276 134.89x
Calverley Cum Farsley 186 135.45x
Accrington 171 32.48x
Manchester 118 4.53x
Ashton Under Lyne 113 8.93x
Gorton 103 18.92x
Droylsden 93 49.22x
Pendleton In Salford 89 12.90x
Great Bolton 71 9.26x
Salford 68 3.99x
Pilkington 67 30.46x
Church 63 77.05x
Over Darwen 51 11.03x
Haslingden 50 20.85x
Preston 50 3.23x
Leeds 48 1.76x
Oldham 48 2.57x
Chorlton On Medlock 46 5.00x
Newchurch 44 9.29x
Bradford 42 15.49x
Hulme 42 3.47x
Hyde 38 11.95x
Barrowford Booth 37 57.74x
Horwich 37 58.58x
Reddish 37 46.38x
Upholland 37 49.86x
Little Bolton 36 4.83x
Newton 36 8.07x
Openshaw 34 12.54x
Broughton In Salford 33 6.23x
Wigan 33 4.08x
Great Little Marsden 32 12.06x
Hurdsfield 32 48.27x
Tottington Lower End 31 11.26x
Rawdon 30 52.68x
Farnworth 29 8.36x
Armley 28 13.13x
Bury 28 4.23x
Stockport 28 5.05x
Chorley 27 8.31x
Rishton 27 39.75x
Lower Darwen 26 34.21x
Habergham Eaves 25 4.72x
Hindley 25 10.13x
Barrow In Furness 24 3.05x
Crumpsall 24 17.58x
Idle 24 10.70x
Warrington 24 3.50x
Witton 24 32.94x
Worsley 24 6.72x
Heaton Norris 23 6.98x
Dukinfield 21 4.22x
Mile End Old Town London 21 2.02x
Shipley 21 8.37x
Ashton In Makerfield 20 12.13x
Blackley 20 19.70x
Horsforth 20 18.86x
Walthamstow 20 5.77x
Burnley 19 3.90x
Orrell 19 26.39x
Radcliffe 19 6.81x
Spotland 19 2.95x
Thornton In Fylde 19 15.00x
Worsbrough 19 13.41x
Clitheroe 18 10.56x
Liverpool 18 0.51x
Stretford 18 5.65x
Ardwick 17 3.25x
Levenshulme 17 28.52x
St George Hanover Square 17 1.98x
Toxteth Park 17 0.87x
Wheelton 17 65.61x
Blackrod 16 22.23x
Bramley In Bramley 16 8.64x
Bridlington 16 14.45x
Bedford 15 12.38x
Moss Side 14 4.59x
Pemberton 14 6.06x
Prestwich 14 9.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 410
Sarah 215
Elizabeth 186
Alice 153
Ann 127
Ellen 116
Jane 109
Margaret 71
Hannah 65
Martha 61
Annie 60
Eliza 60
Emma 52
Emily 35
Ada 31
Nancy 27
Betty 26
Maria 26
Esther 24
Harriet 24
Catherine 23
Edith 21
Betsy 20
Charlotte 18
Clara 18
Fanny 18
Florence 18
Agnes 16
Grace 16
Isabella 16
Lucy 16
Louisa 15
Elizth. 14
Bertha 13
Susannah 12
Ethel 11
Rebecca 11
Matilda 10
Rachel 10
Amy 9
Anne 9
Caroline 9
Gertrude 8
Rose 8
Susan 8
Amelia 7
Eleanor 7
Frances 7
Margt. 7
Henrietta 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 334
William 311
James 218
Thomas 177
Joseph 111
George 96
Henry 81
Samuel 61
Charles 52
Richard 50
Robert 45
Edward 42
Alfred 39
Peter 32
Walter 31
Harry 28
David 27
Albert 25
Arthur 19
Edmund 19
Herbert 19
Benjamin 18
Frederick 17
Wm. 16
Jas. 14
Edwin 13
Fred 13
Jonathan 13
Abraham 12
Hugh 12
Thos. 11
Ernest 9
Frank 9
Joshua 9
Nicholas 9
Job 8
Andrew 7
Francis 7
Moses 7
Robt. 7
Saml. 7
Tom 7
Alexander 6
Elias 6
Jacob 6
Aaron 5
Fredk. 5
Grimshaw 5
Oliver 5
Roger 5

FAQ

Grimshaw surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grimshaw surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,992 people were recorded with the Grimshaw surname. That placed it at #892 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grimshaw surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,668 in 2016. That gives Grimshaw a modern rank of #1,456.

What does the Grimshaw surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Grimshaw, Lancashire, England, likely derived from Old English meaning "dark wood."

What does the Grimshaw map show?

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