NameCensus.

UK surname

Grindall

A locational surname from a place called Grindale, referring to someone who lived near a valley or hollow.

In the 1881 census there were 74 people recorded with the Grindall surname, ranking it #23,062 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 101, ranked #30,929, down from #23,062 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kelton, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, and St Bees. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, Cornwall and Maldon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grindall is 109 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.5%.

1881 census count

74

Ranked #23,062

Modern count

101

2016, ranked #30,929

Peak year

2010

109 bearers

Map years

3

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grindall had 74 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,062 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016, ranked #30,929.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 107 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Grindall surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grindall surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Grindall 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 62 #22,232
1861 historical 86 #22,810
1881 historical 74 #23,062
1891 historical 107 #22,967
1901 historical 81 #25,130
1911 historical 56 #27,216
1997 modern 103 #26,498
1998 modern 102 #27,314
1999 modern 101 #27,617
2000 modern 94 #28,573
2001 modern 96 #27,976
2002 modern 101 #27,766
2003 modern 91 #29,121
2004 modern 89 #29,623
2005 modern 87 #29,966
2006 modern 91 #29,725
2007 modern 91 #30,061
2008 modern 97 #29,527
2009 modern 106 #28,666
2010 modern 109 #28,831
2011 modern 102 #29,759
2012 modern 97 #30,798
2013 modern 98 #31,078
2014 modern 104 #30,365
2015 modern 102 #30,624
2016 modern 101 #30,929

Geography

Back to top

Where Grindalls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kelton, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, St Bees, Dumfries and Moffat. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan, Cornwall 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 Kelton Kirkcudbright
2 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
3 St Bees Cumberland
4 Dumfries Dumfries
5 Moffat Dumfries

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 010 Wigan
2 Wigan 008 Wigan
3 Cornwall 052 Cornwall
4 Maldon 001 Maldon
5 Wigan 009 Wigan

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Grindall

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Grindall

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

Challenged Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Grindall 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

Grindall 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

Grindall 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 Grindall is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Grindall

The surname Grindall is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from the place name Grindelford or Grindalyth, both of which refer to locations in Yorkshire. The name is likely derived from the Old English words "grynde" meaning "ravine" or "deep valley" and "alor" meaning "meadow."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Grindall can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Grindelford." This suggests that the name was already established in Yorkshire at the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, records show variations of the name such as "de Gryndelford" and "de Gryndelay," reflecting the connection to the place names. By the 14th century, the spelling had evolved closer to the modern form, with instances of "Gryndall" and "Gryndale" appearing in various documents.

Notable individuals with the surname Grindall throughout history include:

1. William Grindall (c. 1455 - 1519), a prominent merchant and landowner in Yorkshire, known for his involvement in the wool trade. 2. John Grindall (1562 - 1638), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 until his death. 3. Elizabeth Grindall (1670 - 1735), a renowned poet and playwright active during the Restoration period in England. 4. Thomas Grindall (1789 - 1865), a British explorer and naturalist who documented several new species of plants and animals during his expeditions to South America. 5. Margaret Grindall (1902 - 1987), a prominent feminist and activist who played a key role in the women's suffrage movement in the United Kingdom.

While the surname Grindall is not among the most common in England, it has persisted over the centuries, with many families tracing their roots back to the Yorkshire region where the name originated.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Grindall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grindall 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. Yorkshire leads with 23 Grindalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.22x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 23 3.22x
Cumberland 14 22.53x
Lancashire 8 0.93x
Dumfriesshire 6 37.64x
Kirkcudbrightshire 6 57.42x
Warwickshire 6 3.30x
Sussex 3 2.47x
Lanarkshire 2 0.86x
Middlesex 2 0.28x
Cheshire 1 0.63x
Devon 1 0.67x
Hampshire 1 0.68x
Surrey 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sculcoates in Yorkshire leads with 10 Grindalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 88.18x.

Place Total Index
Sculcoates 10 88.18x
Birmingham 5 8.24x
Brigham 4 1379.31x
Kilnwick Percy 4 13333.33x
Moss Side 4 88.69x
Waxholme 4 20000.00x
Barrow In Furness 3 25.75x
Cottingham 3 194.81x
Dumfries 3 191.08x
Hove 3 56.18x
Kelton 3 348.84x
Moffat 3 410.96x
Troqueer 3 218.98x
Whitehaven 3 90.63x
Hamilton 2 30.72x
Seaton 2 277.78x
Aston 1 2.00x
Bootle 1 500.00x
Churston Ferrers 1 625.00x
Cleator 1 38.61x
Egremont 1 67.57x
Holy Trinity 1 5.81x
Hornsey 1 10.96x
Knottingley 1 79.37x
Lamplugh 1 322.58x
Portsea 1 3.45x
Preston Quarter 1 57.47x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 6.89x
Tranmere 1 17.09x
Warrington 1 9.85x
Westminster St James 1 13.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Thomas 5
William 4
John 3
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Fred 1
George 1
Herbert 1
James 1
Patrick 1

FAQ

Grindall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grindall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 74 people were recorded with the Grindall surname. That placed it at #23,062 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grindall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016. That gives Grindall a modern rank of #30,929.

What does the Grindall surname mean?

A locational surname from a place called Grindale, referring to someone who lived near a valley or hollow.

What does the Grindall map show?

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