NameCensus.

UK surname

Grindell

A surname likely derived from a location name or occupational surname related to grinding.

In the 1881 census there were 163 people recorded with the Grindell surname, ranking it #14,689 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 201, ranked #19,525, down from #14,689 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Newland (Bream, Clearwell, Newland, Coleford), West Dean and Hull Holy Trinity. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kingston upon Hull, Bristol and Chesterfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grindell is 222 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.3%.

1881 census count

163

Ranked #14,689

Modern count

201

2016, ranked #19,525

Peak year

1911

222 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grindell had 163 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,689 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 222 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Grindell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grindell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Grindell 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 93 #17,946
1861 historical 70 #24,911
1881 historical 163 #14,689
1891 historical 184 #15,869
1901 historical 209 #14,712
1911 historical 222 #13,992
1997 modern 172 #19,371
1998 modern 182 #19,162
1999 modern 189 #18,862
2000 modern 197 #18,384
2001 modern 191 #18,453
2002 modern 184 #19,275
2003 modern 184 #19,075
2004 modern 185 #19,114
2005 modern 186 #18,985
2006 modern 184 #19,254
2007 modern 184 #19,485
2008 modern 188 #19,387
2009 modern 197 #19,218
2010 modern 193 #19,880
2011 modern 194 #19,662
2012 modern 184 #20,291
2013 modern 197 #19,725
2014 modern 199 #19,775
2015 modern 202 #19,433
2016 modern 201 #19,525

Geography

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Where Grindells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Newland (Bream, Clearwell, Newland, Coleford), West Dean, Hull Holy Trinity, Owthorne and Drypool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kingston upon Hull, Bristol, Chesterfield and Cheviot East. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Newland (Bream, Clearwell, Newland, Coleford), West Dean Monmouthshire
3 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
4 Owthorne Yorkshire, East Riding
5 Drypool Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kingston upon Hull 003 Kingston upon Hull, City of
2 Bristol 020 Bristol, City of
3 Kingston upon Hull 021 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 Chesterfield 011 Chesterfield
5 Cheviot East Scottish Borders

Forenames

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First names often paired with Grindell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Grindell

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Grindell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Grindell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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, Grindell 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

Grindell is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Grindell

The surname Grindell originated in England, likely in the late medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "grene" meaning green and "dell" meaning a small valley or hollow, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived in a green valley or dell.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a Roger de Gryndel in Oxfordshire. This spelling variation, Gryndel, provides insight into the name's evolution over time.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Gryndel, Gryndell, and Gryndelle in records from counties like Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire. This regional concentration suggests that the name may have originated in these areas of southern England.

The Grindell surname is also associated with several place names in England, including Grindell's Green in Staffordshire and Grindell's Farm in Buckinghamshire, further reinforcing its connection to geographic features.

Notable individuals with the Grindell surname throughout history include John Grindell (c. 1520-1589), a prominent English merchant and landowner in Maldon, Essex. Another early bearer was William Grindell (c. 1560-1637), a clergyman and rector of St. Giles-in-the-Fields, London.

In the 17th century, the Grindell family held land in Buckinghamshire, with Robert Grindell (1610-1683) being a notable landholder and justice of the peace in the county. His son, also named Robert Grindell (1645-1720), continued the family's legacy as a landowner and served as a Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire.

Moving into the 18th century, Thomas Grindell (1695-1772) was a distinguished English lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Glamorgan Circuit in Wales.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Grindell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grindell 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 71 Grindells recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.51x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 71 4.51x
Gloucestershire 27 8.66x
Cumberland 14 10.23x
Kent 8 1.47x
Lancashire 8 0.42x
Angus 7 4.75x
Essex 7 2.23x
Dumfriesshire 5 14.24x
Glamorgan 5 1.81x
Durham 4 0.85x
Suffolk 4 2.07x
Middlesex 2 0.13x
Sussex 1 0.37x

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 16 Grindells recorded in 1881 and an index of 64.05x.

Place Total Index
Sculcoates 16 64.05x
West Dean 13 256.92x
Bristol St George 12 83.22x
Southcoates 11 125.71x
Buttermere 10 14285.71x
Beverley St Nicholas 9 697.67x
Deptford St Paul 8 19.12x
Skeffling 8 8888.89x
Barrow In Furness 7 27.28x
Liff Benvie 7 31.31x
Waxholme 7 14000.00x
West Ham 6 8.66x
Burton Pidsea 5 2631.58x
Cardiff St Mary 5 32.79x
Kirkpatrick Juxta 5 877.19x
Southwold 4 347.83x
Bridlington 3 83.10x
Pelton 3 133.33x
Drypool 2 82.99x
Egremont 2 61.35x
Halsham 2 1666.67x
Holy Trinity 2 5.28x
Millom 2 47.73x
Shoreditch London 2 2.90x
Barking 1 10.89x
Bishopwearmouth 1 2.46x
Brighton 1 1.85x
Cheltenham 1 4.16x
Goole 1 37.88x
Hedon 1 188.68x
Holmpton 1 833.33x
Kilnsea 1 1000.00x
Knaresborough 1 40.49x
Leeds 1 1.12x
Newland 1 38.17x
Stretford 1 9.63x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 13
Mary 9
Elizabeth 8
Jane 4
Ann 3
Annie 3
Hannah 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Ethel 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Matilda 2
Susannah 2
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Dorathy 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Eliza 1
Elizh. 1
Emily 1
Florence 1
Francis 1
Georgina 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Hassek 1
Helena 1
Lilly 1
Lydia 1
Marion 1
Martha 1
Rhoda 1
Rosa 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
William 11
George 7
James 4
Joseph 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Geo. 2
Oliver 2
Char 1
Fredrick 1
Henry 1
Herbet 1
Hugh 1
Infant 1
Isaac 1
Jno. 1
Johnson 1
Nelson 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1
Thurston 1

FAQ

Grindell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grindell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 163 people were recorded with the Grindell surname. That placed it at #14,689 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grindell surname today?

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

What does the Grindell surname mean?

A surname likely derived from a location name or occupational surname related to grinding.

What does the Grindell map show?

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