NameCensus.

UK surname

Grindlay

In the 1881 census there were 327 people recorded with the Grindlay surname, ranking it #9,147 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 295, ranked #14,915, down from #9,147 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Denny, Govan Combination and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ12, Drumry East and South Northamptonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grindlay is 389 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.8%.

1881 census count

327

Ranked #9,147

Modern count

295

2016, ranked #14,915

Peak year

1901

389 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grindlay had 327 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,147 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 295 in 2016, ranked #14,915.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 389 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Grindlay surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grindlay surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Grindlay 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 155 #12,604
1861 historical 165 #14,112
1881 historical 327 #9,147
1891 historical 336 #10,158
1901 historical 389 #9,666
1911 historical 59 #26,914
1997 modern 300 #13,530
1998 modern 304 #13,773
1999 modern 301 #13,926
2000 modern 297 #14,008
2001 modern 283 #14,247
2002 modern 293 #14,203
2003 modern 291 #14,100
2004 modern 287 #14,286
2005 modern 294 #14,006
2006 modern 288 #14,267
2007 modern 293 #14,272
2008 modern 284 #14,687
2009 modern 288 #14,838
2010 modern 298 #14,812
2011 modern 290 #14,933
2012 modern 287 #14,978
2013 modern 284 #15,358
2014 modern 291 #15,168
2015 modern 297 #14,863
2016 modern 295 #14,915

Geography

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Where Grindlays are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to IZ12, Drumry East, South Northamptonshire, IZ14 and IZ11. 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 Denny Stirling
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ12 West Dunbartonshire
2 Drumry East Glasgow City
3 South Northamptonshire 006 South Northamptonshire
4 IZ14 East Lothian
5 IZ11 West Dunbartonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Grindlay

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Grindlay

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Grindlay 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

Grindlay is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Grindlay falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Grindlay is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Grindlay families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grindlay 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. Stirlingshire leads with 118 Grindlays recorded in 1881 and an index of 100.30x.

County Total Index
Stirlingshire 118 100.30x
Lanarkshire 80 7.75x
Angus 22 7.44x
Midlothian 17 3.98x
Perthshire 17 11.87x
Fife 16 8.47x
Surrey 11 0.71x
Argyllshire 10 11.26x
Middlesex 10 0.31x
West Lothian 8 16.65x
Dunbartonshire 6 7.00x
Ayrshire 5 2.09x
Renfrewshire 4 1.62x
Kincardineshire 1 2.57x
Lancashire 1 0.03x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Falkirk in Stirlingshire leads with 50 Grindlays recorded in 1881 and an index of 181.55x.

Place Total Index
Falkirk 50 181.55x
Govan 29 11.37x
Kilsyth 23 306.67x
Barony 20 7.66x
Glasgow 17 9.28x
Stirling 14 94.40x
Dundee 12 10.88x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 11 6.40x
Bothkennar 10 284.90x
Hamilton 10 34.76x
Logie 9 175.10x
Muiravonside 9 301.00x
Camberwell 8 3.93x
Kilbrandon 8 540.54x
St Marylebone London 8 4.70x
St Vigeans 8 50.16x
Dunfermline 7 24.10x
Perth West Church 7 103.09x
Denny 6 95.85x
Boness 5 75.53x
Cumbernauld 5 106.38x
Inverkeithing 5 175.44x
Beith 4 56.18x
Paisley Middle Church 4 27.80x
Polmont 4 92.17x
St Andrews 4 46.57x
Bothwell 3 10.72x
Linlithgow 3 48.70x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 2 19.78x
Forfar 2 12.50x
Kilmore Kilbride 2 35.46x
Larbert 2 28.45x
Sutton 2 17.78x
Boroughbridge 1 94.34x
Bromley London 1 1.42x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 1.66x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 1 33.78x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 11.89x
Errol 1 37.74x
Gorbals 1 16.34x
Kilmarnock 1 3.52x
North Leith 1 5.06x
Richmond 1 4.59x
Roseneath 1 60.98x
St Cyrus 1 61.73x
Stoke Newington London 1 4.02x
West Calder 1 11.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Edward 2
William 2
Frank 1
James 1
John 1
Wm.James 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Grindlay households.

FAQ

Grindlay surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grindlay surname in 1881?

In 1881, 327 people were recorded with the Grindlay surname. That placed it at #9,147 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grindlay surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 295 in 2016. That gives Grindlay a modern rank of #14,915.

What does the Grindlay map show?

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