NameCensus.

UK surname

Grinnell

A toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "green hill" in Old French or Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 178 people recorded with the Grinnell surname, ranking it #13,840 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 395, ranked #11,991, up from #13,840 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Broadway, Pershore Holy Cross, Pershore St Andrew and Leamington Priors. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wychavon, Broadland and North Warwickshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grinnell is 429 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 121.9%.

1881 census count

178

Ranked #13,840

Modern count

395

2016, ranked #11,991

Peak year

2014

429 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grinnell had 178 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,840 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 395 in 2016, ranked #11,991.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 300 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Grinnell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grinnell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Grinnell 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 93 #22,009
1881 historical 178 #13,840
1891 historical 218 #14,023
1901 historical 300 #11,647
1911 historical 292 #11,674
1997 modern 402 #10,974
1998 modern 405 #11,241
1999 modern 400 #11,439
2000 modern 398 #11,443
2001 modern 401 #11,214
2002 modern 402 #11,405
2003 modern 400 #11,262
2004 modern 403 #11,224
2005 modern 394 #11,308
2006 modern 399 #11,282
2007 modern 394 #11,508
2008 modern 382 #11,901
2009 modern 395 #11,838
2010 modern 397 #12,068
2011 modern 402 #11,828
2012 modern 398 #11,755
2013 modern 410 #11,693
2014 modern 429 #11,347
2015 modern 421 #11,435
2016 modern 395 #11,991

Geography

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Where Grinnells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Broadway, Pershore Holy Cross, Pershore St Andrew, Leamington Priors, Cheltenham and Dalton-in-Furness. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wychavon, Broadland and North Warwickshire. 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 Broadway Worcestershire
2 Pershore Holy Cross, Pershore St Andrew Worcestershire
3 Leamington Priors Warwickshire
4 Cheltenham Gloucestershire
5 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wychavon 016 Wychavon
2 Wychavon 013 Wychavon
3 Wychavon 006 Wychavon
4 Broadland 003 Broadland
5 North Warwickshire 006 North Warwickshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Grinnell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Grinnell

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Grinnell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Grinnell 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

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

Meaning and origin of Grinnell

The surname Grinnell is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "grene" and "hyll," meaning "green hill." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a verdant hilltop.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Grinnell name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named "Grenehill" in Oxfordshire. Over time, this spelling evolved into various forms, including Grenehyll, Grenhill, and eventually Grinnell.

During the 13th century, the name Grinnell appeared in several historical records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire and the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire. These documents mention individuals like Robert de Grenehull (1230) and William de Grenhill (1279).

In the 14th century, the Grinnell surname began to spread beyond its initial location. The Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire from 1327 list a John de Grenehull, while the Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 mention a John Grenhill in Nottinghamshire.

Some notable individuals bearing the Grinnell surname throughout history include:

1. John Grennell (c. 1490 - 1560), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Stafford.

2. Matthew Grinnell (1595 - 1648), a Puritan colonist who helped establish the settlement of Newport, Rhode Island, in 1638.

3. Joseph Grinnell (1788 - 1885), an American merchant and philanthropist who co-founded the Grinnell College in Iowa.

4. George Bird Grinnell (1849 - 1938), an American anthropologist, naturalist, and writer, known for his efforts in conserving the American bison.

5. Millie Grinnell (1898 - 1964), an American Broadway actress and singer who appeared in various musicals and revues during the 1920s and 1930s.

The Grinnell name has also been associated with several place names in the United States, such as Grinnell, Iowa, and Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National Park, Montana.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Grinnell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grinnell 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. Worcestershire leads with 54 Grinnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.68x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 54 23.68x
Gloucestershire 53 15.48x
Middlesex 37 2.12x
Warwickshire 15 3.41x
Lancashire 10 0.48x
Buckinghamshire 5 4.74x
Berkshire 3 2.29x
Kent 1 0.17x
Surrey 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Evesham All Sts in Worcestershire leads with 20 Grinnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 1886.79x.

Place Total Index
Evesham All Sts 20 1886.79x
Cheltenham 16 60.56x
Bengeworth 9 1153.85x
Mile End Old Town London 9 24.22x
Painswick 9 371.90x
Leamington 8 273.97x
Broadway 7 714.29x
Evesham St Lawrence 7 578.51x
South Cerney 7 1250.00x
South Hamlet 7 330.19x
Barrow In Furness 6 21.29x
Bethnal Green London 6 7.91x
Chedworth 6 1224.49x
Clerkenwell London 6 14.56x
Aylesbury 5 106.84x
St Anne Soho London 5 50.15x
Aston 4 3.30x
Pershore Holy Cross 4 273.97x
Spitalfields London 4 30.46x
St Marylebone London 4 4.29x
Flaxley 3 389.61x
Fulham London 3 11.85x
Mathon 3 447.76x
Stonehouse 3 153.85x
Clewer 2 37.24x
Loxley 2 1052.63x
Oldbury 2 17.83x
Prestwich 2 38.68x
Beckford 1 357.14x
Blockley 1 77.52x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 3.04x
Deptford St Paul 1 2.18x
Elton 1 13.97x
Leamington Priors 1 9.23x
New Windsor 1 22.68x
Overbury 1 250.00x
Putney 1 12.56x
Winchcomb 1 58.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 12
Emma 9
Elizabeth 7
Ellen 5
Caroline 4
Eliza 4
Maria 4
Mary 4
Susan 4
Alice 3
Ann 3
Emily 3
Jane 3
Harriett 2
Lucy 2
Rose 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Betsy 1
Catherine 1
Daizey 1
Edith 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Louisa 1
Martha 1
Millie 1
Minnie 1
Polly 1
Rhoda 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 14
William 11
Charles 8
George 5
Thomas 5
James 4
Joseph 4
Edward 3
Henry 3
Albert 2
Benjamin 2
Frederick 2
Robert 2
Walter 2
Wilson 2
Wm. 2
Alfred 1
Bertie 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Elijah 1
Enoch 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Jesse 1
Job 1
Josh. 1
Melitz 1
Morris 1
Nathaniel 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Grinnell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grinnell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 178 people were recorded with the Grinnell surname. That placed it at #13,840 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grinnell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 395 in 2016. That gives Grinnell a modern rank of #11,991.

What does the Grinnell surname mean?

A toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "green hill" in Old French or Old English.

What does the Grinnell map show?

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