NameCensus.

UK surname

Grossman

An occupational surname referring to a wholesale merchant or someone who works with large quantities of goods.

In the 1881 census there were 47 people recorded with the Grossman surname, ranking it #27,019 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 461, ranked #10,625, up from #27,019 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Dover St James, Dover St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hackney, Hertsmere and Barnet.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grossman is 487 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 880.9%.

1881 census count

47

Ranked #27,019

Modern count

461

2016, ranked #10,625

Peak year

2000

487 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grossman had 47 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,019 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 461 in 2016, ranked #10,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 332 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Grossman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grossman surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Grossman 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 5 #32,456
1861 historical 20 #31,364
1881 historical 47 #27,019
1891 historical 101 #23,870
1901 historical 273 #12,409
1911 historical 332 #10,642
1997 modern 471 #9,732
1998 modern 485 #9,825
1999 modern 481 #9,958
2000 modern 487 #9,819
2001 modern 481 #9,743
2002 modern 484 #9,869
2003 modern 464 #10,003
2004 modern 451 #10,301
2005 modern 437 #10,437
2006 modern 436 #10,506
2007 modern 445 #10,428
2008 modern 440 #10,622
2009 modern 448 #10,719
2010 modern 468 #10,550
2011 modern 475 #10,346
2012 modern 452 #10,619
2013 modern 457 #10,705
2014 modern 462 #10,676
2015 modern 463 #10,602
2016 modern 461 #10,625

Geography

Back to top

Where Grossmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Dover St James, Dover St Mary and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hackney, Hertsmere, Barnet and Three Rivers. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hackney 001 Hackney
2 Hertsmere 013 Hertsmere
3 Hertsmere 012 Hertsmere
4 Barnet 018 Barnet
5 Three Rivers 010 Three Rivers

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Grossman

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Grossman

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Grossman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Grossman 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 are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Grossman 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

Grossman 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

Grossman 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 Grossman 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Grossman

The surname Grossman is of German origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "gross," which means "large" or "great," and "mann," meaning "man." The name likely referred to a person of large stature or someone with an imposing presence.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Grossman can be found in various German historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. Some of the earliest examples include mentions in the Liber Census Saxoniae, a tax record of Saxony from the late 13th century, and the Codex Diplomatus Brandenburgensis, a collection of documents related to the history of Brandenburg from the 14th century.

One notable historical figure bearing the name Grossman was Johannes Grossman, a German theologian and reformer who lived in the 15th century (c. 1420-1489). He was a proponent of the Hussite movement and played a role in the religious conflicts of his time.

Another prominent individual was Wilhelm Grossman (1676-1749), a German architect and builder who was responsible for the construction of several notable buildings in Dresden, including the Zwinger Palace and the Frauenkirche.

In the 19th century, Carl Friedrich Grossman (1786-1853) was a German economist and statistician who made significant contributions to the development of statistical methods and their application to economic analysis.

The name Grossman also has a presence in literature, with the German writer David Grossman (1954-) being one of the most prominent contemporary figures. He is known for his novels and essays exploring themes of Israeli society and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In the realm of science, the name Grossman is associated with Robert Grossman (1922-1997), an American physicist and mathematician who made important contributions to the fields of general relativity and gravitational radiation.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals with the surname Grossman throughout history, spanning various fields and time periods. The name's origins and its prevalence in German-speaking regions have contributed to its enduring presence and significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Grossman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grossman 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. Middlesex leads with 13 Grossmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.84x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 13 2.84x
Lancashire 11 2.02x
Northumberland 10 14.66x
Surrey 5 2.24x
Kent 3 1.92x
Warwickshire 3 2.60x
Durham 1 0.73x
Staffordshire 1 0.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Elswick in Northumberland leads with 8 Grossmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 147.06x.

Place Total Index
Elswick 8 147.06x
Hackney London 6 23.35x
Bermondsey 5 36.63x
West Derby 5 31.43x
Liverpool 4 12.11x
Dover St Mary Virgin 3 198.68x
Berwick Upon Tweed 2 137.93x
Bethnal Green London 2 10.05x
Birmingham 2 5.19x
Bow London 1 17.12x
Cheetham 1 24.63x
Eccleston In Prescot 1 36.63x
Fulham London 1 15.04x
Hartlepool 1 51.55x
Shoreditch London 1 5.03x
St Bartholomew Less 1 416.67x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 6.09x
Warwick St Mary 1 100.00x
Whitechapel London 1 22.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Martha 2
Rachel 2
Sarah 2
Amy 1
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Becky 1
Bessie 1
Deborah 1
Elise 1
Elizabeth 1
Florence 1
Gusta 1
Hannah 1
Helena 1
Kate 1
Lena 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 3
Jacob 2
John 2
Abraham 1
Alexander 1
Frederick 1
James 1
Julias 1
Julius 1
Karl 1
Lewis 1
Mathew 1
Mrye 1
Myra 1
Nathan 1
Samuel 1
Willhelm 1
William 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 Grossman households.

FAQ

Grossman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grossman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 47 people were recorded with the Grossman surname. That placed it at #27,019 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grossman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 461 in 2016. That gives Grossman a modern rank of #10,625.

What does the Grossman surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a wholesale merchant or someone who works with large quantities of goods.

What does the Grossman map show?

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