NameCensus.

UK surname

Grove

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a grove of trees.

In the 1881 census there were 3,503 people recorded with the Grove surname, ranking it #1,301 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,037, ranked #1,683, down from #1,301 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Rowley Regis and Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swansea, Wychavon and Sandwell.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Grove is 4,672 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.2%.

1881 census count

3,503

Ranked #1,301

Modern count

4,037

2016, ranked #1,683

Peak year

1911

4,672 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Grove had 3,503 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,301 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,037 in 2016, ranked #1,683.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,672 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Grove surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Grove surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Grove 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 2,545 #1,164
1861 historical 2,789 #1,046
1881 historical 3,503 #1,301
1891 historical 3,834 #1,250
1901 historical 4,115 #1,370
1911 historical 4,672 #1,107
1997 modern 4,226 #1,535
1998 modern 4,322 #1,556
1999 modern 4,353 #1,556
2000 modern 4,315 #1,556
2001 modern 4,152 #1,577
2002 modern 4,196 #1,597
2003 modern 4,077 #1,617
2004 modern 4,000 #1,651
2005 modern 3,929 #1,657
2006 modern 3,962 #1,640
2007 modern 4,000 #1,645
2008 modern 4,001 #1,659
2009 modern 4,130 #1,644
2010 modern 4,176 #1,663
2011 modern 4,130 #1,657
2012 modern 4,039 #1,663
2013 modern 4,093 #1,675
2014 modern 4,106 #1,678
2015 modern 4,084 #1,671
2016 modern 4,037 #1,683

Geography

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Where Groves are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Rowley Regis, Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) and Swansea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swansea, Wychavon, Sandwell and Wyre Forest. 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 Rowley Regis Staffordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) Staffordshire
5 Swansea Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swansea 030 Swansea
2 Wychavon 014 Wychavon
3 Sandwell 035 Sandwell
4 Wychavon 017 Wychavon
5 Wyre Forest 001 Wyre Forest

Forenames

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First names often paired with Grove

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Grove

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Grove, 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 Grove surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Grove 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Grove is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Grove is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Grove falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Grove 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 Grove, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Grove

The surname Grove originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English word "graf," meaning a small grove or thicket of trees. The name likely originated as a descriptor for someone who lived near or worked in a small wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the surname Grove can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a landowner named Richard de la Grove in the county of Essex. This indicates that the name was already well-established in parts of England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Grove appeared in various spellings, such as Groves, Grave, and Greve, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. Many of these variations were likely influenced by the French language, which was widely used in England after the Norman Conquest.

One notable bearer of the surname was Sir Walter Grove (c. 1320-1392), a soldier and courtier who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He was knighted for his valor in the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and later became a member of the Order of the Garter.

Another significant figure was Matthew Grove (1638-1719), an English clergyman and philosopher who served as the rector of several parishes in Oxfordshire. He was known for his writings on metaphysics and his support for the Church of England during the turbulent times of the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, the Grove family established themselves as prominent landowners and industrialists in the West Midlands region of England. One member of this family, William Grove (1811-1896), was a prominent lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales from 1880 to 1892.

The surname Grove also gained recognition in the field of science and technology. Sir William Robert Grove (1811-1896), a Welsh judge and scientist, is credited with the invention of the Grove voltaic cell, an early form of battery that played a crucial role in the development of electrochemistry.

Another notable figure was Andrew Grove (1936-2016), a Hungarian-American businessman and engineer who played a pivotal role in the development of the microprocessor industry. He served as the CEO of Intel Corporation from 1987 to 1998 and was widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the technology sector.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Grove families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Grove 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 564 Groves recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.65x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 564 1.65x
Worcestershire 548 12.28x
Staffordshire 406 3.52x
Surrey 308 1.85x
Warwickshire 272 3.16x
Glamorgan 195 3.28x
Berkshire 100 3.90x
Gloucestershire 92 1.37x
Buckinghamshire 91 4.40x
Essex 89 1.32x
Kent 88 0.75x
Somerset 82 1.49x
Hampshire 73 1.04x
Lancashire 72 0.18x
Yorkshire 64 0.19x
Monmouthshire 48 1.94x
Lanarkshire 41 0.37x
Northamptonshire 41 1.28x
Devon 29 0.41x
Wiltshire 26 0.86x
Leicestershire 25 0.66x
Sussex 23 0.40x
Norfolk 22 0.42x
Bedfordshire 20 1.13x
Hertfordshire 20 0.85x
Lincolnshire 17 0.31x
Herefordshire 14 1.00x
Oxfordshire 13 0.62x
Shropshire 13 0.44x
Cornwall 12 0.31x
Dorset 10 0.45x
Cheshire 9 0.12x
Suffolk 9 0.22x
Cambridgeshire 8 0.37x
Derbyshire 8 0.15x
Northumberland 7 0.14x
Cardiganshire 6 0.72x
Huntingdonshire 6 0.88x
Anglesey 4 0.66x
Angus 4 0.13x
Durham 4 0.04x
Midlothian 4 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.37x
Royal Navy 4 0.98x
Channel Islands 3 0.30x
Argyllshire 1 0.11x
Denbighshire 1 0.08x
Inverness-shire 1 0.10x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.02x
Renfrewshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rowley Regis in Staffordshire leads with 111 Groves recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.53x.

Place Total Index
Rowley Regis 111 34.53x
Birmingham 105 3.66x
Aston 101 4.26x
Evesham St Lawrence 71 299.45x
Kingswinford 57 13.61x
Lambeth 57 1.91x
Battersea 47 3.74x
Northfield 46 54.34x
Dudley 43 7.93x
Hackney London 42 2.19x
Kidderminster Borough 42 16.08x
Camberwell 39 1.79x
Oxwich 39 1455.22x
St Marylebone London 38 2.08x
Catcott 37 575.43x
Handsworth 37 13.01x
Chesham 36 47.28x
Paddington London 36 2.87x
Halesowen 35 89.35x
Bromsgrove 32 21.31x
Clase 32 14.46x
West Bromwich 32 4.85x
Bethnal Green London 31 2.09x
St Pancras London 31 1.13x
Harborne 29 7.84x
Newington 28 2.22x
Hasbury 27 92.53x
Kensington London 25 1.32x
Mile End Old Town London 24 3.30x
Westminster St Margaret 24 14.56x
Wolverhampton 24 2.71x
Glasgow 22 1.12x
Hinckley 22 24.48x
Bromley London 21 2.79x
Chelsea London 21 2.04x
Hornsey 21 4.86x
Swansea Town 21 4.31x
Bray 20 26.54x
Walsall Foreign 20 3.36x
Brackley St Peter 19 86.17x
Cradley 19 47.09x
Gradley 19 88.13x
Islington London 19 0.57x
West Ham 19 1.28x
Liverpool 18 0.73x
Sutton Coldfield 18 19.87x
Chaddesley Corbett 17 101.61x
East Grinstead 17 20.85x
Kingston On Thames 17 4.25x
St George Hanover Square 17 2.82x
Hawn 16 191.39x
Stourbridge 16 13.93x
Tipton 16 4.53x
Tonbridge 16 3.80x
Fordingbridge 15 39.38x
Southwark St George Martyr 15 2.18x
St Woollos 15 5.44x
Barrow In Furness 14 2.54x
Walsall Borough 14 15.64x
Wednesbury 14 4.86x
Great Waltham 13 47.31x
Hartlebury 13 48.95x
Milton 13 270.83x
St George In East London 13 4.04x
Tottenham 13 2.39x
Wokingham 13 22.21x
Woolwich 13 3.02x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 12 1.90x
Clewer 12 11.42x
Croydon 12 1.30x
Harefield 12 68.22x
Limehouse London 12 3.20x
Llanrhidian Higher 12 31.75x
Porteynon 12 444.44x
Wandsworth 12 3.65x
Westminster St James 12 3.42x
Bretforton 11 166.41x
Portsea 11 0.80x
Tregare 11 333.33x
Upperswinford 11 29.13x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 214
Sarah 124
Elizabeth 116
Emma 78
Eliza 76
Ann 62
Alice 55
Ellen 55
Annie 52
Jane 50
Emily 47
Caroline 31
Martha 31
Maria 30
Edith 27
Florence 25
Harriet 24
Louisa 22
Fanny 21
Charlotte 20
Hannah 20
Ada 19
Anne 18
Lucy 18
Catherine 17
Eleanor 16
Harriett 16
Clara 14
Amy 13
Esther 13
Susan 12
Lizzie 11
Margaret 11
Agnes 10
Gertrude 10
Matilda 10
Minnie 10
Frances 9
Kate 9
Laura 9
Maud 9
Rebecca 9
Rose 9
Anna 8
Ethel 8
Jessie 8
Phoebe 8
Ruth 8
Amelia 7
Henrietta 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 207
John 147
George 115
Thomas 108
James 94
Henry 82
Charles 77
Alfred 54
Joseph 52
Arthur 42
Frederick 38
Edward 37
Walter 32
Samuel 30
Albert 28
Harry 27
Richard 26
Frank 25
Ernest 23
Edwin 22
Herbert 18
Benjamin 16
Robert 16
Francis 14
Thos. 12
David 11
Edmund 9
Wm. 9
Percy 8
Sidney 8
Isaac 7
Chas. 6
Daniel 5
Eli 5
Phillip 5
Fredk. 4
Jabez 4
Josiah 4
Mark 4
Philip 4
Alexander 3
Allen 3
Dennis 3
Fred 3
Jesse 3
Job 3
Nicholas 3
Noah 3
Reginald 3
Willie 3

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 Grove households.

FAQ

Grove surname: questions and answers

How common was the Grove surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,503 people were recorded with the Grove surname. That placed it at #1,301 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Grove surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,037 in 2016. That gives Grove a modern rank of #1,683.

What does the Grove surname mean?

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a grove of trees.

What does the Grove map show?

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