NameCensus.

UK surname

Groves

An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a grove or small forest.

In the 1881 census there were 8,410 people recorded with the Groves surname, ranking it #503 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 10,775, ranked #603, down from #503 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Isle of Wight, Knowsley and Sedgemoor.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Groves is 11,538 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.1%.

1881 census count

8,410

Ranked #503

Modern count

10,775

2016, ranked #603

Peak year

1998

11,538 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Groves had 8,410 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #503 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 10,775 in 2016, ranked #603.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 10,874 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Groves surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Groves surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Groves 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 5,316 #519
1861 historical 5,116 #551
1881 historical 8,410 #503
1891 historical 8,523 #515
1901 historical 10,402 #504
1911 historical 10,874 #451
1997 modern 11,171 #548
1998 modern 11,538 #552
1999 modern 11,530 #555
2000 modern 11,378 #560
2001 modern 11,212 #556
2002 modern 11,406 #562
2003 modern 11,028 #567
2004 modern 11,030 #568
2005 modern 10,730 #579
2006 modern 10,694 #581
2007 modern 10,766 #583
2008 modern 10,814 #586
2009 modern 11,127 #581
2010 modern 11,243 #589
2011 modern 11,057 #590
2012 modern 10,779 #595
2013 modern 10,869 #599
2014 modern 10,928 #600
2015 modern 10,777 #603
2016 modern 10,775 #603

Geography

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Where Groves' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Isle of Wight, Knowsley and Sedgemoor. 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 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Isle of Wight 002 Isle of Wight
2 Isle of Wight 014 Isle of Wight
3 Knowsley 001 Knowsley
4 Isle of Wight 017 Isle of Wight
5 Sedgemoor 012 Sedgemoor

Forenames

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First names often paired with Groves

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Groves

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Groves is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Groves is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Groves falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Groves

The surname Groves is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "graf," which means a small wooded area or a thicket. It is believed to have originated as a habitational name, referring to someone who lived near or in a grove of trees.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with one of the earliest recorded instances being Richard del Groves, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, also contains references to various places with names derived from the word "graf," such as Grava and Gravenhungreton.

In the Middle Ages, the surname Groves was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Herefordshire, where many small woodlands and groves existed. It is likely that the name originated in these regions and spread from there.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir John Groves, born around 1320 in Gloucestershire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a Member of Parliament for the county in the late 14th century.

Another notable figure was William Groves, born in 1510 in Worcestershire. He was a prominent merchant and served as the Sheriff of Worcester in 1558.

In the 17th century, the name Groves appeared in various records, such as the Parish Registers of Herefordshire, where the spelling variations "Grove" and "Groves" were used interchangeably.

During the English Civil War (1642-1651), Captain Samuel Groves, born in 1615 in Gloucestershire, fought on the Parliamentarian side and was known for his bravery in battle.

In the 18th century, the name Groves was associated with several notable figures, including the philosopher and writer Abraham Groves (1688-1756), who was born in Gloucestershire and wrote extensively on religious and philosophical topics.

One of the most famous bearers of the name was Sir William Robert Groves (1816-1893), a renowned British surgeon and pioneer in the field of anesthesia. He was born in Norfolk and made significant contributions to medical science through his research and writings.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Groves families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Groves 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 1,380 Groves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.68x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,380 1.68x
Yorkshire 627 0.77x
Surrey 573 1.43x
Hampshire 506 3.01x
Lancashire 426 0.44x
Kent 381 1.36x
Warwickshire 381 1.84x
Essex 378 2.33x
Dorset 344 6.38x
Gloucestershire 309 1.92x
Staffordshire 308 1.11x
Worcestershire 274 2.55x
Sussex 244 1.76x
Shropshire 220 3.10x
Somerset 204 1.54x
Cheshire 185 1.02x
Berkshire 175 2.84x
Durham 146 0.60x
Derbyshire 114 0.89x
Leicestershire 109 1.20x
Glamorgan 108 0.76x
Nottinghamshire 94 0.85x
Monmouthshire 83 1.40x
Devon 81 0.47x
Oxfordshire 80 1.58x
Buckinghamshire 75 1.51x
Herefordshire 73 2.17x
Hertfordshire 54 0.95x
Lanarkshire 45 0.17x
Westmorland 41 2.27x
Suffolk 40 0.40x
Midlothian 34 0.31x
Northamptonshire 32 0.41x
Wiltshire 32 0.44x
Lincolnshire 31 0.24x
Norfolk 31 0.25x
Bedfordshire 28 0.66x
Angus 20 0.26x
Cornwall 19 0.20x
Northumberland 17 0.14x
Cumberland 16 0.23x
Montgomeryshire 15 0.80x
Ayrshire 12 0.20x
Cambridgeshire 10 0.19x
Huntingdonshire 10 0.61x
Renfrewshire 9 0.14x
Royal Navy 9 0.92x
Wigtownshire 7 0.64x
Dunbartonshire 6 0.27x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.14x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.15x
Radnorshire 4 0.60x
Channel Islands 3 0.12x
Merionethshire 3 0.20x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.01x
Brecknockshire 1 0.06x
Denbighshire 1 0.03x
Isle of Man 1 0.07x
Stirlingshire 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. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 197 Groves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.85x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 197 2.85x
St Pancras London 134 2.03x
Islington London 114 1.43x
Aston 101 1.77x
Hackney London 95 2.06x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 85 5.60x
Lambeth 80 1.12x
Camberwell 74 1.41x
Hammersmith London 68 3.36x
St Marylebone London 68 1.55x
Shoreditch London 56 1.57x
Paddington London 55 1.82x
Evershot 54 384.07x
Bermondsey 53 2.17x
Mile End Old Town London 53 3.03x
Portsea 53 1.61x
West Ham 47 1.31x
Carisbrooke 46 19.68x
Bedminster 44 3.54x
Greenwich 43 3.29x
Brighton 42 1.50x
Clerkenwell London 40 2.06x
Bromley London 39 2.16x
Deptford St Paul 39 1.80x
Newington 39 1.29x
Leeds 38 0.83x
Edmonton 37 5.59x
Kensington London 36 0.79x
Lewisham 36 2.41x
Freshwater 35 45.50x
Milton Under Wychwood 35 148.94x
Wednesbury 34 4.91x
West Bromwich 34 2.14x
Willenhall 34 6.55x
Millbrook 33 7.78x
Hathern 32 86.74x
St George Hanover Square 32 2.21x
Battersea 31 1.03x
Bowling 31 3.85x
Nether Hallam 31 2.82x
Wolverhampton 31 1.45x
Eccleston In Prescot 30 6.13x
Shrewsbury St Chad 30 12.05x
West Derby 30 1.05x
Poplar London 29 1.87x
Ryde 29 8.02x
Tonbridge 29 2.87x
Darlaston 28 7.31x
Leicester St Margaret 28 1.26x
Whippingham 28 21.96x
Kings Norton 27 2.81x
Southampton St Mary 27 2.55x
Westbury On Trym 27 4.95x
St Luke London 26 1.97x
Ventnor 26 16.24x
Walthamstow 26 4.46x
Barking 25 5.27x
Knutsford Nether 25 22.81x
Liverpool 25 0.42x
Stoke Poges 25 41.28x
Bristol St George 24 3.22x
Chorlton On Medlock 24 1.55x
Clewer 24 9.50x
Evesham St Lawrence 24 42.11x
Heston 24 8.80x
Salford 24 0.84x
Sheffield 24 0.93x
Southwark St George Martyr 24 1.45x
Wadhurst 24 26.39x
Croydon 23 1.04x
Glossop Dale 23 3.82x
Tottenham 23 1.76x
Upper Beeding 23 133.88x
Chelsea London 22 0.89x
Manchester 22 0.50x
Bray 21 11.59x
Holdenhurst 21 4.76x
Panteg 21 22.46x
Stranton 21 2.55x
Warwick St Mary 21 11.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 521
Elizabeth 348
Sarah 275
Jane 157
Ann 152
Alice 139
Emma 138
Ellen 136
Eliza 128
Annie 126
Emily 102
Martha 81
Louisa 76
Fanny 65
Margaret 63
Hannah 60
Charlotte 59
Edith 56
Florence 56
Harriet 51
Maria 47
Ada 45
Caroline 44
Catherine 44
Lucy 42
Kate 41
Susan 37
Clara 32
Frances 31
Harriett 31
Agnes 30
Esther 27
Matilda 26
Anne 25
Lydia 23
Amelia 21
Julia 21
Rebecca 21
Elizth. 20
Amy 19
Sophia 18
Laura 17
Rose 17
Jessie 16
Maud 15
Minnie 15
Anna 14
Ethel 14
Helen 14
Selina 14

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 529
John 424
George 374
Thomas 279
James 263
Henry 199
Charles 189
Joseph 119
Alfred 116
Edward 92
Samuel 88
Arthur 87
Robert 87
Frederick 84
Richard 83
Walter 79
Albert 69
Harry 41
Edwin 34
Herbert 31
Ernest 30
Frank 28
Benjamin 24
Wm. 24
Thos. 22
David 19
Fredk. 14
Geo. 14
Stephen 14
Francis 13
Fred 12
Sidney 12
Daniel 11
Isaac 11
Leonard 11
Chas. 10
Matthew 10
Christopher 9
Edmund 9
Fredrick 9
Jacob 9
Levi 9
Reuben 9
Edwd. 8
Jesse 8
Mark 8
Peter 8
Philip 8
Tom 8
Percy 7

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 Groves households.

FAQ

Groves surname: questions and answers

How common was the Groves surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8,410 people were recorded with the Groves surname. That placed it at #503 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Groves surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 10,775 in 2016. That gives Groves a modern rank of #603.

What does the Groves surname mean?

An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a grove or small forest.

What does the Groves map show?

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