NameCensus.

UK surname

Seagrave

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a road or grove by the sea.

In the 1881 census there were 404 people recorded with the Seagrave surname, ranking it #7,919 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 788, ranked #7,006, up from #7,919 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Bulwell and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Southampton and Ryedale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Seagrave is 859 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 95.0%.

1881 census count

404

Ranked #7,919

Modern count

788

2016, ranked #7,006

Peak year

2000

859 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Seagrave had 404 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,919 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 788 in 2016, ranked #7,006.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 598 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Seagrave surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Seagrave surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Seagrave 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 292 #7,807
1861 historical 291 #8,653
1881 historical 404 #7,919
1891 historical 461 #7,937
1901 historical 558 #7,458
1911 historical 598 #6,857
1997 modern 821 #6,405
1998 modern 855 #6,405
1999 modern 834 #6,580
2000 modern 859 #6,401
2001 modern 830 #6,465
2002 modern 833 #6,560
2003 modern 807 #6,607
2004 modern 819 #6,539
2005 modern 775 #6,773
2006 modern 783 #6,743
2007 modern 788 #6,771
2008 modern 801 #6,738
2009 modern 821 #6,733
2010 modern 833 #6,801
2011 modern 806 #6,895
2012 modern 783 #6,976
2013 modern 787 #7,058
2014 modern 794 #7,046
2015 modern 784 #7,054
2016 modern 788 #7,006

Geography

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Where Seagraves are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Bulwell, London parishes, Toddington and Nottingham St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Southampton, Ryedale, Wiltshire and Mansfield. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 Bulwell Nottinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Toddington Bedfordshire
5 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 064 County Durham
2 Southampton 025 Southampton
3 Ryedale 008 Ryedale
4 Wiltshire 046 Wiltshire
5 Mansfield 004 Mansfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Seagrave

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Seagrave

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Seagrave surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Seagrave household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Seagrave 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

Seagrave is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Seagrave falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Seagrave is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Seagrave

The surname Seagrave originated in England, with records dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "saecg" meaning a small wood or grove, and "graf" meaning a grove or thicket. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or owned a small wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Seagrave name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a manuscript recording landowners in England after the Norman Conquest. The entry refers to a landowner named Radulfus de Segravo, whose lands were located in Leicestershire.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, variations of the spelling included Segrave, Seygrave, and Saygrave. The Seagrave family held substantial lands and influence in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Staffordshire. Sir Nicholas Seagrave (c. 1238-1315) was a prominent knight who served in the Welsh Wars and the First War of Scottish Independence under King Edward I.

In the 14th century, the Seagrave name was associated with several notable individuals. Sir John Seagrave (c. 1315-1385) was a wealthy landowner and soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War. His son, also named John Seagrave (c. 1349-1416), served as Sheriff of Rutland and was involved in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381.

The Seagrave family continued to hold significant positions and lands throughout the 15th and 16th centuries. Sir Edward Seagrave (c. 1467-1533) was a Member of Parliament and a prominent supporter of the Tudor dynasty. Another notable figure was Sir Michael Seagrave (c. 1510-1586), a courtier and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

As the centuries progressed, the Seagrave name became associated with various places in England, including Seagrave in Leicestershire, Seagrave Hall in Nottinghamshire, and Seagrave Manor in Staffordshire. These locations likely derived their names from the Seagrave family's historical presence and landholdings in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Seagrave families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Seagrave 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. Nottinghamshire leads with 80 Seagraves recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.21x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 80 15.21x
Middlesex 76 1.95x
Surrey 44 2.31x
Sussex 41 6.23x
Lincolnshire 20 3.21x
Yorkshire 19 0.49x
Bedfordshire 15 7.42x
Lancashire 13 0.28x
Durham 11 0.95x
Kent 11 0.83x
Suffolk 9 1.89x
Glamorgan 8 1.18x
Staffordshire 8 0.61x
Northamptonshire 7 1.91x
Warwickshire 6 0.61x
Hertfordshire 5 1.86x
Derbyshire 4 0.65x
Hampshire 4 0.50x
Monmouthshire 4 1.42x
Angus 2 0.55x
Cheshire 2 0.23x
Herefordshire 2 1.25x
Leicestershire 2 0.46x
Berkshire 1 0.34x
Channel Islands 1 0.86x
Dorset 1 0.39x
Essex 1 0.13x
Lanarkshire 1 0.08x
Norfolk 1 0.17x
Somerset 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bulwell in Nottinghamshire leads with 39 Seagraves recorded in 1881 and an index of 341.21x.

Place Total Index
Bulwell 39 341.21x
Horsham 26 203.44x
Mansfield 16 87.91x
Sheffield 15 12.19x
Nottingham St Mary 14 10.29x
St Pancras London 14 4.46x
Toddington 13 448.28x
Battersea 8 5.57x
Hendon 8 56.98x
Reigate Foreign 8 38.85x
Stoke Newington London 8 26.32x
Bishop Auckland 7 44.96x
Camberwell 7 2.81x
Harrington 7 2500.00x
Islington London 7 1.85x
Lissington 7 2000.00x
Bethnal Green London 6 3.54x
Birmingham 6 1.83x
Gravesend 6 53.24x
Kensington London 6 2.77x
Lambeth 6 1.76x
Leominster 6 283.02x
Rempstone 6 1428.57x
Westborough 6 2500.00x
Westminster St John 6 12.63x
Bilston 5 19.59x
Boston 5 26.41x
Ipswich St Margaret 5 31.00x
St Marylebone London 5 2.40x
Sutton 5 36.34x
Alverstoke 4 13.82x
Arundel 4 108.70x
Hemel Hempstead 4 33.00x
Llangattock 4 1176.47x
Poplar London 4 5.43x
Preston 4 3.23x
Swansea Town 4 7.18x
Wenvoe 4 740.74x
West Derby 4 2.95x
Barton Under Needwood 3 125.52x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 3.82x
Tonbridge 3 6.25x
Wigan 3 4.64x
Carlton 2 33.33x
Clerkenwell London 2 2.17x
Cornforth 2 58.48x
Cranleigh 2 71.94x
Darlington 2 4.46x
Dundee 2 1.48x
Eversholt 2 194.17x
Handsworth 2 19.57x
Harrow 2 33.56x
Holy Trinity 2 2.15x
Kingerby 2 1538.46x
Newark Upon Trent 2 10.58x
Sale 2 18.92x
Shobdon 2 392.16x
St George Hanover 2 3.93x
St George Martyr 2 30.40x
St Martin In Fields 2 8.56x
Sudbury St Peter 2 76.92x
Woodbridge 2 32.89x
Chichester St 1 232.56x
Chichester St Peter 1 188.68x
Derby St Peter 1 5.14x
East Lavant 1 185.19x
Eccleston In Prescot 1 4.30x
Grouville 1 31.06x
Milton In Gravesend 1 5.01x
New Windsor 1 10.15x
Paddington London 1 0.70x
Plumstead 1 2.25x
Sandiacre 1 45.87x
Shoreditch London 1 0.59x
Stanton By Dale 1 120.48x
Stapleford Tawney 1 333.33x
Walcot 1 2.99x
Watford 1 4.80x
Wimbledon 1 4.68x
Wivelsfield 1 38.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 37
Sarah 19
Ann 11
Eliza 9
Elizabeth 9
Emily 8
Emma 6
Alice 5
Annie 5
Maria 5
Caroline 4
Catherine 4
Jane 4
Anne 3
Charlotte 3
Edith 3
Elizth. 3
Florence 3
Kate 3
Margaret 3
Martha 3
Ada 2
Ellen 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Gertrude 2
Harriett 2
Heneritta 2
Julia 2
Louisa 2
Lydia 2
Marian 2
Matilda 2
Susan 2
Bridget 1
Constance 1
Constans 1
Daisy 1
Esther 1
Florie 1
Harriet 1
Infant 1
Kathleen 1
Lily 1
Lottie 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Madeline 1
Marianne 1
Ter 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 34
John 26
George 19
Thomas 19
James 17
Henry 9
Charles 6
Arthur 5
Edward 5
Joseph 5
Alfred 4
Frederick 4
Samuel 4
Walter 3
Albert 2
Christopher 2
David 2
Geo. 2
Isaac 2
Michael 2
Richard 2
Abel 1
Bertram 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fredrick 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Peter 1
Robt. 1
Rowland 1
Sampson 1
Scheavil 1
Soloman 1
Solomon 1
Thos. 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Seagrave surname: questions and answers

How common was the Seagrave surname in 1881?

In 1881, 404 people were recorded with the Seagrave surname. That placed it at #7,919 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Seagrave surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 788 in 2016. That gives Seagrave a modern rank of #7,006.

What does the Seagrave surname mean?

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a road or grove by the sea.

What does the Seagrave map show?

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