Greaves Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Greaves Name Meaning: A topographic name from old English 'graefe',meaning 'grove','brushwood' or a dense growth of bushes.

The name is of Anglo-Saxon origin.Topographical names were among the earliest created,as features in the 'landscape' provided easliy recognisable names.

Discover how your Greaves ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Greaves Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Greaves family

Profession Census Frequency
School 995
Coal Miner Hewer 97
Private Means 84
Labourer 59
Cotton Weaver 57
Farm Labourer 56
Farmer 54
General Labourer 42
None 41
At School 39
Clerk 39
Weaver 39
General Servant (domestic) 35
Scholar 35
Housekeeper 33
House Keeper 32
Dressmaker 31
Domestic Servant 30
At Home 30
Carter 28
Butcher 26
Charwoman 25
House Painter 23
Plumber 23
Warehouseman 23

Greaves Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Greaves 100% 61,638
2 Groves 71% 55,517
3 Graves 86% 34,701
4 Grieves 71% 4,346
5 Greeves 86% 3,658
6 Greves 86% 2,031
7 Gervis 57% 1,055
8 Garvis 43% 704
9 Grooves 71% 535
10 Grives 71% 450
11 Greives 86% 269
12 Gravis 71% 191
13 Gervase 43% 163
14 Garves 57% 154

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The surname Greaves is the most popular version of all its varients

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