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Greaves Family History

Greaves Name Meaning

English:: topographic name from Old English grǣfe ‘brushwood thicket’ or a habitational name from any of the places called with this word. In Yorkshire the name comes from The Greaves in Beeley (Derbyshire) now known as Beeley Hilltop. In Lancashire the name may instead derive from a locality called Greaves in Preston. alternatively it may be a variant of Greve with post-medieval excrescent -s or of Graves or Grieves .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Grave, Graves, Graven, Grapes, Graver, Reeves, Draves, Gleave, Greven

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Greaves family from?

You can see how Greaves families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Greaves family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Greaves families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 2,626 Greaves families living in Yorkshire. This was about 31% of all the recorded Greaves's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Greaves families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Greaves surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Greaves ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Greaves. 9% of Greaves men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Greaves women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Greaves were Incapacitated and Private Means. .

View Census Data for Greaves | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    9%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%
  • Colliery Hewer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Greaves family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 185,000 census records available for the last name Greaves. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Greaves census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Greaves

Passenger Lists

There are 18,000 immigration records available for the last name Greaves. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Greaves immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Greaves. For the veterans among your Greaves ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Greaves military records

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What is the average Greaves lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Greaves life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Greaves in 1943 was 35, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Greaves

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