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Grayson Family History

Grayson Surname Meaning

English (northern): variant of Graveson ‘son of the steward farm bailiff or village headman’. From the North Midlands through Yorkshire to the north-west the source is Middle English grayve grayve greve a borrowing of Old Norse greifi ‘earl count’ (see Grave).

In Durham and Northumberland the source is Middle English greve from Old (Northumbrian) English grǣfa with the same meaning (see Grieve). English: possibly a habitational name from Greysouthen (Cumbria) recorded as Graysone in 1505.

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


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Where is the Grayson family from?

You can see how Grayson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Grayson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Grayson families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,304 Grayson families living in Yorkshire. This was about 54% of all the recorded Grayson's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Grayson families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Grayson 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 Grayson 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 Grayson. 13% of Grayson men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Grayson women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Grayson were Builders Labourer and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Grayson | 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
    13%
  • Farmer
    7%
  • Colliery Hewer
    5%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Grayson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 97,000 census records available for the last name Grayson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Grayson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Grayson

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Grayson. 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 Grayson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 17,000 military records available for the last name Grayson. For the veterans among your Grayson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Grayson military records

You've only scratched the surface of Grayson family history

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What is the average Grayson lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Grayson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Grayson in 1948 was 37, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Grayson

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Grayson ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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