NameCensus.

UK surname

Colegate

A place name referring to someone living near a cold gate or path.

In the 1881 census there were 292 people recorded with the Colegate surname, ranking it #9,912 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 444, ranked #10,905, down from #9,912 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Greenwich, Guestling and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Corby, Monmouthshire and Flintshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Colegate is 521 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 52.1%.

1881 census count

292

Ranked #9,912

Modern count

444

2016, ranked #10,905

Peak year

1999

521 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Colegate had 292 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,912 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 444 in 2016, ranked #10,905.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 409 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Colegate surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Colegate surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Colegate 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 189 #10,896
1861 historical 198 #12,114
1881 historical 292 #9,912
1891 historical 318 #10,583
1901 historical 394 #9,579
1911 historical 409 #9,140
1997 modern 501 #9,288
1998 modern 519 #9,327
1999 modern 521 #9,362
2000 modern 489 #9,788
2001 modern 477 #9,798
2002 modern 470 #10,094
2003 modern 461 #10,072
2004 modern 472 #9,926
2005 modern 445 #10,295
2006 modern 442 #10,388
2007 modern 449 #10,350
2008 modern 448 #10,458
2009 modern 467 #10,372
2010 modern 472 #10,488
2011 modern 463 #10,551
2012 modern 452 #10,619
2013 modern 464 #10,589
2014 modern 461 #10,694
2015 modern 444 #10,935
2016 modern 444 #10,905

Geography

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Where Colegates are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Greenwich, Guestling, London parishes, Hawkinge, Folkestone and Maidstone, Linton, Loddington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Corby, Monmouthshire, Flintshire, Dartford and South Hams. 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 Greenwich London (South Districts)
2 Guestling Sussex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Hawkinge, Folkestone Kent
5 Maidstone, Linton, Loddington Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Corby 006 Corby
2 Monmouthshire 004 Monmouthshire
3 Flintshire 006 Flintshire
4 Dartford 001 Dartford
5 South Hams 006 South Hams

Forenames

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First names often paired with Colegate

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Colegate

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Colegate surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Colegate household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Colegate 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

Colegate is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Colegate falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Colegate

The surname Colegate originates from England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "colegat," meaning "coal gate," which likely referred to a gate near a coal mine or coal merchant's residence. The earliest known spelling of the name was "Colegate," found in the Cartularium Monasterii de Rameseia (Ramsey Abbey Cartulary) in 1251.

Colegate was a relatively uncommon name, primarily concentrated in the counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire, where coal mining was prevalent during the Middle Ages. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire in 1327, which mentions a Richard de Colegate.

The Colegate surname is not found in the Domesday Book of 1086, suggesting that it emerged later, likely as a result of the growth of the coal industry in certain regions of England. However, the name does appear in various medieval records, such as the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332, which lists a John Colegate from Nottinghamshire.

In the 16th century, the surname Colegate was associated with several notable individuals. One such person was Thomas Colegate (c. 1525 - 1597), a Catholic martyr who was executed for his religious beliefs during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another was William Colegate (1564 - 1638), a Protestant clergyman and author who served as Rector of Boxworth in Cambridgeshire.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Colegate surname spread to other parts of England, with some instances of the name appearing in parish records in counties like Norfolk and Suffolk. One notable bearer of the name from this period was John Colegate (1667 - 1737), a successful merchant and landowner from Yorkshire.

In the 19th century, the surname Colegate became more widely dispersed across England, with some families migrating to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. Among the notable Colegates from this era was John Colegate (1828 - 1892), a British engineer and inventor who patented several improvements to mining machinery and equipment.

Throughout its history, the Colegate surname has maintained a strong connection to its roots in the coal mining regions of central and northern England. While not a particularly common name, it has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including martyrs, clergymen, merchants, and inventors.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Colegate families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Colegate 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. Kent leads with 175 Colegates recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.01x.

County Total Index
Kent 175 18.01x
Surrey 28 2.02x
Sussex 24 5.00x
Middlesex 13 0.46x
Somerset 7 1.53x
Argyllshire 6 7.57x
Essex 6 1.07x
Lancashire 5 0.15x
Norfolk 5 1.14x
Yorkshire 5 0.18x
Berkshire 4 1.87x
Flintshire 4 5.22x
Hampshire 3 0.51x
Glamorgan 2 0.40x
Renfrewshire 2 0.91x
Hertfordshire 1 0.51x
Midlothian 1 0.26x
Warwickshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chatham in Kent leads with 17 Colegates recorded in 1881 and an index of 63.58x.

Place Total Index
Chatham 17 63.58x
Maidstone 17 58.72x
West Malling 14 639.27x
Greenwich 13 28.67x
Newington 13 12.36x
East Malling 12 517.24x
Fairlight 12 2553.19x
Bexley 9 104.77x
Milton In Gravesend 9 61.77x
Ashford 8 84.57x
Sittingbourne 8 104.30x
Smeeth 8 1311.48x
Camberwell 6 3.30x
Dunoon 6 368.10x
East Peckham 6 297.03x
Faversham 6 64.72x
Barking 5 30.40x
Dartford 5 50.30x
Everton 5 4.64x
Guestling 5 641.03x
Lambeth 5 2.01x
Penshurst 5 306.75x
Willesborough 5 191.57x
Bath St Peter St Paul 4 197.04x
Colby 4 1739.13x
Cranbrook 4 97.09x
Hawarden 4 66.56x
Sandhurst 4 96.62x
St Mary Le Strand London 4 384.62x
Brookland 3 714.29x
Creech St Michael 3 263.16x
Icklesham 3 352.94x
Mereworth 3 384.62x
Millbrook 3 20.41x
Normanton 3 35.38x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 5.23x
Woolwich 3 8.36x
Bearsted 2 338.98x
Chalk 2 606.06x
Clayton 2 28.94x
East Wickham 2 173.91x
Folkestone 2 10.61x
Gillingham 2 9.98x
St Marylebone London 2 1.32x
West Greenock 2 5.05x
Westerham 2 89.29x
Bermondsey 1 1.18x
Bridge 1 119.05x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 9.86x
Chevening 1 94.34x
Edgbaston 1 4.49x
Hampstead London 1 2.25x
Hastings All Sts 1 22.12x
Hastings St Clement 1 22.12x
Hastings St Mary 1 8.37x
Heston 1 10.57x
Higham 1 76.34x
Hornsey 1 2.78x
Kensington London 1 0.63x
Lee 1 7.09x
Leigh 1 51.28x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.65x
Minster In Sheppey 1 6.21x
Norwich St Mary In Marsh 1 204.08x
Ore 1 28.01x
Oystermouth 1 26.04x
Paddington London 1 0.95x
Rainham 1 37.45x
South Leith 1 2.33x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.99x
Sundridge 1 61.73x
Swansea Town 1 2.46x
Watford 1 6.57x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 20
George 13
Alfred 10
John 9
Henry 8
Thomas 8
Albert 6
Richard 6
James 5
Walter 5
Edward 4
Ernest 4
Daniel 3
Harry 3
Nelson 3
Arthur 2
Edwin 2
Frederick 2
Martin 2
Robert 2
Stephen 2
Arther 1
Bernard 1
Cecil 1
Charles 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
Edwd. 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Herbert 1
Jesse 1
Joseph 1
Josiah 1
Leon 1
Nicholas 1
Robt. 1
Robt.Pearce 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Wallace 1

FAQ

Colegate surname: questions and answers

How common was the Colegate surname in 1881?

In 1881, 292 people were recorded with the Colegate surname. That placed it at #9,912 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Colegate surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 444 in 2016. That gives Colegate a modern rank of #10,905.

What does the Colegate surname mean?

A place name referring to someone living near a cold gate or path.

What does the Colegate map show?

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