NameCensus.

UK surname

Gaal

An Hungarian/Slovak surname meaning "bald".

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ealing, Cherwell and Islington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gaal is 115 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

115

2016, ranked #28,348

Peak year

2014

115 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016, ranked #28,348.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Gaal surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gaal surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gaal 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 2 #33,133
1861 historical 3 #33,861
1911 historical 1 #34,332
1997 modern 27 #35,016
1998 modern 29 #34,948
1999 modern 34 #34,528
2000 modern 26 #35,295
2001 modern 24 #35,357
2002 modern 32 #34,790
2003 modern 35 #34,609
2004 modern 40 #34,387
2005 modern 53 #33,528
2006 modern 54 #33,780
2007 modern 58 #33,731
2008 modern 74 #32,460
2009 modern 85 #31,717
2010 modern 101 #30,078
2011 modern 96 #30,721
2012 modern 105 #29,362
2013 modern 113 #28,502
2014 modern 115 #28,439
2015 modern 112 #28,809
2016 modern 115 #28,348

Geography

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Where Gaals are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ealing, Cherwell, Islington and Wandsworth. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ealing 029 Ealing
2 Cherwell 002 Cherwell
3 Islington 010 Islington
4 Wandsworth 002 Wandsworth
5 Cherwell 006 Cherwell

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gaal

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gaal

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Gaal surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Gaal household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Gaal is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gaal is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gaal 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 Gaal 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
Other Ethnic Group

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

Meaning and origin of Gaal

The surname GAAL is believed to have originated in the Netherlands, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Dutch word 'gaal', which means 'barren' or 'infertile'. It may have been used as a descriptive surname referring to someone who lived on or worked with infertile or barren land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname GAAL can be found in the records of the Dutch city of Leiden in the late 1500s. There are also references to the name in historical documents from the neighbouring provinces of South Holland and Zeeland around the same time period.

In the 17th century, the GAAL surname appears in various Dutch church records, including those of the Reformed Church in Amsterdam. One notable individual with this name from this era was Jan Gaal, a wealthy merchant and ship owner who lived in Amsterdam from 1620 to 1690.

As the Dutch explored and settled in different parts of the world, the GAAL surname spread to other regions. In the late 18th century, there are records of individuals with the GAAL surname in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) and the Cape Colony in South Africa.

One prominent figure with the GAAL surname was the Dutch painter Frans Gaal, who was born in The Hague in 1765 and died in 1834. He is known for his landscapes and genre paintings depicting daily life in the Netherlands.

Another notable individual with this surname was the Belgian mathematician and astronomer André Gaal, who lived from 1828 to 1898. He made significant contributions to the study of comets and asteroids, and had an asteroid named in his honor (Asteroid 1590 Gaal).

In the 20th century, the GAAL surname became more widespread, with individuals bearing this name found in various countries around the world. One famous person with this surname was the Hungarian-American writer and philosopher Gáspár Gaal, who was born in Budapest in 1897 and died in New York in 1972. He was a prominent figure in the Esperanto movement and wrote extensively on linguistics and philosophy.

Another individual of note was the Dutch footballer Edwin Gaal, who was born in 1960 and played for several clubs in the Netherlands, including Ajax Amsterdam and Feyenoord Rotterdam.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Gaal surname: questions and answers

How common is the Gaal surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016. That gives Gaal a modern rank of #28,348.

What does the Gaal surname mean?

An Hungarian/Slovak surname meaning "bald".

What does the Gaal map show?

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