NameCensus.

UK surname

Gad

A surname derived from the Hebrew word "gad," meaning fortune or luck.

In the 1881 census there were 52 people recorded with the Gad surname, ranking it #26,281 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 115, ranked #28,348, down from #26,281 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Moreton Say, Adderley, Prees and Hawick and Wilton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kelty West, Havering and Brighton and Hove.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gad is 174 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 121.2%.

1881 census count

52

Ranked #26,281

Modern count

115

2016, ranked #28,348

Peak year

1851

174 bearers

Map years

2

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gad had 52 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,281 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016, ranked #28,348.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 174 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Gad surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gad surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gad 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 174 #11,590
1881 historical 52 #26,281
1891 historical 3 #34,257
1901 historical 14 #32,506
1997 modern 41 #33,552
1998 modern 47 #33,197
1999 modern 51 #32,940
2000 modern 51 #32,999
2001 modern 48 #33,129
2002 modern 52 #33,110
2003 modern 52 #33,160
2004 modern 54 #33,248
2005 modern 51 #33,701
2006 modern 57 #33,513
2007 modern 61 #33,440
2008 modern 61 #33,655
2009 modern 71 #33,102
2010 modern 85 #32,185
2011 modern 86 #32,006
2012 modern 99 #30,442
2013 modern 109 #29,209
2014 modern 115 #28,439
2015 modern 113 #28,645
2016 modern 115 #28,348

Geography

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Where Gads are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Moreton Say, Adderley, Prees, Hawick and Wilton, Manchester and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kelty West, Havering, Brighton and Hove and Enfield. 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 Moreton Say, Adderley Shropshire
2 Prees Shropshire
3 Hawick and Wilton Roxburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kelty West Fife
2 Havering 022 Havering
3 Brighton and Hove 013 Brighton and Hove
4 Brighton and Hove 002 Brighton and Hove
5 Enfield 019 Enfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gad

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gad

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

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Gad surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Gad 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 never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Gad is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gad 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

Gad 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 Gad is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
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 Gad, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gad

The surname Gad originates from the Hebrew name גָּד (Gad), which means "fortune" or "good luck." It is one of the twelve tribes of Israel, mentioned in the Book of Genesis in the Bible. The name Gad was initially derived from the Hebrew root word "gadad," meaning "to overcome" or "to conquer."

Historically, the tribe of Gad settled in the region east of the Jordan River, in present-day Jordan. The Book of Joshua mentions that the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh were allocated land on the eastern side of the Jordan River by Moses.

In medieval records, the surname Gad can be found in various spellings, such as Gade, Gadd, and Gadde. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Gad" in Lincolnshire, England.

Notable individuals with the surname Gad throughout history include:

1. Thomas Gad (c. 1412-1490), an English priest and philosopher who served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1472 to 1477.

2. Johann Gad (1534-1594), a German Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Jena.

3. Hans Frederik Gad (1890-1965), a Danish film director and screenwriter known for his silent films in the 1920s.

4. Urbain Gad (1906-1991), a French actor and comedian who appeared in numerous films and theater productions.

5. Yitzchok Gad (1913-1994), a prominent Orthodox Jewish rabbi and Talmudic scholar from Poland.

The surname Gad has also been associated with various place names, such as Gadsby in Leicestershire, England, and Gad's Hill in Kent, England, where Charles Dickens lived for many years.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gad families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gad 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. Middlesex leads with 16 Gads recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.93x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 16 2.93x
Surrey 11 4.13x
Essex 5 4.64x
Roxburghshire 4 40.44x
Shropshire 4 8.48x
Staffordshire 3 1.63x
Cheshire 2 1.66x
Durham 2 1.23x
Somerset 2 2.28x
Berkshire 1 2.44x
Cambridgeshire 1 2.89x
Derbyshire 1 1.17x
Dorset 1 2.79x
Gloucestershire 1 0.93x
Sussex 1 1.09x
Worcestershire 1 1.40x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 8 Gads recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.80x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 8 16.80x
Tottenham 6 68.97x
West Ham 5 21.01x
Hawick 4 181.00x
Bethnal Green London 3 12.65x
St George Hanover Square 3 31.19x
Wolstanton Knutton 3 265.49x
Bishopwearmouth 2 14.35x
Dodcott Cum Wilkesley 2 1666.67x
Drayton In Hales 2 206.19x
Farnham 2 96.62x
Ightfield 2 3333.33x
Acton 1 31.25x
Buxted 1 277.78x
Buxton 1 138.89x
Cheddar 1 227.27x
Clerkenwell London 1 7.76x
Fulbourn 1 303.03x
Kingswood 1 588.24x
Newdigate 1 833.33x
Sherborne 1 94.34x
Staines 1 116.28x
Upperswinford 1 166.67x
Warfield 1 270.27x
Westminster St John 1 15.04x
Winscombe 1 416.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 5
Eliza 2
Elizabeth 2
Emily 2
Jane 2
Mary 2
Christine 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Harriet 1
Maria 1
Rosina 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Henry 5
Charles 4
William 4
John 3
Richard 2
Abraham 1
Charls 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
James 1
Jesse 1
Knut 1
Luke 1
Oliver 1
Oscar 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Gad households.

FAQ

Gad surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gad surname in 1881?

In 1881, 52 people were recorded with the Gad surname. That placed it at #26,281 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gad surname today?

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

What does the Gad surname mean?

A surname derived from the Hebrew word "gad," meaning fortune or luck.

What does the Gad map show?

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