NameCensus.

UK surname

Gadsden

From an English place name, likely derived from the Old English for "Gadd's valley" or "Gadd's hill."

In the 1881 census there were 389 people recorded with the Gadsden surname, ranking it #8,122 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 536, ranked #9,486, down from #8,122 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Wilden and Ivinghoe, Cheddington, Slapton, Pitstone (Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire), Eddlesborough, Little Gadde. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Central Bedfordshire, Ashford and Bedford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gadsden is 594 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.8%.

1881 census count

389

Ranked #8,122

Modern count

536

2016, ranked #9,486

Peak year

1999

594 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gadsden had 389 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,122 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 536 in 2016, ranked #9,486.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 568 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gadsden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gadsden surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gadsden 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 244 #8,950
1861 historical 171 #13,692
1881 historical 389 #8,122
1891 historical 387 #9,122
1901 historical 504 #8,006
1911 historical 568 #7,120
1997 modern 578 #8,362
1998 modern 588 #8,510
1999 modern 594 #8,497
2000 modern 588 #8,524
2001 modern 582 #8,461
2002 modern 591 #8,543
2003 modern 559 #8,725
2004 modern 551 #8,845
2005 modern 521 #9,176
2006 modern 522 #9,183
2007 modern 525 #9,219
2008 modern 518 #9,388
2009 modern 536 #9,356
2010 modern 552 #9,338
2011 modern 566 #9,070
2012 modern 552 #9,138
2013 modern 560 #9,196
2014 modern 560 #9,258
2015 modern 552 #9,277
2016 modern 536 #9,486

Geography

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Where Gadsdens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Wilden and Ivinghoe, Cheddington, Slapton, Pitstone (Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire), Eddlesborough, Little Gadde. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Central Bedfordshire, Ashford, Bedford and Chiltern. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Wilden Bedfordshire
4 Ivinghoe, Cheddington, Slapton, Pitstone (Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire), Eddlesborough, Little Gadde Bedfordshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Central Bedfordshire 019 Central Bedfordshire
2 Ashford 011 Ashford
3 Bedford 002 Bedford
4 Bedford 020 Bedford
5 Chiltern 001 Chiltern

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gadsden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gadsden

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Gadsden surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Gadsden 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Gadsden is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Gadsden is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gadsden 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 Gadsden is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gadsden

The Gadsden surname originated in England, deriving from the Old English words "gad" meaning "goad" or "rod", and "denu" meaning "valley" or "pastoral clearing". It likely referred to someone who lived in a valley where cattle were raised, using a goad to herd them. The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Gatesden".

The name traces its roots to Hampshire and Wiltshire in southern England, with early references found in medieval records from those counties. One of the earliest known bearers was Roger de Gatesden, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire in 1195.

In the 13th century, the name was sometimes spelled "Gadesby" or "Gadseby", reflecting its pronunciation at the time. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 record a Richard de Gatesden in Wiltshire.

During the 14th century, the spelling evolved closer to its modern form, with instances like John Gadsden appearing in tax records from 1327 in Somerset.

Notable individuals with this surname include Christopher Gadsden (1724-1805), an American patriot and merchant from South Carolina who designed the famous Gadsden Flag. James Gadsden (1788-1858) was a U.S. Army officer and diplomat who negotiated the Gadsden Purchase, acquiring lands for the United States from Mexico in 1853.

Other prominent bearers were Samuel Gadsden (1786-1858), a South Carolina planter and politician, and Reverend Philip Gadsden (1740-1807), an Anglican priest and loyalist during the American Revolution. In England, Sir Jeffrey Gadsden (1650-1709) was a Member of Parliament and Lord Mayor of London.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gadsden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gadsden 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. Bedfordshire leads with 102 Gadsdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 51.91x.

County Total Index
Bedfordshire 102 51.91x
Middlesex 78 2.06x
Buckinghamshire 58 25.28x
Surrey 46 2.49x
Northamptonshire 30 8.41x
Kent 16 1.24x
Shropshire 13 3.97x
Essex 9 1.20x
Hertfordshire 7 2.68x
Warwickshire 7 0.73x
Yorkshire 6 0.16x
Derbyshire 5 0.84x
Lancashire 5 0.11x
Oxfordshire 3 1.28x
Wiltshire 2 0.60x
Hampshire 1 0.13x
Lincolnshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Eaton Bray in Bedfordshire leads with 54 Gadsdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 2727.27x.

Place Total Index
Eaton Bray 54 2727.27x
Edlesborough 19 909.09x
Wellington 13 70.58x
Newington 12 8.56x
Wilden 11 1896.55x
Hardingstone 10 293.26x
Leighton Buzzard 10 118.34x
Northampton All Sts 10 82.58x
Wootton 10 588.24x
Battersea 8 5.73x
Brentwood 8 175.05x
East Molesey 8 186.48x
Kensington London 8 3.79x
Pluckley 8 666.67x
Clerkenwell London 7 7.82x
Greenwich 7 11.59x
Hammersmith London 7 7.49x
Islington London 7 1.90x
Poplar London 7 9.77x
Wavendon 7 551.18x
Aston 6 2.28x
Bethnal Green London 6 3.64x
Nettleden 6 7500.00x
Southwark St George Martyr 6 7.86x
Toddington 6 212.77x
Croydon 5 4.87x
Derby St Michael 5 400.00x
Ealing 5 14.74x
East Haddon 5 510.20x
Fulham London 5 9.09x
Newton Longville 5 819.67x
Dunstable 4 66.23x
Flamstead 4 165.98x
Godalming 4 34.36x
Monks Risborough 4 363.64x
Oldham 4 2.75x
Paddington London 4 2.87x
Slapton 4 1176.47x
St Marylebone London 4 1.97x
St Pancras London 4 1.31x
Bromley London 3 3.59x
Chesham 3 35.50x
Harlington 3 428.57x
Harrow On The Hill 3 39.58x
Luton 3 8.82x
Paulerspury 3 202.70x
St Anne Soho London 3 13.84x
Stoke Newington London 3 10.15x
Swanbourne 3 476.19x
Wakefield 3 10.39x
Witney 3 76.53x
Bradwell 2 61.92x
Great Marlow 2 32.31x
Normanton 2 17.70x
Tring 2 28.65x
Warminster 2 27.21x
Weston Turville 2 186.92x
Abbots Langley 1 25.71x
Aylesbury 1 9.83x
Bedford St Cuthbert 1 57.47x
Birmingham 1 0.31x
Bury 1 1.94x
Edenham 1 136.99x
Edgware 1 94.34x
Finchley 1 6.87x
Hambledon 1 38.17x
Kingston On Thames 1 2.25x
Lambeth 1 0.30x
Lewisham 1 1.45x
Lingfield 1 27.78x
Nether Hallam 1 1.97x
Northampton St Giles 1 7.35x
Prittlewell 1 9.63x
Weston Favell 1 138.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 27
John 15
George 13
James 13
Thomas 13
Arthur 8
Richard 8
Frederick 7
Charles 6
David 5
Joseph 5
Walter 5
Jesse 4
Robert 4
Samuel 4
Alfred 3
Ernest 3
Henry 3
Rowland 3
Amos 2
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Elijah 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Jabez 2
Jeffrey 2
Cecil 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Douglas 1
Eustace 1
Ezra 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.John 1
Geo.Wm. 1
Geoffrey 1
Humfrey 1
Jabes 1
Jacob 1
Jefferey 1
Mark 1
Morton 1
Percy 1
Rogar 1
Roland 1
Somerset 1
Wm.A. 1

FAQ

Gadsden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gadsden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 389 people were recorded with the Gadsden surname. That placed it at #8,122 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gadsden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 536 in 2016. That gives Gadsden a modern rank of #9,486.

What does the Gadsden surname mean?

From an English place name, likely derived from the Old English for "Gadd's valley" or "Gadd's hill."

What does the Gadsden map show?

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