NameCensus.

UK surname

Gainer

An occupational surname for a measurer or assayer of wool or other textiles.

In the 1881 census there were 161 people recorded with the Gainer surname, ranking it #14,801 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 123, ranked #27,115, down from #14,801 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Cam and Nailsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Denbighshire, Stroud and Mole Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gainer is 269 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 23.6%.

1881 census count

161

Ranked #14,801

Modern count

123

2016, ranked #27,115

Peak year

1861

269 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gainer had 161 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,801 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016, ranked #27,115.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 269 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gainer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gainer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gainer 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 209 #10,066
1861 historical 269 #9,244
1881 historical 161 #14,801
1891 historical 203 #14,754
1901 historical 149 #18,146
1911 historical 141 #18,571
1997 modern 117 #24,553
1998 modern 124 #24,316
1999 modern 127 #24,125
2000 modern 121 #24,824
2001 modern 118 #24,832
2002 modern 123 #24,735
2003 modern 118 #25,146
2004 modern 110 #26,451
2005 modern 111 #26,260
2006 modern 118 #25,556
2007 modern 118 #25,913
2008 modern 112 #27,061
2009 modern 122 #26,220
2010 modern 132 #25,519
2011 modern 130 #25,547
2012 modern 121 #26,829
2013 modern 121 #27,255
2014 modern 125 #26,896
2015 modern 124 #26,944
2016 modern 123 #27,115

Geography

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Where Gainers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Cam, Nailsea, Preston and Cheltenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Denbighshire, Stroud, Mole Valley, Liverpool and High Peak. 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 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 Cam Gloucestershire
3 Nailsea Somerset
4 Preston Lancashire
5 Cheltenham Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Denbighshire 016 Denbighshire
2 Stroud 011 Stroud
3 Mole Valley 012 Mole Valley
4 Liverpool 053 Liverpool
5 High Peak 013 High Peak

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gainer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gainer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gainer, 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 Gainer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Gainer 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Gainer is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gainer 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

Gainer falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gainer

The surname Gainer originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "gainer," which means "to gain or acquire." The name was likely given to someone who was successful in acquiring land, wealth, or possessions.

The earliest known record of the Gainer surname dates back to the 13th century. In 1273, a man named William le Gainer was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk. This document was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by King Edward I.

Another early reference to the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, where a John Gainer was listed as a taxpayer. This suggests that the Gainer family had established themselves as landowners in Yorkshire by the early 14th century.

The Gainer surname has also been recorded with variations in spelling, such as Gayner, Gaynor, and Ganer. These variations were common during the Middle Ages due to inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects.

One notable person with the Gainer surname was Sir Thomas Gainer (1475-1547), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from London. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1536.

Another prominent figure was Richard Gainer (1564-1623), an English author and clergyman. He was born in Gloucestershire and served as the rector of Wanstead in Essex. He is best known for his work "The Pandect of the Professions and Trades," published in 1610.

In the 17th century, the Gainer surname was also found in the American colonies. One of the earliest known settlers with this name was William Gainer, who arrived in Virginia in 1635.

During the 18th century, the Gainer family had a strong presence in the county of Wiltshire, England. Notable members included John Gainer (1712-1789), a wealthy landowner and benefactor, and his son, William Gainer (1745-1812), who served as the High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1793.

Another significant figure with the Gainer surname was Sir Robert Gainer (1820-1892), a British politician and industrialist. He was born in Lancashire and made his fortune in the textile industry. He served as a Member of Parliament for Coventry from 1874 to 1892.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gainer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gainer 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. Gloucestershire leads with 34 Gainers recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.11x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 34 11.11x
Lancashire 30 1.62x
Cheshire 26 7.55x
Middlesex 16 1.03x
Durham 8 1.72x
Staffordshire 6 1.14x
West Lothian 6 25.53x
Northumberland 5 2.15x
Ayrshire 3 2.57x
Devon 3 0.92x
Midlothian 3 1.44x
Somerset 3 1.19x
Yorkshire 3 0.19x
Glamorgan 2 0.74x
Shropshire 2 1.48x
Angus 1 0.69x
Derbyshire 1 0.41x
Dorset 1 0.98x
Dunbartonshire 1 2.38x
Herefordshire 1 1.56x
Hertfordshire 1 0.93x
Lanarkshire 1 0.20x
Ross-shire 1 2.33x
Surrey 1 0.13x
Sussex 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bramhall in Cheshire leads with 14 Gainers recorded in 1881 and an index of 979.02x.

Place Total Index
Bramhall 14 979.02x
Cam 14 1489.36x
Allerton 8 1818.18x
Islington London 8 5.29x
Preston 7 14.13x
Sunderland 7 85.37x
Blackburn 6 12.18x
Uphall 6 232.56x
Harborne 5 29.62x
Leonard Stanley 5 1250.00x
Longbenton 5 50.86x
St Pancras London 5 3.98x
Stockport 5 28.20x
Stonehouse 4 229.89x
Frodsham Lordship 3 517.24x
Lower Booths 3 90.36x
Accrington 2 11.88x
Bridgewater 2 29.33x
Cardiff St Mary 2 13.36x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 2 40.40x
Newent 2 128.21x
Shifnal 2 54.64x
South Hamlet 2 105.82x
St Quivox 2 50.63x
Stinchcombe 2 1111.11x
Stoke 2 151.52x
Altofts 1 58.48x
Barony 1 0.78x
Birkenhead 1 3.64x
Brighton 1 1.88x
Cardross 1 19.84x
Chadderton 1 11.05x
Cheltenham 1 4.24x
Clerkenwell London 1 2.71x
Dalry 1 18.18x
Derby St Werburgh 1 7.09x
Devonport 1 26.81x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.19x
Elvet 1 29.85x
Eye 1 263.16x
Garforth 1 84.75x
Gloucester St Mary Crypt 1 212.77x
Gloucester St Michael 1 142.86x
Lambeth 1 0.73x
Leeds 1 1.15x
Liff Benvie 1 4.56x
Liscard 1 16.10x
Littleworth 1 333.33x
Oldham 1 1.67x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 1 25.25x
Rusholme 1 20.24x
Sale 1 23.64x
Salford 1 1.84x
St Marylebone London 1 1.20x
Stanstead Abbots 1 153.85x
Stornoway 1 17.89x
Walcot 1 7.47x
Walsall Borough 1 24.45x
Westminster St James 1 6.23x
Wimborne Minster 1 60.24x
Wotton Under Edge 1 55.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Elizabeth 6
Margaret 6
Sarah 4
Annie 3
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Hannah 3
Catherine 2
Fanny 2
Jane 2
Susannah 2
Amy 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Clara 1
Dorothy 1
Edith 1
Eliann 1
Eliza 1
Emilly 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Harriet 1
Honoria 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Lily 1
Mabel 1
Margt 1
Martha 1
Nancy 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Gainer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gainer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 161 people were recorded with the Gainer surname. That placed it at #14,801 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gainer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016. That gives Gainer a modern rank of #27,115.

What does the Gainer surname mean?

An occupational surname for a measurer or assayer of wool or other textiles.

What does the Gainer map show?

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