NameCensus.

UK surname

Gainford

In the 1881 census there were 126 people recorded with the Gainford surname, ranking it #17,245 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 289, ranked #15,137, up from #17,245 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Bees, Workington (Workington), Clossocks and Egremont. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gateshead, Copeland and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gainford is 293 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 129.4%.

1881 census count

126

Ranked #17,245

Modern count

289

2016, ranked #15,137

Peak year

2010

293 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gainford had 126 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,245 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 289 in 2016, ranked #15,137.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 158 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Gainford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gainford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gainford 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 67 #21,440
1861 historical 85 #22,922
1881 historical 126 #17,245
1891 historical 158 #17,705
1901 historical 152 #17,916
1911 historical 133 #19,214
1997 modern 249 #15,319
1998 modern 263 #15,161
1999 modern 263 #15,267
2000 modern 255 #15,538
2001 modern 255 #15,319
2002 modern 267 #15,123
2003 modern 270 #14,825
2004 modern 267 #15,038
2005 modern 275 #14,624
2006 modern 269 #14,952
2007 modern 272 #14,994
2008 modern 269 #15,260
2009 modern 277 #15,260
2010 modern 293 #14,974
2011 modern 283 #15,193
2012 modern 270 #15,667
2013 modern 274 #15,764
2014 modern 277 #15,734
2015 modern 287 #15,235
2016 modern 289 #15,137

Geography

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Where Gainfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Bees, Workington (Workington), Clossocks, Egremont, St Bridget Beckermet and Ponsonby and Newton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gateshead, Copeland, Northumberland and Cotswold. 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 St Bees Cumberland
2 Workington (Workington), Clossocks Cumberland
3 Egremont Cumberland
4 St Bridget Beckermet Cumberland
5 Ponsonby and Newton Cumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gateshead 002 Gateshead
2 Copeland 005 Copeland
3 Northumberland 024 Northumberland
4 Copeland 007 Copeland
5 Cotswold 003 Cotswold

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gainford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gainford

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Gainford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Gainford household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Gainford is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gainford is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gainford falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Gainford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gainford 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. Cumberland leads with 96 Gainfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 90.73x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 96 90.73x
Durham 16 4.38x
Middlesex 8 0.65x
Dumfriesshire 2 7.37x
Yorkshire 2 0.16x
Berkshire 1 1.08x
Lancashire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Egremont in Cumberland leads with 14 Gainfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 555.56x.

Place Total Index
Egremont 14 555.56x
Greysouthen 14 4827.59x
Beckermet St Bridget 11 3928.57x
Irton With Santon 10 3846.15x
Arlecdon 8 284.70x
Ponsonby 8 11428.57x
Preston Quarter 8 269.36x
St Giles 8 350.88x
Escomb 6 357.14x
Eskdale Wasdale 5 2173.91x
Hackney London 5 7.26x
Ennerdale Kinniside 4 3333.33x
Bootle 3 882.35x
Cleator 3 68.18x
St Bride London 3 422.54x
Whitehaven 3 53.19x
Durrisdeer 2 425.53x
Above Derwent 1 256.41x
Beckermet St John 1 384.62x
Clewer 1 26.46x
Crossgate 1 62.50x
Drigg Carleton 1 416.67x
Framwellgate 1 46.08x
Gosforth 1 192.31x
Leyburn 1 243.90x
Liverpool 1 1.13x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 1 17.67x
Workington 1 16.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Joseph 8
William 8
Henry 7
John 6
Thomas 5
George 4
Isaac 3
Harrison 2
James 2
Alfred 1
Francis 1
Hall 1
Owen 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Russell 1
Samuel 1
Tom 1
Tyson 1

FAQ

Gainford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gainford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 126 people were recorded with the Gainford surname. That placed it at #17,245 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gainford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 289 in 2016. That gives Gainford a modern rank of #15,137.

What does the Gainford map show?

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