NameCensus.

UK surname

Gaisford

An English place name referring to a ford crossed by goats or goat crossing.

In the 1881 census there were 298 people recorded with the Gaisford surname, ranking it #9,765 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 295, ranked #14,915, down from #9,765 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Steeple Ashton, Melksham and Trowbridge. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, Christchurch and Surrey Heath.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gaisford is 394 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.0%.

1881 census count

298

Ranked #9,765

Modern count

295

2016, ranked #14,915

Peak year

1901

394 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gaisford had 298 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,765 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 295 in 2016, ranked #14,915.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 394 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gaisford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gaisford surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Gaisford 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 194 #10,662
1861 historical 192 #12,423
1881 historical 298 #9,765
1891 historical 315 #10,669
1901 historical 394 #9,579
1911 historical 368 #9,886
1997 modern 296 #13,646
1998 modern 307 #13,690
1999 modern 308 #13,722
2000 modern 304 #13,791
2001 modern 286 #14,160
2002 modern 301 #13,962
2003 modern 286 #14,259
2004 modern 300 #13,871
2005 modern 294 #14,006
2006 modern 295 #14,053
2007 modern 298 #14,103
2008 modern 299 #14,177
2009 modern 295 #14,594
2010 modern 305 #14,561
2011 modern 309 #14,322
2012 modern 301 #14,476
2013 modern 317 #14,186
2014 modern 316 #14,301
2015 modern 303 #14,646
2016 modern 295 #14,915

Geography

Back to top

Where Gaisfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Steeple Ashton, Melksham, Trowbridge, London parishes and Warminster, Upton Scudamore, Great and Little Corsley, Norton Bavant. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire, Christchurch and Surrey Heath. 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 Steeple Ashton Wiltshire
2 Melksham Wiltshire
3 Trowbridge Wiltshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Warminster, Upton Scudamore, Great and Little Corsley, Norton Bavant Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 017 Wiltshire
2 Wiltshire 007 Wiltshire
3 Wiltshire 027 Wiltshire
4 Christchurch 006 Christchurch
5 Surrey Heath 006 Surrey Heath

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Gaisford

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Gaisford

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gaisford is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Gaisford is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gaisford falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gaisford 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
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gaisford

The surname GAISFORD originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "gærs" meaning grass and "ford" meaning a shallow place where a river or stream can be crossed. This suggests the name was initially a locational surname, given to someone who lived near a grassy ford or river crossing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it is listed as "Gers(e)ford". This indicates the name was already well-established in that region by the 13th century. Other early spellings include "Gersford" and "Garsford", reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.

The GAISFORD name is also found in several historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries. For example, the marriage of John Gaisford and Elizabeth Keene is recorded in the parish registers of St. Giles Cripplegate, London, in 1585. Additionally, the will of William Gaisford, a yeoman from Oxfordshire, is dated 1638.

One notable bearer of the GAISFORD surname was Thomas Gaisford (1779-1855), an English classical scholar and clergyman. He served as the Regius Professor of Greek at the University of Oxford and is remembered for his critical editions of ancient Greek texts.

Another prominent figure was John Gaisford (1670-1736), a successful London merchant and director of the East India Company. He was also a Member of Parliament for Gatton from 1722 to 1727.

In the 18th century, William Gaisford (1718-1786) was a well-known English architect who designed several buildings in London, including the Church of St. Mary-le-Strand and the Gaisford House in Hampstead.

During the 19th century, Henry Gaisford (1823-1905) was a respected English lawyer and served as the Recorder of Oxford from 1875 to 1900.

The GAISFORD surname has also been associated with several notable places throughout history. For instance, Gaisford Cross in Oxfordshire was named after a local family who owned land in the area during the Middle Ages.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Gaisford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gaisford 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. Wiltshire leads with 115 Gaisfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.58x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 115 44.58x
Middlesex 70 2.40x
Somerset 26 5.54x
Gloucestershire 14 2.45x
Surrey 13 0.91x
Kent 12 1.21x
Sussex 11 2.24x
Devon 9 1.48x
Hertfordshire 7 3.48x
Nottinghamshire 5 1.27x
Berkshire 4 1.83x
Buckinghamshire 2 1.13x
Dorset 2 1.04x
Hampshire 2 0.33x
Norfolk 2 0.45x
Yorkshire 2 0.07x
Lancashire 1 0.03x
Royal Navy 1 2.88x
Warwickshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Semington in Wiltshire leads with 34 Gaisfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 8095.24x.

Place Total Index
Semington 34 8095.24x
Melksham 20 446.43x
Colerne 13 1226.42x
Minster In Sheppey 10 60.64x
Trowbridge 10 87.72x
Warminster 10 176.99x
Islington London 9 3.18x
Newington 9 8.35x
Shoreditch London 9 7.12x
Clerkenwell London 8 11.62x
Kilmington 8 1666.67x
Broxbourne 7 175.88x
Devizes St Mary 7 268.20x
East Lavant 7 1750.00x
Mile End Old Town London 7 11.28x
St Mary Le Strand London 7 660.38x
Coldashton 6 1538.46x
Frome 6 53.43x
Poplar London 6 10.90x
Tormoham 6 23.36x
Marshfield 5 326.80x
Nottingham St Mary 5 4.92x
Salisbury St Edmund 5 120.77x
St George Hanover Square 5 9.73x
Stoke Newington London 5 22.01x
Bedminster 4 9.07x
Bethnal Green London 4 3.16x
Broadwater 4 35.46x
Reading St Mary 4 22.81x
St Pancras London 4 1.70x
Fisherton Anger 3 62.89x
Lyncombe Widcombe 3 24.41x
Westbury 3 49.83x
Battersea 2 1.86x
Chippenham 2 36.97x
Clifford Cum Boston 2 76.92x
Kensington London 2 1.23x
Liddiard Tregooze 2 303.03x
Norwich St Julian 2 105.82x
Shaftesbury St Peter 2 224.72x
Walcot 2 8.00x
Alverstoke 1 4.62x
Bath St James 1 20.41x
Beddington 1 18.18x
Bishops Cannings 1 104.17x
Bishopsbourne 1 285.71x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 5.24x
Bristol St Paul In 1 6.56x
Charterhouse Hinton 1 181.82x
Corsham 1 26.60x
Devizes St James 1 29.15x
Devonport 1 14.33x
Edgbaston 1 4.38x
Eton 1 25.00x
Hackney London 1 0.61x
Hawkesbury 1 51.28x
Hougham 1 16.89x
Lambeth 1 0.39x
Milford 1 72.46x
Milton Clevedon 1 588.24x
Paddington London 1 0.93x
Patney 1 714.29x
Pennington In Ulverston 1 58.14x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 2.14x
Royal Navy 1 3.37x
St Giles Cripplegate 1 25.84x
St Marylebone London 1 0.64x
St Peter Cheesehill 1 117.65x
Wendover 1 52.63x
West Lavington 1 80.65x
Withycombe Rawleigh 1 31.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Sarah 10
Elizabeth 7
Emily 6
Emma 6
Eliza 5
Ellen 5
Fanny 5
Jane 5
Alice 4
Ann 4
Kate 4
Louisa 4
Martha 4
Ada 3
Agnes 3
Hannah 3
Amy 2
Charlotte 2
Edith 2
Francis 2
Lucy 2
Matilda 2
Maud 2
Rosa 2
Ruth 2
Susannah 2
Amelia 1
Amie 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Benegria 1
Bertha 1
Betsey 1
Estella 1
Ester 1
Ethel 1
Evelyn 1
F.Louisa 1
Jessie 1
Lavinia 1
Letitia 1
Lillie 1
Linda 1
Lydia 1
Madelin 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 14
John 14
William 11
Charles 9
James 8
Thomas 8
Joseph 5
Stephen 5
Ernest 4
Francis 4
Sidney 4
Henry 3
Hugh 3
Wm. 3
Albert 2
Edward 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Job 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Worthey 2
Algernon 1
Basil 1
Benjamine 1
Bertie 1
Charlie 1
Christopher 1
Cristopr. 1
Edwards 1
Edwin 1
Emily 1
Frederick 1
Frederik 1
Genan 1
Harold 1
Hy. 1
Isaac 1
Jabez 1
Jessie 1
Julian 1
Nahum 1
Oswald 1
Percevel 1
Phillip 1
Reginald 1
Samuel 1
Sydney 1

FAQ

Gaisford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gaisford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 298 people were recorded with the Gaisford surname. That placed it at #9,765 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gaisford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 295 in 2016. That gives Gaisford a modern rank of #14,915.

What does the Gaisford surname mean?

An English place name referring to a ford crossed by goats or goat crossing.

What does the Gaisford map show?

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