NameCensus.

UK surname

Gait

In the 1881 census there were 285 people recorded with the Gait surname, ranking it #10,070 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 331, ranked #13,735, down from #10,070 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Chilcompton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mendip, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Craven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gait is 413 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.1%.

1881 census count

285

Ranked #10,070

Modern count

331

2016, ranked #13,735

Peak year

1911

413 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gait had 285 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,070 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 331 in 2016, ranked #13,735.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 413 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gait surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gait surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gait 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 165 #12,053
1861 historical 203 #11,865
1881 historical 285 #10,070
1891 historical 309 #10,848
1901 historical 354 #10,347
1911 historical 413 #9,082
1997 modern 381 #11,393
1998 modern 412 #11,108
1999 modern 406 #11,329
2000 modern 383 #11,779
2001 modern 375 #11,774
2002 modern 396 #11,523
2003 modern 363 #12,096
2004 modern 356 #12,299
2005 modern 353 #12,292
2006 modern 351 #12,420
2007 modern 353 #12,521
2008 modern 352 #12,631
2009 modern 342 #13,193
2010 modern 337 #13,580
2011 modern 343 #13,277
2012 modern 342 #13,184
2013 modern 349 #13,215
2014 modern 350 #13,263
2015 modern 341 #13,425
2016 modern 331 #13,735

Geography

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Where Gaits are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Chilcompton, Bedwelty and Walcott, Charlcome. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mendip, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Craven, Bath and North East Somerset and North East Lincolnshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Chilcompton Somerset
4 Bedwelty Monmouthshire
5 Walcott, Charlcome Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mendip 001 Mendip
2 Rhondda Cynon Taf 005 Rhondda Cynon Taf
3 Craven 001 Craven
4 Bath and North East Somerset 024 Bath and North East Somerset
5 North East Lincolnshire 023 North East Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gait

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gait

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Gait 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

Gait is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gait falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Gait families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gait 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. Somerset leads with 152 Gaits recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.85x.

County Total Index
Somerset 152 33.85x
Wiltshire 23 9.32x
Middlesex 13 0.47x
Surrey 13 0.96x
Cheshire 11 1.79x
Lancashire 9 0.27x
Monmouthshire 9 4.46x
Yorkshire 8 0.29x
Devon 7 1.21x
Gloucestershire 6 1.10x
Kent 6 0.63x
Lincolnshire 6 1.35x
Buckinghamshire 5 2.96x
Caernarfonshire 4 3.55x
Hampshire 4 0.70x
Derbyshire 3 0.69x
Cornwall 1 0.32x
Dorset 1 0.55x
Essex 1 0.18x
Hertfordshire 1 0.52x
Lanarkshire 1 0.11x
Royal Navy 1 3.01x
Staffordshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holcombe in Somerset leads with 36 Gaits recorded in 1881 and an index of 7058.82x.

Place Total Index
Holcombe 36 7058.82x
Stone Easton 22 6470.59x
Chilcompton 21 3442.62x
Bradford On Avon 8 101.27x
Henstridge 8 645.16x
Midsomer Norton 8 189.13x
Idle 7 54.60x
Newport 7 72.77x
Chewton Mendip 6 810.81x
Clerkenwell London 6 9.11x
Great Grimsby 6 21.19x
Leigh On Mendip 6 1363.64x
Richmond 6 31.50x
Walton On Hill 6 33.46x
Box 5 238.10x
Farrington Gurney 5 980.39x
Fenny Stratford 5 312.50x
Guildford Holy Trinity 5 193.05x
Melksham 5 116.82x
Paulton 5 242.72x
St Pancras London 5 2.23x
Tranmere 5 22.09x
Walcot 5 20.90x
Cameley 4 800.00x
Lewisham 4 7.88x
Llandudno 4 99.50x
Long Ashton 4 179.37x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 8.94x
Stockport 4 12.62x
Bathford 3 326.09x
Bitton 3 63.03x
Bradwell 3 306.12x
Lyncombe Widcombe 3 25.51x
Shepton Mallet 3 59.52x
Trowbridge 3 27.52x
Weston Super Mare 3 26.46x
Alveston 2 256.41x
Batcombe 2 338.98x
Cullompton 2 78.74x
Holdenhurst 2 13.33x
Monkton Farleigh 2 500.00x
North Brewham 2 909.09x
St Marylebone London 2 1.34x
Stretford 2 10.98x
Whatley 2 487.80x
Abergavenny 1 13.25x
Albury 1 80.65x
Bathwick 1 20.12x
Bishop Stortford 1 15.58x
Blandford Forum 1 27.70x
Cheadle 1 8.50x
Chepstow 1 29.15x
Dartford 1 10.28x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.36x
Devonport 1 14.99x
Govan 1 0.45x
Hickleton 1 833.33x
High Littleton 1 135.14x
Kilmersdon 1 45.05x
Madron Penzance 1 8.71x
Mayfield 1 84.75x
Newton In Ashton Under 1 16.45x
North Stoke 1 526.32x
Portsmouth 1 7.59x
Royal Navy 1 3.52x
Send Ripley 1 56.50x
Stapleton 1 9.63x
Vernham Dean 1 175.44x
West Derby 1 1.03x
Witham 1 35.21x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 20
Ann 9
Elizabeth 8
Sarah 7
Agnes 4
Edith 4
Martha 4
Alice 3
Amy 3
Emily 3
Emma 3
Harriett 3
Louisa 3
Ada 2
Anne 2
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Grace 2
Jane 2
Mabel 2
Margaret 2
Maud 2
Rose 2
Ruth 2
Susan 2
Amanda 1
Amelia 1
Beatrice 1
Clara 1
Elizth.A. 1
Emely 1
Ethel 1
Florance 1
Florence 1
Fraces 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Joy 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
L.S. 1
Leah 1
Lilian 1
Lilly 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
William 12
George 10
James 9
Alfred 7
Thomas 7
Arthur 6
Henry 5
Walter 4
Albert 3
Charles 3
H. 3
Joseph 3
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Fred 2
Frederick 2
Fredrick 2
Oliver 2
Robert 2
Seward 2
Albt. 1
Bertie 1
Charley 1
Clarence 1
Earnest 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Enoch 1
F. 1
Farnham 1
Francis 1
Gerald 1
Gilbert 1
H.J. 1
Harold 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Jacob 1
Jonothon 1
Moses 1
Neill 1
Percy 1
Reginald 1
Reuben 1
Samuel 1
Theodore 1
Thos.H. 1
Wilfred 1
Zachariah 1

FAQ

Gait surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gait surname in 1881?

In 1881, 285 people were recorded with the Gait surname. That placed it at #10,070 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gait surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 331 in 2016. That gives Gait a modern rank of #13,735.

What does the Gait map show?

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