NameCensus.

UK surname

Gallard

A French surname derived from a Norman French term meaning "bold" or "brave".

In the 1881 census there were 138 people recorded with the Gallard surname, ranking it #16,292 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 132, ranked #25,882, down from #16,292 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Greens Norton, East Grinstead and Tunbridge, Bidborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Devon, Bexley and Wirral.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gallard is 189 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.3%.

1881 census count

138

Ranked #16,292

Modern count

132

2016, ranked #25,882

Peak year

1861

189 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gallard had 138 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,292 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016, ranked #25,882.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 189 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Gallard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gallard surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gallard 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 140 #13,593
1861 historical 189 #12,570
1881 historical 138 #16,292
1891 historical 155 #17,920
1901 historical 174 #16,520
1911 historical 170 #16,510
1997 modern 148 #21,295
1998 modern 149 #21,755
1999 modern 152 #21,636
2000 modern 135 #23,250
2001 modern 139 #22,541
2002 modern 140 #22,876
2003 modern 128 #23,890
2004 modern 126 #24,335
2005 modern 123 #24,663
2006 modern 132 #23,834
2007 modern 128 #24,632
2008 modern 127 #25,020
2009 modern 131 #25,056
2010 modern 131 #25,656
2011 modern 131 #25,430
2012 modern 128 #25,852
2013 modern 133 #25,655
2014 modern 129 #26,352
2015 modern 130 #26,093
2016 modern 132 #25,882

Geography

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Where Gallards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Greens Norton, East Grinstead, Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Devon, Bexley, Wirral, North Hertfordshire and Croydon. 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 Greens Norton Northamptonshire
2 East Grinstead Sussex
3 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Devon 013 East Devon
2 Bexley 008 Bexley
3 Wirral 014 Wirral
4 North Hertfordshire 007 North Hertfordshire
5 Croydon 044 Croydon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gallard

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gallard

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Gallard surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Gallard 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Gallard is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gallard is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gallard 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 Gallard 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 Gallard, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gallard

The surname Gallard is of French origin, deriving from the Old French word 'gaillard', meaning 'lively' or 'high-spirited'. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of France during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Rolls of Normandy, a collection of records from the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. A knight named Robert Gallard is listed among the Norman nobles who accompanied William the Conqueror.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various records from the region of Picardy, including a mention of a Jean Gallard, a landowner in the village of Amiens in 1472.

During the 16th century, the Gallard family gained prominence in the city of Lyon, where a branch of the family became successful merchants and traders. One notable member was Jacques Gallard (1520-1587), a wealthy silk merchant who served as a city councilor and philanthropist.

The name also has ties to the French aristocracy, with several noble families bearing variations of the name, such as the Gallarts of Provence and the Gaillards of Burgundy. One notable figure from this time was Gabrielle Gaillard (1635-1718), a courtier and mistress of King Louis XIV.

As the Gallard name spread across France, it also found its way to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas through French colonization and migration. In the 18th century, a French-Canadian branch of the family settled in Quebec, where descendants like Jean-Baptiste Gallard (1756-1834) became prominent landowners and farmers.

Other notable individuals with the Gallard surname include François Gallard (1834-1909), a French painter and engraver; Gustave Gallard (1869-1937), a French politician and journalist; and Albert Gallard (1888-1967), a French writer and poet.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gallard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gallard 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. Surrey leads with 37 Gallards recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.64x.

County Total Index
Surrey 37 5.64x
Kent 32 6.97x
Sussex 31 13.66x
Middlesex 15 1.11x
Essex 8 3.01x
Northamptonshire 7 5.53x
Devon 2 0.71x
Denbighshire 1 1.97x
Derbyshire 1 0.47x
Fife 1 1.25x
Hampshire 1 0.36x
Lancashire 1 0.06x
Yorkshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tonbridge in Kent leads with 27 Gallards recorded in 1881 and an index of 162.95x.

Place Total Index
Tonbridge 27 162.95x
Lambeth 17 14.48x
Salehurst 8 816.33x
Reigate Foreign 7 98.59x
East Grinstead 6 186.92x
Dedham 5 617.28x
Hackney London 4 5.30x
Hastings All Sts 4 186.92x
Hove 4 40.16x
Pinner 4 338.98x
Southwark St Olave 4 388.35x
Black Notley 3 967.74x
Brighton 3 6.55x
Greens Norton 3 750.00x
Mile End Old Town London 3 10.47x
Ramsgate 3 40.00x
Rotherhithe 3 18.04x
Slapton 3 3750.00x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 11.07x
Worth 3 181.82x
Newington 2 4.02x
Andover 1 38.31x
Bermondsey 1 2.50x
Brightside Bierlow 1 3.82x
Buxton 1 56.18x
Carnbee 1 204.08x
Cliffe 1 96.15x
Deptford St Paul 1 2.82x
Eastbourne 1 9.58x
Framfield 1 142.86x
Hampstead London 1 4.77x
Hastings St Leonards 1 29.94x
Islington London 1 0.77x
Layton With Warbreck 1 17.06x
Llangollen 1 200.00x
St Mary Le Strand London 1 204.08x
Stoke Damerel 1 5.10x
Teddington London 1 32.79x
Tormoham 1 8.43x
Warkworth 1 87.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 8
Thomas 6
William 6
James 5
Arthur 4
Charles 4
John 4
Joseph 4
Edward 3
Frank 3
Frederick 2
Fredk. 2
Henry 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
Jesse 1
Luther 1
M. 1
Richard 1
Silvanus 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Gallard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gallard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 138 people were recorded with the Gallard surname. That placed it at #16,292 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gallard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016. That gives Gallard a modern rank of #25,882.

What does the Gallard surname mean?

A French surname derived from a Norman French term meaning "bold" or "brave".

What does the Gallard map show?

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