NameCensus.

UK surname

Galpin

Possibly from a galloping horse, referring to an occupational surname for a horse trader.

In the 1881 census there were 678 people recorded with the Galpin surname, ranking it #5,310 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 773, ranked #7,118, down from #5,310 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cullompton, London parishes and Chard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolsover, Tewkesbury and North Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Galpin is 909 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.0%.

1881 census count

678

Ranked #5,310

Modern count

773

2016, ranked #7,118

Peak year

1998

909 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Galpin had 678 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,310 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 773 in 2016, ranked #7,118.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 867 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Galpin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Galpin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Galpin 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 436 #5,639
1861 historical 419 #6,133
1881 historical 678 #5,310
1891 historical 738 #5,388
1901 historical 867 #5,287
1911 historical 860 #5,163
1997 modern 878 #6,084
1998 modern 909 #6,111
1999 modern 882 #6,306
2000 modern 880 #6,272
2001 modern 861 #6,273
2002 modern 872 #6,340
2003 modern 813 #6,568
2004 modern 801 #6,664
2005 modern 764 #6,855
2006 modern 760 #6,908
2007 modern 775 #6,873
2008 modern 778 #6,912
2009 modern 802 #6,875
2010 modern 809 #6,958
2011 modern 806 #6,895
2012 modern 777 #7,026
2013 modern 794 #7,005
2014 modern 777 #7,165
2015 modern 779 #7,082
2016 modern 773 #7,118

Geography

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Where Galpins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cullompton, London parishes, Chard and Preston (incl. Sutton Poyntz). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolsover, Tewkesbury, North Dorset, Wiltshire and Bath and North East Somerset. 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 Cullompton Devon
2 London parishes London 1
3 Chard Somerset
4 Preston (incl. Sutton Poyntz) Dorset
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolsover 002 Bolsover
2 Tewkesbury 003 Tewkesbury
3 North Dorset 005 North Dorset
4 Wiltshire 040 Wiltshire
5 Bath and North East Somerset 022 Bath and North East Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Galpin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Galpin

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Galpin is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Galpin is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Galpin

The surname Galpin originated in France, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French words "gal," meaning a high or elevated place, and "pin," meaning a pine tree or grove of pine trees. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a pine grove or on a hilltop surrounded by pine trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Galpin surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in its Old French spelling, "Galpyn," indicating that it was likely brought to England by Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

The Galpin surname has a strong presence in historical records from various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk. In the 13th century, a notable figure named Robert Galpin was recorded as a landowner in the village of Great Dunmow, Essex.

During the 16th century, the Galpin name was also found in records from the county of Somerset, where a family bearing this surname owned estates in the town of Yeovil. One prominent member of this family was William Galpin (1516-1592), who served as a member of Parliament for Yeovil in 1559.

Another notable figure with the Galpin surname was Sir Thomas Galpin (1688-1768), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from London. He was involved in the East India Company and made significant contributions to various charitable organizations during his lifetime.

In the 19th century, the Galpin name gained recognition in the field of architecture with the work of George John Galpin (1815-1904), a renowned English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

While the Galpin surname has its roots in France, it has become well-established in various parts of England and other English-speaking countries over the centuries. The name's connection to elevated places and pine groves has given it a distinctive and evocative history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Galpin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Galpin 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. Dorset leads with 209 Galpins recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.38x.

County Total Index
Dorset 209 47.38x
Middlesex 83 1.23x
Somerset 73 6.75x
Surrey 66 2.02x
Hampshire 50 3.63x
Devon 36 2.57x
Oxfordshire 26 6.26x
Lancashire 16 0.20x
Nottinghamshire 14 1.55x
Wiltshire 14 2.36x
Channel Islands 13 6.53x
Kent 13 0.57x
Essex 9 0.68x
Berkshire 8 1.59x
Leicestershire 8 1.07x
Sussex 7 0.62x
Gloucestershire 6 0.46x
Hertfordshire 6 1.30x
Bedfordshire 5 1.44x
Cambridgeshire 5 1.17x
Cheshire 4 0.27x
Cornwall 3 0.39x
Glamorgan 3 0.26x
Lincolnshire 2 0.19x
Norfolk 2 0.19x
Royal Navy 2 2.50x
Yorkshire 2 0.03x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.75x
Lanarkshire 1 0.05x
Staffordshire 1 0.04x
Worcestershire 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. Marnhull in Dorset leads with 24 Galpins recorded in 1881 and an index of 747.66x.

Place Total Index
Marnhull 24 747.66x
Wimborne Minster 22 308.56x
Hackney London 21 5.57x
Chard 17 129.77x
Battersea 16 6.47x
Cullompton 15 245.50x
Preston 15 931.68x
Nottingham St Mary 13 5.55x
Putney 13 42.44x
Beaminster 12 244.90x
Chelsea London 12 5.93x
Corton Denham 12 1538.46x
Finchley 12 46.57x
St Peter Port 12 32.57x
Stalbridge 12 286.40x
Tottington Lower End 12 31.66x
Stoke Damerel 11 11.23x
St Pancras London 10 1.85x
Bradpole 9 249.31x
Yeovil 9 40.95x
Bedminster 8 7.87x
Headbourne Worthy 8 1428.57x
Oxford St Thomas 8 41.30x
Todbere 8 2105.26x
Bermondsey 7 3.50x
Holdenhurst 7 19.37x
Maidstone 7 10.25x
Odcombe 7 486.11x
Wantage 7 87.06x
Buckland Newton 6 304.57x
Camberwell 6 1.40x
Frampton 6 618.56x
Islington London 6 0.92x
Kingsbury Episcopi 6 171.43x
Portland 6 25.30x
Rotherhithe 6 7.23x
Weymouth 6 71.77x
Bedford St Mary 5 55.80x
Brading 5 27.31x
Brickendon 5 232.56x
Castle Cary 5 106.16x
Cowley 5 38.61x
Dorchester All Sts 5 236.97x
Fifehead Magdalen 5 1515.15x
Shaftesbury St Peter 5 242.72x
St Andrewthe Less 5 10.28x
Stoke Abbott 5 393.70x
Sturminster 5 116.82x
Toller Porcorum 5 485.44x
Wareham Lady St Mary 5 146.63x
Banbury 4 48.13x
Clifton 4 6.00x
Corfe Castle 4 97.80x
Deptford St Paul 4 2.26x
Droylsden 4 15.37x
Exeter St Thomas The 4 28.05x
Grately 4 677.97x
Heston 4 17.92x
Hordle 4 166.67x
Horningsham 4 213.90x
Leicester St Margaret 4 2.20x
Leicester St Mary 4 6.64x
Oxford St Giles 4 20.20x
Paddington London 4 1.62x
Parkstone 4 77.67x
Richmond 4 8.72x
Sherborne 4 30.79x
Southampton St Mary 4 4.62x
St George Hanover Square 4 3.38x
West Ham 4 1.37x
Fordington 3 31.58x
Hinton St Mary 3 441.18x
Kelvedon 3 84.75x
Maiden Bradley 3 218.98x
Oxford St Mary Magdalen 3 60.98x
Penge 3 6.99x
Portsea 3 1.11x
Radipole 3 98.68x
Shoreditch London 3 1.03x
South Stoneham 3 10.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 44
Elizabeth 33
Sarah 21
Jane 14
Ellen 13
Alice 11
Emily 11
Annie 10
Ann 8
Eliza 8
Charlotte 7
Emma 7
Bessie 6
Catherine 6
Fanny 6
Florence 6
Clara 5
Harriett 5
Louisa 5
Lucy 5
Susan 5
Caroline 4
Harriet 4
Rebecca 4
Beatrice 3
Edith 3
Isabella 3
Kate 3
Agnes 2
Amy 2
Anna 2
Anne 2
Bertha 2
Dora 2
Elizath. 2
Emiley 2
Ethel 2
Eva 2
Florance 2
Gertrude 2
Ida 2
Julia 2
Leah 2
Mabel 2
Marrian 2
Martha 2
Minnie 2
Nellie 2
Rhoda 2
Rose 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 43
John 33
James 27
George 22
Henry 16
Joseph 13
Thomas 13
Frederick 12
Walter 12
Alfred 9
Charles 9
Sidney 8
Frank 6
Harry 6
Richard 5
Wm. 5
Arthur 4
Francis 4
Albert 3
Edward 3
Edwin 3
Elias 3
Ernest 3
Jacob 3
Percy 3
Robert 3
Stanley 3
Abraham 2
Christopher 2
Edgar 2
Fred 2
Herbert 2
Hubert 2
Jesse 2
Michael 2
Saml. 2
Samuel 2
Algernon 1
Benjn. 1
Charley 1
Chas. 1
Chas.A. 1
Ebenezer 1
Eli 1
Emanuel 1
Epenetus 1
Howard 1
Isaac 1
J.Reid 1
Josiah 1

FAQ

Galpin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Galpin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 678 people were recorded with the Galpin surname. That placed it at #5,310 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Galpin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 773 in 2016. That gives Galpin a modern rank of #7,118.

What does the Galpin surname mean?

Possibly from a galloping horse, referring to an occupational surname for a horse trader.

What does the Galpin map show?

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