NameCensus.

UK surname

Gambell

A surname derived from a place name referring to a bell or bell tower.

In the 1881 census there were 138 people recorded with the Gambell surname, ranking it #16,292 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 230, ranked #17,812, down from #16,292 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newnham, London parishes and St Mary Northgate, St John's Hospital. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gambell is 242 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 66.7%.

1881 census count

138

Ranked #16,292

Modern count

230

2016, ranked #17,812

Peak year

1999

242 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gambell had 138 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,292 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 230 in 2016, ranked #17,812.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 210 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Gambell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gambell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gambell 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 150 #12,905
1861 historical 191 #12,467
1881 historical 138 #16,292
1891 historical 199 #14,977
1901 historical 204 #14,925
1911 historical 210 #14,515
1997 modern 231 #16,049
1998 modern 236 #16,304
1999 modern 242 #16,146
2000 modern 226 #16,840
2001 modern 217 #17,059
2002 modern 226 #16,939
2003 modern 227 #16,718
2004 modern 220 #17,129
2005 modern 208 #17,687
2006 modern 211 #17,662
2007 modern 216 #17,575
2008 modern 220 #17,544
2009 modern 221 #17,848
2010 modern 228 #17,844
2011 modern 234 #17,383
2012 modern 225 #17,733
2013 modern 236 #17,472
2014 modern 241 #17,338
2015 modern 237 #17,413
2016 modern 230 #17,812

Geography

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Where Gambells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newnham, London parishes, St Mary Northgate, St John's Hospital, Doddington and Sittingbourne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swale. 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 Newnham Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Mary Northgate, St John's Hospital Kent
4 Doddington Kent
5 Sittingbourne Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swale 010 Swale
2 Swale 016 Swale
3 Swale 011 Swale
4 Swale 013 Swale
5 Swale 007 Swale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gambell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gambell

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Gambell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Gambell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Gambell is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gambell is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gambell falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gambell

The surname Gambell is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "gamb" and "heal," meaning "leg" and "heel" respectively. It likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone with a distinctive gait or physical characteristic related to their legs or heels.

The earliest records of the name date back to the 13th century in various parts of England, particularly in counties like Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Derbyshire. It appears in various spellings, such as Gambel, Gamble, and Gambald, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling practices of the time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a certain William Gambell is mentioned as a resident of Shropshire. Another early reference is in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, which lists a John Gambel as a taxpayer.

During the medieval period, the name Gambell was often associated with specific locations or places. For example, the village of Gamblesby in Cumbria, England, likely derived its name from the Old Norse words "gamall" and "by," meaning "old" and "village" or "farmstead," suggesting a possible connection to an early bearer of the Gambell surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Gambell throughout history include:

1. Thomas Gambell (c. 1499-1561), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire in the 16th century.

2. William Gambell (1628-1682), an English Puritan minister and author known for his work "A Practical Discourse on Sacramental Occasions."

3. John Gambell (1667-1729), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the former Savoy Palace.

4. Sir Francis Gambell (1785-1854), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament.

5. James Gambell (1826-1901), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and was instrumental in the development of the city of Stratford, Ontario.

While the surname Gambell may have evolved over time and spread across various regions, its origins can be traced back to the descriptive nicknames used in medieval England, reflecting the rich history and linguistic diversity of English surnames.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gambell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gambell 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. Kent leads with 56 Gambells recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.11x.

County Total Index
Kent 56 12.11x
Middlesex 23 1.70x
Lancashire 12 0.75x
Surrey 11 1.67x
Pembrokeshire 6 13.92x
Buckinghamshire 5 6.10x
Durham 4 0.99x
Monmouthshire 4 4.08x
Nottinghamshire 4 2.19x
Cheshire 3 1.00x
Devon 3 1.06x
Lanarkshire 2 0.46x
Essex 1 0.37x
Hertfordshire 1 1.07x
Oxfordshire 1 1.19x
Renfrewshire 1 0.95x
Royal Navy 1 6.19x
Yorkshire 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. Sittingbourne in Kent leads with 11 Gambells recorded in 1881 and an index of 301.37x.

Place Total Index
Sittingbourne 11 301.37x
Lynsted 9 1500.00x
Lambeth 8 6.77x
St Pancras London 8 7.33x
Chelsea London 7 17.13x
Gorton 7 46.30x
Doddington 6 2222.22x
Slebech 6 3529.41x
Teynham 6 722.89x
Faversham 5 113.38x
Halewood 5 581.40x
Newnham 5 3571.43x
Aberystruth 4 46.30x
Milton In Milton 4 203.05x
Gateshead 3 9.93x
Halton 3 3333.33x
Nottingham St Peter 3 147.06x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 3 87.21x
Shoreditch London 3 5.10x
St Luke London 3 13.79x
Norwood 2 64.52x
Stoke Damerel 2 10.13x
Wendover 2 227.27x
Bapchild 1 526.32x
Camberwell 1 1.15x
Canterbury St Mary 1 32.26x
Colchester St Botolph 1 43.86x
Croydon 1 2.73x
Govan 1 0.92x
Hollingbourn 1 188.68x
Holywell 1 256.41x
Hougham 1 36.36x
Lenham 1 108.70x
Lewisham 1 4.05x
Maidstone 1 7.26x
Margate St John Baptist 1 11.81x
Minster In Sheppey 1 13.05x
Nottingham St Mary 1 2.12x
Plymouth Charles The 1 8.05x
Royal Navy 1 7.24x
Selling 1 263.16x
Shotts 1 19.05x
Stockton On Tees 1 5.14x
Swinton In Rotherham 1 28.17x
Walton On Thames 1 33.00x
Watford 1 13.79x
West Greenock 1 5.30x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Alice 6
Harriet 4
Ann 3
Eliza 3
Elizabeth 3
Emily 3
Lucy 3
Ada 2
Annie 2
Charlotte 2
Margaret 2
Martha 2
Nellie 2
Sarah 2
Unity 2
Alfred 1
Anna 1
Bertha 1
Clementina 1
Eliz. 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Helen 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Louisia 1
Margret 1
Matilda 1
Maud 1
Millie 1
Naomi 1
Olive 1
Pricilla 1
Rosa 1
Rosina 1
Susan 1
Thomson 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 8
Thomas 7
James 6
Alfred 5
Henry 4
Jesse 4
Edward 3
George 3
John 3
Horace 2
Joseph 2
Robert 2
Stephen 2
Albert 1
Bery 1
Fredrik 1
Geo. 1
Hugo 1
Jno. 1
Patrick 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Gambell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gambell surname in 1881?

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

How common is the Gambell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 230 in 2016. That gives Gambell a modern rank of #17,812.

What does the Gambell surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name referring to a bell or bell tower.

What does the Gambell map show?

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