NameCensus.

UK surname

Gamble

An English occupational surname for a person who operated a gambling establishment or was an avid gambler.

In the 1881 census there were 4,288 people recorded with the Gamble surname, ranking it #1,046 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,218, ranked #1,086, down from #1,046 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and St Werburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ryedale, Stockton-on-Tees and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gamble is 6,657 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.0%.

1881 census count

4,288

Ranked #1,046

Modern count

6,218

2016, ranked #1,086

Peak year

1999

6,657 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gamble had 4,288 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,046 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,218 in 2016, ranked #1,086.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,851 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gamble surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gamble surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gamble 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 2,682 #1,101
1861 historical 2,769 #1,056
1881 historical 4,288 #1,046
1891 historical 4,593 #1,020
1901 historical 5,538 #1,007
1911 historical 5,851 #889
1997 modern 6,383 #1,027
1998 modern 6,642 #1,019
1999 modern 6,657 #1,032
2000 modern 6,609 #1,034
2001 modern 6,491 #1,023
2002 modern 6,564 #1,037
2003 modern 6,268 #1,065
2004 modern 6,295 #1,062
2005 modern 6,187 #1,063
2006 modern 6,170 #1,061
2007 modern 6,178 #1,068
2008 modern 6,214 #1,064
2009 modern 6,368 #1,065
2010 modern 6,470 #1,070
2011 modern 6,411 #1,065
2012 modern 6,308 #1,063
2013 modern 6,344 #1,074
2014 modern 6,386 #1,074
2015 modern 6,302 #1,075
2016 modern 6,218 #1,086

Geography

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Where Gambles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Werburgh and Nottingham St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ryedale, Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, Blaby and Charnwood. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Werburgh Derbyshire
5 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ryedale 001 Ryedale
2 Stockton-on-Tees 003 Stockton-on-Tees
3 County Durham 011 County Durham
4 Blaby 005 Blaby
5 Charnwood 008 Charnwood

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gamble

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gamble

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

Gamble is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gamble falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gamble

The surname Gamble is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "gamen," meaning "game" or "sport." It likely emerged as a descriptive name for someone associated with games, sports, or perhaps even gambling.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known bearers was William Gammel, mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272. The variation Gammel was common in medieval times, reflecting the name's evolution from "gamen."

In the late 14th century, John Gamyll was recorded in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379. This spelling variation further demonstrates the fluidity of the name's form throughout history.

The Gamble surname can be traced to various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Staffordshire. Some early examples include Thomas Gamyll of Yorkshire, who was mentioned in the Yorkshire Lay Subsidy Rolls in 1301, and John Gamyll of Lancashire, recorded in the Wills and Inventories of the Archdeaconry of Richmond in 1535.

The name may have also derived from place names, such as Gamble Brook in Staffordshire, indicating that some individuals may have taken their surname from the location where they resided.

Notable historical figures with the Gamble surname include:

1. Sir William Gamble (1672-1749), an Irish politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Killybegs. 2. John Gamble (1610-1687), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of St. Cross Hospital, Winchester. 3. John Gamble (1755-1811), an American Revolutionary War officer and politician from Virginia. 4. James Gamble (1803-1891), an Irish-born American businessman who co-founded the Procter & Gamble Company in 1837. 5. Mary Gamble (1859-1938), an American educator and philanthropist who established the Gamble Institute in St. Louis, Missouri.

While the Gamble surname has English roots, it has spread worldwide over the centuries, with notable bearers in various countries and cultures.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gamble families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gamble 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. Leicestershire leads with 812 Gambles recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.52x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 812 17.52x
Yorkshire 705 1.70x
Middlesex 325 0.78x
Nottinghamshire 288 5.11x
Lancashire 273 0.55x
Norfolk 250 3.89x
Derbyshire 209 3.19x
Surrey 161 0.79x
Warwickshire 149 1.41x
Northamptonshire 113 2.87x
Staffordshire 101 0.72x
Durham 90 0.72x
Lincolnshire 89 1.33x
Essex 86 1.04x
Kent 84 0.59x
Cheshire 62 0.67x
Hampshire 50 0.58x
Lanarkshire 45 0.33x
Buckinghamshire 33 1.31x
Worcestershire 33 0.60x
Shropshire 28 0.78x
Angus 25 0.65x
Renfrewshire 21 0.65x
Midlothian 19 0.34x
Gloucestershire 18 0.22x
Sussex 18 0.26x
Ayrshire 17 0.54x
Rutland 16 5.21x
Devon 15 0.17x
Suffolk 14 0.27x
Northumberland 13 0.21x
Montgomeryshire 11 1.15x
Cambridgeshire 10 0.38x
Berkshire 9 0.29x
Somerset 9 0.13x
Bedfordshire 8 0.37x
Dorset 8 0.29x
West Lothian 8 1.27x
Huntingdonshire 7 0.84x
Glamorgan 6 0.08x
Roxburghshire 6 0.79x
Royal Navy 6 1.20x
Wiltshire 6 0.16x
Caernarfonshire 5 0.30x
Dunbartonshire 5 0.45x
Hertfordshire 5 0.17x
Cumberland 3 0.08x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 0.50x
East Lothian 2 0.36x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.03x
Argyllshire 1 0.09x
Channel Islands 1 0.08x
Fife 1 0.04x
Flintshire 1 0.09x
Isle of Man 1 0.13x
Oxfordshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 193 Gambles recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.07x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 193 17.07x
Nottingham St Mary 132 9.06x
Leicester St Mary 84 22.43x
Leeds 76 3.25x
Fleckney 53 480.94x
Ecclesall Bierlow 45 5.34x
Stockport 36 7.58x
Islington London 35 0.86x
Camberwell 34 1.27x
Sheffield 34 2.58x
Kensington London 33 1.42x
St Pancras London 33 0.98x
Aston 32 1.10x
Melton Mowbray 32 38.39x
Belper 30 23.64x
Bradford 29 2.89x
Lambeth 29 0.80x
Quorndon 29 111.45x
Radford 29 10.13x
Newington 28 1.81x
Toxteth Park 28 1.67x
Foleshill 26 23.44x
Hathern 26 138.45x
Litchurch 26 9.87x
Liverpool 26 0.86x
Basford 25 9.63x
Nether Hallam 25 4.46x
Headingley Cum Burley 24 9.00x
Dundee 23 1.59x
Leicester All Sts 23 25.26x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 22 11.40x
Northallerton 22 41.60x
Breaston 21 181.82x
Enderby 21 87.50x
Stockton On Tees 21 3.50x
West Ham 21 1.15x
Northampton Priory St 20 8.48x
Rothwell 20 50.63x
Birmingham 19 0.54x
Kimcote Knaptoft 19 297.81x
Upton Cum Chalvey 19 18.86x
Ratby 18 77.49x
Belgrave 17 16.25x
Govan 17 0.51x
Holy Trinity 17 1.71x
Middlesbrough 17 3.15x
Wigston Magna 17 27.65x
York St Mary 17 9.91x
Brightside Bierlow 16 1.97x
Derby St Alkmund 16 8.16x
Hackney London 16 0.68x
Kidderminster Borough 16 5.01x
Windle 16 5.73x
Burton Upon Trent 15 4.54x
Gainsborough 15 9.52x
Middleton 15 119.24x
Wirksworth 15 25.21x
Chorlton On Medlock 14 1.78x
Darlington 14 2.92x
Leicester St Leonard 14 31.91x
Oldham 14 0.87x
Pudsey 14 6.32x
Westminster St John 14 2.75x
Broughton In Salford 13 2.87x
Chelsea London 13 1.03x
Croydon 13 1.15x
Ealing 13 3.48x
Harbrough Magna 13 264.77x
Hugglescote 13 19.06x
Ibstock 13 38.59x
Shoreditch London 13 0.72x
Smethcott 13 320.99x
St Anne Soho London 13 5.44x
Stoke Newington London 13 3.99x
Stone 13 7.20x
Castle Acre 12 62.79x
Great Plumstead 12 251.05x
Hunslet 12 1.86x
Ilkeston 12 6.54x
Liberton 12 13.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 301
Sarah 169
Elizabeth 152
Ann 88
Jane 76
Annie 72
Emma 70
Eliza 64
Alice 60
Ellen 48
Emily 48
Hannah 42
Florence 38
Maria 38
Martha 37
Clara 33
Harriet 30
Edith 26
Margaret 26
Fanny 24
Ada 22
Louisa 22
Charlotte 21
Caroline 19
Catherine 19
Kate 19
Harriett 18
Susan 15
Frances 14
Matilda 14
Anne 13
Isabella 13
Gertrude 12
Minnie 12
Rebecca 12
Jessie 10
Lucy 10
Rose 10
Anna 9
Lizzie 9
Phoebe 9
Agnes 8
Amelia 8
Elizth. 8
Rachel 8
Eleanor 7
Priscilla 7
Ethel 6
Louise 6
Susannah 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 254
John 244
Thomas 166
George 142
Henry 110
James 101
Joseph 84
Robert 71
Edward 54
Arthur 51
Charles 49
Alfred 40
Walter 40
Richard 33
Samuel 32
Albert 28
Frederick 28
Harry 25
Herbert 21
Wm. 21
David 17
Ernest 17
Frank 14
Thos. 14
Francis 11
Tom 11
Edwin 10
Chas. 8
Fred 8
Robt. 8
Benjamin 7
Earnest 7
Fredk. 7
Andrew 6
Daniel 6
Frederic 6
Michael 6
Abraham 5
Fredrick 5
Geo. 5
Isaac 5
Job 5
Matthew 5
Percy 5
Saml. 5
Willie 5
Alexander 4
Henery 4
Sidney 4
Willm. 4

FAQ

Gamble surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gamble surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,288 people were recorded with the Gamble surname. That placed it at #1,046 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gamble surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,218 in 2016. That gives Gamble a modern rank of #1,086.

What does the Gamble surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a person who operated a gambling establishment or was an avid gambler.

What does the Gamble map show?

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