NameCensus.

UK surname

Games

A surname possibly derived from a family descended from an entertainer or participant in games.

In the 1881 census there were 128 people recorded with the Games surname, ranking it #17,079 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 239, ranked #17,322, down from #17,079 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mynyddyslwyn, Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) and Talgarth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Powys, Caerphilly and Merthyr Tydfil.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Games is 313 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 86.7%.

1881 census count

128

Ranked #17,079

Modern count

239

2016, ranked #17,322

Peak year

1861

313 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Games had 128 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,079 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 239 in 2016, ranked #17,322.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 313 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Games surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Games surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Games 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 171 #11,730
1861 historical 313 #8,103
1881 historical 128 #17,079
1891 historical 312 #10,744
1901 historical 199 #15,173
1911 historical 246 #13,054
1997 modern 222 #16,508
1998 modern 220 #17,074
1999 modern 232 #16,594
2000 modern 223 #16,978
2001 modern 216 #17,103
2002 modern 228 #16,828
2003 modern 222 #16,942
2004 modern 219 #17,180
2005 modern 226 #16,782
2006 modern 221 #17,149
2007 modern 228 #16,984
2008 modern 220 #17,544
2009 modern 218 #18,015
2010 modern 233 #17,606
2011 modern 233 #17,426
2012 modern 228 #17,584
2013 modern 230 #17,756
2014 modern 229 #17,925
2015 modern 227 #17,941
2016 modern 239 #17,322

Geography

Back to top

Where Games' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mynyddyslwyn, Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Talgarth, London parishes and St John the Evangelist. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Powys, Caerphilly and Merthyr Tydfil. 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 Mynyddyslwyn Monmouthshire
2 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
3 Talgarth Brecon
4 London parishes London 3
5 St John the Evangelist Brecon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Powys 018 Powys
2 Caerphilly 014 Caerphilly
3 Powys 011 Powys
4 Caerphilly 001 Caerphilly
5 Merthyr Tydfil 005 Merthyr Tydfil

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Games

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Games

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Games is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Games is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Games falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Games is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Games, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Games

The surname Games has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon and Norman periods of English history, deriving from the Old English word 'gamen', meaning 'sport' or 'joy'. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who was associated with games, entertainment or merriment.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Games can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a landowner named Eadric Games in the county of Worcestershire. This indicates that the name was already established by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Games appeared in various spellings, such as Gam, Gamme, and Gaymes, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings at the time. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Herefordshire in the West Midlands region of England.

In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the surname was William Games, a member of the parliamentary forces during the English Civil War. He fought alongside Oliver Cromwell and was present at the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644.

Another historical figure with the surname Games was Robert Games (1572-1628), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. He is best known for his work 'The Overthrow of Stage-Plays', which criticized the theater and the performance of plays.

In the 18th century, John Games (1706-1779) was a prominent architect and surveyor in London. He designed several notable buildings, including the Church of St. Mary Woolnoth in the City of London.

A more recent bearer of the surname was Abram Games (1914-1996), a renowned British graphic designer and cartoonist. He is particularly celebrated for his iconic World War II propaganda posters, which featured striking imagery and bold typography.

Throughout history, the surname Games has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, particularly in the West Midlands and East Anglia. While it may have originated as a descriptive name related to entertainment or merriment, the surname has since taken on a diverse range of meanings and associations over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Games families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Games 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. Brecknockshire leads with 35 Games' recorded in 1881 and an index of 140.17x.

County Total Index
Brecknockshire 35 140.17x
Monmouthshire 25 27.70x
Surrey 11 1.81x
Middlesex 10 0.80x
Lancashire 8 0.54x
Hertfordshire 7 8.13x
Derbyshire 6 3.07x
Glamorgan 4 1.84x
Berkshire 3 3.20x
Cheshire 3 1.09x
Herefordshire 2 3.91x
Kent 2 0.47x
Northumberland 2 1.08x
Sussex 2 0.95x
Warwickshire 2 0.64x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.26x
Gloucestershire 1 0.41x
Hampshire 1 0.39x
Huntingdonshire 1 4.03x
Renfrewshire 1 1.03x
Somerset 1 0.50x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mynyddyslwyn in Monmouthshire leads with 18 Games' recorded in 1881 and an index of 505.62x.

Place Total Index
Mynyddyslwyn 18 505.62x
Cwmdu 12 2926.83x
Lambeth 10 9.19x
Talgarth 9 1451.61x
Brecknock St John 8 379.15x
Chipping Barnet 7 463.58x
Llanwenarth Ultra 7 1060.61x
Everton 6 12.71x
Birkenhead 3 13.66x
Bray 3 109.09x
Derby St Alkmund 3 51.19x
Derby St Werburgh 3 26.57x
Llanwonno 3 38.41x
St Pancras London 3 2.99x
Aston 2 2.31x
Builth 2 322.58x
Crickhowell 2 344.83x
Hackney London 2 2.86x
Hay 2 215.05x
Henfield 2 246.91x
Islington London 2 1.65x
Battersea 1 2.18x
Burghill 1 172.41x
Byker 1 10.89x
Cardiff St John 1 14.08x
Deptford St Paul 1 3.04x
Hereford St Peter 1 72.99x
Hornsey 1 6.33x
Liverpool 1 1.11x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 9.01x
Newent 1 80.65x
North Meols 1 6.90x
Paddington London 1 2.18x
Portsea 1 1.99x
Ripton Kings 1 1250.00x
Rochester St Nicholas 1 75.19x
St Michael Cambridge 1 434.78x
West Greenock 1 5.76x
Westminster St Margaret 1 16.61x
Weston Super Mare 1 19.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Sarah 5
Elizabeth 4
Jane 3
Ann 2
Charlotte 2
Eleanor 2
Emma 2
Gwenny 2
Jennet 2
Margaret 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Annie 1
Bessie 1
Catherine 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Ernest. 1
Francis 1
Grace 1
Gwenllian 1
Gweny 1
Henrietta 1
Janett 1
Joanna 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Minnie 1
Nannette 1
Rebecca 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Games surname: questions and answers

How common was the Games surname in 1881?

In 1881, 128 people were recorded with the Games surname. That placed it at #17,079 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Games surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 239 in 2016. That gives Games a modern rank of #17,322.

What does the Games surname mean?

A surname possibly derived from a family descended from an entertainer or participant in games.

What does the Games map show?

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