NameCensus.

UK surname

Gamester

A surname referring to a person who is a gambler or enjoys gambling games.

In the 1881 census there were 71 people recorded with the Gamester surname, ranking it #23,517 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 110, ranked #29,225, down from #23,517 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Egham, Wonston and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chichester, East Lindsey and Southwark.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gamester is 125 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.9%.

1881 census count

71

Ranked #23,517

Modern count

110

2016, ranked #29,225

Peak year

1999

125 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gamester had 71 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,517 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 110 in 2016, ranked #29,225.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 117 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Gamester surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gamester surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gamester 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 42 #25,706
1861 historical 69 #25,057
1881 historical 71 #23,517
1891 historical 109 #22,701
1901 historical 107 #21,955
1911 historical 117 #20,757
1997 modern 115 #24,834
1998 modern 117 #25,190
1999 modern 125 #24,366
2000 modern 124 #24,469
2001 modern 119 #24,733
2002 modern 118 #25,358
2003 modern 106 #26,775
2004 modern 105 #27,181
2005 modern 103 #27,531
2006 modern 108 #27,015
2007 modern 105 #27,868
2008 modern 104 #28,341
2009 modern 103 #29,127
2010 modern 104 #29,618
2011 modern 105 #29,287
2012 modern 104 #29,543
2013 modern 115 #28,176
2014 modern 113 #28,779
2015 modern 108 #29,512
2016 modern 110 #29,225

Geography

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Where Gamesters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Egham, Wonston, Gateshead, St Mary Islington and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chichester, East Lindsey, Southwark, Bath and North East Somerset and Eastbourne. 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 Egham Berkshire
2 Wonston Hampshire
3 Gateshead Durham
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chichester 002 Chichester
2 East Lindsey 004 East Lindsey
3 Southwark 031 Southwark
4 Bath and North East Somerset 027 Bath and North East Somerset
5 Eastbourne 006 Eastbourne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gamester

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gamester

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Gamester surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Gamester household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Gamester 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

Gamester is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Gamester

The surname "GAMESTER" is believed to have originated in England during the late Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th century. It is derived from the Old English word "gamen," which means "game" or "sport," and the suffix "-ster," indicating a person engaged in a particular occupation or activity.

The name is thought to have initially referred to individuals who were professional players of games, such as chess, backgammon, or other traditional board games. These gamekeepers or gamemasters were often employed by noble households or royal courts to provide entertainment and diversions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the court records of King Edward III, which mention a "John Gamestere" who was employed as a gamester at the royal court in the mid-14th century. Another early reference appears in the Domesday Book, a manuscript commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, which lists a landowner named "Robert le Gamestere" in Cambridgeshire.

Over time, the name "GAMESTER" evolved to encompass not only professional game players but also those who engaged in gambling or other forms of gaming for leisure or profit. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the spelling "GAMESTER" became more common, and the name was often associated with individuals who frequented taverns, gaming houses, or other establishments where gambling and gaming activities took place.

One notable figure with the surname "GAMESTER" was Sir John Gamester (1545-1612), an English courtier and diplomat who served as an ambassador to France during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another was Thomas Gamester (1660-1728), a renowned English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.

Other individuals bearing the name include: - William Gamester (1673-1745), an English playwright and poet. - Elizabeth Gamester (1705-1778), a British artist known for her portraits and landscape paintings. - James Gamester (1785-1856), a Scottish engineer and inventor who pioneered advancements in steam engine technology.

While the surname "GAMESTER" may have initially carried associations with gaming and gambling, over time it became a more general identifier without specific connotations. Today, it remains a relatively uncommon surname, primarily found in regions of the United Kingdom and among families with English ancestry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gamester families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gamester 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. Hampshire leads with 41 Gamesters recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.89x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 41 28.89x
Middlesex 17 2.46x
Surrey 7 2.07x
Berkshire 3 5.77x
Durham 3 1.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Andover in Hampshire leads with 23 Gamesters recorded in 1881 and an index of 1716.42x.

Place Total Index
Andover 23 1716.42x
Whitchurch 12 2666.67x
Egham 7 338.16x
St Pancras London 6 10.77x
Clerkenwell London 5 30.60x
Islington London 5 7.45x
East Garston 3 2727.27x
Gateshead 3 19.46x
Northington 3 3750.00x
Aldershot 1 21.05x
Brown Candover 1 1666.67x
Fareham 1 58.48x
Westminster St James 1 14.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Charles 5
Henry 4
John 4
William 4
Frank 3
James 3
Robert 3
Frederick 2
George 2
Alfred 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Harve 1
Richard 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Gamester households.

FAQ

Gamester surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gamester surname in 1881?

In 1881, 71 people were recorded with the Gamester surname. That placed it at #23,517 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gamester surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 110 in 2016. That gives Gamester a modern rank of #29,225.

What does the Gamester surname mean?

A surname referring to a person who is a gambler or enjoys gambling games.

What does the Gamester map show?

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