NameCensus.

UK surname

Gammage

A rare surname possibly derived from the Old French word "gamage" meaning game preserve or hunting ground.

In the 1881 census there were 422 people recorded with the Gammage surname, ranking it #7,666 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 502, ranked #9,961, down from #7,666 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Haddon, West, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory and Brixworth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sevenoaks, East Riding of Yorkshire and Herefordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gammage is 563 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.0%.

1881 census count

422

Ranked #7,666

Modern count

502

2016, ranked #9,961

Peak year

2002

563 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gammage had 422 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,666 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 502 in 2016, ranked #9,961.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 550 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gammage surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gammage surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gammage 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 204 #10,250
1861 historical 260 #9,516
1881 historical 422 #7,666
1891 historical 471 #7,788
1901 historical 548 #7,547
1911 historical 550 #7,287
1997 modern 528 #8,934
1998 modern 543 #9,010
1999 modern 554 #8,929
2000 modern 549 #8,956
2001 modern 537 #8,963
2002 modern 563 #8,821
2003 modern 546 #8,884
2004 modern 537 #9,015
2005 modern 529 #9,066
2006 modern 519 #9,223
2007 modern 516 #9,343
2008 modern 519 #9,372
2009 modern 514 #9,643
2010 modern 521 #9,752
2011 modern 521 #9,660
2012 modern 488 #10,049
2013 modern 502 #9,993
2014 modern 512 #9,911
2015 modern 512 #9,853
2016 modern 502 #9,961

Geography

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Where Gammages are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Haddon, West, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Brixworth, Great and Little Creaton, Spratton and Woodbridge. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sevenoaks, East Riding of Yorkshire, Herefordshire, Daventry and Northampton. 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 Haddon, West Northamptonshire
2 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
3 Brixworth Northamptonshire
4 Great and Little Creaton, Spratton Northamptonshire
5 Woodbridge Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sevenoaks 013 Sevenoaks
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 011 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Herefordshire 012 Herefordshire, County of
4 Daventry 004 Daventry
5 Northampton 027 Northampton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gammage

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gammage

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

Gammage 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

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

Meaning and origin of Gammage

The surname Gammage is an English name that originated in the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "gamache," which referred to a type of legging or hose worn by soldiers and hunters. The name likely evolved from an occupational surname given to someone who made or sold these garments.

The earliest recorded instances of the Gammage surname date back to the late 1300s in county records from Somerset and Devon in southwestern England. Historical documents from that time often spelled the name as "Gamage" or "Gammage." The name was also found in various forms, such as "Gammach" and "Gammidge," in parish records throughout the following centuries.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Gammage name was John Gammage, a landowner in Somerset who lived in the late 14th century. Records show that his family had holdings in the village of Chilton Polden. Another early mention of the name was in the 1524 tax records of London, which listed a Thomas Gammage as a citizen of the city.

In the 17th century, the Gammage surname appeared in historical documents from various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Oxfordshire. A notable individual from this period was Robert Gammage, a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol who was born in 1619 and died in 1679.

As the centuries passed, the Gammage name spread throughout the British Isles and eventually to other parts of the world as families immigrated. One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Gammage (1783-1857), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament.

Another prominent individual with the Gammage surname was Sir William Gammage (1842-1924), a British civil servant and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Fiji from 1904 to 1911. He played a significant role in the development of the island nation during his tenure.

The Gammage name has also been found in various historical records from the United States, with some of the earliest instances dating back to the 18th century. One notable American with the surname was Robert Gammage (1796-1875), a politician and judge who served as the Attorney General of South Carolina in the 1840s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gammage families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gammage 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. Northamptonshire leads with 166 Gammages recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.87x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 166 42.87x
Middlesex 60 1.46x
Oxfordshire 38 14.95x
Suffolk 38 7.58x
Warwickshire 30 2.89x
Buckinghamshire 19 7.63x
Glamorgan 9 1.26x
Staffordshire 8 0.58x
Herefordshire 6 3.55x
Sussex 6 0.86x
Norfolk 5 0.79x
Surrey 5 0.25x
Bedfordshire 4 1.88x
Kent 4 0.28x
Yorkshire 4 0.10x
Hertfordshire 3 1.06x
Lancashire 3 0.06x
Durham 2 0.16x
Essex 2 0.25x
Leicestershire 2 0.44x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.58x
Cheshire 1 0.11x
Derbyshire 1 0.16x
Devon 1 0.12x
Hampshire 1 0.12x
Montgomeryshire 1 1.06x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.18x
Worcestershire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Northampton Priory St in Northamptonshire leads with 33 Gammages recorded in 1881 and an index of 142.06x.

Place Total Index
Northampton Priory St 33 142.06x
Ravensthorpe 20 2857.14x
West Haddon 18 1428.57x
Witney 18 423.53x
Islington London 16 4.01x
Steeple Aston 15 1562.50x
Tottenham 15 22.88x
Spratton 13 1120.69x
Woodbridge 13 202.81x
Abington 12 7058.82x
Rugby 10 71.23x
Ufton 10 3571.43x
Whilton 10 2000.00x
Briton Ferry 9 105.26x
Brixworth 9 542.17x
Aston 8 2.80x
Ipswich St Margaret 8 47.03x
Ipswich St Peter 8 118.52x
Lavendon 8 714.29x
Collingtree 7 1944.44x
Hornsey 7 13.45x
Northampton St Sepulchre 7 35.53x
Hereford All Sts 6 77.62x
Holcot 6 1132.08x
Wolverhampton 6 5.62x
Chapel Brampton 5 1515.15x
Croughton 5 588.24x
Melton 5 253.81x
Northampton St Giles 5 33.90x
Olney 5 145.35x
Brighton 4 2.86x
Ealing 4 10.87x
Kettering 4 25.54x
Upton Cum Chalvey 4 40.32x
Weeting With Broomhill 4 851.06x
Aberford 3 326.09x
Cheshunt 3 30.24x
Croydon 3 2.69x
Hampstead London 3 4.68x
Kingsthorpe 3 69.77x
Alderton 2 266.67x
Bedford St Paul 2 13.68x
Bishopwearmouth 2 1.90x
Carlton 2 298.51x
Hackney London 2 0.87x
Hillingdon 2 15.24x
Leicester St Margaret 2 1.80x
Leyton 2 14.29x
Liverpool 2 0.67x
Lowick 2 357.14x
Old 2 392.16x
Poplar London 2 2.57x
St Luke London 2 3.03x
Withyam 2 67.34x
Boyton 1 256.41x
Calverton 1 128.21x
Cowley 1 12.61x
Deddington 1 36.23x
Great Missenden 1 32.57x
Hailey 1 55.87x
Hannington 1 384.62x
Holy Trinity 1 1.02x
Isleworth 1 5.46x
Leamington Priors 1 3.92x
Lower Halstow 1 98.04x
Margate St John Baptist 1 3.89x
Middle Temple London 1 769.23x
Normanton 1 18.38x
Northampton All Sts 1 7.61x
Northfield 1 9.80x
Oldham 1 0.63x
Oxford St Ebbe 1 13.37x
Oxford St Thomas 1 8.43x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.38x
St Pancras London 1 0.30x
St Thomas Winchester 1 16.78x
Staverton 1 185.19x
Towcester 1 25.06x
Warwick St Mary 1 11.10x
Woking 1 8.27x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 25
John 24
Thomas 22
Henry 18
George 11
Charles 10
Joseph 8
James 7
Albert 6
Alfred 4
Frederick 4
Robert 4
Edward 3
Fredrick 3
Samuel 3
Walter 3
Benjamin 2
Daniel 2
David 2
Douglas 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Harry 2
Job 2
Perridge 2
Tom 2
Wm. 2
Arthur 1
Benjn. 1
Benjn.H. 1
Brainerd 1
Chares 1
Chas. 1
Edwd. 1
Frederk. 1
G.H. 1
Jonah 1
Nathaniel 1
Robt. 1
Sidney 1
Tho. 1
Thos.Don. 1
Thos.Douglas 1
Wiley 1

FAQ

Gammage surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gammage surname in 1881?

In 1881, 422 people were recorded with the Gammage surname. That placed it at #7,666 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gammage surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 502 in 2016. That gives Gammage a modern rank of #9,961.

What does the Gammage surname mean?

A rare surname possibly derived from the Old French word "gamage" meaning game preserve or hunting ground.

What does the Gammage map show?

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