NameCensus.

UK surname

Gammie

A Scottish surname originating as a nickname for an eccentric or witty person.

In the 1881 census there were 270 people recorded with the Gammie surname, ranking it #10,484 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 340, ranked #13,456, down from #10,484 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Forgue, Chapel of Garioch and Drumblade. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mearns North and Inverbervie, Mearns and Laurencekirk and Auchterless and Monquhitter.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gammie is 374 in 2003. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.9%.

1881 census count

270

Ranked #10,484

Modern count

340

2016, ranked #13,456

Peak year

2003

374 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gammie had 270 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,484 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 340 in 2016, ranked #13,456.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 343 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Gammie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gammie surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Gammie 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 157 #12,504
1861 historical 158 #14,644
1881 historical 270 #10,484
1891 historical 312 #10,744
1901 historical 343 #10,583
1911 historical 36 #29,370
1997 modern 339 #12,464
1998 modern 364 #12,201
1999 modern 364 #12,267
2000 modern 371 #12,052
2001 modern 368 #11,952
2002 modern 372 #12,077
2003 modern 374 #11,828
2004 modern 366 #12,053
2005 modern 365 #11,985
2006 modern 351 #12,420
2007 modern 351 #12,571
2008 modern 346 #12,813
2009 modern 349 #12,995
2010 modern 359 #12,975
2011 modern 345 #13,221
2012 modern 343 #13,158
2013 modern 353 #13,104
2014 modern 345 #13,396
2015 modern 341 #13,425
2016 modern 340 #13,456

Geography

Back to top

Where Gammies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Forgue, Chapel of Garioch, Drumblade, Monquitter and Marnoch. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mearns North and Inverbervie, Mearns and Laurencekirk, Auchterless and Monquhitter, Forres South West and Mannachie and Arbroath Cliffburn. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Forgue Aberdeen
2 Chapel of Garioch Aberdeen
3 Drumblade Aberdeen
4 Monquitter Aberdeen
5 Marnoch Banff

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mearns North and Inverbervie Aberdeenshire
2 Mearns and Laurencekirk Aberdeenshire
3 Auchterless and Monquhitter Aberdeenshire
4 Forres South West and Mannachie Moray
5 Arbroath Cliffburn Angus

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Gammie

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Gammie

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Gammie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Gammie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Gammie 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

Gammie is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Gammie

The surname Gammie is believed to have originated in Scotland, with the earliest records of the name dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Scots Gaelic word "gamaidh," meaning "crooked" or "bent," potentially referring to a physical characteristic or the occupation of a person living in a crooked or winding area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gammie surname can be found in the Parish Records of Aberdeen, Scotland, where a John Gammie was mentioned in 1597. The name also appears in the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland in 1607, where a Thomas Gammie was referenced.

In the 17th century, the Gammie surname was primarily concentrated in the northeastern regions of Scotland, particularly in Aberdeenshire and Banffshire. Several historical figures with this surname emerged during this time, including James Gammie (1622-1696), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and principal of King's College, Aberdeen.

The Gammie name has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Gammie Burn and Gammie Hill, both located in Aberdeenshire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, indicating the presence of Gammie families in those areas.

Notable individuals bearing the Gammie surname throughout history include:

1. Alexander Gammie (1641-1730), a Scottish Episcopal minister and author, born in Banffshire. 2. John Gammie (1690-1766), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and historian, born in Aberdeenshire. 3. James Gammie (1777-1857), a Scottish-Canadian merchant and landowner in Nova Scotia. 4. George Gammie (1786-1860), a Scottish-Canadian farmer and landowner in Nova Scotia, brother of James Gammie. 5. Alexander Gammie (1830-1905), a Scottish-Canadian businessman and politician in New Brunswick.

While the Gammie surname has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Scottish emigration and settlement in countries like Canada, the United States, and others.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Gammie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gammie 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 168 Gammies recorded in 1881 and an index of 69.13x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 168 69.13x
Banffshire 53 97.37x
Hampshire 9 1.67x
Kincardineshire 8 25.04x
Midlothian 8 2.28x
Morayshire 8 19.62x
Fife 5 3.22x
Ayrshire 2 1.02x
Middlesex 2 0.08x
West Lothian 2 5.06x
Angus 1 0.41x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.42x
Lancashire 1 0.03x
Northumberland 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberdeen Old Machar in Aberdeenshire leads with 24 Gammies recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.30x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen Old Machar 24 47.30x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 24 52.78x
Marnoch 19 650.68x
Monquhitter 14 555.56x
Drumblade 11 1279.07x
Peterculter 11 643.27x
Auchterless 10 518.13x
Insch 10 724.64x
King Edward 8 285.71x
Millbrook 8 59.04x
Banff 7 147.99x
Crimond 7 933.33x
Drumoak 7 833.33x
Elgin 7 88.27x
Fyvie 7 176.32x
Cullen 6 297.03x
Grange 6 377.36x
Keig 6 857.14x
Boyndie 5 277.78x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 3.54x
Maryculter 5 520.83x
Aberlour 3 173.41x
Alvah 3 243.90x
Forgue 3 137.61x
Huntly 3 75.95x
Inverurie 3 109.09x
Rayne 3 260.87x
Skene 3 186.34x
Wemyss 3 45.66x
Chapel Of Garioch 2 115.61x
Dunfermline 2 8.38x
Fordyce 2 51.02x
Gamrie 2 32.89x
Kensington London 2 1.37x
Kilmarnock 2 8.56x
Kirknewton East 2 136.05x
Linlithgow 2 39.45x
New Deer 2 45.45x
Newhills 2 40.16x
Turriff 2 51.02x
Banchory Ternan 1 36.23x
Bourtie 1 238.10x
Duffus 1 27.86x
Echt 1 85.47x
Edinburgh Canongate 1 11.17x
Ellon 1 29.94x
Fettercairn 1 73.53x
Glenbervie 1 114.94x
Mains 1 48.31x
Manchester 1 0.71x
Midmar 1 106.38x
Monymusk 1 96.15x
Premnay 1 119.05x
Row 1 10.96x
South Stoneham 1 8.57x
Tynemouth 1 4.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Bella 1
Christina 1
Christinna 1
Elsie 1
Fanny 1
Hannah 1
Isabella 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 1
Gammie 1
John 1
Patrick 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 Gammie households.

FAQ

Gammie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gammie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 270 people were recorded with the Gammie surname. That placed it at #10,484 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gammie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 340 in 2016. That gives Gammie a modern rank of #13,456.

What does the Gammie surname mean?

A Scottish surname originating as a nickname for an eccentric or witty person.

What does the Gammie map show?

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