NameCensus.

UK surname

Gammon

An English occupational surname for a vendor or curer of ham or bacon.

In the 1881 census there were 1,607 people recorded with the Gammon surname, ranking it #2,660 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,783, ranked #3,532, down from #2,660 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Ilfracombe and Georgeham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Devon and Mid Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gammon is 2,149 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.0%.

1881 census count

1,607

Ranked #2,660

Modern count

1,783

2016, ranked #3,532

Peak year

1901

2,149 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gammon had 1,607 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,660 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,783 in 2016, ranked #3,532.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,149 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Gammon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gammon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gammon 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 1,124 #2,505
1861 historical 949 #2,923
1881 historical 1,607 #2,660
1891 historical 1,628 #2,749
1901 historical 2,149 #2,506
1911 historical 2,149 #2,339
1997 modern 1,874 #3,215
1998 modern 1,958 #3,206
1999 modern 1,944 #3,255
2000 modern 1,948 #3,229
2001 modern 1,897 #3,243
2002 modern 1,909 #3,299
2003 modern 1,898 #3,244
2004 modern 1,896 #3,246
2005 modern 1,839 #3,300
2006 modern 1,820 #3,338
2007 modern 1,816 #3,374
2008 modern 1,838 #3,372
2009 modern 1,845 #3,439
2010 modern 1,846 #3,500
2011 modern 1,770 #3,578
2012 modern 1,760 #3,537
2013 modern 1,782 #3,563
2014 modern 1,814 #3,533
2015 modern 1,789 #3,538
2016 modern 1,783 #3,532

Geography

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Where Gammons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Ilfracombe, Georgeham and Swansea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Devon and Mid Devon. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Ilfracombe Devon
4 Georgeham Devon
5 Swansea Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Devon 008 North Devon
2 North Devon 005 North Devon
3 North Devon 007 North Devon
4 North Devon 003 North Devon
5 Mid Devon 003 Mid Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gammon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gammon

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

Gammon is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gammon falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gammon

The surname GAMMON is of English origin, with records dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "gamen," which means "game" or "sport." This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a nickname to someone who enjoyed games or had a playful nature.

The earliest known record of the GAMMON surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, where a certain Walter Gamun is mentioned. This early spelling variation "Gamun" highlights the evolution of the name over time.

In the 13th century, the GAMMON surname is found in various records, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which list a Richard Gamun in Oxfordshire. This indicates that the name had spread to different regions of England by that time.

During the 14th century, the GAMMON surname gained prominence, with notable individuals like John Gammon, a landowner in Somerset mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327. Additionally, the Placita de Quo Warranto records from 1346 mention a Richard Gammon in Hertfordshire.

One of the earliest known recorded instances of the GAMMON surname in its modern spelling can be found in the Feet of Fines records from Staffordshire in 1430, which reference a John Gammon.

Notable historical figures with the GAMMON surname include:

1. William Gammon (c. 1490 - 1549), an English churchman who served as the Bishop of Norwich from 1539 until his death.

2. Robert Gammon (c. 1550 - 1609), an English merchant and explorer who participated in voyages to the West Indies and South America.

3. John Gammon (1623 - 1687), an English nonconformist minister and author known for his work "The Christian's Consolation."

4. Bartholomew Gammon (1677 - 1732), an English architect and surveyor who worked on several notable buildings in London.

5. William Gammon (1788 - 1864), an English cricketer who played for Kent and was considered one of the leading batsmen of his time.

The GAMMON surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Gammonfield in Shropshire and Gammonsbury in Hertfordshire, further reinforcing its longstanding presence in the country's history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gammon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gammon 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. Kent leads with 335 Gammons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.24x.

County Total Index
Kent 335 6.24x
Devon 277 8.46x
Middlesex 143 0.91x
Sussex 121 4.56x
Glamorgan 118 4.31x
Surrey 103 1.34x
Oxfordshire 69 7.10x
Hampshire 64 1.98x
Cambridgeshire 40 4.01x
Berkshire 37 3.13x
Gloucestershire 34 1.10x
Lancashire 29 0.16x
Somerset 27 1.07x
Yorkshire 25 0.16x
Worcestershire 22 1.07x
Bedfordshire 19 2.33x
Warwickshire 19 0.48x
Nottinghamshire 16 0.75x
Durham 15 0.32x
Buckinghamshire 14 1.47x
Essex 8 0.26x
Lanarkshire 8 0.16x
Midlothian 8 0.38x
Cheshire 7 0.20x
Staffordshire 7 0.13x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.90x
Monmouthshire 6 0.53x
Royal Navy 6 3.20x
Cumberland 4 0.30x
Dorset 4 0.39x
Northumberland 4 0.17x
Suffolk 4 0.21x
Norfolk 3 0.12x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.60x
Wiltshire 2 0.14x
Cornwall 1 0.06x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.24x
Herefordshire 1 0.16x
Lincolnshire 1 0.04x
Northamptonshire 1 0.07x
Shropshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ilfracombe in Devon leads with 57 Gammons recorded in 1881 and an index of 169.04x.

Place Total Index
Ilfracombe 57 169.04x
Georgeham 40 973.24x
Barnstaple 39 75.86x
Swansea Town 37 16.47x
Oystermouth 36 169.81x
Braunton 28 252.03x
Isleham 24 262.30x
Marwood 22 505.75x
Rye 22 87.27x
Lambeth 21 1.53x
Bedminster 20 8.40x
Bromley 20 24.44x
Herne 20 84.14x
Mile End Old Town London 20 5.97x
Petersfield 20 225.48x
Lewisham 19 6.64x
Morthoe 18 775.86x
Reculver 17 1055.90x
Maidstone 16 10.01x
St Marylebone London 16 1.90x
Tonbridge 16 8.26x
Swansea St Thomas 15 54.51x
Brighton 13 2.43x
Fulham London 13 5.70x
Birmingham 12 0.91x
Brightwell Baldwin 12 1016.95x
Hackney London 12 1.36x
Warborough 12 321.72x
Blean 11 297.30x
Chislet 11 181.52x
East Stonehouse 11 17.05x
Rotherfield 11 47.09x
Bow London 10 4.99x
East Peckham 10 89.69x
Eastbourne 10 8.19x
St Luke London 10 3.96x
Camberwell 9 0.90x
Cowley 9 29.67x
Folkestone 9 8.64x
Guildford Holy Trinity 9 61.60x
Loose 9 114.07x
Oxford St Thomas 9 19.85x
Withyam 9 79.30x
Bedford St Paul 8 14.32x
Buckland West 8 402.01x
Chatteris 8 31.46x
Duddingston 8 18.91x
Gillingham 8 7.23x
Hastings All Sts 8 32.00x
Hastings St Clement 8 32.05x
Islington London 8 0.52x
Leeds 8 0.91x
Newchurch 8 5.24x
Ockham 8 270.27x
Privett 8 579.71x
Ratcliffe London 8 9.21x
Sittingbourne 8 18.87x
Snodland 8 52.56x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 8 35.92x
Turville 8 355.56x
West Down 8 278.75x
Canterbury St Mildred 7 54.95x
Crowle 7 245.61x
Elham 7 109.20x
Hackington St Stephen 7 203.49x
Hastings St Mary 7 10.60x
Heanton Punchardon 7 292.89x
Meon Stoke 7 274.51x
Pilton 7 64.75x
Wimbledon 7 8.13x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 2.07x
Clewer 6 12.40x
Clifton 6 3.85x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 6 10.63x
Ramsgate 6 6.85x
River 6 175.95x
Stelling 6 379.75x
Stockport 6 3.36x
Stowting 6 521.74x
Swingfield 6 288.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 112
Elizabeth 60
Ellen 39
Emily 38
Sarah 38
Jane 34
Eliza 29
Ann 24
Alice 23
Annie 21
Caroline 19
Emma 19
Margaret 14
Harriet 13
Edith 12
Louisa 12
Ada 10
Anne 10
Fanny 10
Lucy 10
Rose 10
Susan 10
Agnes 9
Clara 9
Frances 9
Hannah 9
Sophia 9
Charlotte 8
Bessie 7
Florence 7
Martha 7
Bertha 6
Catherine 6
Harriett 6
Grace 5
Esther 4
Julia 4
Kate 4
Laura 4
Amelia 3
Gertrude 3
Jessie 3
Lizzie 3
Maria 3
Minnie 3
Olive 3
Allice 2
Cordelia 2
Daisy 2
Lydia 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 125
John 100
George 60
Thomas 53
James 45
Henry 35
Richard 30
Edward 25
Charles 22
Arthur 19
Frederick 18
Joseph 17
Samuel 16
Albert 15
Alfred 15
Robert 14
Herbert 10
Harry 9
Edwin 8
Walter 8
Ernest 7
Philip 7
Wm. 6
Michael 5
Daniel 4
Francis 4
Fredk. 4
Stephen 4
Sydney 4
Chas. 3
David 3
Frank 3
Percy 3
Peter 3
A. 2
Amos 2
Benjamin 2
Ebenezer 2
Harold 2
Martin 2
Moses 2
Phillip 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
Victor 2
Willm. 2
Carilian 1
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1
Wm.G. 1

FAQ

Gammon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gammon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,607 people were recorded with the Gammon surname. That placed it at #2,660 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gammon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,783 in 2016. That gives Gammon a modern rank of #3,532.

What does the Gammon surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a vendor or curer of ham or bacon.

What does the Gammon map show?

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