NameCensus.

UK surname

Gapp

A surname derived from an Old English word meaning "chasm" or "ravine".

In the 1881 census there were 204 people recorded with the Gapp surname, ranking it #12,682 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 146, ranked #24,173, down from #12,682 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes and St James Clerkenwell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Central Bedfordshire, South Norfolk and Breckland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gapp is 256 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 28.4%.

1881 census count

204

Ranked #12,682

Modern count

146

2016, ranked #24,173

Peak year

1901

256 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gapp had 204 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,682 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 146 in 2016, ranked #24,173.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 256 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gapp surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gapp surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gapp 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 187 #10,978
1861 historical 218 #11,175
1881 historical 204 #12,682
1891 historical 252 #12,685
1901 historical 256 #12,934
1911 historical 247 #13,016
1997 modern 168 #19,642
1998 modern 169 #20,104
1999 modern 162 #20,781
2000 modern 161 #20,822
2001 modern 157 #20,884
2002 modern 155 #21,431
2003 modern 156 #21,115
2004 modern 156 #21,261
2005 modern 150 #21,786
2006 modern 152 #21,721
2007 modern 148 #22,406
2008 modern 145 #22,929
2009 modern 150 #22,937
2010 modern 149 #23,598
2011 modern 145 #23,837
2012 modern 141 #24,258
2013 modern 147 #23,977
2014 modern 147 #24,177
2015 modern 144 #24,369
2016 modern 146 #24,173

Geography

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Where Gapps are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes, St James Clerkenwell, St Anne Limehouse and Mattishall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Central Bedfordshire, South Norfolk, Breckland and Gloucester. 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 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 St James Clerkenwell London (Central Districts)
4 St Anne Limehouse London (East Districts)
5 Mattishall Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Central Bedfordshire 025 Central Bedfordshire
2 South Norfolk 011 South Norfolk
3 South Norfolk 014 South Norfolk
4 Breckland 011 Breckland
5 Gloucester 010 Gloucester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gapp

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gapp

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gapp is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gapp 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

Gapp falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gapp

The surname GAPP originated in Germany and dates back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word 'gap', meaning a gap or opening in a fence or wall. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked with such openings.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Traditionum Corbeiensium, a medieval cartulary from the Benedictine abbey of Corvey in modern-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The document, dating back to the 9th century, mentions an individual named Gappo.

The name also appears in the Onomasticon Anglo-Saxonicum, a 10th-century Old English manuscript containing a list of personal names. Here, the name is spelled 'Gæppe', further indicating its Germanic roots.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Johannes Gapp was recorded as a canon of the Salzburg Cathedral in Austria. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its original German homeland by this time.

During the 14th century, the surname GAPP can be found in various records from the Rhineland region of Germany. For example, a Henricus Gapp is mentioned in a document from the city of Cologne, dated 1375.

In the 16th century, a prominent individual named Hans Gapp lived in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria, Germany. He was a respected merchant and member of the town council, serving as the mayor in 1542.

Other notable individuals with the surname GAPP include Johann Gapp, a German Catholic theologian and writer who lived in the late 17th century, and Johann Michael Gapp, a Bavarian painter and engraver active in the early 18th century.

Over time, the spelling of the name evolved, with variations such as Gapp, Gape, and Gappe appearing in different regions. However, the core meaning and origin remained linked to the Old German word 'gap'.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gapp families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gapp 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. Norfolk leads with 72 Gapps recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.42x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 72 23.42x
Middlesex 58 2.90x
Surrey 25 2.57x
Yorkshire 9 0.45x
Lancashire 8 0.34x
Herefordshire 7 8.54x
Essex 6 1.52x
Gloucestershire 4 1.02x
Kent 4 0.59x
Shropshire 4 2.32x
Cambridgeshire 2 1.58x
Suffolk 2 0.82x
Angus 1 0.54x
Lanarkshire 1 0.15x
Northamptonshire 1 0.53x
Sussex 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hingham in Norfolk leads with 17 Gapps recorded in 1881 and an index of 1603.77x.

Place Total Index
Hingham 17 1603.77x
Mattishall 14 2258.06x
Camberwell 13 10.18x
Mile End Old Town London 11 25.85x
Limehouse London 9 41.00x
Stanfield 9 7500.00x
Barnham Broom 7 2333.33x
Hereford St Owen 7 258.30x
Ratcliffe London 7 63.41x
Ealing 6 33.58x
Great Yarmouth 5 19.63x
Lambeth 5 2.87x
Openshaw 5 45.00x
Cleobury Mortimer 4 366.97x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 4 55.71x
Hackney London 4 3.57x
Mile End New Town London 4 101.27x
Selby 4 96.62x
All Hallows Barking 3 600.00x
Bermondsey 3 5.04x
Bethnal Green London 3 3.45x
Garvestone 3 1304.35x
Gorton 3 13.45x
Gressenhall 3 526.32x
Stratton St Michael 3 1666.67x
Swaffham 3 120.00x
Tottenham 3 9.42x
Beverley St Martin 2 60.42x
Brentwood 2 82.99x
Croydon 2 3.70x
Islington London 2 1.03x
St Marylebone London 2 1.87x
Tonbridge 2 8.13x
Twickenham 2 23.34x
Wanstead 2 28.94x
Barnes 1 24.27x
Caterham 1 23.20x
Chatham 1 5.33x
Dundee 1 1.45x
East Dereham 1 25.77x
Elythe College 1 1428.57x
Hastings St Mary 1 11.92x
Heigham 1 6.06x
Holy Trinity 1 2.10x
Huggate 1 263.16x
Ipswich St Peter 1 30.49x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 10.83x
Lewisham 1 2.75x
Maryhill 1 7.90x
North Walsham 1 45.05x
Norwich St Stephen 1 35.46x
Oundle 1 47.62x
Sheffield 1 1.59x
Southchurch 1 277.78x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.84x
St Pancras London 1 0.62x
Thorpe Next Norwich 1 30.67x
Walsham Le Willows 1 123.46x
West Ham 1 1.15x
Westwick 1 769.23x
Wiggenhall St Mary 1 208.33x
Wisbech St Peter 1 15.75x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Charlotte 8
Sarah 8
Elizabeth 6
Alice 5
Emma 4
Louisa 4
Mary 4
Sophia 4
Ada 3
Amelia 3
Anne 3
Emily 3
Hannah 3
Lucy 3
Ann 2
Anna 2
Edith 2
Ellen 2
Isabella 2
Julia 2
Laura 2
Lilly 2
Bessie 1
Caroline 1
Clara 1
Eleanora 1
Eliza 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Frederica 1
Georgiana 1
Georgina 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Harriot 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Lilian 1
Lille 1
M.M.A. 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Maude 1
Mavies 1
Minnie 1
Nancy 1
Patience 1
Philadelphia 1
Pleasance 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 12
William 11
John 9
Alfred 5
Edmund 4
Frederick 4
George 4
Herbert 4
James 4
Edward 3
Richard 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Edwd. 2
Fredk.H. 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Alf. 1
Christopher 1
Earnest 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Horatio 1
Jessie 1
Phylip 1
Stephen 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1
Wodehouse 1

FAQ

Gapp surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gapp surname in 1881?

In 1881, 204 people were recorded with the Gapp surname. That placed it at #12,682 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gapp surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 146 in 2016. That gives Gapp a modern rank of #24,173.

What does the Gapp surname mean?

A surname derived from an Old English word meaning "chasm" or "ravine".

What does the Gapp map show?

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