NameCensus.

UK surname

Gare

An English surname possibly derived from the French word "gare" meaning "to beware" or "to be on guard".

In the 1881 census there were 257 people recorded with the Gare surname, ranking it #10,861 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 264, ranked #16,172, down from #10,861 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Queen Camel, London parishes and Battersea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ10, Rugby and Test Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gare is 402 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.7%.

1881 census count

257

Ranked #10,861

Modern count

264

2016, ranked #16,172

Peak year

1891

402 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gare had 257 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,861 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 264 in 2016, ranked #16,172.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 402 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gare surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gare surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gare 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 274 #8,176
1861 historical 332 #7,673
1881 historical 257 #10,861
1891 historical 402 #8,842
1901 historical 313 #11,319
1911 historical 366 #9,936
1997 modern 300 #13,530
1998 modern 330 #13,046
1999 modern 328 #13,183
2000 modern 303 #13,829
2001 modern 293 #13,933
2002 modern 289 #14,341
2003 modern 286 #14,259
2004 modern 276 #14,684
2005 modern 260 #15,250
2006 modern 267 #15,042
2007 modern 273 #14,959
2008 modern 273 #15,113
2009 modern 285 #14,944
2010 modern 286 #15,231
2011 modern 287 #15,044
2012 modern 269 #15,706
2013 modern 277 #15,644
2014 modern 271 #15,986
2015 modern 268 #16,007
2016 modern 264 #16,172

Geography

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Where Gares are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Queen Camel, London parishes, Battersea, Lambeth and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ10, Rugby, Test Valley, Dartford and The Calders. 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 Queen Camel Somerset
2 London parishes London 3
3 Battersea London (South Districts)
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ10 East Lothian
2 Rugby 006 Rugby
3 Test Valley 011 Test Valley
4 Dartford 013 Dartford
5 The Calders City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gare

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gare

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

Gare is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Gare

The surname GARE is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "garer," meaning "to shelter" or "to protect." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a shelter or refuge, or perhaps someone whose occupation involved providing shelter or protection.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname GARE can be found in the Doomsday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Gare" in this ancient document, suggesting that it had already spread from France to England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, a man named Geoffroy de Gare was recorded as a landowner in the region of Normandy, France. This early example highlights the surname's French roots and its association with landed gentry.

During the 16th century, the name GARE appeared in various spellings in different regions of France, such as "Garé," "Garez," and "Garré." This variation in spelling was common during that time and reflects the regional dialects and linguistic influences.

One notable figure with the surname GARE was Jean-Baptiste Gare, a French mathematician and astronomer born in 1635. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and was elected to the French Academy of Sciences in 1699.

Another individual of historical significance was Marie-Louise Gare, a French painter born in 1748. She was renowned for her portraits and genre paintings, and her works were exhibited at the prestigious Paris Salon throughout her career.

In the 19th century, Jacques-Édouard Gare, born in 1810, was a prominent French architect known for his neoclassical designs. He was responsible for several notable buildings in Paris, including the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur.

Crossing the Atlantic, the name GARE also appeared in early American records. One such example is John Gare, an English settler who arrived in Virginia in 1635. He went on to become a prominent landowner and played a role in the establishment of the Virginia Colony.

Finally, in the late 19th century, Charles-Auguste Gare, born in 1853, was a French sculptor celebrated for his monumental works. His most famous piece, "The Triumph of the Republic," adorns the Place de la Nation in Paris and is considered a masterpiece of French Beaux-Arts sculpture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gare families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gare 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. Somerset leads with 55 Gares recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.63x.

County Total Index
Somerset 55 13.63x
Surrey 48 3.93x
Middlesex 27 1.08x
Northamptonshire 20 8.48x
Warwickshire 14 2.21x
Derbyshire 10 2.55x
Kent 10 1.17x
Durham 7 0.94x
Worcestershire 7 2.14x
Lancashire 6 0.20x
Leicestershire 6 2.16x
Norfolk 6 1.56x
Bedfordshire 5 3.85x
Cheshire 5 0.90x
Hampshire 5 0.97x
Monmouthshire 5 2.76x
Oxfordshire 4 2.58x
Sussex 4 0.95x
Devon 2 0.38x
Dorset 2 1.22x
Gloucestershire 2 0.41x
Hertfordshire 2 1.16x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.59x
Huntingdonshire 1 2.01x
Lincolnshire 1 0.25x
Yorkshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 13 Gares recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.12x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 13 8.12x
Battersea 12 13.01x
Dronfield 10 198.81x
Queen Camel 10 2127.66x
High Ham 8 833.33x
Newington 8 8.64x
Street 8 366.97x
Dudley 7 17.59x
Birmingham 6 2.85x
Lambeth 6 2.75x
Rochester St Margaret 6 66.52x
Aberystruth 5 31.31x
Brading 5 73.21x
Bromley London 5 9.07x
Farthinghoe 5 1666.67x
Leicester St Margaret 5 7.38x
Pitney 5 1785.71x
Ravensden 5 1219.51x
Reigate Foreign 5 37.79x
Shepton Mallet 5 110.38x
Somerton 5 303.03x
Stockport 5 17.56x
Byfield 4 588.24x
Hastings St Andrew 4 264.90x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 4 12.38x
Heigham 4 19.33x
Oxford St Aldate 4 245.40x
Rugby 4 46.78x
Weedon Beck 4 236.69x
Coventry Holy Trinity 3 15.89x
Hackney London 3 2.13x
Herne 3 79.16x
Isleworth 3 26.91x
Paddington London 3 3.25x
Staines 3 75.57x
Wappenham 3 750.00x
Weston Zoyland 3 526.32x
Yeovil 3 36.59x
Bampton 2 125.00x
Bootle Cum Linacre 2 8.47x
Butleigh 2 303.03x
Castleton 2 2857.14x
Clapham 2 6.38x
Heskin 2 606.06x
Hornsey 2 6.31x
Nottingham St Mary 2 2.29x
Poplar London 2 4.23x
South Petherton 2 96.15x
West Haddon 2 263.16x
Weston Bamfylde 2 2222.22x
Aston 1 0.57x
Bedminster 1 2.64x
Billinge Chapel End 1 59.88x
Bradford 1 1.66x
Brandon Byshottles 1 10.71x
Bunwell 1 135.14x
Bushey 1 24.33x
Chard 1 20.45x
Chelsea London 1 1.32x
Everton 1 1.05x
Ham Kingston On Thames 1 185.19x
Hatfield 1 28.57x
Horsley 1 45.87x
Islington London 1 0.41x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 8.64x
Knighton 1 63.69x
Little Paxton 1 416.67x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.87x
Northampton St Sepulchre 1 8.33x
South Shields 1 15.06x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.98x
St Luke London 1 2.49x
St Marylebone London 1 0.75x
St Pancras London 1 0.50x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 1 17.73x
Stapleton 1 10.72x
Sulgrave 1 256.41x
Sunderland 1 7.59x
Woolwich 1 3.16x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 18
William 16
George 13
Thomas 9
Charles 7
James 7
Henry 6
Joseph 6
Francis 4
Samuel 3
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Josiah 2
Robert 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Elisha 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Martin 1
Micheal 1
Patrick 1
Sidney 1
Sydney 1
Thos.Edwd. 1
Wm.H. 1
Wm.Ormsburn 1

FAQ

Gare surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gare surname in 1881?

In 1881, 257 people were recorded with the Gare surname. That placed it at #10,861 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gare surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 264 in 2016. That gives Gare a modern rank of #16,172.

What does the Gare surname mean?

An English surname possibly derived from the French word "gare" meaning "to beware" or "to be on guard".

What does the Gare map show?

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