NameCensus.

UK surname

Gartside

A surname derived from a locality name, originally referring to someone from Gartside, England.

In the 1881 census there were 1,246 people recorded with the Gartside surname, ranking it #3,263 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 849, ranked #6,584, down from #3,263 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) and Ashton-under-Lyne. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Oldham and Tameside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gartside is 1,503 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 31.9%.

1881 census count

1,246

Ranked #3,263

Modern count

849

2016, ranked #6,584

Peak year

1901

1,503 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gartside had 1,246 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,263 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 849 in 2016, ranked #6,584.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,503 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Gartside surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gartside surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gartside 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 781 #3,416
1861 historical 737 #3,708
1881 historical 1,246 #3,263
1891 historical 1,258 #3,429
1901 historical 1,503 #3,412
1911 historical 1,448 #3,333
1997 modern 932 #5,806
1998 modern 954 #5,879
1999 modern 955 #5,924
2000 modern 943 #5,962
2001 modern 919 #5,979
2002 modern 961 #5,864
2003 modern 928 #5,944
2004 modern 915 #6,006
2005 modern 893 #6,063
2006 modern 902 #6,031
2007 modern 900 #6,084
2008 modern 887 #6,198
2009 modern 901 #6,262
2010 modern 920 #6,280
2011 modern 877 #6,457
2012 modern 855 #6,502
2013 modern 856 #6,594
2014 modern 860 #6,608
2015 modern 845 #6,646
2016 modern 849 #6,584

Geography

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Where Gartsides are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth), Ashton-under-Lyne and Prestwich. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Oldham and Tameside. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Rochdale Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) Lancashire
4 Ashton-under-Lyne Lancashire
5 Prestwich Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Oldham 020 Oldham
2 Oldham 007 Oldham
3 Tameside 001 Tameside
4 Oldham 012 Oldham
5 Oldham 009 Oldham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gartside

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gartside

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Gartside surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Gartside household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Gartside is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Gartside 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

Gartside falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gartside

The surname Gartside originated in the areas around Rochdale and Oldham in Lancashire, England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words 'gara' meaning triangular piece of land, and 'sætan' meaning dwellers. Thus, Gartside would have referred to people living on a triangular piece of land.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Lancashire Pipe Rolls of 1246, where it appears as 'de Gartesyde'. Similar spellings from that period include 'de Garteside' and 'de Gartsyde'. These early recordings suggest the name was initially a locational surname, referring to a specific place.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the name is not mentioned, but there are references to places like 'Garteseta' and 'Gartesete' which may have been the original locations that gave rise to the surname.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John de Gartside, who was recorded in the Lancashire Assize Rolls of 1285. Another early example is Thomas de Gartside, mentioned in the Lancashire Wills records of 1322.

Over the centuries, the surname evolved into various spellings such as Gartside, Gartsyde, and Gartisyde. Some notable individuals with the name include:

1. Sir John Gartside (1600-1671), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Lancashire. 2. Thomas Gartside (1768-1826), an English cotton manufacturer and philanthropist from Oldham. 3. William Gartside (1808-1885), an English industrialist and engineer who improved the design of cotton spinning machinery. 4. Samuel Gartside (1840-1919), an English cricketer who played for Lancashire and Derbyshire. 5. Mary Gartside (1834-1918), a British author and poet known for her works on Lancashire folklore and dialect.

The name Gartside has historically been concentrated in the areas of Greater Manchester and Lancashire, reflecting its origins as a locational surname from those regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gartside families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gartside 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. Lancashire leads with 810 Gartsides recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.62x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 810 5.62x
Yorkshire 358 2.97x
Cheshire 49 1.83x
Derbyshire 10 0.53x
Anglesey 6 2.79x
Surrey 5 0.08x
Lincolnshire 4 0.21x
Hampshire 2 0.08x
Perthshire 1 0.18x
Shropshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 357 Gartsides recorded in 1881 and an index of 76.69x.

Place Total Index
Oldham 357 76.69x
Saddleworth 326 350.92x
Royton 71 160.92x
Ashton Under Lyne 67 21.26x
Butterworth 64 182.13x
Chadderton 41 58.15x
Crompton 27 65.74x
Chorley 23 28.42x
Spotland 21 13.10x
Manchester 17 2.62x
Rochdale 15 142.59x
Tonge 15 49.57x
Monks Coppenhall 14 13.83x
Castleton 12 8.33x
Wardleworth 12 14.56x
Dukinfield 11 8.87x
Birtle Cum Bamford 7 74.39x
Halifax 7 3.96x
Beard Ollerset Whitle 6 47.92x
Heap 6 7.84x
Llandegfan 6 136.67x
Marsden In Almondbury 6 54.74x
Stayley 6 19.56x
Warrington 6 3.51x
Broughton In Salford 5 3.79x
Hopwood 5 26.51x
Lambeth 5 0.47x
North Meols 5 3.54x
Chapel En Le Frith 4 23.03x
Gainsborough 4 8.73x
Horbury 4 18.98x
Middleton In Oldham 4 9.25x
Newton In Ashton Under 4 15.11x
Soothill 4 9.19x
Tintwistle 4 27.89x
Bramhall 3 27.00x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 1.31x
Honley 3 14.23x
Hyde 3 3.79x
Radcliffe 3 4.32x
Salford 3 0.71x
Toxteth Park 3 0.61x
Alkrington 2 126.58x
Hoole 2 19.72x
Hulme 2 0.66x
Marsden In Huddersfield 2 70.18x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 2 4.65x
Southcoates 2 2.99x
West Derby 2 0.47x
Worsley 2 2.25x
Armley 1 1.88x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 0.87x
Cheadle 1 1.95x
Chorlton Cum Hardy 1 10.46x
Dunning 1 14.66x
Pennington In Leigh 1 3.61x
Pilkington 1 1.83x
Portsmouth 1 1.74x
Poulton Le Fylde 1 19.53x
Romiley 1 13.21x
Rusholme 1 2.60x
Ryde 1 1.87x
Stretford 1 1.26x
Upperthong 1 9.77x
Walmersley Cum 1 4.34x
Whittingham 1 15.75x
Withington 1 2.15x
Wrockwardine 1 4.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 110
Sarah 83
Elizabeth 45
Ann 36
Hannah 32
Alice 24
Betty 22
Annie 21
Eliza 19
Jane 19
Emma 17
Martha 17
Ada 13
Clara 10
Ellen 8
Margaret 8
Emily 7
Bertha 6
Harriet 6
Lucy 6
Esther 5
Maria 5
Agnes 4
Fanny 4
Ruth 4
Anna 3
Caroline 3
Edith 3
Frances 3
Grace 3
Henrietta 3
Kate 3
Lydia 3
Matilda 3
Amelia 2
Betsy 2
Charlotte 2
Eda 2
Ethel 2
Eva 2
Florence 2
Harriett 2
Lilly 2
Lizzie 2
Nanny 2
Nelly 2
Pheobe 2
Sally 2
Selina 2
Susie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 97
James 68
William 52
Joseph 41
Samuel 21
Thomas 21
Henry 20
Charles 15
George 15
Robert 15
Fred 13
Benjamin 12
Albert 11
Harry 9
Herbert 9
Isaac 9
Edward 8
Alfred 7
Ben 6
Abraham 5
Arthur 5
David 5
Frank 5
Walter 5
Wm. 5
Edwin 4
Jesse 4
Jonathan 4
Saml. 4
Daniel 3
Eli 3
Ernest 3
Jas. 3
Stanley 3
Wright 3
Abram 2
Alexander 2
Andrew 2
Chas. 2
Dan 2
Hugh 2
Nelson 2
Oliver 2
Richard 2
Roger 2
Sam 2
Simon 2
Betty 1
Ellen 1
Ely 1

FAQ

Gartside surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gartside surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,246 people were recorded with the Gartside surname. That placed it at #3,263 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gartside surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 849 in 2016. That gives Gartside a modern rank of #6,584.

What does the Gartside surname mean?

A surname derived from a locality name, originally referring to someone from Gartside, England.

What does the Gartside map show?

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