NameCensus.

UK surname

Gash

A surname possibly derived from the Old French word "gacher" meaning to besmirch or soil.

In the 1881 census there were 615 people recorded with the Gash surname, ranking it #5,717 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,068, ranked #5,475, up from #5,717 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Auckland St Andrew, Branston and Reading St Giles, Shinfield (East and West Side, Hartley Dammer), Sonning (Early),. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham and North Kesteven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gash is 1,267 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 73.7%.

1881 census count

615

Ranked #5,717

Modern count

1,068

2016, ranked #5,475

Peak year

1999

1,267 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gash had 615 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,717 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,068 in 2016, ranked #5,475.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 964 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gash surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gash surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gash 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 346 #6,798
1861 historical 398 #6,441
1881 historical 615 #5,717
1891 historical 675 #5,778
1901 historical 778 #5,775
1911 historical 964 #4,686
1997 modern 1,232 #4,613
1998 modern 1,255 #4,700
1999 modern 1,267 #4,705
2000 modern 1,238 #4,776
2001 modern 1,230 #4,701
2002 modern 1,227 #4,807
2003 modern 1,195 #4,824
2004 modern 1,197 #4,817
2005 modern 1,159 #4,906
2006 modern 1,147 #4,946
2007 modern 1,122 #5,096
2008 modern 1,129 #5,112
2009 modern 1,147 #5,150
2010 modern 1,153 #5,228
2011 modern 1,151 #5,175
2012 modern 1,092 #5,326
2013 modern 1,102 #5,363
2014 modern 1,110 #5,355
2015 modern 1,071 #5,471
2016 modern 1,068 #5,475

Geography

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Where Gashs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Auckland St Andrew, Branston, Reading St Giles, Shinfield (East and West Side, Hartley Dammer), Sonning (Early),, Scopwick and Bingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham and North Kesteven. 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 Auckland St Andrew Durham
2 Branston Lincolnshire
3 Reading St Giles, Shinfield (East and West Side, Hartley Dammer), Sonning (Early), Berkshire
4 Scopwick Lincolnshire
5 Bingham Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 049 County Durham
2 North Kesteven 007 North Kesteven
3 County Durham 050 County Durham
4 North Kesteven 010 North Kesteven
5 County Durham 053 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gash

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gash

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Gash is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gash 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

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

Meaning and origin of Gash

The surname GASH is believed to have originated in Scotland and Northern England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "gærs" or "gers," meaning grass or pasture, indicating that the name was likely initially given to someone who lived near a grassy area or a meadow.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name GASH can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners and tenants in England following the Norman Conquest. The name appears as "Gers" and is listed as a landowner in Derbyshire.

In the 13th century, the name GASH appeared in various Scottish records, including the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. One such entry is for a "William de Gers" from Ayrshire.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name GASH began to take on various spellings, such as "Gass," "Gasse," and "Gash." One notable figure from this time was Robert Gash (1561-1638), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1638.

In the 18th century, the GASH surname was found in various parts of Scotland and Northern England. One example is John Gash (1715-1788), a Scottish poet and schoolmaster from Angus, who published a collection of poems titled "Pastoral Poems" in 1765.

The 19th century saw the GASH name spread further across the British Isles and beyond. Notable individuals include Sir Wyndham Gash (1822-1905), a British Army officer who served in the Crimean War and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery at the Battle of Balaclava in 1854.

Another prominent figure was Frances Gash (1839-1913), an English painter and illustrator known for her watercolor paintings of rural landscapes and scenes from everyday life.

In the early 20th century, the name GASH continued to be present in various parts of the world. One notable example is Norman Gash (1912-2009), a British historian and academic who specialized in the study of 19th-century British political history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gash families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gash 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. Lincolnshire leads with 173 Gashs recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.01x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 173 18.01x
Yorkshire 78 1.31x
Cumberland 47 9.08x
Nottinghamshire 41 5.06x
Middlesex 38 0.63x
Durham 36 2.01x
Lancashire 29 0.41x
Berkshire 25 5.54x
Kent 23 1.12x
Oxfordshire 23 6.20x
Hertfordshire 16 3.86x
Surrey 15 0.51x
Northumberland 14 1.57x
Buckinghamshire 8 2.20x
Hampshire 8 0.65x
Wiltshire 8 1.51x
Warwickshire 6 0.40x
Westmorland 6 4.54x
Midlothian 5 0.62x
Glamorgan 4 0.38x
Monmouthshire 4 0.92x
Essex 2 0.17x
Gloucestershire 2 0.17x
Dorset 1 0.25x
Lanarkshire 1 0.05x
Leicestershire 1 0.15x
Norfolk 1 0.11x
Royal Navy 1 1.40x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bingham in Nottinghamshire leads with 17 Gashs recorded in 1881 and an index of 494.19x.

Place Total Index
Bingham 17 494.19x
Holy Trinity 17 11.87x
Marske In Guisbrough 16 151.37x
Bishop Auckland 15 62.55x
Manthorpe Cum Little 15 204.08x
Wilsford 14 985.92x
Branston 13 442.18x
Caldewgate 12 42.33x
Thornton Le Fen 12 1666.67x
Swayfield 11 2115.38x
Croft 10 641.03x
Scopwick 10 1219.51x
Bix 9 1022.73x
Camberwell 9 2.34x
Escomb 9 109.49x
Hunmanby 9 323.74x
New Sealford 9 454.55x
Reading St Mary 9 24.91x
Sibsey 9 414.75x
Bedlington 8 26.80x
Nottingham St Mary 8 3.82x
Trowbridge 8 34.06x
Caversham 7 94.34x
Cockermouth 7 64.28x
Great Hale 7 479.45x
Hampstead London 7 7.48x
Hemel Hempstead 7 37.51x
Manchester 7 2.18x
Sonning 7 140.56x
Birmingham 6 1.19x
Crigglestone 6 104.71x
East Worldham 6 1090.91x
Gateshead 6 4.48x
Holme Abbey 6 310.88x
Salford 6 2.86x
St Marylebone London 6 1.87x
Wallsend 6 21.16x
Wigton 6 77.32x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 5 9.01x
Bayards Leap 5 495.05x
Berkhampstead 5 53.71x
Brauncewell 5 1388.89x
Deptford St Paul 5 3.16x
Kneeton 5 2083.33x
Mapledurham 5 574.71x
Nettleden 5 3846.15x
Penrith 5 26.16x
Rowston 5 1086.96x
Snodland 5 86.06x
St Pancras London 5 1.03x
Chelsea London 4 2.21x
Dover St James 4 44.54x
East Thickley 4 110.50x
Erith 4 19.80x
Handsworth 4 25.41x
Horbling 4 388.35x
Middlesbrough 4 5.16x
North Collingham 4 209.42x
Rockfield 4 851.06x
St Giles In Fields London 4 13.57x
Swineshead 4 126.58x
Walesby 4 606.06x
Above Derwent 3 156.25x
Barrow In Furness 3 3.09x
Chevet 3 1500.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 0.93x
Eglwysilan 3 16.53x
Gedling 3 225.56x
Halling 3 111.52x
Horton In Bradford 3 3.23x
Ivinghoe 3 105.63x
Kendal 3 12.41x
Kirton 3 77.92x
Middle Rasen 3 163.93x
Morland 3 394.74x
North Meols 3 4.30x
Northchurch 3 67.87x
Pendleton In Salford 3 3.53x
Scredington 3 428.57x
Southcoates 3 9.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 46
John 44
George 30
Thomas 25
James 17
Charles 14
Edward 13
Henry 13
Joseph 13
Robert 12
Benjamin 11
David 10
Richard 7
Frederick 6
Albert 5
Arthur 4
Samuel 4
Tom 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Francis 2
Fredk. 2
Jonathan 2
Carey 1
Daniel 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Jesse 1
Leonard 1
Luke 1
Lumley 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Nathaniel 1
Percy 1
Rawson 1
Reuben 1
Robt. 1
Will 1
Worth 1

FAQ

Gash surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gash surname in 1881?

In 1881, 615 people were recorded with the Gash surname. That placed it at #5,717 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gash surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,068 in 2016. That gives Gash a modern rank of #5,475.

What does the Gash surname mean?

A surname possibly derived from the Old French word "gacher" meaning to besmirch or soil.

What does the Gash map show?

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