NameCensus.

UK surname

Gaskell

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "goat's spring" or "goat's stream."

In the 1881 census there were 3,062 people recorded with the Gaskell surname, ranking it #1,465 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,390, ranked #1,554, down from #1,465 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bolton-le-Moors, Wigan and Prescot. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan and West Lancashire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gaskell is 4,710 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.4%.

1881 census count

3,062

Ranked #1,465

Modern count

4,390

2016, ranked #1,554

Peak year

2002

4,710 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gaskell had 3,062 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,465 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,390 in 2016, ranked #1,554.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,506 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Gaskell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gaskell surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Gaskell 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 1,507 #1,903
1861 historical 1,758 #1,645
1881 historical 3,062 #1,465
1891 historical 3,274 #1,450
1901 historical 3,921 #1,439
1911 historical 4,506 #1,141
1997 modern 4,509 #1,453
1998 modern 4,459 #1,516
1999 modern 4,665 #1,470
2000 modern 4,665 #1,462
2001 modern 4,601 #1,450
2002 modern 4,710 #1,448
2003 modern 4,609 #1,445
2004 modern 4,565 #1,455
2005 modern 4,441 #1,474
2006 modern 4,424 #1,482
2007 modern 4,485 #1,473
2008 modern 4,489 #1,484
2009 modern 4,600 #1,485
2010 modern 4,658 #1,500
2011 modern 4,543 #1,517
2012 modern 4,362 #1,543
2013 modern 4,460 #1,536
2014 modern 4,493 #1,536
2015 modern 4,438 #1,538
2016 modern 4,390 #1,554

Geography

Back to top

Where Gaskells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bolton-le-Moors, Wigan and Prescot. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan and West Lancashire. 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 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
2 Wigan Lancashire
3 Prescot Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 018 Wigan
2 Wigan 014 Wigan
3 West Lancashire 015 West Lancashire
4 Wigan 021 Wigan
5 Wigan 011 Wigan

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Gaskell

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Gaskell

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Gaskell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Gaskell 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gaskell 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

Gaskell is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gaskell 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 Gaskell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Gaskell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gaskell

The surname Gaskell originates from England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "gærs" meaning grass and "scyll" meaning shed or shelter, suggesting it was initially given to someone who lived in a hut or dwelling surrounded by grassy fields.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199, where it is listed as "Gershill." Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form of Gaskell, although variations like Garshill, Gershil, and Gascoigne were also used.

The name Gaskell is closely associated with the region of Cheshire in northwest England, where many families bearing this surname have resided for centuries. The Gaskells of Cheshire were prominent landowners and influential members of the local community.

One notable figure from this lineage was William Gaskell (1805-1884), a prominent Unitarian minister and social reformer. His wife, Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865), was a celebrated novelist and biographer, best known for her works such as "Cranford" and "North and South."

Another prominent Gaskell was Walter Holbrook Gaskell (1847-1914), a renowned British physiologist who made significant contributions to the understanding of the cardiovascular system. His research on the electrical properties of the heart paved the way for modern cardiac electrophysiology.

In the field of literature, George Armstrong Gaskell (1909-1999) was an English poet and editor who served as the editor of the London Magazine and contributed to the Oxford Book of Contemporary Verse.

The Gaskells have also left their mark in architecture, with George Gaskell (1764-1842) being a notable English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Liverpool during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

While the name Gaskell has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, its origins can be traced back to the grassy fields of England, where the first bearers of this surname likely resided in humble dwellings surrounded by nature's verdant embrace.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Gaskell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gaskell 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 2,151 Gaskells recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.05x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2,151 6.05x
Cheshire 433 6.55x
Staffordshire 89 0.88x
Yorkshire 66 0.22x
Middlesex 61 0.20x
Westmorland 28 4.25x
Gloucestershire 23 0.39x
Surrey 20 0.14x
Warwickshire 20 0.26x
Derbyshire 19 0.41x
Durham 18 0.20x
Devon 13 0.21x
Glamorgan 13 0.25x
Shropshire 11 0.43x
Isle of Man 9 1.62x
Cornwall 8 0.24x
Sussex 8 0.16x
Berkshire 7 0.31x
Cumberland 7 0.27x
Northamptonshire 7 0.25x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.17x
Somerset 7 0.15x
Cambridgeshire 6 0.32x
Dumfriesshire 6 0.91x
Dorset 4 0.20x
Huntingdonshire 4 0.67x
Northumberland 4 0.09x
Oxfordshire 4 0.22x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.42x
Hampshire 3 0.05x
Kent 3 0.03x
Leicestershire 3 0.09x
Bedfordshire 2 0.13x
Orkney 1 0.30x
Royal Navy 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Orrell in Lancashire leads with 201 Gaskells recorded in 1881 and an index of 454.96x.

Place Total Index
Orrell 201 454.96x
Wigan 151 30.41x
Pemberton 150 105.86x
Upholland 122 267.90x
Chorley 68 34.10x
Ince In Makerfield 65 39.31x
Bollington In 57 96.87x
Macclesfield 56 19.06x
Liverpool 50 2.32x
Rainow 48 364.74x
Shevington 45 276.92x
Manchester 44 2.75x
Salford 41 3.92x
Worsley 41 18.72x
Farnworth 37 17.38x
Ashton Under Lyne 36 4.64x
Ashton In Makerfield 35 34.59x
Great Bolton 35 7.44x
Little Bolton 34 7.44x
Stockport 31 9.11x
Billinge Higher End 30 208.48x
North Meols 28 8.05x
Bredbury 27 70.57x
Disley Stanley 24 70.53x
Haughton 23 44.37x
Tranmere 23 9.47x
Biddulph 22 38.57x
Billinge Chapel End 22 110.33x
Warrington 22 5.22x
Westleigh 22 27.26x
Blackburn 21 2.22x
Preston 21 2.21x
Toxteth Park 21 1.75x
Eccleston In Prescot 20 11.21x
Windle 18 9.00x
Clifton 17 63.77x
Hindley 17 11.22x
Kirkby Ireleth 17 95.94x
Cheetham 16 6.04x
Oldham 16 1.40x
Everton 15 1.32x
Broughton In Salford 14 4.31x
Dukinfield 14 4.58x
Gorton 14 4.19x
Halifax 14 3.21x
Rainford 14 36.43x
Kirkdale 13 2.17x
Rusholme 13 13.72x
Birkenhead 12 2.28x
Bootle Cum Linacre 12 4.25x
Elton 12 9.77x
Layton With Warbreck 12 9.20x
Moss Side 12 6.42x
Newcastle Under Lyme 12 6.71x
Pendleton In Salford 12 2.83x
Radcliffe 12 7.01x
Standish With Langtree 12 27.42x
Sutton In Macclesfield 12 17.49x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 12 11.73x
Newchurch 11 3.78x
Osmotherley 11 226.34x
Penarth 11 21.59x
Scarisbrick 11 26.67x
Shrewsbury St Chad 11 12.11x
Sutton 11 9.23x
Westhoughton 11 11.60x
Chorlton On Medlock 10 1.77x
Monks Coppenhall 10 4.01x
Nether Staveley 10 301.20x
Parr 10 7.87x
Spotland 10 2.53x
Stoke Upon Trent 10 0.93x
Walmersley Cum 10 17.61x
Withington 10 8.74x
Accrington 9 2.79x
Brinnington 9 14.57x
Butley 9 159.01x
Claughton With Grange 9 29.89x
Over Hulton 9 89.11x
Tonge 9 12.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 250
Elizabeth 161
Sarah 108
Margaret 91
Ellen 89
Jane 80
Ann 73
Alice 72
Martha 56
Hannah 52
Annie 36
Eliza 19
Emma 19
Harriet 19
Isabella 17
Emily 16
Maria 14
Catherine 13
Esther 13
Anne 11
Edith 11
Ada 10
Agnes 10
Fanny 10
Frances 10
Amelia 9
Charlotte 7
Eliz. 7
Nancy 7
Susannah 7
Clara 6
Louisa 6
Lucy 6
Maggie 6
Ruth 6
Susan 6
Bertha 5
Eleanor 5
Florence 5
Harriett 5
Kate 5
Margt. 5
Rachel 5
Amy 4
Anna 4
Elizth. 4
Helen 4
Margret 4
Minnie 4
Selina 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 224
William 214
James 155
Thomas 147
Joseph 95
George 63
Peter 54
Henry 51
Richard 51
Samuel 39
Edward 37
Robert 34
Alfred 21
Charles 19
Arthur 18
Hugh 14
Isaac 11
Wm. 11
Albert 10
Frank 10
Harry 10
Thos. 10
Frederick 7
Matthew 7
Josiah 6
Roger 6
Daniel 5
Edwin 5
Fred 5
Herbert 5
Paul 5
Walter 5
Benjamin 4
Edmund 4
Lawrence 4
Moses 4
Abel 3
David 3
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Hiram 3
Holbrook 3
J. 3
Jas. 3
Jno. 3
Jos. 3
Luke 3
Mark 3
Saml. 3
Reuben 2

FAQ

Gaskell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gaskell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,062 people were recorded with the Gaskell surname. That placed it at #1,465 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gaskell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,390 in 2016. That gives Gaskell a modern rank of #1,554.

What does the Gaskell surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "goat's spring" or "goat's stream."

What does the Gaskell map show?

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