NameCensus.

UK surname

Gasper

A surname derived from the Middle English word "gaspere," meaning a person who boasted or talked idly.

In the 1881 census there were 58 people recorded with the Gasper surname, ranking it #25,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 228, ranked #17,936, up from #25,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, South Kesteven and Stratford-on-Avon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gasper is 240 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 293.1%.

1881 census count

58

Ranked #25,428

Modern count

228

2016, ranked #17,936

Peak year

2010

240 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gasper had 58 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 228 in 2016, ranked #17,936.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 79 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Gasper surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gasper surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gasper 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 37 #26,673
1861 historical 75 #24,238
1881 historical 58 #25,428
1891 historical 77 #27,169
1901 historical 79 #25,363
1911 historical 74 #25,423
1997 modern 197 #17,792
1998 modern 211 #17,532
1999 modern 217 #17,307
2000 modern 208 #17,772
2001 modern 196 #18,146
2002 modern 216 #17,447
2003 modern 207 #17,746
2004 modern 204 #17,992
2005 modern 210 #17,572
2006 modern 207 #17,892
2007 modern 210 #17,904
2008 modern 211 #17,997
2009 modern 221 #17,848
2010 modern 240 #17,230
2011 modern 227 #17,733
2012 modern 223 #17,852
2013 modern 231 #17,703
2014 modern 230 #17,872
2015 modern 225 #18,050
2016 modern 228 #17,936

Geography

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Where Gaspers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, South Kesteven, Stratford-on-Avon and Birmingham. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 003 Bradford
2 South Kesteven 011 South Kesteven
3 Stratford-on-Avon 007 Stratford-on-Avon
4 Birmingham 122 Birmingham
5 Birmingham 128 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gasper

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gasper

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Gasper surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Gasper 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 often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Gasper is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gasper is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gasper falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gasper

The surname Gasper has its origins in the German language, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Germanic personal name "Caspar" or "Gaspar", which is believed to have been a variant of the Persian name "Casperius". This name can be traced back to the biblical story of the Three Wise Men, where one of them was referred to as Caspar or Gaspar.

The name Gasper first appeared in various regions of Germany, particularly in areas such as Bavaria and Saxony. It is thought to have been initially adopted as a surname by individuals who were either named Caspar or Gaspar themselves, or who were descendants of someone with that given name.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Gasper can be found in the records of the city of Nürnberg, where a certain Johann Gasper was listed as a resident in the year 1532. Another early reference comes from the town of Aschaffenburg, where a man named Hans Gasper was recorded as a citizen in 1564.

In the 17th century, the surname Gasper began to spread beyond Germany, as individuals bearing this name migrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. Notable individuals with the surname Gasper include Johann Gasper (1592-1658), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister at the court of the Elector of Brandenburg.

Another notable figure was Jacob Gasper (1671-1738), a German-born painter and engraver who spent much of his career working in Italy. In the 18th century, there was Johann Baptist Gasper (1727-1779), a German sculptor and woodcarver who was renowned for his intricate altarpieces and church decorations.

Moving into the 19th century, one can find references to individuals such as Friedrich Gasper (1808-1871), a German mathematician and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of logic. Additionally, there was August Gasper (1825-1897), a German-born artist and painter who immigrated to the United States and became known for his landscape paintings depicting scenes from the American West.

Throughout its history, the surname Gasper has also been associated with various place names and locations, such as the village of Gaspersleben in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, and the town of Gasperdorf in Lower Austria. These place names likely derive from individuals bearing the Gasper surname who were among the earliest settlers or landowners in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gasper families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gasper 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. Middlesex leads with 10 Gaspers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.77x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 10 1.77x
Suffolk 9 13.06x
Gloucestershire 7 6.31x
Wiltshire 7 13.99x
Kent 6 3.11x
Staffordshire 6 3.14x
Lancashire 5 0.75x
Somerset 5 5.49x
Surrey 2 0.73x
Sussex 1 1.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sproughton in Suffolk leads with 9 Gaspers recorded in 1881 and an index of 7500.00x.

Place Total Index
Sproughton 9 7500.00x
Preston On Stour 7 14000.00x
Brenenden 6 2400.00x
Shenstone 6 1224.49x
Crowcombe 5 5555.56x
Fugglestone St Peter 5 2500.00x
Kensington London 3 9.54x
Salford 3 15.20x
Baverstock 2 10000.00x
South Mimms 2 256.41x
St George Hanover Square 2 20.08x
Westminster St Margaret 2 73.26x
Croydon 1 6.54x
Farnham 1 46.73x
Hove 1 23.92x
Middleton In Oldham 1 49.75x
Paddington London 1 4.81x
West Derby 1 5.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ada 2
Elizabeth 2
Emily 2
Louisa 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Blanche 1
Cordelia 1
Daisy 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Harriett 1
Isabel 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Juliet 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Mary 1
Minnie 1
Olive 1
Ripsinna 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Gasper households.

FAQ

Gasper surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gasper surname in 1881?

In 1881, 58 people were recorded with the Gasper surname. That placed it at #25,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gasper surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 228 in 2016. That gives Gasper a modern rank of #17,936.

What does the Gasper surname mean?

A surname derived from the Middle English word "gaspere," meaning a person who boasted or talked idly.

What does the Gasper map show?

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