NameCensus.

UK surname

Gasser

An occupational surname for someone who worked with geese, such as a goose herder or breeder.

In the 1881 census there were 85 people recorded with the Gasser surname, ranking it #21,573 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 134, ranked #25,636, down from #21,573 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fareham, London parishes and Portsmouth, Portsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Fareham and Gosport.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gasser is 158 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.6%.

1881 census count

85

Ranked #21,573

Modern count

134

2016, ranked #25,636

Peak year

1999

158 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gasser had 85 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,573 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016, ranked #25,636.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 156 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Gasser surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gasser surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gasser 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 53 #23,739
1861 historical 55 #27,007
1881 historical 85 #21,573
1891 historical 107 #22,967
1901 historical 145 #18,426
1911 historical 156 #17,421
1997 modern 142 #21,856
1998 modern 154 #21,316
1999 modern 158 #21,102
2000 modern 156 #21,235
2001 modern 146 #21,857
2002 modern 154 #21,531
2003 modern 148 #21,866
2004 modern 146 #22,202
2005 modern 136 #23,205
2006 modern 135 #23,486
2007 modern 136 #23,708
2008 modern 135 #24,123
2009 modern 130 #25,176
2010 modern 134 #25,263
2011 modern 139 #24,507
2012 modern 129 #25,705
2013 modern 132 #25,789
2014 modern 127 #26,634
2015 modern 132 #25,859
2016 modern 134 #25,636

Geography

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Where Gassers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Fareham, London parishes, Portsmouth, Portsea, Berkeley and Staveley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Fareham, Gosport and Three Rivers. 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 Fareham Hampshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
4 Berkeley Gloucestershire
5 Staveley Derbyshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 027 Cornwall
2 Fareham 006 Fareham
3 Gosport 008 Gosport
4 Gosport 003 Gosport
5 Three Rivers 003 Three Rivers

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gasser

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gasser

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gasser, 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 Gasser surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Gasser 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Gasser is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gasser 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

Gasser falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gasser is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gasser

The surname GASSER has its origins in Germany and Switzerland, where it was derived from the Old German word "gassa," meaning "street" or "alley." It was likely an occupational name for someone who lived near or worked on a street, such as a street vendor or merchant.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 13th century Swiss records of Zürich, which mention a "Heinricus Gassere" in 1264. The name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the southern regions of Germany and the northern regions of Switzerland during the Middle Ages.

In the 14th century, the name GASSER was recorded in the town of Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, where a "Henslinus Gasser" is mentioned in a document from 1342. This region, located in the Black Forest area, seems to have been a stronghold for the name during this period.

One notable individual with the GASSER surname was Hans Gasser, a Swiss painter and engraver who lived in the 16th century (c. 1500-1573). He was renowned for his woodcuts and engravings depicting religious and allegorical scenes.

Another prominent figure was Johann Matthias Gasser, an Austrian botanist and physician who lived from 1723 to 1805. He made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and was a member of the prestigious Royal Academy of Sciences in Vienna.

In the realm of literature, Johann Baptist Gasser (1815-1891) was a German writer and poet from Bavaria. He is best known for his collection of folk tales and legends, which helped preserve the oral traditions of the region.

Moving into the 19th century, we find Johann Gasser (1829-1903), an Austrian architect and designer who played a significant role in the development of the Ringstraße in Vienna, a prestigious boulevard lined with grand buildings and monuments.

Finally, one cannot overlook the achievements of Kaspar Gasser (1595-1646), a Swiss Benedictine monk and scholar who made important contributions to the study of ancient Greek and Latin texts, as well as to the field of mathematics.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the surname GASSER throughout history, reflecting its deep roots in the German and Swiss regions and its presence across various fields of endeavor.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gasser families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gasser 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. Hampshire leads with 39 Gassers recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.95x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 39 22.95x
Staffordshire 11 3.93x
Middlesex 9 1.09x
Derbyshire 5 3.85x
Gloucestershire 4 2.46x
Cheshire 3 1.64x
Devon 3 1.74x
Dorset 3 5.51x
Northamptonshire 3 3.85x
Kent 1 0.35x
Lancashire 1 0.10x
Oxfordshire 1 1.95x
Surrey 1 0.25x
Warwickshire 1 0.48x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 27 Gassers recorded in 1881 and an index of 81.06x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 27 81.06x
Westminster St James 6 70.42x
Fareham 5 245.10x
Wednesbury 5 71.53x
Berkeley 4 444.44x
St John Winchester 4 1111.11x
Staveley 4 173.91x
Chester St Mary On Hill 3 191.08x
Corby 3 1363.64x
Stoke Upon Trent 3 10.11x
Wimborne 3 454.55x
Devonport 2 101.01x
Rowley Regis 2 25.64x
St Thomas Winchester 2 166.67x
Ashborne 1 113.64x
Aston 1 1.74x
Bridewell Precinct London 1 1250.00x
Great Bolton 1 7.67x
Oxford St Giles 1 40.98x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 7.52x
Sedgley 1 9.62x
St George In East London 1 12.82x
St Marylebone London 1 2.26x
Wandsworth 1 12.53x
Weeke 1 196.08x
Westerham 1 153.85x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 4
Sarah 4
Elizabeth 3
Ellen 3
Mary 3
Alice 2
Anna 2
Elizabetha 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Laura 2
Martha 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Caroline 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
June 1
Maire 1
Maryanne 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Gasser surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gasser surname in 1881?

In 1881, 85 people were recorded with the Gasser surname. That placed it at #21,573 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gasser surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016. That gives Gasser a modern rank of #25,636.

What does the Gasser surname mean?

An occupational surname for someone who worked with geese, such as a goose herder or breeder.

What does the Gasser map show?

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