NameCensus.

UK surname

Gate

A surname denoting a barrier or entrance.

In the 1881 census there were 403 people recorded with the Gate surname, ranking it #7,933 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 548, ranked #9,309, down from #7,933 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wigton, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale, Copeland and Eden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gate is 933 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.0%.

1881 census count

403

Ranked #7,933

Modern count

548

2016, ranked #9,309

Peak year

1861

933 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gate had 403 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,933 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 548 in 2016, ranked #9,309.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 933 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gate surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gate surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gate 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 388 #6,190
1861 historical 933 #2,972
1881 historical 403 #7,933
1891 historical 892 #4,617
1901 historical 566 #7,384
1911 historical 845 #5,249
1997 modern 515 #9,110
1998 modern 526 #9,238
1999 modern 520 #9,379
2000 modern 519 #9,352
2001 modern 501 #9,448
2002 modern 516 #9,432
2003 modern 494 #9,572
2004 modern 482 #9,757
2005 modern 474 #9,826
2006 modern 479 #9,788
2007 modern 478 #9,891
2008 modern 496 #9,694
2009 modern 500 #9,862
2010 modern 514 #9,838
2011 modern 505 #9,884
2012 modern 534 #9,391
2013 modern 539 #9,497
2014 modern 551 #9,378
2015 modern 543 #9,419
2016 modern 548 #9,309

Geography

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Where Gates are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wigton, London parishes, Gateshead, St Pancras and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale, Copeland and Eden. 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 Wigton Cumberland
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 006 Allerdale
2 Copeland 004 Copeland
3 Allerdale 001 Allerdale
4 Eden 004 Eden
5 Allerdale 007 Allerdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gate

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gate

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Gate is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Gate is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Gate

The surname "Gate" is an English locational surname that originated from various place names in England that contained the word "gate". The name is derived from the Old English word "geat", meaning a gate or opening. It is believed to have originated as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near a gate or opening in a wall or fence.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the late 12th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Walter de la Gate, who was mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1198. Another early bearer was William atte Gate, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.

The surname is also found in various spellings in old records, such as "atte Gate", "de la Gate", and "del Gate". These variations suggest that the name was initially used as a descriptive byname before becoming a hereditary surname.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several place names recorded that may have been the source of the surname, such as "Gateshead" in Durham and "Gateley" in Herefordshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Sir Geoffrey Gate, a English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was present at the Battle of Crécy in 1346. Another notable bearer was Henry Gate (c. 1585-1648), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University.

Other notable individuals with the surname "Gate" include:

1. Sir Thomas Gate (c. 1500-1553), an English courtier and soldier who served as a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber to King Henry VIII. 2. John Gate (c. 1570-1627), an English composer and organist who served as the organist of Winchester Cathedral. 3. Benjamin Gate (1669-1733), an English engraver and printmaker known for his landscapes and architectural prints. 4. Samuel Gate (1734-1807), an English Baptist minister and theologian who wrote extensively on religious subjects. 5. William Gate (1798-1868), an English architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in London.

The surname "Gate" has been found throughout England, with concentrations in areas like Sussex, Buckinghamshire, and Durham, reflecting the locations of some of the early bearers of the name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gate families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gate 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. Cumberland leads with 161 Gates recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.69x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 161 47.69x
Middlesex 63 1.61x
Lancashire 29 0.62x
Surrey 21 1.10x
Yorkshire 19 0.49x
Durham 15 1.29x
Northumberland 15 2.57x
Sussex 12 1.82x
Essex 11 1.42x
Staffordshire 11 0.83x
Devon 10 1.23x
Kent 9 0.67x
Cheshire 8 0.92x
Somerset 5 0.79x
Hampshire 3 0.37x
Berkshire 2 0.68x
Cornwall 1 0.23x
Derbyshire 1 0.16x
Lincolnshire 1 0.16x
Midlothian 1 0.19x
Monmouthshire 1 0.35x
Montgomeryshire 1 1.11x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.19x
Worcestershire 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wigton in Cumberland leads with 41 Gates recorded in 1881 and an index of 810.28x.

Place Total Index
Wigton 41 810.28x
Holme East Waver 17 2786.89x
Islington London 12 3.16x
Kirkbride 12 2448.98x
St Pancras London 12 3.80x
Westoe 12 18.14x
Dewsbury 8 20.08x
Exeter Allhallows On The 8 597.01x
Sebergham 8 1066.67x
Westgate 8 22.14x
Camberwell 7 2.79x
Chorlton On Medlock 7 9.47x
Distington 7 402.30x
Flimby 7 245.61x
Hesket In Forest 7 266.16x
Longbenton 7 28.33x
St Cuthbert W O 7 42.53x
Acton 6 26.10x
Ardwick 6 14.30x
Bromfield 6 1176.47x
Newington 6 4.14x
Oulton 6 1200.00x
St Marylebone London 6 2.87x
Thornhill 6 52.91x
West Bromwich 6 7.92x
West Ham 6 3.51x
Westward 6 425.53x
Bewaldeth Snittlegarth 5 4166.67x
Caldewgate 5 27.03x
Hackney London 5 2.27x
Liscard 5 32.05x
Low Bolton 5 581.40x
New Shoreham 5 126.26x
Stoke Upon Trent 5 3.56x
Bowness 4 305.34x
Broadwater 4 26.37x
Chelsea London 4 3.39x
High Bolton 4 1081.08x
Kensington London 4 1.83x
Lambeth 4 1.17x
Above Derwent 3 240.00x
Bedminster 3 5.06x
Blackburn 3 2.42x
Dalston 3 114.94x
East Hoathly 3 260.87x
Hornchurch 3 79.16x
Liversedge 3 17.34x
Salford 3 2.19x
St Olave Hart Street 3 882.35x
Clovelly 2 188.68x
Deptford St Nicholas 2 18.83x
Everton 2 1.35x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 2 3.96x
Limehouse London 2 4.65x
Liverpool 2 0.71x
North Meols 2 4.39x
Paddington London 2 1.39x
Penrith 2 16.04x
Reading St Giles 2 6.93x
Westminster St John 2 4.19x
Andover 1 13.18x
Bath St James 1 15.20x
Bromley 1 4.90x
Claughton With Grange 1 25.38x
Dogmersfield 1 256.41x
Frome 1 6.62x
Gravesend 1 8.83x
High Halden 1 117.65x
Hurstbourne Tarrant 1 89.29x
Lea Ashton Ingol 1 32.36x
Madron Penzance 1 6.20x
Marden 1 31.85x
Margate St John Baptist 1 4.08x
Newtown 1 17.39x
Nottingham Standard 1 74.07x
Pendleton In Salford 1 1.80x
Rotherhithe 1 2.06x
St Luke London 1 1.59x
Wanstead 1 7.37x
Waverton 1 153.85x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 32
Elizabeth 15
Margaret 13
Jane 12
Sarah 11
Annie 8
Ann 7
Ellen 7
Isabella 7
Martha 7
Caroline 4
Eliza 4
Emma 4
Frances 4
Alice 3
Betsy 3
Catherine 3
Edith 3
Jemima 3
Anne 2
Emily 2
Esther 2
Florence 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Nancy 2
Ruth 2
Susannah 2
Amy 1
Catharine 1
Contance 1
Dora 1
Elizth. 1
Elsie 1
Fanny 1
Hanah 1
Henrietta 1
Jessie 1
Lizzie 1
Lora 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Mable 1
Magge 1
Mapala 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 29
John 23
Joseph 20
Robert 15
Henry 12
James 12
George 9
Thomas 9
Richard 7
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Charles 3
Daniel 3
Edwin 3
Albert 2
Frederick 2
Jeremiah 2
Jno. 2
Jonathan 2
Jonathon 2
Josiah 2
Samuel 2
Tom 2
Aaron 1
Benjamin 1
Charley 1
Dan 1
Denham 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
H.Thos. 1
Harrison 1
Herbert 1
Jerimiah 1
Lancelot 1
Ralph 1
Robt. 1
Robt.H. 1
Thos.Wm. 1
W.Gate 1
W.Robt. 1
Wait 1
Walter 1
Wille 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Gate surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gate surname in 1881?

In 1881, 403 people were recorded with the Gate surname. That placed it at #7,933 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gate surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 548 in 2016. That gives Gate a modern rank of #9,309.

What does the Gate surname mean?

A surname denoting a barrier or entrance.

What does the Gate map show?

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