NameCensus.

UK surname

Gath

A locative surname referring to someone from the ancient town of Gath.

In the 1881 census there were 263 people recorded with the Gath surname, ranking it #10,692 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 261, ranked #16,309, down from #10,692 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bradford, Manchester and Halifax. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Selby, North East Lincolnshire and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gath is 344 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.8%.

1881 census count

263

Ranked #10,692

Modern count

261

2016, ranked #16,309

Peak year

1911

344 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gath had 263 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,692 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 261 in 2016, ranked #16,309.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 344 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Gath surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gath surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gath 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 172 #11,682
1861 historical 253 #9,764
1881 historical 263 #10,692
1891 historical 286 #11,497
1901 historical 315 #11,263
1911 historical 344 #10,386
1997 modern 273 #14,417
1998 modern 284 #14,402
1999 modern 279 #14,670
2000 modern 287 #14,345
2001 modern 281 #14,329
2002 modern 276 #14,794
2003 modern 264 #15,071
2004 modern 263 #15,189
2005 modern 250 #15,639
2006 modern 250 #15,749
2007 modern 257 #15,606
2008 modern 259 #15,688
2009 modern 263 #15,843
2010 modern 266 #16,067
2011 modern 271 #15,708
2012 modern 272 #15,586
2013 modern 282 #15,441
2014 modern 267 #16,161
2015 modern 261 #16,318
2016 modern 261 #16,309

Geography

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Where Gaths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bradford, Manchester, Halifax and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Selby, North East Lincolnshire and Leeds. 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 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Selby 006 Selby
2 Selby 005 Selby
3 North East Lincolnshire 001 North East Lincolnshire
4 Selby 007 Selby
5 Leeds 065 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gath

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gath

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Gath is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gath is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Gath

The surname GATH is believed to have originated from the ancient Hebrew city of Gath, one of the principal Philistine cities mentioned in the Bible. The name likely derives from the Hebrew word "gat," meaning "wine-press" or "winepress."

GATH as a surname first appeared in England during the 12th century, brought over by Jewish immigrants from France and Germany. These early bearers of the name may have taken it as a reference to their ancestral homeland or as a way to distinguish themselves from other Jewish families.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GATH surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1190, where a man named Isaac de Gath is listed. This suggests that the name had already been adopted by some Jewish families living in England by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the GATH surname appears in various legal records and documents, such as the Curia Regis Rolls of 1203, where a Henry de Gath is mentioned. Another early bearer of the name was Rabbi Jacob ben Judah of London, also known as Jacob of Gath, who lived in the late 12th and early 13th centuries.

As the Jewish population in England faced persecution and eventual expulsion in 1290, many GATH families likely fled to other parts of Europe, particularly France and Germany. This may have contributed to the spread and diversification of the surname across different regions.

Notable individuals with the GATH surname throughout history include:

1. Gottfried Gath (1645-1725), a German theologian and philosopher. 2. Johann Christian Gath (1770-1831), a German composer and organist. 3. Andreas Samuel Gath (1761-1819), a German painter and engraver. 4. Marie Gath (1874-1959), an Austrian novelist and playwright. 5. Édouard Gath (1852-1934), a French painter and illustrator.

The GATH surname has undergone various spellings and variations over time, such as Gath, Gathe, Gatt, and Gath-Gath, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of the regions where it was adopted.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gath families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gath 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. Yorkshire leads with 167 Gaths recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.70x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 167 6.70x
Lancashire 28 0.94x
Gloucestershire 14 2.84x
Devon 10 1.91x
Middlesex 8 0.32x
Nottinghamshire 7 2.06x
Surrey 7 0.57x
Cheshire 6 1.08x
Norfolk 5 1.29x
Durham 3 0.40x
Cumberland 1 0.46x
Oxfordshire 1 0.64x
Sussex 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 32 Gaths recorded in 1881 and an index of 53.01x.

Place Total Index
Bradford 32 53.01x
Leeds 20 14.20x
Hunslet 17 43.71x
Northowram 13 74.33x
Manchester 12 8.94x
Oldham 12 12.45x
Sheffield 12 15.11x
Batley 10 42.19x
Halifax 10 27.31x
Morley 10 77.10x
Shipley 10 77.28x
Bowling 8 32.39x
Bristol St James St Paul 8 48.60x
Islington London 8 3.28x
Southowram 8 105.12x
Nottingham St Mary 7 7.98x
Camberwell 6 3.73x
Horton In Bradford 6 15.40x
Oxton 6 191.08x
Tiverton 6 66.52x
Tong 6 124.48x
Horfield 5 100.60x
Holy Trinity 3 5.00x
Lanchester 3 218.98x
Newton In Makerfield 3 32.82x
Morchard Bishop 2 183.49x
Bawdeswell 1 256.41x
Bideford 1 17.83x
Bradford 1 7.15x
Brighton 1 1.17x
Caldewgate 1 8.42x
Cheltenham 1 2.63x
Ewelme 1 196.08x
Heckmondwike 1 12.47x
Kilverstone 1 1428.57x
Mattishall 1 129.87x
Newington 1 1.08x
Norwich St John 1 285.71x
Sidmouth 1 33.33x
Walcott 1 1000.00x
West Ardsley 1 33.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 19
Mary 13
Elizabeth 10
Alice 7
Annie 7
Ellen 7
Ann 6
Emma 6
Jane 6
Emily 4
Louisa 4
Caroline 2
Eliza 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Priscilla 2
Susan 2
Adeline 1
Amelia 1
Augusta 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Effie 1
Florence 1
Florrie 1
Frances 1
Georgeanna 1
Ida 1
Janey 1
Jensuph 1
Josephine 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Leah 1
Lillie 1
Lily 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Martha 1
May 1
Minerva 1
Minnie 1
Miranda 1
Nancy 1
Prudence 1
R. 1
Susannah 1
Violet 1
Virginia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 19
George 12
Joseph 11
William 10
James 7
Samuel 7
Edward 5
Thomas 5
Henry 4
Herbert 4
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Harry 3
Frederick 2
Sam 2
Charles 1
Dann 1
Elisha 1
Fletcher 1
Francisco 1
Fredk.H. 1
Isaac 1
Joe 1
Joe.S. 1
Josh. 1
Joshua 1
Ledgard 1
Leonard 1
Lewis 1
Matthew 1
Moses 1
Priestley 1
Ralph 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Seth 1
Stephen 1
Uriah 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Gath surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gath surname in 1881?

In 1881, 263 people were recorded with the Gath surname. That placed it at #10,692 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gath surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 261 in 2016. That gives Gath a modern rank of #16,309.

What does the Gath surname mean?

A locative surname referring to someone from the ancient town of Gath.

What does the Gath map show?

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