NameCensus.

UK surname

Gatward

In the 1881 census there were 389 people recorded with the Gatward surname, ranking it #8,122 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 448, ranked #10,842, down from #8,122 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Warlingham and Hitchin. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Warwick, Rochford and Maldon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gatward is 634 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.2%.

1881 census count

389

Ranked #8,122

Modern count

448

2016, ranked #10,842

Peak year

1911

634 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gatward had 389 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,122 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 448 in 2016, ranked #10,842.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 634 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gatward surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gatward surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gatward 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 239 #9,092
1861 historical 235 #10,427
1881 historical 389 #8,122
1891 historical 462 #7,917
1901 historical 581 #7,247
1911 historical 634 #6,555
1997 modern 485 #9,512
1998 modern 507 #9,486
1999 modern 515 #9,451
2000 modern 488 #9,800
2001 modern 493 #9,574
2002 modern 495 #9,709
2003 modern 483 #9,735
2004 modern 479 #9,811
2005 modern 464 #9,976
2006 modern 455 #10,160
2007 modern 460 #10,169
2008 modern 460 #10,250
2009 modern 477 #10,206
2010 modern 483 #10,301
2011 modern 486 #10,168
2012 modern 471 #10,313
2013 modern 458 #10,694
2014 modern 448 #10,946
2015 modern 449 #10,836
2016 modern 448 #10,842

Geography

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Where Gatwards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Warlingham, Hitchin, Luton and Melbourn, Meldreth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Warwick, Rochford, Maldon, Northumberland and South Cambridgeshire. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Warlingham Surrey
3 Hitchin Hertfordshire
4 Luton Bedfordshire
5 Melbourn, Meldreth Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Warwick 005 Warwick
2 Rochford 004 Rochford
3 Maldon 007 Maldon
4 Northumberland 036 Northumberland
5 South Cambridgeshire 012 South Cambridgeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gatward

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gatward

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Gatward is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gatward 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

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

1881 census detail

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Gatward families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gatward 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. Hertfordshire leads with 138 Gatwards recorded in 1881 and an index of 53.73x.

County Total Index
Hertfordshire 138 53.73x
Middlesex 64 1.72x
Essex 56 7.61x
Cambridgeshire 38 16.10x
Surrey 26 1.43x
Bedfordshire 20 10.37x
Lancashire 17 0.38x
Berkshire 6 2.15x
Flintshire 6 5.99x
Hampshire 4 0.52x
Gloucestershire 3 0.41x
Durham 1 0.09x
Huntingdonshire 1 1.35x
Kent 1 0.08x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Therfield in Hertfordshire leads with 72 Gatwards recorded in 1881 and an index of 4800.00x.

Place Total Index
Therfield 72 4800.00x
Hitchin 25 215.70x
Bethnal Green London 13 8.03x
St Paul Walden 13 1000.00x
Hackney London 12 5.74x
Bassingbourn 11 317.00x
Luton 11 32.93x
St Andrewthe Less 11 40.80x
Enfield 10 40.90x
Bermondsey 9 8.11x
Wanstead 9 69.88x
Warlingham 9 612.24x
Barking 8 37.17x
Islington London 8 2.22x
Haslingfield 7 729.17x
Royston 7 319.63x
Sible Hedingham 7 284.55x
Bow London 6 12.65x
Finchley 6 41.99x
Holywell 6 47.69x
Little Maplestead 6 1818.18x
Manchester 6 3.02x
Billington 5 925.93x
Prittlewell 5 49.07x
Wheathampstead 5 168.35x
Bray 4 48.66x
Clapham 4 8.59x
Epping 4 133.78x
Great Maplestead 4 800.00x
Lambeth 4 1.23x
Rickmansworth 4 56.58x
St Marythe Less 4 279.72x
St Pancras London 4 1.33x
Stotfold 4 108.40x
Toxteth Park 4 2.67x
Bristol St Paul In 3 15.41x
Odiham 3 89.55x
Openshaw 3 14.49x
Orwell 3 294.12x
Saffron Walden 3 38.61x
Barton Upon Irwell 2 6.01x
Bishop Stortford 2 23.31x
Bourn 2 192.31x
Castle Hedingham 2 150.38x
Cookham 2 22.94x
Harpenden 2 51.02x
Ridgwell 2 238.10x
Welwyn 2 90.09x
West Ham 2 1.23x
Alton 1 17.36x
Berkhampstead 1 17.33x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 1 7.92x
Bromley London 1 1.22x
Bulmer 1 112.36x
East Barnet 1 19.65x
Gateshead 1 1.20x
Graveley 1 208.33x
Great Yeldham 1 131.58x
Hampstead London 1 1.72x
Huntingdon St Mary 1 54.05x
Kings Walden 1 68.97x
Layston 1 72.99x
Little Ilford 1 78.74x
Plumstead 1 2.36x
Salford 1 0.77x
Shoreditch London 1 0.62x
South Mimms 1 19.57x
St Albans St Peter 1 11.53x
Sturmere 1 208.33x
Teddington London 1 11.85x
West Derby 1 0.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Elizabeth 10
Annie 8
Sarah 8
Eliza 7
Ellen 7
Emma 7
Martha 7
Alice 6
Ann 6
Clara 6
Edith 6
Emily 6
Kate 4
Lizzie 4
Caroline 3
Julia 3
Louisa 3
Lucy 3
Rebecca 3
Rose 3
Ada 2
Anne 2
Barbara 2
Beatrice 2
Bertha 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Hannah 2
Margaret 2
Minnie 2
Priscilla 2
Sophia 2
Susan 2
Carrie 1
Elizth.A. 1
Ester 1
Ethel 1
Fannie 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
John 1
Katie 1
Kitty 1
Lieber 1
Lilley 1
Lillian 1
Lois 1
Winnie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 22
George 17
James 14
Charles 13
Henry 12
Frederick 9
Walter 9
John 8
Samuel 8
Alfred 7
Frank 7
Thomas 7
Edward 6
Harry 6
Albert 4
Arthur 3
Herbert 3
Martin 3
Allen 2
Benjamin 2
Francis 2
Josiah 2
Robert 2
Chas.W. 1
Cornelius 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fredrick 1
Harold 1
Joseph 1
Leonard 1
Levi 1
Louis 1
Oswald 1
Richard 1
Roger 1
Thos. 1
Willm.S. 1
Wilson 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Gatward surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gatward surname in 1881?

In 1881, 389 people were recorded with the Gatward surname. That placed it at #8,122 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gatward surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 448 in 2016. That gives Gatward a modern rank of #10,842.

What does the Gatward map show?

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