NameCensus.

UK surname

Gauld

An occupational name for a goldsmith or money-changer.

In the 1881 census there were 800 people recorded with the Gauld surname, ranking it #4,654 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,372, ranked #4,397, up from #4,654 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Glass, Aberlour and Keith. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Huntly, Durno-Chapel of Garioch and Crathes and Torphins.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gauld is 1,380 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 71.5%.

1881 census count

800

Ranked #4,654

Modern count

1,372

2016, ranked #4,397

Peak year

2010

1,380 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gauld had 800 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,654 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,372 in 2016, ranked #4,397.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,042 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Gauld surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gauld surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gauld 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 524 #4,784
1861 historical 687 #3,920
1881 historical 800 #4,654
1891 historical 1,017 #4,088
1901 historical 1,042 #4,593
1911 historical 262 #12,501
1997 modern 1,237 #4,590
1998 modern 1,281 #4,635
1999 modern 1,316 #4,551
2000 modern 1,341 #4,450
2001 modern 1,269 #4,579
2002 modern 1,334 #4,474
2003 modern 1,297 #4,496
2004 modern 1,317 #4,434
2005 modern 1,288 #4,465
2006 modern 1,298 #4,449
2007 modern 1,301 #4,481
2008 modern 1,297 #4,521
2009 modern 1,336 #4,501
2010 modern 1,380 #4,457
2011 modern 1,326 #4,557
2012 modern 1,283 #4,626
2013 modern 1,339 #4,529
2014 modern 1,365 #4,486
2015 modern 1,366 #4,436
2016 modern 1,372 #4,397

Geography

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Where Gaulds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Glass, Aberlour, Keith, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Huntly, Durno-Chapel of Garioch, Crathes and Torphins, Clashindarroch and Bucksburn North. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Glass Aberdeen
2 Aberlour Banff
3 Keith Banff
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Huntly Aberdeenshire
2 Durno-Chapel of Garioch Aberdeenshire
3 Crathes and Torphins Aberdeenshire
4 Clashindarroch Aberdeenshire
5 Bucksburn North Aberdeen City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gauld

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gauld

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Gauld surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Gauld household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Gauld 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

Gauld 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

Gauld falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gauld

The surname Gauld originates from Scotland, with its earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "gall," meaning "stranger" or "foreigner," which was commonly used to refer to individuals of Norse or Anglo-Saxon descent.

One of the earliest documented instances of the Gauld surname can be found in the records of the parish of Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland, where a John Gauld was mentioned in 1597. The name was also present in other parts of Scotland, such as Aberdeenshire and Angus, during this period.

In the 17th century, the Gauld surname appeared in various historical records, including the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland in 1626, where a John Gauld was listed as a merchant in Aberdeen. Another notable figure from this era was Alexander Gauld (1639-1719), a Scottish Presbyterian minister who served as the principal of King's College, Aberdeen.

As the centuries progressed, the Gauld surname continued to be prevalent in Scottish records. One notable individual was John Gauld (1776-1842), a renowned Scottish cartographer and surveyor who produced several influential maps and charts, including the "Gauld's Celebrated Seaman's Rendezvous" in 1824.

Another prominent figure was Robert Gauld (1813-1895), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1872, representing the riding of Glengarry.

In more recent times, the Gauld surname has been carried by individuals such as Alastair Gauld (1909-1993), a Scottish journalist and author known for his work on the Scots language, and George Gauld (1923-2014), a British actor and voice artist who appeared in numerous television shows and films.

While the Gauld surname originated in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Canada, the United States, and various other countries, as a result of Scottish immigration and diaspora over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gauld families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gauld 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 402 Gaulds recorded in 1881 and an index of 56.54x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 402 56.54x
Banffshire 124 77.87x
Angus 51 7.17x
Lanarkshire 34 1.37x
Kincardineshire 19 20.32x
Lancashire 18 0.20x
Kirkcudbrightshire 14 12.60x
Stirlingshire 13 4.59x
Ross-shire 12 5.69x
Fife 11 2.42x
Peeblesshire 11 30.46x
Perthshire 9 2.61x
Clackmannanshire 8 12.62x
Argyllshire 7 3.28x
Renfrewshire 7 1.18x
Northumberland 6 0.53x
Surrey 6 0.16x
Devon 4 0.25x
Inverness-shire 4 1.74x
Essex 3 0.20x
Midlothian 3 0.29x
Morayshire 3 2.51x
Sutherland 3 5.08x
Berwickshire 2 2.15x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.97x
Kent 2 0.08x
Middlesex 2 0.03x
West Lothian 2 1.73x
Yorkshire 2 0.03x
Derbyshire 1 0.08x
Durham 1 0.04x
Roxburghshire 1 0.72x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberdeen Old Machar in Aberdeenshire leads with 75 Gaulds recorded in 1881 and an index of 50.53x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen Old Machar 75 50.53x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 45 33.83x
Glass 29 1070.11x
Keith 22 129.56x
Premnay 20 819.67x
Dundee 19 7.16x
Mortlach 19 244.22x
Tyrie 18 201.79x
Aberlour 16 316.83x
Govan 13 2.12x
Grange 12 257.51x
Inverkeithny 12 493.83x
Coupar Angus 11 163.45x
Glenbucket 11 827.07x
Kildrummy 11 635.84x
Kirkurd 11 1486.49x
Tullynessle Forbes 11 421.46x
Turriff 11 95.82x
Banff 10 72.31x
Glasgow 10 2.27x
Glenbervie 10 390.63x
Huntly 10 86.43x
Rhynie 10 337.84x
Barony 9 1.43x
Boyndie 9 170.78x
Cabrach 9 502.79x
Lochbroom 9 81.74x
Logie Coldstone 9 376.57x
Alloa 8 26.02x
Auchindoir Kearn 8 200.50x
Forgue 8 125.20x
Kennethmont 8 303.03x
Montrose 8 18.56x
Rathven 8 26.75x
Falkirk 7 10.56x
Glenaray 7 406.98x
Kintore 7 113.27x
Tannadice 7 211.48x
Tarland 7 227.27x
Auchtergaven 6 103.81x
Birkdale 6 26.03x
Bootle Cum Linacre 6 8.29x
Durris 6 223.88x
Gamrie 6 33.75x
Gartly 6 256.41x
Kemnay 6 139.21x
Kinellar 6 394.74x
Pitsligo 6 88.24x
Belhelvie 5 102.88x
Berwick Upon Tweed 5 20.66x
Cairney 5 120.77x
Cameron 5 189.39x
Dunfermline 5 7.16x
Ellon 5 51.12x
Kells 5 196.08x
King Edward 5 61.05x
Meldrum 5 83.47x
Slamannan 5 32.26x
Buittle 4 153.26x
Glengairn 4 1081.08x
Inverurie 4 49.75x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 2.59x
Tormoham 4 5.92x
Tough 4 222.22x
Towie 4 201.01x
West Greenock 4 3.75x
Duddingston 3 14.53x
Edzell 3 138.25x
Everton 3 1.03x
Forglen 3 153.06x
Insch 3 74.26x
Kelton 3 32.86x
Liff Benvie 3 2.78x
Loth 3 196.08x
West Ham 3 0.90x
Botriphnie 2 108.70x
Channelkirk 2 125.00x
Fodderty 2 37.52x
Skene 2 42.46x
Tarves 2 29.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Margaret 4
Isabella 3
Jane 3
Marion 2
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Bella 1
Careline 1
Caroline 1
Elizabeth 1
Emily 1
Jeannie 1
Jennie 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alexander 3
George 3
James 2
Thomas 2
Alex 1
Charles 1
John 1
Michael 1
Robert 1
William 1

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 Gauld households.

FAQ

Gauld surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gauld surname in 1881?

In 1881, 800 people were recorded with the Gauld surname. That placed it at #4,654 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gauld surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,372 in 2016. That gives Gauld a modern rank of #4,397.

What does the Gauld surname mean?

An occupational name for a goldsmith or money-changer.

What does the Gauld map show?

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