NameCensus.

UK surname

Gault

Derived from a French place name, possibly meaning "woodland" or referring to a personal name of Germanic origin.

In the 1881 census there were 399 people recorded with the Gault surname, ranking it #7,984 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,377, ranked #4,382, up from #7,984 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Govan Combination and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central, Lossiemouth East and Seatown and Lossiemouth West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gault is 1,387 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 245.1%.

1881 census count

399

Ranked #7,984

Modern count

1,377

2016, ranked #4,382

Peak year

2010

1,387 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gault had 399 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,984 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,377 in 2016, ranked #4,382.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 607 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Gault surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gault surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gault 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 104 #16,746
1861 historical 162 #14,310
1881 historical 399 #7,984
1891 historical 477 #7,705
1901 historical 607 #7,011
1911 historical 148 #18,023
1997 modern 1,210 #4,676
1998 modern 1,264 #4,682
1999 modern 1,268 #4,704
2000 modern 1,285 #4,631
2001 modern 1,247 #4,651
2002 modern 1,288 #4,612
2003 modern 1,247 #4,650
2004 modern 1,273 #4,572
2005 modern 1,260 #4,559
2006 modern 1,280 #4,505
2007 modern 1,290 #4,520
2008 modern 1,295 #4,527
2009 modern 1,320 #4,548
2010 modern 1,387 #4,435
2011 modern 1,319 #4,577
2012 modern 1,279 #4,642
2013 modern 1,309 #4,626
2014 modern 1,354 #4,515
2015 modern 1,362 #4,444
2016 modern 1,377 #4,382

Geography

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Where Gaults are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Govan Combination, Gateshead, Glasgow and Paisley Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central, Lossiemouth East and Seatown, Lossiemouth West, Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central and Port Glasgow Upper East. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 New Monkland Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central Inverclyde
2 Lossiemouth East and Seatown Moray
3 Lossiemouth West Moray
4 Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central Inverclyde
5 Port Glasgow Upper East Inverclyde

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gault

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gault

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Gault surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Gault household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gault is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gault 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

Gault falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gault 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Gault

The surname Gault has its origins in France, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French word "galt," which means "wasteland" or "uncultivated land." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive name for someone who lived near or worked on such land.

One of the earliest documented references to the Gault name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Galt" in this historical record.

During the Middle Ages, the Gault name was particularly prevalent in the Normandy region of northern France. As the Norman conquest of England unfolded in the 11th century, many individuals with the surname Gault likely migrated to England, where the name took root and evolved over time.

In the 13th century, the name was occasionally spelled as "Gaulte" or "Gaulter," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that era. Place names like "Gaultier" and "Gaulthier" in Normandy may have contributed to the development of these spelling variations.

One notable historical figure with the Gault surname was Sir Robert Gault (1554-1638), an English judge and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas during the reign of King James I.

Another prominent individual was François Gault (1658-1733), a French sculptor and architect who worked on several notable buildings in Paris, including the Church of Saint-Roch and the Palais-Royal.

In the 19th century, John Gault (1819-1888) was a Scottish-Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist who made his fortune in the textile industry and later founded the Gault Brothers Company.

Andrew Hamilton Gault (1882-1958), a Canadian businessman and military officer, played a significant role in World War I as the founder and commander of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry regiment.

Finally, Jean-Baptiste Gault (1834-1894), a French writer and journalist, gained recognition for his literary works, including novels and plays, during the latter half of the 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gault families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gault 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. Lanarkshire leads with 112 Gaults recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.88x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 112 8.88x
Renfrewshire 40 13.23x
Morayshire 36 59.38x
Ayrshire 30 10.27x
Lancashire 29 0.63x
Cambridgeshire 25 10.12x
Banffshire 18 22.24x
Durham 18 1.55x
Middlesex 17 0.44x
Yorkshire 11 0.28x
Essex 9 1.17x
Argyllshire 7 6.45x
Caithness 7 13.10x
Kent 7 0.53x
Surrey 7 0.37x
Northumberland 6 1.03x
Leicestershire 5 1.16x
Dunbartonshire 3 2.86x
Wiltshire 2 0.58x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.28x
Denbighshire 1 0.68x
Devon 1 0.12x
Fife 1 0.43x
Hampshire 1 0.13x
Hertfordshire 1 0.37x
Midlothian 1 0.19x
Perthshire 1 0.57x
Royal Navy 1 2.15x
Shetland 1 2.51x
Suffolk 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 36 Gaults recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.54x.

Place Total Index
Govan 36 11.54x
Drainie 32 595.90x
Barony 26 8.14x
New Monkland 24 64.34x
Bothwell 16 46.76x
Kilmarnock 12 34.53x
West Wickham 11 1803.28x
Kilbarchan 10 108.93x
Banff 9 128.02x
Dalmellington 9 104.77x
Eastwood 9 48.34x
Little Bolton 9 15.12x
Barking 8 35.49x
Chorlton On Medlock 8 10.88x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 8 15.91x
Port Glasgow 8 54.72x
Bishopwearmouth 7 7.03x
Brightside Bierlow 7 9.23x
Dunoon Kilmun 7 82.64x
Wick 7 40.56x
Abbey 6 13.00x
Bottisham 6 285.71x
Shotts 6 39.74x
St Andrewthe Less 6 21.25x
Cathcart 5 30.56x
Fordyce 5 85.91x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 5 14.42x
Croydon 4 3.79x
Duffus 4 74.91x
Gorton 4 9.19x
Kensington London 4 1.84x
Leicester St Margaret 4 3.79x
St George Hanover Square 4 5.82x
Woolwich 4 8.13x
Denaby 3 136.99x
Heworth 3 13.12x
Paddington London 3 2.09x
Rusholme 3 24.29x
Stevenston 3 39.42x
Westminster St John 3 6.31x
Cheetham 2 5.79x
Galston 2 25.03x
Gamrie 2 22.12x
Glasgow 2 0.89x
Islington London 2 0.53x
Marlborough St Mary Virgin 2 82.30x
Rathven 2 13.16x
Row 2 14.75x
Wandsworth 2 5.32x
Ardrossan 1 9.89x
Brinkley 1 250.00x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 1 11.21x
Cambusnethan 1 3.57x
Clayton Le Moors 1 11.14x
Colmonell 1 34.01x
Dailly 1 33.56x
Dunlop 1 54.95x
Gillingham 1 3.64x
Hamilton 1 2.84x
Hunslet 1 1.66x
Kilconquhar 1 36.36x
Kilmadock 1 24.81x
Kyloe 1 74.63x
Lewisham 1 1.41x
Liverpool 1 0.36x
Llangollen Llangollen 1 59.52x
Loughborough 1 5.09x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.20x
New Kilpatrick 1 10.03x
Paisley High Church 1 4.15x
Paisley Low Church 1 10.45x
Parson Drove 1 101.01x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.27x
Standon 1 36.10x
Tingwall 1 50.25x
Tormoham 1 2.91x
Tottington Lower End 1 4.55x
West Ham 1 0.59x
Yaverland 1 500.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Ann 4
Annie 4
Elizabeth 4
Jane 4
Sarah 4
Alice 3
Eliza 3
Louisa 3
Margaret 3
Ada 2
Catherine 2
Adelaide 1
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Betsy 1
Charlotte 1
Elizabett 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Inez 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Johanna 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lily 1
Lisla 1
Lucy 1
Martha 1
Mirriam 1
Nellie 1
Susannah 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 6
John 6
Charles 5
Edward 4
George 4
William 4
Robert 3
Thos. 3
Arthur 2
David 2
Isaac 2
Joseph 2
Peter 2
Samuel 2
Alex 1
Alfred 1
Aurthur 1
Ernest 1
H.I. 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Jeremiah 1
Martin 1
Maurice 1
Oscar 1
Sidney 1
Thomas 1
W. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Gault surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gault surname in 1881?

In 1881, 399 people were recorded with the Gault surname. That placed it at #7,984 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gault surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,377 in 2016. That gives Gault a modern rank of #4,382.

What does the Gault surname mean?

Derived from a French place name, possibly meaning "woodland" or referring to a personal name of Germanic origin.

What does the Gault map show?

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