NameCensus.

UK surname

Gavin

Derived from the medieval name Gawain, meaning "white hawk" or "God sends," and likely of Welsh origin.

In the 1881 census there were 1,482 people recorded with the Gavin surname, ranking it #2,824 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,136, ranked #1,641, up from #2,824 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stonehouse, St. Helens and Greenock East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gavin is 4,242 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 179.1%.

1881 census count

1,482

Ranked #2,824

Modern count

4,136

2016, ranked #1,641

Peak year

2010

4,242 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gavin had 1,482 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,824 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,136 in 2016, ranked #1,641.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,943 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Gavin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gavin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gavin 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 700 #3,729
1861 historical 900 #3,078
1881 historical 1,482 #2,824
1891 historical 1,548 #2,854
1901 historical 1,943 #2,721
1911 historical 1,177 #3,974
1997 modern 3,751 #1,731
1998 modern 3,872 #1,740
1999 modern 3,896 #1,749
2000 modern 3,874 #1,743
2001 modern 3,766 #1,751
2002 modern 3,951 #1,715
2003 modern 3,905 #1,691
2004 modern 3,906 #1,699
2005 modern 3,892 #1,675
2006 modern 3,920 #1,662
2007 modern 4,010 #1,640
2008 modern 4,066 #1,627
2009 modern 4,166 #1,628
2010 modern 4,242 #1,630
2011 modern 4,199 #1,624
2012 modern 4,140 #1,622
2013 modern 4,164 #1,644
2014 modern 4,220 #1,631
2015 modern 4,167 #1,633
2016 modern 4,136 #1,641

Geography

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Where Gavins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stonehouse, St. Helens, Greenock East, Greenock Upper Central and Greenock Town Centre and East Central. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stonehouse South Lanarkshire
2 St. Helens 020 St. Helens
3 Greenock East Inverclyde
4 Greenock Upper Central Inverclyde
5 Greenock Town Centre and East Central Inverclyde

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gavin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gavin

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gavin, 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 Gavin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Gavin 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, Gavin 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

Gavin 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

Gavin 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 Gavin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Gavin

The surname GAVIN originates from the ancient Scottish Gaelic personal name Gawain or Gavin, derived from the Welsh name Gawain or Gwalchmei. The name itself is thought to mean "hawk of battle" or "battle prince" in ancient Celtic languages. The earliest known records of the surname date back to the 12th century in the Scottish Lowlands and Borders region.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname GAVIN was Sir Gavin of Glammis, a Scottish knight who lived in the late 14th century. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Robert III of Scotland. Another notable early GAVIN was Gavin Douglas, a Scottish bishop and poet who lived from around 1474 to 1522. He is best known for his translation of Virgil's Aeneid into early Scots vernacular.

In the 16th century, the GAVIN surname was found in various parishes and records across Scotland, with variations in spelling such as Gawane, Gavine, and Gawain. One notable figure from this time was Gavin Hamilton, a Scottish painter and archaeologist who lived from 1723 to 1798. He is renowned for his neoclassical paintings and his excavations in Italy.

The GAVIN surname also has a long history in Ireland, where it is believed to have been introduced by Scottish settlers during the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century. One famous Irish GAVIN was Gavin Higgins, a prominent lawyer and politician who lived from 1890 to 1965. He served as Attorney General of Ireland and Chief Justice of the Irish Free State.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the GAVIN surname spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond, with individuals bearing the name found in England, Wales, and various British colonies. One notable GAVIN from this era was Gavin Milroy, a Scottish physician and writer who lived from 1805 to 1886. He is known for his works on the medical treatment of mental disorders.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gavin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gavin 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. Lancashire leads with 401 Gavins recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.34x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 401 2.34x
Lanarkshire 164 3.51x
Aberdeenshire 146 10.91x
Middlesex 93 0.64x
Yorkshire 68 0.48x
Renfrewshire 61 5.45x
Midlothian 60 3.10x
Staffordshire 60 1.23x
Cheshire 45 1.41x
Durham 45 1.05x
Perthshire 43 6.63x
Warwickshire 35 0.96x
Ayrshire 33 3.05x
Surrey 28 0.40x
Stirlingshire 25 4.69x
Fife 18 2.10x
Kent 16 0.32x
Kincardineshire 13 7.39x
Northumberland 12 0.56x
Angus 11 0.82x
Hampshire 10 0.34x
Derbyshire 9 0.40x
Devon 9 0.30x
Essex 9 0.32x
Roxburghshire 6 2.29x
Channel Islands 5 1.17x
West Lothian 5 2.30x
Glamorgan 4 0.16x
Lincolnshire 4 0.17x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.21x
Selkirkshire 4 3.06x
Sussex 4 0.16x
Banffshire 3 1.00x
Monmouthshire 3 0.29x
Suffolk 3 0.17x
Dorset 2 0.21x
Flintshire 2 0.52x
Leicestershire 2 0.12x
Norfolk 2 0.09x
Royal Navy 2 1.16x
Shropshire 2 0.16x
Somerset 2 0.09x
Argyllshire 1 0.25x
Berwickshire 1 0.57x
Cornwall 1 0.06x
Cumberland 1 0.08x
Denbighshire 1 0.18x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.26x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.48x
Worcestershire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 109 Gavins recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.47x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 109 10.47x
Govan 53 4.59x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 50 19.97x
Barony 35 2.96x
Birmingham 30 2.47x
Everton 28 5.12x
Glasgow 27 3.25x
Salford 26 5.16x
Stockport 22 13.40x
Paisley High Church 21 23.56x
West Derby 20 3.99x
Cruden 18 104.47x
Toxteth Park 18 3.10x
Dalmellington 17 53.48x
Kilbarchan 17 49.99x
South Leith 15 6.89x
Windle 15 15.55x
Bermondsey 14 3.26x
Cambusnethan 14 13.49x
Clerkenwell London 14 4.11x
Chelsea London 13 2.99x
Maryhill 13 14.21x
Perth Middle Church 13 53.32x
Peterhead 13 18.37x
Shotts 13 23.25x
St Marylebone London 13 1.69x
Stirling 13 19.35x
Wolverhampton 13 3.47x
Blackburn 12 2.63x
North Leith 12 13.40x
Oldham 12 2.17x
Chorlton On Medlock 11 4.04x
East Greenock 11 10.40x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 11 5.91x
Walsall Foreign 11 4.37x
Bilston 10 10.58x
Bradford 10 2.89x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 10 1.28x
Lower Booths 10 32.56x
Manchester 10 1.30x
St George Hanover Square 10 3.93x
Trentham 10 24.11x
Dundee 9 1.80x
Edinburgh Old Church 9 57.92x
Kirkdale 9 3.12x
Longside 9 56.32x
Slains 9 144.23x
Westoe 9 3.69x
Bold 8 188.24x
Bradford 8 9.97x
Ince In Makerfield 8 10.03x
Insch 8 105.12x
Lee 8 11.18x
Leeds 8 0.99x
Logie Buchan 8 208.88x
Skelton In Guisbrough 8 20.66x
Tynemouth 8 6.95x
Wigan 8 3.34x
Bromborough 7 105.74x
Cornforth 7 55.34x
Fraserburgh 7 18.59x
Horton In Bradford 7 3.13x
Inverkeithing 7 54.31x
Laurencekirk 7 68.69x
Manningham 7 3.97x
Newcastle Under Lyme 7 8.11x
Paddington London 7 1.32x
Perth West Church 7 22.75x
Rattray 7 46.39x
Skelmersdale 7 24.50x
Spotland 7 3.67x
Bothkennar 6 37.74x
Hampstead London 6 2.67x
Holy Trinity 6 1.74x
Kirkton 6 363.64x
Newton In Ashton Under 6 19.07x
Pilkington 6 9.21x
Plymouth St Andrew 6 2.59x
Shincliffe 6 125.00x
Skene 6 67.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 99
Margaret 29
Bridget 26
Elizabeth 25
Catherine 24
Ellen 23
Ann 21
Sarah 17
Annie 14
Jane 12
Kate 9
Alice 7
Eliza 7
Rose 7
Agnes 6
Jessie 5
Maria 5
Hannah 4
Isabella 4
Winifred 4
Anna 3
Caroline 3
Edith 3
Emma 3
Harriet 3
Margret 3
Martha 3
Ada 2
Angela 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Elizth. 2
Esther 2
Ethel 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Hilda 2
Johanna 2
Julia 2
Louisa 2
Maggie 2
Nellie 2
Norah 2
Phillis 2
Precilla 2
Rachel 2
Cecilia 1
Elen 1
Ella 1
Honora 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Gavin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gavin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,482 people were recorded with the Gavin surname. That placed it at #2,824 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gavin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,136 in 2016. That gives Gavin a modern rank of #1,641.

What does the Gavin surname mean?

Derived from the medieval name Gawain, meaning "white hawk" or "God sends," and likely of Welsh origin.

What does the Gavin map show?

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