NameCensus.

UK surname

Gavins

An Americanized form of the Irish surname Gabhuinn meaning "hawk" or "falcon."

In the 1881 census there were 131 people recorded with the Gavins surname, ranking it #16,824 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 103, ranked #30,515, down from #16,824 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Doddington, Bracebridge and Hartford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lancaster, Wakefield and West Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gavins is 150 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 21.4%.

1881 census count

131

Ranked #16,824

Modern count

103

2016, ranked #30,515

Peak year

1911

150 bearers

Map years

5

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gavins had 131 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,824 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016, ranked #30,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 150 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Gavins surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gavins surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gavins 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 64 #21,914
1861 historical 73 #24,492
1881 historical 131 #16,824
1891 historical 100 #24,045
1901 historical 137 #19,032
1911 historical 150 #17,866
1997 modern 97 #27,342
1998 modern 99 #27,785
1999 modern 102 #27,468
2000 modern 103 #27,280
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 109 #26,552
2003 modern 96 #28,381
2004 modern 95 #28,746
2005 modern 88 #29,831
2006 modern 89 #30,027
2007 modern 90 #30,228
2008 modern 93 #30,123
2009 modern 94 #30,538
2010 modern 99 #30,397
2011 modern 102 #29,759
2012 modern 92 #31,528
2013 modern 99 #30,934
2014 modern 105 #30,204
2015 modern 101 #30,816
2016 modern 103 #30,515

Geography

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Where Gavins' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Doddington, Bracebridge, Hartford, Bradford and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lancaster, Wakefield, West Lindsey, Sheffield and Bradford. 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 Doddington Cambridgeshire
2 Bracebridge Lincolnshire
3 Hartford Huntingdonshire
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lancaster 006 Lancaster
2 Wakefield 034 Wakefield
3 West Lindsey 003 West Lindsey
4 Sheffield 072 Sheffield
5 Bradford 014 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gavins

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gavins

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gavins, 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 Gavins surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Gavins 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gavins 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

Gavins 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

Gavins falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gavins

The surname Gavins has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "gamhuinn," which means "calf" or "yearling." This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational name for someone who worked with young cattle.

The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the parish records of Ayrshire, Scotland, in the year 1567, where a John Gavins is mentioned. Another early reference is found in the records of Dunfermline, Fife, in 1603, where a William Gavins is listed.

In the 17th century, the name Gavins also appears in the records of the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the area around Inverness. This suggests that the name may have spread from its original location in the western regions of Scotland to other parts of the country.

One notable bearer of the Gavins surname was John Gavins, a Scottish clergyman who lived from 1688 to 1755. He was a minister in the Church of Scotland and served as the Moderator of the General Assembly in 1742.

Another prominent individual with this surname was William Gavins, a Scottish writer and journalist who lived from 1812 to 1878. He was the editor of the Kilmarnock Journal and wrote several books on local history and folklore.

In the 19th century, the Gavins surname also appears in records from England, indicating that some families with this name had migrated from Scotland to England during this period. For instance, there are records of a James Gavins, born in 1825 in Northumberland, England.

Other notable bearers of the Gavins surname include Robert Gavins, a Scottish architect who lived from 1840 to 1915 and designed several notable buildings in Glasgow, and John Gavins, a Scottish politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Kilmarnock Burghs constituency from 1892 to 1895.

Overall, the surname Gavins has a rich history rooted in Scotland, with its earliest origins likely stemming from an occupational name related to cattle farming. Over the centuries, it has been carried by individuals from various professions, including clergymen, writers, architects, and politicians.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gavins families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gavins 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 59 Gavins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.66x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 59 4.66x
Lincolnshire 17 8.32x
Cambridgeshire 16 19.77x
Huntingdonshire 11 43.36x
Lanarkshire 9 2.18x
Angus 6 5.07x
Norfolk 5 2.54x
Middlesex 2 0.16x
Cumberland 1 0.91x
Devon 1 0.38x
Kent 1 0.23x
Midlothian 1 0.58x
Perthshire 1 1.74x
Surrey 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 45 Gavins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 62.94x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 45 62.94x
Sheffield 11 27.29x
Doddington 8 1355.93x
Graffham 8 5333.33x
North Hyckeham 8 4000.00x
Benwick 6 1666.67x
Shotts 6 121.21x
Pulham St Mary Magdalen 5 1020.41x
Brampton 3 566.04x
Brightside Bierlow 3 12.08x
Dundee 3 6.79x
Govan 3 2.94x
Strathmartine 3 576.92x
Aubourn 2 2222.22x
Burton Upon Stather 2 769.23x
North Coates 2 1666.67x
Thorney 2 222.22x
Auchtergaven 1 104.17x
Caldewgate 1 16.58x
Croydon 1 2.89x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.45x
Great Grimsby 1 7.71x
Great Stanmore 1 175.44x
Lewisham 1 4.30x
Nettleham 1 238.10x
St Swithin Lincoln 1 31.15x
Stoke Damerel 1 5.37x
Willesden 1 8.30x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
Thomas 6
George 4
William 4
Joseph 3
Harry 2
Parkinson 2
Walter 2
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Edward 1
Ellen 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
James 1
Jim 1
Joe. 1
Michael 1
Parkson 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Rhodes 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Gavins surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gavins surname in 1881?

In 1881, 131 people were recorded with the Gavins surname. That placed it at #16,824 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gavins surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016. That gives Gavins a modern rank of #30,515.

What does the Gavins surname mean?

An Americanized form of the Irish surname Gabhuinn meaning "hawk" or "falcon."

What does the Gavins map show?

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