NameCensus.

UK surname

Gawley

A locational surname derived from a place name in Derbyshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 52 people recorded with the Gawley surname, ranking it #26,281 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 128, ranked #26,401, down from #26,281 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Runnymede, Central Bedfordshire and Calderdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gawley is 148 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 146.2%.

1881 census count

52

Ranked #26,281

Modern count

128

2016, ranked #26,401

Peak year

1998

148 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gawley had 52 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,281 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 128 in 2016, ranked #26,401.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 95 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Gawley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gawley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gawley 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 42 #25,706
1861 historical 70 #24,911
1881 historical 52 #26,281
1891 historical 95 #24,694
1901 historical 50 #28,590
1911 historical 70 #25,853
1997 modern 141 #21,941
1998 modern 148 #21,841
1999 modern 145 #22,305
2000 modern 134 #23,358
2001 modern 128 #23,665
2002 modern 127 #24,267
2003 modern 127 #24,019
2004 modern 134 #23,425
2005 modern 130 #23,848
2006 modern 134 #23,590
2007 modern 130 #24,389
2008 modern 137 #23,883
2009 modern 139 #24,161
2010 modern 140 #24,569
2011 modern 134 #25,050
2012 modern 147 #23,567
2013 modern 137 #25,149
2014 modern 135 #25,581
2015 modern 132 #25,859
2016 modern 128 #26,401

Geography

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Where Gawleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Runnymede, Central Bedfordshire, Calderdale, Wandsworth and Braintree. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Runnymede 007 Runnymede
2 Central Bedfordshire 005 Central Bedfordshire
3 Calderdale 002 Calderdale
4 Wandsworth 004 Wandsworth
5 Braintree 004 Braintree

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gawley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gawley

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

Gawley 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

Gawley falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gawley

The surname Gawley is of Anglo-Saxon origin, specifically tracing its roots back to medieval England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "gal," which means "jovial" or "merry." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname given to someone with a cheerful or lively disposition.

During the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, many surnames were adopted by the common people to distinguish themselves from others with the same first names. It is likely that Gawley emerged as a surname during this period, initially appearing in various spellings such as Gawleigh, Gawlie, and Gawly.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gawley can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire, a census-like record from 1273. The entry mentions a certain Robert Gawly, indicating the presence of the surname in that region during the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname Gawley appeared in several historical records, including the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire. These rolls document a John Gawley who held land in the area around 1379.

Another notable figure from history bearing the Gawley surname was Sir Thomas Gawley, a member of the English gentry who lived during the 16th century. He was born around 1505 and served as a Member of Parliament for Wigan in Lancashire.

The Gawley name is also associated with several place names in England, such as Gawley Hall in Cheshire, which was once owned by a family bearing the surname. Additionally, the village of Gawley in Staffordshire may have derived its name from the Gawley family who resided there in ancient times.

Other individuals of historical significance with the surname Gawley include:

1. John Gawley (c. 1625-1699), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of St. John's College, Cambridge. 2. William Gawley (c. 1770-1843), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and became a Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy. 3. Mary Gawley (c. 1845-1934), an Irish writer and poet known for her works exploring the cultural heritage of County Sligo. 4. Edward Gawley (c. 1885-1964), an American lawyer and politician who served as the Attorney General of Utah from 1933 to 1937. 5. James Gawley (c. 1910-1988), a British artist and sculptor known for his abstract metal sculptures and his work in public art commissions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gawley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gawley 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 13 Gawleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.97x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 13 1.97x
Surrey 11 4.06x
Essex 7 6.38x
Channel Islands 5 30.36x
Derbyshire 4 4.60x
Durham 4 2.42x
Yorkshire 4 0.73x
Ayrshire 2 4.81x
Berkshire 2 4.79x
Kent 2 1.05x
Hampshire 1 0.88x
Middlesex 1 0.18x
Renfrewshire 1 2.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sutton in Surrey leads with 8 Gawleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 408.16x.

Place Total Index
Sutton 8 408.16x
Toxteth Park 7 31.33x
West Ham 7 28.89x
St Helier 5 93.28x
Middridge 4 2500.00x
Normanton 4 540.54x
Leeds 3 9.64x
Wandsworth 3 56.07x
Barrow In Furness 2 22.30x
Liverpool 2 4.99x
Stevenston 2 185.19x
Wantage 2 298.51x
Blackley 1 86.21x
Cheriton 1 129.87x
Crumpsall 1 64.52x
Headingley Cum Burley 1 28.17x
Islington London 1 1.86x
Lewisham 1 9.89x
Southampton St Michael 1 263.16x
West Greenock 1 12.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Susan 3
Alice 2
Eliza 2
Elizabeth 2
Ellen 2
Anna 1
Bridgett 1
Frances 1
M.A.Mc. 1
Margaret 1
Margret 1
Martha 1

Top male names

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

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 Gawley households.

FAQ

Gawley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gawley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 52 people were recorded with the Gawley surname. That placed it at #26,281 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gawley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 128 in 2016. That gives Gawley a modern rank of #26,401.

What does the Gawley surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in Derbyshire, England.

What does the Gawley map show?

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