NameCensus.

UK surname

Gawn

In the 1881 census there were 132 people recorded with the Gawn surname, ranking it #16,744 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 176, ranked #21,298, down from #16,744 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Helen, Newchurch and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Isle of Wight, Redditch and Southampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gawn is 214 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.3%.

1881 census count

132

Ranked #16,744

Modern count

176

2016, ranked #21,298

Peak year

1999

214 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gawn had 132 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,744 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 176 in 2016, ranked #21,298.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 175 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Gawn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gawn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gawn 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 46 #24,985
1861 historical 50 #27,636
1881 historical 132 #16,744
1891 historical 123 #20,939
1901 historical 169 #16,824
1911 historical 175 #16,246
1997 modern 199 #17,668
1998 modern 203 #17,949
1999 modern 214 #17,494
2000 modern 195 #18,494
2001 modern 194 #18,287
2002 modern 211 #17,696
2003 modern 213 #17,395
2004 modern 212 #17,540
2005 modern 205 #17,838
2006 modern 195 #18,564
2007 modern 208 #18,013
2008 modern 204 #18,403
2009 modern 208 #18,551
2010 modern 207 #19,007
2011 modern 198 #19,410
2012 modern 189 #19,949
2013 modern 184 #20,643
2014 modern 187 #20,570
2015 modern 184 #20,719
2016 modern 176 #21,298

Geography

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Where Gawns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Helen, Newchurch, London parishes, Southampton St Mary and Harrow-on-the-Hill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Isle of Wight, Redditch, Southampton and Havant. 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 St Helen Hampshire
2 Newchurch Hampshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Southampton St Mary Hampshire
5 Harrow-on-the-Hill Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Isle of Wight 007 Isle of Wight
2 Isle of Wight 006 Isle of Wight
3 Redditch 005 Redditch
4 Southampton 031 Southampton
5 Havant 008 Havant

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gawn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gawn

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Gawn is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gawn is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gawn falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Gawn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gawn 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. Hampshire leads with 83 Gawns recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.44x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 83 29.44x
Surrey 20 2.98x
Durham 10 2.44x
Isle of Man 10 39.15x
Derbyshire 7 3.25x
Caithness 5 26.55x
Devon 2 0.70x
Cheshire 1 0.33x
Cornwall 1 0.64x
Lancashire 1 0.06x
Middlesex 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ryde in Hampshire leads with 39 Gawns recorded in 1881 and an index of 643.56x.

Place Total Index
Ryde 39 643.56x
Portsmouth 17 261.94x
St Helens 12 585.37x
Camberwell 11 12.52x
Portsea 11 19.91x
Bishopwearmouth 10 28.47x
Lezayre 8 695.65x
Newington 8 15.74x
Alvaston 7 1147.54x
Wick 5 82.24x
Onchan 2 27.17x
Calbourne 1 333.33x
Dartmouth Townstall 1 85.47x
Freshwater 1 77.52x
Hammersmith London 1 2.95x
Liscard 1 18.28x
Northwood 1 24.94x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 4.54x
Southampton All Sts 1 20.66x
St Austell 1 18.80x
Sutton 1 20.62x
West Derby 1 2.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Annie 6
Caroline 3
Elizabeth 3
Ellen 3
Fanny 3
Jane 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Amelia 2
Ethel 2
Gertrude 2
Kate 2
Lydia 2
Rosena 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Adelaide 1
Ammie 1
Amy 1
Anna 1
Blanch 1
Cathrine 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Laura 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Margt. 1
Marian 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 5
Arthur 4
Daniel 4
John 4
Richard 4
Thomas 4
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
George 2
Harry 2
Peter 2
Robert 2
Thos. 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Charley 1
Chas.J. 1
Cornelius 1
Danl. 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Hugh 1
Johaney 1
Keple 1
Percy 1
Reginald 1
Revd 1
Sam 1
Stephen 1
Thos 1
Tom 1
Wilfred 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1
Wm.T. 1

FAQ

Gawn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gawn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 132 people were recorded with the Gawn surname. That placed it at #16,744 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gawn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 176 in 2016. That gives Gawn a modern rank of #21,298.

What does the Gawn map show?

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