NameCensus.

UK surname

Gawne

An English surname derived from the medieval placename meaning "green bank" or "grassy slope".

In the 1881 census there were 62 people recorded with the Gawne surname, ranking it #24,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 247, ranked #16,955, up from #24,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Toxteth Park, Dalton-in-Furness and West Derby. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wyre, Barrow-in-Furness and South Bucks.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gawne is 251 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 298.4%.

1881 census count

62

Ranked #24,843

Modern count

247

2016, ranked #16,955

Peak year

2015

251 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gawne had 62 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 247 in 2016, ranked #16,955.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 117 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Gawne surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gawne surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gawne 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 26 #28,667
1861 historical 23 #31,039
1881 historical 62 #24,843
1891 historical 78 #27,035
1901 historical 110 #21,604
1911 historical 117 #20,757
1997 modern 188 #18,324
1998 modern 198 #18,224
1999 modern 214 #17,494
2000 modern 209 #17,723
2001 modern 199 #17,996
2002 modern 204 #18,062
2003 modern 198 #18,252
2004 modern 199 #18,260
2005 modern 184 #19,117
2006 modern 188 #19,023
2007 modern 190 #19,088
2008 modern 196 #18,895
2009 modern 204 #18,779
2010 modern 220 #18,265
2011 modern 223 #17,940
2012 modern 231 #17,448
2013 modern 243 #17,114
2014 modern 243 #17,232
2015 modern 251 #16,756
2016 modern 247 #16,955

Geography

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Where Gawnes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Toxteth Park, Dalton-in-Furness, West Derby, Liverpool and Walton-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 Wyre, Barrow-in-Furness and South Bucks. 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 Toxteth Park Lancashire
2 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire
3 West Derby Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wyre 001 Wyre
2 Barrow-in-Furness 009 Barrow-in-Furness
3 Wyre 002 Wyre
4 South Bucks 001 South Bucks
5 Barrow-in-Furness 006 Barrow-in-Furness

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gawne

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gawne

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Gawne surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Gawne household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Gawne is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gawne is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gawne 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 Gawne 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 Gawne, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gawne

The surname GAWNE has its origins in the Isle of Man, a small island located in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland. The name is derived from the Manx Gaelic word "gawn," which means "fallow" or "uncultivated land." This suggests that the original bearers of the name may have lived on or near fallow land, or perhaps worked as farmers or agricultural laborers.

The earliest recorded instances of the GAWNE surname date back to the late 16th century, when it appeared in various parish records and documents on the Isle of Man. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Gawne, who was born around 1580 in the parish of Malew on the Isle of Man.

In the 17th century, the GAWNE surname began to spread beyond the Isle of Man to other parts of the British Isles, particularly to the nearby counties of Lancashire and Cumberland in northwestern England. This migration was likely driven by economic and social factors, as families sought new opportunities and better living conditions.

One notable bearer of the GAWNE surname was William Gawne (1624-1689), a prominent Quaker minister and author from Lancashire. He wrote several religious treatises and was also involved in the early Quaker movement in England.

Another figure of historical significance was Thomas Gawne (1770-1846), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He participated in several notable battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and rose to the rank of Admiral in the Royal Navy.

In the 19th century, the GAWNE surname continued to be found in various parts of the British Isles, as well as in some of the British colonies and territories around the world. One notable bearer from this period was John Edward Gawne (1823-1900), a British settler and landowner in New Zealand, where he played a role in the early development of the country's agriculture and infrastructure.

Another individual of note was Sarah Gawne (1873-1957), a British educator and suffragette who campaigned for women's right to vote in the early 20th century. She was actively involved in the Women's Social and Political Union and was arrested and imprisoned several times for her participation in protests and demonstrations.

As the GAWNE surname spread throughout the English-speaking world, it also underwent various spelling variations, including Gawn, Gawen, and Gawain. However, the original Manx Gaelic spelling of GAWNE remains the most common form of the name today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gawne families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gawne 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. Isle of Man leads with 293 Gawnes recorded in 1881 and an index of 455.61x.

County Total Index
Isle of Man 293 455.61x
Lancashire 49 1.19x
Aberdeenshire 4 1.25x
Yorkshire 4 0.12x
Cheshire 1 0.13x
Gloucestershire 1 0.15x
Hampshire 1 0.14x
Kent 1 0.08x
Middlesex 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rushen in Isle of Man leads with 61 Gawnes recorded in 1881 and an index of 1402.30x.

Place Total Index
Rushen 61 1402.30x
Onchan 38 205.18x
Malew 28 498.22x
German 27 769.23x
Barrow In Furness 25 44.73x
Andreas 17 977.01x
Bride 16 1818.18x
Douglas 16 1720.43x
Lonan 16 410.26x
Maughold 14 282.26x
Braddan 10 284.90x
Toxteth Park 10 7.19x
Arbory 9 642.86x
Ballaugh 8 695.65x
Lezayre 8 276.82x
German Peel 7 189.19x
Patrick 7 223.64x
Jurby 6 769.23x
West Derby 6 4.99x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 4 6.67x
Liverpool 4 1.60x
Scarborough 4 12.83x
Kirkdale 2 2.89x
Michael 2 152.67x
North Meols 2 4.97x
St Anne 2 289.86x
Cirencester 1 10.87x
Milton In Gravesend 1 5.64x
Paddington London 1 0.79x
Portsea 1 0.72x
Ramsey 1 2000.00x
Tranmere 1 3.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 27
Ann 17
Margaret 15
Mary 14
Jane 11
Catherine 10
Emily 6
Annie 4
Eleanor 4
Esther 4
Isabella 4
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Cathrine 2
Emma 2
Harriet 2
Maggie 2
Martha 2
Sophia 2
Cate. 1
Catharine 1
Charlott 1
Christian 1
Clara 1
Dorothy 1
Dot. 1
Eda 1
Edith 1
Elenor 1
Eliz. 1
Eliza 1
Elizbth. 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Ellenor 1
Ellnoar 1
Eloner 1
Ester 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Helena 1
Jessie 1
Joanna 1
Lenorah 1
Letitia 1
Lillie 1
Margrett 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Miriam 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 36
Thomas 32
John 31
James 18
Henry 8
Robert 5
Charles 4
Edward 4
Thos. 4
Daniel 3
Edwin 3
Richard 3
Frederick 2
George 2
Joseph 2
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Aron 1
Capt. 1
Chas. 1
Drummond 1
Eden 1
Edw. 1
Ernest 1
Evan 1
Hy. 1
Infant 1
Ishmael 1
Jno. 1
Jos. 1
Louis 1
Malcolm 1
Philip 1
Thos.H. 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Gawne surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gawne surname in 1881?

In 1881, 62 people were recorded with the Gawne surname. That placed it at #24,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gawne surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 247 in 2016. That gives Gawne a modern rank of #16,955.

What does the Gawne surname mean?

An English surname derived from the medieval placename meaning "green bank" or "grassy slope".

What does the Gawne map show?

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