NameCensus.

UK surname

Gawthrop

A surname derived from a place name referring to a valley or hollow.

In the 1881 census there were 106 people recorded with the Gawthrop surname, ranking it #19,083 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 142, ranked #24,625, down from #19,083 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kildwick, Whalley and Dalton-in-Furness. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cambridge, Pendle and East Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gawthrop is 214 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.0%.

1881 census count

106

Ranked #19,083

Modern count

142

2016, ranked #24,625

Peak year

1911

214 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gawthrop had 106 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,083 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016, ranked #24,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 214 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gawthrop surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gawthrop surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gawthrop 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 119 #15,247
1861 historical 118 #18,512
1881 historical 106 #19,083
1891 historical 119 #21,415
1901 historical 201 #15,059
1911 historical 214 #14,333
1997 modern 148 #21,295
1998 modern 153 #21,387
1999 modern 150 #21,826
2000 modern 150 #21,781
2001 modern 146 #21,857
2002 modern 148 #22,087
2003 modern 136 #23,045
2004 modern 137 #23,098
2005 modern 132 #23,623
2006 modern 129 #24,165
2007 modern 136 #23,708
2008 modern 135 #24,123
2009 modern 147 #23,248
2010 modern 144 #24,147
2011 modern 146 #23,736
2012 modern 147 #23,567
2013 modern 149 #23,765
2014 modern 154 #23,439
2015 modern 148 #23,934
2016 modern 142 #24,625

Geography

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Where Gawthrops are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kildwick, Whalley, Dalton-in-Furness, Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict and St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cambridge, Pendle, East Cambridgeshire and Partickhill and Hyndland. 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 Kildwick Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Whalley Lancashire
3 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire
4 Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict Cambridgeshire
5 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cambridge 001 Cambridge
2 Pendle 006 Pendle
3 Cambridge 002 Cambridge
4 East Cambridgeshire 005 East Cambridgeshire
5 Partickhill and Hyndland Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gawthrop

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gawthrop

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gawthrop 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

Gawthrop 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

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

Meaning and origin of Gawthrop

The surname Gawthrop has its origins in the villages and parishes of England, particularly in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is believed to have been derived from the Old English words "gat" meaning a goat and "thorp" meaning a small village or hamlet, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived in a village where goats were kept or herded.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the late 12th and early 13th centuries, with variations in spelling such as Gatthorp, Gothorp, and Gaythorpe appearing in medieval records and documents. One notable mention is found in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1202, where a person named William de Gatthorp is listed as a landowner.

During the Tudor period, the Gawthrop family had a notable presence in the village of Haworth, located in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Records from this time mention individuals such as John Gawthrop, who was born around 1515 and served as a yeoman farmer in the area.

As the name spread across England, it was sometimes associated with specific place names, such as Gawthrop in Lancashire and Gawthrop Hall in the West Riding of Yorkshire. These locations may have been named after early settlers with the surname or vice versa.

In the 17th century, a prominent member of the Gawthrop family was William Gawthrop (1619-1681), a Puritan minister who served as the vicar of Ecclesfield in Yorkshire. He was known for his religious writings and sermons, which were published after his death.

Another notable figure was John Gawthrop (1713-1789), a successful merchant and landowner from Wakefield, Yorkshire. He was involved in the wool trade and owned several mills and properties in the area.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Gawthrop surname continued to be found in various parts of northern England, with several individuals achieving recognition in various fields. For example, James Gawthrop (1786-1865) was a renowned architect from York who designed several notable buildings in the city, including the York Union Workhouse.

As the centuries passed, members of the Gawthrop family emigrated to other parts of the world, carrying the surname with them. Despite its relatively rare occurrence, the name has persisted throughout history, with its origins rooted in the villages and landscapes of northern England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gawthrop families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gawthrop 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. Cambridgeshire leads with 48 Gawthrops recorded in 1881 and an index of 74.71x.

County Total Index
Cambridgeshire 48 74.71x
Yorkshire 37 3.68x
Lancashire 15 1.25x
Berkshire 2 2.63x
Dorset 2 3.00x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Histon in Cambridgeshire leads with 25 Gawthrops recorded in 1881 and an index of 7352.94x.

Place Total Index
Histon 25 7352.94x
Barrow In Furness 11 67.20x
Chesterton 8 404.04x
Cowling 8 1230.77x
St Andrewthe Less 8 108.99x
Manningham 7 56.54x
St Giles Cambridge 5 602.41x
York St Mary 5 120.19x
Clayton 4 162.60x
Halifax 4 27.10x
Padiham 4 137.46x
York Marygate St Olave 4 1025.64x
Askern 3 1578.95x
Kimmeridge 2 3333.33x
New Windsor 2 78.13x
St Peter Cambridge 2 909.09x
Haworth 1 41.84x
Wilsden 1 97.09x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Gawthrop surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gawthrop surname in 1881?

In 1881, 106 people were recorded with the Gawthrop surname. That placed it at #19,083 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gawthrop surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016. That gives Gawthrop a modern rank of #24,625.

What does the Gawthrop surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name referring to a valley or hollow.

What does the Gawthrop map show?

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