NameCensus.

UK surname

Gaze

An English surname derived from the Old French word for "staring" or "gazing".

In the 1881 census there were 523 people recorded with the Gaze surname, ranking it #6,537 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 666, ranked #8,017, down from #6,537 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Churchdown and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Christchurch, Herefordshire and Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gaze is 777 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.3%.

1881 census count

523

Ranked #6,537

Modern count

666

2016, ranked #8,017

Peak year

1911

777 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gaze had 523 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,537 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 666 in 2016, ranked #8,017.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 777 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Gaze surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gaze surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gaze 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 394 #6,105
1861 historical 234 #10,463
1881 historical 523 #6,537
1891 historical 567 #6,705
1901 historical 671 #6,487
1911 historical 777 #5,591
1997 modern 724 #7,055
1998 modern 742 #7,161
1999 modern 748 #7,161
2000 modern 725 #7,300
2001 modern 709 #7,299
2002 modern 724 #7,318
2003 modern 713 #7,268
2004 modern 696 #7,437
2005 modern 685 #7,480
2006 modern 661 #7,713
2007 modern 658 #7,795
2008 modern 655 #7,869
2009 modern 685 #7,771
2010 modern 684 #7,920
2011 modern 694 #7,738
2012 modern 683 #7,759
2013 modern 688 #7,838
2014 modern 682 #7,941
2015 modern 680 #7,893
2016 modern 666 #8,017

Geography

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Where Gazes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Churchdown, London parishes, Stalham and St Giles Camberwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Christchurch, Herefordshire, Liverpool, Teignbridge and Gloucester. 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 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 Churchdown Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Stalham Norfolk
5 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Christchurch 005 Christchurch
2 Herefordshire 020 Herefordshire, County of
3 Liverpool 059 Liverpool
4 Teignbridge 017 Teignbridge
5 Gloucester 010 Gloucester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gaze

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gaze

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

Gaze is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gaze falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gaze

The surname Gaze originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word 'gaze', which means 'to stare or gaze intently'. This name was likely initially given as a nickname to someone who had a habit of staring intensely at others.

Early records of the Gaze surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as 'Gaze', 'Gase', and 'Gaze'.

In the 13th century, the surname Gaze was found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, which were ancient records of landholdings and tax assessments. One notable mention is that of Simon Gaze, who was listed as a landowner in the village of Adderbury in 1279.

The Gaze surname was also present in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in the 14th century. These rolls were records of taxes collected to support military campaigns. In 1379, a John Gaze was listed as a taxpayer in the village of Beverley.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Gaze surname was William Gaze, who was born in the village of Corby, Northamptonshire, in 1492. He was a prominent landowner and served as a local magistrate in the region.

In the 16th century, the Gaze surname was found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in the village of Thame, Oxfordshire. A notable entry is that of Richard Gaze, who was baptized in 1567.

During the 17th century, the Gaze surname gained prominence in the town of Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. One notable figure was John Gaze (1601-1674), a successful merchant and philanthropist who established a charitable trust that supported education and poverty relief in the town for several centuries.

In the 18th century, the Gaze surname was found in the records of the Society of Genealogists in London. One notable entry is that of Elizabeth Gaze (1738-1812), who was a renowned author and poet from the village of Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire.

Another notable individual with the Gaze surname was Sir Henry Gaze (1807-1892), a British military officer who served in the Crimean War and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery in the Battle of Balaclava in 1854.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gaze families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gaze 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. Norfolk leads with 171 Gazes recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.18x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 171 22.18x
Middlesex 76 1.52x
Gloucestershire 68 6.91x
Kent 41 2.40x
Surrey 39 1.60x
Suffolk 22 3.60x
Hampshire 17 1.65x
Essex 13 1.31x
Lancashire 12 0.20x
Durham 10 0.67x
Nottinghamshire 8 1.18x
Wiltshire 6 1.35x
Lincolnshire 5 0.62x
Renfrewshire 5 1.29x
Yorkshire 5 0.10x
Northumberland 4 0.54x
Leicestershire 3 0.54x
Sussex 3 0.35x
Devon 2 0.19x
Hertfordshire 1 0.29x
Northamptonshire 1 0.21x
Warwickshire 1 0.08x
Worcestershire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 23 Gazes recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.18x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 23 7.18x
Mundesley 18 2769.23x
Heigham 17 41.08x
Stalham 17 1156.46x
Islington London 15 3.09x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 14 77.82x
Great Yarmouth 14 21.92x
Hammersmith London 13 10.53x
Erith 11 65.28x
Chedworth 10 704.23x
Rollesby 10 1041.67x
St Marylebone London 10 3.74x
Cheltenham 9 11.86x
Folkestone 9 27.12x
West Derby 9 5.17x
Lambeth 8 1.83x
Norwich St James 8 132.23x
Thornham Parva 8 3478.26x
Halstead 7 60.61x
Portsea 7 3.48x
Thorpe Next Norwich 7 85.68x
Wotton St Mary 7 137.25x
Brook 6 1818.18x
East Murton 6 215.05x
East Ruston 6 526.32x
Fulham London 6 8.25x
Norwich St Augustine 6 192.93x
Norwich St Peter 6 118.58x
Upton With Fishley 6 659.34x
Barrowby 5 359.71x
Bradwell 5 526.32x
Churchdown 5 255.10x
Cliffe 5 129.53x
Felmingham 5 735.29x
Mile End Old Town London 5 4.69x
Normanton On Soar 5 909.09x
Tewkesbury 5 56.95x
West Greenock 5 7.17x
Bermondsey 4 2.68x
Crostwight 4 2857.14x
Deptford St Paul 4 3.03x
Gloucester Longford St 4 300.75x
Halvergate 4 481.93x
Harrow On The Hill 4 39.92x
Hickling 4 281.69x
Ratcliffe London 4 14.45x
St Giles In Fields London 4 16.26x
Tynemouth 4 10.01x
Upton St Leonards 4 160.00x
Westport St Mary 4 124.61x
Bethnal Green London 3 1.38x
Bradfield 3 769.23x
Carisbrooke 3 21.02x
Dalton Le Dale 3 1500.00x
Gimingham 3 638.30x
Gloucester St Catherine 3 108.30x
Hackney London 3 1.07x
Ipswich St Mathew 3 17.53x
Manningham 3 4.90x
Paddington London 3 1.63x
Plumstead 3 5.26x
West Ham 3 1.37x
Canterbury St Paul 2 65.15x
Canterbury St Peter 2 103.63x
Cromer 2 72.99x
Filby 2 200.00x
Gloucester Kingsholm St 2 54.50x
Great Thurlow 2 298.51x
Hastings St Mary 2 9.51x
Honing 2 363.64x
Norwich St Clement 2 22.37x
Norwich St George Colegate 2 71.43x
Norwich St John Timberhill 2 96.62x
Ormesby St Margaret W 2 103.63x
Poplar London 2 2.11x
Ratby 2 71.68x
Sheffield 2 1.26x
Sherston Magna 2 74.91x
Smallburgh 2 219.78x
Woolwich 2 3.16x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 29
Ellen 14
Emily 13
Emma 12
Florence 10
Elizabeth 9
Louisa 9
Charlotte 8
Eliza 8
Jane 8
Edith 7
Sarah 7
Ann 6
Alice 5
Ada 4
Anna 4
Frances 4
Lucy 4
Maria 4
Matilda 4
Annie 3
Gertrude 3
Hannah 3
Kate 3
Margaret 3
Martha 3
Abigail 2
Amy 2
Anne 2
Caroline 2
Eleanor 2
Elizth. 2
Ethel 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Helen 2
Margarett 2
Rebecca 2
Rosa 2
Ruth 2
Susan 2
Anastatia 1
Bessie 1
Betsey 1
Blanch 1
E. 1
Elise 1
Hilda 1
Infant 1
Victoria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 27
John 19
George 17
James 14
Thomas 13
Charles 10
Henry 10
Robert 8
Edward 7
Frederick 7
Harry 6
Benjamin 5
Herbert 5
Albert 4
Alfred 4
Richard 4
Walter 4
Chas. 3
Francis 3
Joseph 3
Samuel 3
Arthur 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Fredk 2
Isaac 2
Jonathan 2
Mark 2
Marker 2
Sidney 2
Wm. 2
Albt. 1
Allan 1
Archibald 1
Clement 1
Cubitt 1
David 1
Elizabeth 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
G. 1
Geo. 1
Juby 1
Margaret 1
Marshall 1
Martin 1
Mattew 1
Nelson 1
Worsley 1

FAQ

Gaze surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gaze surname in 1881?

In 1881, 523 people were recorded with the Gaze surname. That placed it at #6,537 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gaze surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 666 in 2016. That gives Gaze a modern rank of #8,017.

What does the Gaze surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old French word for "staring" or "gazing".

What does the Gaze map show?

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