NameCensus.

UK surname

Gebbie

A Scottish locational surname referring to someone from Gairbee, a place in Dumfriesshire.

In the 1881 census there were 306 people recorded with the Gebbie surname, ranking it #9,586 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 511, ranked #9,834, down from #9,586 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Riccarton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Darvel, Swale and Deans Village.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gebbie is 533 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 67.0%.

1881 census count

306

Ranked #9,586

Modern count

511

2016, ranked #9,834

Peak year

2009

533 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gebbie had 306 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,586 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 511 in 2016, ranked #9,834.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 420 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Gebbie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gebbie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gebbie 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 321 #7,237
1861 historical 329 #7,748
1881 historical 306 #9,586
1891 historical 394 #8,982
1901 historical 420 #9,169
1911 historical 49 #27,894
1997 modern 487 #9,482
1998 modern 510 #9,448
1999 modern 523 #9,332
2000 modern 529 #9,233
2001 modern 509 #9,323
2002 modern 528 #9,266
2003 modern 508 #9,379
2004 modern 506 #9,437
2005 modern 497 #9,479
2006 modern 502 #9,463
2007 modern 511 #9,422
2008 modern 519 #9,372
2009 modern 533 #9,393
2010 modern 525 #9,692
2011 modern 512 #9,777
2012 modern 503 #9,819
2013 modern 514 #9,824
2014 modern 520 #9,803
2015 modern 516 #9,789
2016 modern 511 #9,834

Geography

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Where Gebbies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Riccarton, Glasgow and Kilmarnock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Darvel, Swale, Deans Village and Doncaster. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Riccarton Ayr
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Kilmarnock Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Darvel East Ayrshire
2 Swale 005 Swale
3 Deans Village City of Edinburgh
4 Doncaster 029 Doncaster
5 Swale 004 Swale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gebbie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gebbie

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

Gebbie is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gebbie falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gebbie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Gebbie, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gebbie

The surname Gebbie originates from Scotland, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "gob," which means "beak" or "mouth." This suggests that the name may have been initially assigned as a nickname, perhaps referring to a person with prominent facial features or an eloquent speaker.

The earliest known record of the Gebbie surname appears in the Scottish Household Accounts of 1583, where a James Gebbie is mentioned as a servant to King James VI of Scotland. This indicates that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the Gebbie family seemed to have been concentrated in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the counties of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. Several variations of the spelling can be found in historical records, such as Gebby, Gaiby, and Gaibie, reflecting the regional dialects and pronunciation differences.

One notable bearer of the Gebbie surname was Robert Gebbie (1729-1799), a Scottish merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the economic development of the city of Glasgow. He served as a magistrate and was actively involved in promoting trade and commerce in the region.

Another prominent figure was James Gebbie (1808-1888), a Scottish-born Australian politician and businessman. He immigrated to Australia in the mid-19th century and became a successful merchant and landowner in New South Wales. Gebbie was elected to the Legislative Council of New South Wales in 1869 and served until his retirement in 1887.

In the literary world, John Gebbie (1833-1898) was a Scottish publisher and bookseller based in Philadelphia, United States. He founded the publishing house J.B. Lippincott Company, which became known for publishing works by renowned authors such as Thomas Hardy and Rudyard Kipling.

Additionally, the Gebbie name can be found in connection with various place names in Scotland. For instance, Gebbie's Croft and Gebbie's Hill are located in the parish of Beith, Ayrshire, likely named after an early settler or landowner bearing the Gebbie surname.

Lastly, John Gebbie (1929-2016) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper for clubs like Motherwell and East Fife in the mid-20th century. He later became a respected coach and manager, contributing to the development of Scottish football.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gebbie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gebbie 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. Lanarkshire leads with 105 Gebbies recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.88x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 105 10.88x
Ayrshire 104 46.56x
Renfrewshire 49 21.18x
Midlothian 20 5.00x
Selkirkshire 13 48.15x
Lancashire 6 0.17x
Middlesex 4 0.13x
Argyllshire 2 2.41x
Durham 2 0.23x
Wigtownshire 1 2.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cambusnethan in Lanarkshire leads with 29 Gebbies recorded in 1881 and an index of 135.26x.

Place Total Index
Cambusnethan 29 135.26x
Loudoun 25 465.55x
Kilmarnock 19 71.46x
Abbey 17 48.17x
Glasgow 16 9.33x
Galston 15 245.50x
Govan 15 6.28x
Dalziel 14 134.87x
Neilston 14 120.59x
Galashiels 13 130.26x
Hamilton 13 48.29x
Riccarton 13 385.76x
Edinburgh St Stephens 10 127.06x
Dundonald 9 109.22x
Barony 8 3.27x
East Greenock 8 36.63x
Newton On Ayr 7 104.63x
North Leith 7 37.84x
Toxteth Park 6 5.00x
Paisley High Church 5 27.14x
Carnwath 4 67.00x
Dunlop 4 287.77x
East Kilbride 4 96.85x
Inverkip 4 73.39x
Muirkirk 4 76.19x
St Marylebone London 4 2.51x
Mauchline 3 116.73x
Knapdale North 2 210.53x
St Quivox 2 26.49x
Westoe 2 3.97x
Auckinleck 1 14.47x
Avondale 1 17.73x
Ayr 1 9.49x
Duddingston 1 12.45x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.62x
Kirkmichael 1 49.02x
Maryhill 1 5.29x
Port Glasgow 1 8.94x
West Calder 1 12.69x
Whithorn 1 33.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 1
Christiana 1
Ellen 1
Jeanie 1
Margaret 1
Marion 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 2
Andrew 1
Duncan 1
John 1
William 1

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 Gebbie households.

FAQ

Gebbie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gebbie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 306 people were recorded with the Gebbie surname. That placed it at #9,586 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gebbie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 511 in 2016. That gives Gebbie a modern rank of #9,834.

What does the Gebbie surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname referring to someone from Gairbee, a place in Dumfriesshire.

What does the Gebbie map show?

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