NameCensus.

UK surname

Gedney

An English habitational surname from a place called Gedney in Lincolnshire.

In the 1881 census there were 125 people recorded with the Gedney surname, ranking it #17,335 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 308, ranked #14,479, up from #17,335 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Leake, Rawmarsh, Wath-on-Dearn (Swinton) and Pinchbeck, Cowbit. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Boston and South Holland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gedney is 317 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 146.4%.

1881 census count

125

Ranked #17,335

Modern count

308

2016, ranked #14,479

Peak year

2010

317 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gedney had 125 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,335 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 308 in 2016, ranked #14,479.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 200 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Gedney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gedney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gedney 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 74 #20,443
1861 historical 95 #21,768
1881 historical 125 #17,335
1891 historical 169 #16,885
1901 historical 177 #16,342
1911 historical 200 #14,960
1997 modern 277 #14,253
1998 modern 292 #14,120
1999 modern 281 #14,578
2000 modern 293 #14,141
2001 modern 291 #14,000
2002 modern 299 #14,017
2003 modern 302 #13,752
2004 modern 293 #14,082
2005 modern 291 #14,105
2006 modern 304 #13,797
2007 modern 308 #13,791
2008 modern 311 #13,800
2009 modern 306 #14,218
2010 modern 317 #14,166
2011 modern 316 #14,092
2012 modern 314 #14,063
2013 modern 311 #14,368
2014 modern 317 #14,269
2015 modern 308 #14,463
2016 modern 308 #14,479

Geography

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Where Gedneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Leake, Rawmarsh, Wath-on-Dearn (Swinton), Pinchbeck, Cowbit, Darfield and Wath-on-Dearn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Boston and South Holland. 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 Leake Lincolnshire
2 Rawmarsh, Wath-on-Dearn (Swinton) Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Pinchbeck, Cowbit Lincolnshire
4 Darfield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Wath-on-Dearn Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Boston 006 Boston
2 South Holland 007 South Holland
3 South Holland 001 South Holland
4 South Holland 005 South Holland
5 South Holland 006 South Holland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gedney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gedney

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Gedney 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

Gedney 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

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

Meaning and origin of Gedney

The surname GEDNEY is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English words "gede" and "eg," meaning "goat" and "island" or "dry ground surrounded by water," respectively. This suggests that the name may have originated from a location where goats were raised on an island or near a body of water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GEDNEY can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Gednei" and is associated with a settlement in Lincolnshire.

Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Gedney, Gednay, and Geddney. These variations are often attributed to the inconsistent spelling practices of the time and the influence of local dialects.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named William de Gedney was recorded as a landowner in Lincolnshire. This early reference further solidifies the connection between the surname and the region.

During the 16th century, a prominent member of the GEDNEY family was Sir William Gedney (c. 1500 - 1586), who served as a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire and held influential positions under Queen Elizabeth I.

Another noteworthy individual was John Gedney (1592 - 1670), an early settler in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and a co-founder of the town of Salem, Massachusetts.

In the 18th century, Benjamin Gedney (1706 - 1786) was a successful merchant and shipowner in Salem, Massachusetts, and played a significant role in the town's maritime trade.

One of the earliest known instances of the name in Scotland is recorded in the 16th century, with the mention of John Gedney, a merchant and burgess of Aberdeen in 1550.

The name GEDNEY has also been associated with several place names, such as Gedney Hill in Lincolnshire and Gedney Drove End in Norfolk, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and specific locations.

While the GEDNEY surname may not be among the most common surnames today, it has a rich history spanning multiple centuries and is deeply rooted in English heritage, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire and Norfolk.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gedney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gedney 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. Lincolnshire leads with 56 Gedneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.73x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 56 28.73x
Yorkshire 37 3.06x
Suffolk 9 6.06x
Warwickshire 7 2.28x
Norfolk 5 2.67x
Durham 3 0.83x
Middlesex 3 0.25x
Surrey 2 0.34x
Lancashire 1 0.07x
Staffordshire 1 0.24x
Sussex 1 0.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gosberton in Lincolnshire leads with 19 Gedneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2183.91x.

Place Total Index
Gosberton 19 2183.91x
Leake 11 1235.96x
Pinchbeck 10 800.00x
Swinton In Rotherham 9 282.13x
Birmingham 5 4.88x
Burstwick With 5 2777.78x
Manthorpe Cum Little 5 335.57x
Preston 5 746.27x
Surfleet 5 1219.51x
Wath On Dearne 5 207.47x
Deeping St Nicholas 4 701.75x
Ipswich St Mathew 4 96.15x
Sculcoates 4 20.89x
Bishop Auckland 3 61.60x
Keyingham 2 769.23x
Leamington Priors 2 26.46x
Southcoates 2 29.81x
Weston 2 571.43x
Beccles 1 41.84x
Bilston 1 12.53x
Botesdale 1 434.78x
Bridlington 1 36.10x
Congham 1 714.29x
Epsom 1 34.60x
Eye 1 104.17x
Finningham 1 555.56x
Foulsham 1 250.00x
Haisthorpe 1 2000.00x
Handsworth 1 31.35x
Heigham 1 9.94x
Holy Trinity 1 3.44x
Hove 1 11.09x
Hoyland Nether 1 33.78x
Ipswich St Mary At Tower 1 303.03x
Manchester 1 1.54x
Mile End Old Town London 1 3.85x
Mitcham 1 26.67x
Redenhall 1 136.99x
South Creake 1 232.56x
Tottenham 1 5.15x
Westminster St Margaret 1 17.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 9
Mary 6
Sarah 5
Maria 4
Ada 3
Ann 3
Fanny 3
Frances 3
Amelia 2
Betsy 2
Elisabeth 2
Hannah 2
Anna 1
Annie 1
Betsey 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Eadith 1
Eliza 1
Emma 1
Harriet 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Mildret 1
Rachael 1
Rebecca 1
Rosanna 1
Rosetta 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
George 7
Charles 5
James 5
William 5
Samuel 3
Alfred 2
Benjamin 2
Bowler 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Thomas 2
Wm. 2
Albert 1
Christopher 1
Edward 1
Favill 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
Frederick 1
Jabez 1
Persy 1
Robert 1

FAQ

Gedney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gedney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 125 people were recorded with the Gedney surname. That placed it at #17,335 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gedney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 308 in 2016. That gives Gedney a modern rank of #14,479.

What does the Gedney surname mean?

An English habitational surname from a place called Gedney in Lincolnshire.

What does the Gedney map show?

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