NameCensus.

UK surname

Gee

A patronymic surname of Old English or Germanic origin, meaning "son of Gee" or derived from a nickname for Gregory.

In the 1881 census there were 7,597 people recorded with the Gee surname, ranking it #562 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,138, ranked #715, down from #562 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Calderdale, Waveney and St. Helens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gee is 9,745 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.3%.

1881 census count

7,597

Ranked #562

Modern count

9,138

2016, ranked #715

Peak year

1999

9,745 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gee had 7,597 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #562 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,138 in 2016, ranked #715.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 9,351 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gee surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gee surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gee 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 5,028 #548
1881 historical 7,597 #562
1891 historical 40 #31,174
1901 historical 9,351 #558
1997 modern 9,424 #666
1998 modern 9,725 #672
1999 modern 9,745 #675
2000 modern 9,657 #675
2001 modern 9,420 #679
2002 modern 9,484 #691
2003 modern 9,227 #694
2004 modern 9,189 #699
2005 modern 8,962 #704
2006 modern 8,904 #710
2007 modern 8,931 #715
2008 modern 8,929 #723
2009 modern 9,011 #735
2010 modern 9,247 #729
2011 modern 9,132 #725
2012 modern 9,033 #719
2013 modern 9,194 #721
2014 modern 9,245 #720
2015 modern 9,157 #719
2016 modern 9,138 #715

Geography

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Where Gees are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Manchester, Nottingham St Mary and Prescot. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Calderdale, Waveney, St. Helens, North West Leicestershire and Staffordshire Moorlands. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
5 Prescot Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Calderdale 026 Calderdale
2 Waveney 002 Waveney
3 St. Helens 002 St. Helens
4 North West Leicestershire 009 North West Leicestershire
5 Staffordshire Moorlands 005 Staffordshire Moorlands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gee

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gee

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gee, 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 Gee surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Gee 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Gee is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gee is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Gee

The surname Gee originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have been derived from the Old French word "gai," meaning joyful or lively, which was likely used as a nickname for a cheerful person. Alternatively, it could have been derived from the Old English word "gea," meaning yes or indeed.

The name is found in various early records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentions a Richard le Gai in Oxfordshire. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 also list a John Gee in Staffordshire. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Gee, who was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of 1310 in Lincolnshire.

The Gee surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Thomas Gee (c. 1505-1556), an English Protestant reformer and the first Regius Professor of Civil Law at the University of Cambridge. Another notable bearer was Joshua Gee (1667-1730), a merchant and economic writer who authored influential works on trade and commerce.

In the 18th century, the name was borne by Samuel Gee (1739-1808), a prominent English Baptist minister and author. His son, John Gee (1763-1826), was a renowned scholar and author of the influential work "The Trade and Navigation of Great Britain Considered."

The 19th century saw the rise of William W. H. Gee (1837-1916), a successful English businessman and philanthropist who founded the Gee Trust, which provided educational opportunities for underprivileged children.

The Gee surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Gee Cross in Greater Manchester, which was formerly known as Gee Croft. Additionally, there are several villages and hamlets in England with names like Gee, Gee Wood, and Gee Cross, indicating the prevalence of the surname in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gee families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gee 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. Lancashire leads with 1,624 Gees recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.84x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,624 1.84x
Yorkshire 774 1.05x
Cheshire 633 3.85x
Staffordshire 497 1.97x
Middlesex 479 0.64x
Leicestershire 402 4.86x
Derbyshire 390 3.34x
Warwickshire 365 1.94x
Nottinghamshire 320 3.18x
Surrey 249 0.69x
Norfolk 195 1.70x
Kent 148 0.58x
Lincolnshire 145 1.22x
Wiltshire 126 1.91x
Cambridgeshire 123 2.60x
Northamptonshire 104 1.48x
Northumberland 92 0.83x
Worcestershire 79 0.81x
Buckinghamshire 76 1.69x
Dorset 72 1.47x
Durham 63 0.28x
Suffolk 58 0.64x
Oxfordshire 57 1.24x
Devon 56 0.36x
Gloucestershire 56 0.38x
Bedfordshire 52 1.35x
Hertfordshire 41 0.80x
Hampshire 35 0.23x
Berkshire 32 0.57x
Lanarkshire 29 0.12x
Shropshire 29 0.45x
Essex 27 0.18x
Huntingdonshire 26 1.76x
Sussex 25 0.20x
Somerset 19 0.16x
Channel Islands 16 0.72x
Monmouthshire 16 0.30x
Glamorgan 15 0.12x
Denbighshire 14 0.50x
Cumberland 12 0.19x
Westmorland 11 0.67x
Cornwall 9 0.11x
Herefordshire 8 0.26x
Flintshire 7 0.35x
Pembrokeshire 7 0.30x
Ayrshire 6 0.11x
Montgomeryshire 6 0.35x
Isle of Man 5 0.36x
Royal Navy 3 0.34x
Angus 2 0.03x
Brecknockshire 2 0.13x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.03x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.05x
Merionethshire 1 0.07x
Midlothian 1 0.01x
Roxburghshire 1 0.07x
Rutland 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nottingham St Mary in Nottinghamshire leads with 141 Gees recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.42x.

Place Total Index
Nottingham St Mary 141 5.42x
Birmingham 122 1.95x
Aston 115 2.22x
Leicester St Margaret 97 4.81x
Manchester 97 2.44x
Ashton Under Lyne 80 4.14x
Salford 71 2.73x
Macclesfield 66 9.02x
Liverpool 65 1.21x
Stainland Cum Old 60 47.46x
Walsall Foreign 57 4.38x
St Pancras London 56 0.93x
Golcar 55 28.16x
Islington London 54 0.75x
Hulme 53 2.87x
Wigan 53 4.29x
Haughton 51 39.52x
Hackney London 50 1.20x
Congleton 49 17.23x
Hyde 49 10.09x
Longwood 48 40.31x
North Walsham 47 56.86x
Sheffield 43 1.83x
Pendleton In Salford 42 3.98x
Stockport 41 4.84x
Hayfield 40 55.86x
Parr 39 12.32x
Lambeth 38 0.58x
Chadderton 37 8.55x
Dukinfield 37 4.87x
Heap 36 7.67x
Loughborough 36 9.60x
Eccleston In Prescot 34 7.66x
Oldham 34 1.19x
Toxteth Park 34 1.13x
Stoke Upon Trent 33 1.24x
Billinge Chapel End 32 64.46x
Leicester St Mary 32 4.79x
Longdon 32 91.80x
Newington 31 1.13x
Sutton In Macclesfield 31 18.15x
Bredbury 30 31.50x
Preston 30 1.27x
Monks Coppenhall 29 4.67x
Radcliffe 28 6.57x
Radford 28 5.48x
Bury 27 2.67x
Chesham 27 16.25x
Farnworth 27 5.09x
Great Bolton 27 2.30x
Southwark St George Martyr 27 1.80x
St Marylebone London 27 0.68x
Bromham 26 87.51x
Camberwell 26 0.55x
Glossop Dale 26 4.76x
Openshaw 26 6.28x
Ardwick 25 3.13x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 25 13.41x
Nether Hallam 25 2.50x
Abbotsbury 24 96.04x
Everton 24 0.85x
Winshill 24 32.25x
Wolstanton 24 3.14x
Bethnal Green London 23 0.71x
Countesthorpe 23 81.56x
Disley Stanley 23 27.15x
Staveley 23 11.10x
Battersea 22 0.80x
Bermondsey 22 0.99x
Byker 22 4.01x
Lewisham 22 1.62x
North Meols 22 2.54x
West Bromwich 22 1.53x
Little Bolton 21 1.85x
Portland 21 7.98x
Sittingbourne 21 10.45x
Leek Lowe 20 5.97x
Soyland 20 22.56x
Stafford St Mary 20 5.61x
Willenhall 20 4.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 520
Elizabeth 328
Sarah 318
Ann 162
Alice 135
Ellen 129
Emma 127
Eliza 126
Annie 122
Jane 106
Hannah 99
Martha 87
Emily 77
Maria 60
Louisa 56
Ada 54
Florence 49
Margaret 49
Harriet 47
Catherine 45
Fanny 42
Clara 41
Edith 41
Charlotte 39
Lucy 39
Caroline 35
Susan 28
Amelia 26
Esther 26
Agnes 25
Rebecca 24
Amy 22
Frances 22
Anne 20
Kate 20
Lizzie 18
Elizth. 17
Matilda 16
Ruth 16
Sophia 16
Susannah 15
Isabella 14
Julia 14
Selina 14
Ethel 13
Betsy 12
Jessie 12
Lydia 12
Harriett 11
Laura 11

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 480
John 444
Thomas 270
George 234
James 225
Henry 144
Joseph 142
Charles 125
Samuel 111
Alfred 103
Arthur 99
Edward 90
Robert 88
Richard 62
Walter 60
Frederick 55
Albert 46
Ernest 40
Harry 39
Edwin 33
Herbert 31
Wm. 31
Frank 29
David 27
Benjamin 24
Peter 22
Fred 21
Isaac 16
Thos. 16
Tom 14
Geo. 13
Daniel 12
Abraham 10
Francis 10
Philip 10
Stephen 9
Joe 8
Sidney 8
Edgar 7
Edmund 7
Harold 7
Matthew 7
Nathaniel 7
Ralph 7
Sam 7
Eli 6
Elijah 6
Fredk. 6
Fredrick 6
Jacob 6

FAQ

Gee surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gee surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7,597 people were recorded with the Gee surname. That placed it at #562 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gee surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,138 in 2016. That gives Gee a modern rank of #715.

What does the Gee surname mean?

A patronymic surname of Old English or Germanic origin, meaning "son of Gee" or derived from a nickname for Gregory.

What does the Gee map show?

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