NameCensus.

UK surname

Gentile

From the Latin word meaning "noble," "kind," or "generous," referring to a person with such qualities.

In the 1881 census there were 12 people recorded with the Gentile surname, ranking it #31,914 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 230, ranked #17,812, up from #31,914 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire West and Chester, Huntingdonshire and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gentile is 240 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1816.7%.

1881 census count

12

Ranked #31,914

Modern count

230

2016, ranked #17,812

Peak year

2013

240 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gentile had 12 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,914 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 230 in 2016, ranked #17,812.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 18 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Gentile surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gentile surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gentile 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 12 #31,134
1861 historical 7 #33,053
1881 historical 12 #31,914
1891 historical 6 #33,800
1901 historical 15 #32,383
1911 historical 18 #31,542
1997 modern 162 #20,107
1998 modern 160 #20,832
1999 modern 156 #21,290
2000 modern 163 #20,657
2001 modern 160 #20,616
2002 modern 173 #20,043
2003 modern 181 #19,277
2004 modern 184 #19,183
2005 modern 190 #18,753
2006 modern 198 #18,425
2007 modern 201 #18,428
2008 modern 198 #18,753
2009 modern 208 #18,551
2010 modern 225 #18,000
2011 modern 228 #17,673
2012 modern 227 #17,630
2013 modern 240 #17,251
2014 modern 240 #17,387
2015 modern 235 #17,530
2016 modern 230 #17,812

Geography

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Where Gentiles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire West and Chester, Huntingdonshire, Bradford, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Cardiff. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire West and Chester 044 Cheshire West and Chester
2 Huntingdonshire 009 Huntingdonshire
3 Bradford 009 Bradford
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 013 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 Cardiff 016 Cardiff

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gentile

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gentile

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Gentile is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gentile is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gentile falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gentile is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Gentile

The surname Gentile has its origins in Italy, with roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "gentile," which means "of noble birth" or "of gentle manners." The name was likely given to individuals who displayed refined qualities or belonged to the gentry class.

During the medieval period, the Gentile name was prevalent in various regions of Italy, particularly in the northern regions such as Veneto, Lombardy, and Emilia-Romagna. Some early records indicate the presence of the name in the city of Venice as early as the 13th century.

One notable historical figure bearing the Gentile surname was Giovanni Gentile, an Italian philosopher and politician who lived from 1875 to 1944. He was a prominent advocate of Actual Idealism and served as the Minister of Public Education in Benito Mussolini's government.

Another well-known Gentile was Artemisia Gentileschi, a remarkable Italian Baroque painter who lived from 1593 to 1656. She was one of the first female artists to gain recognition and acclaim in the male-dominated art world of her time.

The Gentile name can also be found in various historical records and manuscripts from different regions of Italy. For instance, the Codex Gentile, a 14th-century manuscript containing legal texts and statutes from the city of Padua, bears the Gentile name.

In terms of place names, the town of Gentile di Sicilia in southern Italy is believed to have derived its name from the Gentile family who once held significant influence in the area. Additionally, the noble Gentile family of Venice left their mark on the city's history and architecture, with several palaces and buildings bearing their name.

Other notable individuals with the Gentile surname include Guido Gentile, an Italian mathematician and philosopher who lived from 1834 to 1916, and Luigi Gentile, an Italian painter and sculptor active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Gentile surname has a rich history and a strong connection to Italian culture and nobility. While its meaning has evolved over time, it remains a testament to the enduring presence of this name in various aspects of Italian history and society.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gentile families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gentile 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. Kent leads with 9 Gentiles recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.57x.

County Total Index
Kent 9 22.57x
Dunbartonshire 3 95.54x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Deptford St Paul in Kent leads with 9 Gentiles recorded in 1881 and an index of 292.21x.

Place Total Index
Deptford St Paul 9 292.21x
Old Kilpatrick 3 810.81x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 1
Annie 1
Jane 1
Matilda 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 2
Charles 1
Daniel 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 Gentile households.

FAQ

Gentile surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gentile surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12 people were recorded with the Gentile surname. That placed it at #31,914 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gentile surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 230 in 2016. That gives Gentile a modern rank of #17,812.

What does the Gentile surname mean?

From the Latin word meaning "noble," "kind," or "generous," referring to a person with such qualities.

What does the Gentile map show?

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