NameCensus.

UK surname

Gentle

Derived from a nickname for a well-mannered, meek, or kind person.

In the 1881 census there were 993 people recorded with the Gentle surname, ranking it #3,926 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,297, ranked #4,617, down from #3,926 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Edinburgh and Ashwell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Hertfordshire, Central Bedfordshire and South Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gentle is 1,382 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.6%.

1881 census count

993

Ranked #3,926

Modern count

1,297

2016, ranked #4,617

Peak year

1999

1,382 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gentle had 993 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,926 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,297 in 2016, ranked #4,617.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,213 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gentle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gentle surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gentle 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 710 #3,675
1861 historical 597 #4,436
1881 historical 993 #3,926
1891 historical 1,108 #3,823
1901 historical 1,090 #4,434
1911 historical 1,213 #3,889
1997 modern 1,319 #4,345
1998 modern 1,356 #4,393
1999 modern 1,382 #4,350
2000 modern 1,374 #4,362
2001 modern 1,311 #4,454
2002 modern 1,308 #4,549
2003 modern 1,294 #4,510
2004 modern 1,287 #4,523
2005 modern 1,261 #4,555
2006 modern 1,269 #4,544
2007 modern 1,285 #4,535
2008 modern 1,281 #4,569
2009 modern 1,282 #4,673
2010 modern 1,318 #4,649
2011 modern 1,303 #4,632
2012 modern 1,276 #4,651
2013 modern 1,315 #4,607
2014 modern 1,286 #4,724
2015 modern 1,284 #4,681
2016 modern 1,297 #4,617

Geography

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Where Gentles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Edinburgh, Ashwell and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Hertfordshire, Central Bedfordshire, South Somerset and Peterborough. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Ashwell Hertfordshire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Hertfordshire 004 North Hertfordshire
2 Central Bedfordshire 010 Central Bedfordshire
3 South Somerset 021 South Somerset
4 North Hertfordshire 008 North Hertfordshire
5 Peterborough 007 Peterborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gentle

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gentle

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gentle 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

Gentle 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

Gentle falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gentle is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gentle

The surname "Gentle" is derived from the Old French word "gentil", meaning "high-born" or "noble". It is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded use of the surname "Gentle" dates back to the late 12th century in Normandy, France. It was likely given as a descriptive name to someone who was considered to have noble or gentle qualities.

In England, the name first appeared in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were census records compiled during the reign of King Edward I. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was William le Gentyl, who was listed as living in Oxfordshire.

In the 14th century, the name "Gentle" was found in various medieval records, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, where a John Gentill was mentioned in 1379.

During the 16th century, the surname "Gentle" was associated with several notable individuals. One of them was Thomas Gentle (1567-1617), an English clergyman and author who wrote a book on the Book of Revelation.

Another individual of note was John Gentle (1597-1665), an English politician and member of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War.

In the 17th century, the surname "Gentle" appeared in the records of the Virginia Colony in America. One of the earliest settlers with this name was William Gentle, who arrived in Virginia in 1635.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure with the surname "Gentle" was Sir Samuel Gentle (1720-1798), a British Member of Parliament and a wealthy merchant who owned plantations in the West Indies.

During the 19th century, the surname "Gentle" was found across various parts of the English-speaking world. One notable individual was William Gentle (1825-1904), an Australian politician and businessman who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.

Another significant figure was James Gentle (1856-1931), a Scottish-born American civil engineer who was involved in the construction of several major infrastructure projects, including the Panama Canal.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gentle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gentle 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. Bedfordshire leads with 181 Gentles recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.34x.

County Total Index
Bedfordshire 181 36.34x
Hertfordshire 144 21.72x
Middlesex 120 1.25x
Cambridgeshire 118 19.37x
Surrey 56 1.19x
Midlothian 54 4.19x
Lanarkshire 44 1.41x
Somerset 34 2.20x
Lancashire 22 0.19x
Angus 19 2.13x
Perthshire 17 3.94x
Huntingdonshire 12 6.28x
Lincolnshire 12 0.78x
Montgomeryshire 12 5.44x
Renfrewshire 12 1.61x
Hampshire 11 0.56x
Staffordshire 11 0.34x
Essex 9 0.47x
Glamorgan 9 0.54x
Kent 9 0.27x
Oxfordshire 9 1.52x
Yorkshire 8 0.08x
Fife 7 1.23x
Gloucestershire 7 0.37x
Dunbartonshire 6 2.32x
Norfolk 6 0.41x
Derbyshire 5 0.33x
Peeblesshire 5 11.05x
Pembrokeshire 5 1.64x
Stirlingshire 4 1.13x
Dorset 3 0.48x
Inverness-shire 3 1.04x
Leicestershire 3 0.28x
Cumberland 2 0.24x
Devon 2 0.10x
Monmouthshire 2 0.29x
Northumberland 2 0.14x
Sussex 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stotfold in Bedfordshire leads with 119 Gentles recorded in 1881 and an index of 1248.69x.

Place Total Index
Stotfold 119 1248.69x
St Albans 36 265.10x
Ashwell 29 556.62x
Orwell 23 871.21x
Barony 20 2.54x
Barrington 20 975.61x
Guilden Morden 20 617.28x
Islington London 20 2.15x
Luton 19 22.04x
South Petherton 18 225.28x
Abbots Langley 17 172.59x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 17 3.28x
Govan 15 1.95x
St Pancras London 15 1.94x
Battersea 14 3.96x
St Albans St Peter 14 62.58x
Northill 13 278.97x
Baldock 12 192.62x
Bedford St Paul 12 35.13x
Llanllwchaiarn 12 125.65x
Oldham 12 3.26x
Putney 12 27.37x
St Marylebone London 12 2.34x
Trumpington 12 387.10x
Barrington 11 797.10x
Dundee 11 3.31x
Lambeth 11 1.31x
Bassingbourn 9 100.56x
Eastwood 9 19.60x
Glasgow 9 1.63x
Hackney London 9 1.67x
Friern Barnet 8 37.75x
Harlton 8 776.70x
Hitchin 8 26.74x
Shoreditch London 8 1.92x
Aberdare 7 6.09x
Bluntisham 7 195.53x
Bromley London 7 3.31x
Edinburgh St Johns 7 86.10x
Hatfield 7 52.08x
Kensington London 7 1.31x
Kirkdale 7 3.65x
Newport 7 65.48x
Oxted 7 124.11x
Stevenage 7 68.09x
Alkerton 6 1153.85x
Cottenham 6 74.07x
Kettins 6 200.67x
Norton 6 550.46x
St Luke London 6 3.89x
Tulliallan 6 81.97x
West Ham 6 1.43x
Westbury On Trym 6 9.39x
Arlesey 5 79.49x
Bethnal Green London 5 1.20x
Bowling 5 5.30x
Duddingston 5 19.33x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 5 16.40x
Edinburgh Canongate 5 15.25x
Litchurch 5 8.25x
Newington 5 1.41x
Old Kilpatrick 5 16.37x
Peebles 5 37.40x
St Neots 5 48.17x
Amroth 4 165.29x
Bothkennar 4 37.77x
Brandon 4 50.31x
Chiswick 4 7.61x
Edinburgh New North 4 35.68x
Pembury 4 86.02x
Shepton Beauchamp 4 189.57x
Tottenham 4 2.61x
Chelsea London 3 1.04x
Cramond 3 30.71x
Leicester All Sts 3 14.33x
St Andrew Undershaft 3 277.78x
Sturminster 3 49.02x
Watford 3 5.84x
Welwyn 3 52.26x
Wolverhampton 3 1.20x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 42
George 33
John 33
James 29
Arthur 19
Charles 19
Samuel 17
Alfred 15
Thomas 15
Frederick 13
Joseph 12
Albert 11
Walter 10
Henry 9
David 8
Edward 8
Harry 8
Ernest 7
Frank 6
Herbert 5
Edwin 3
Horace 3
Jonathan 3
Philip 3
Rueben 3
Wm. 3
Andrew 2
Archibald 2
Benjamin 2
Cornelius 2
Daniel 2
Elias 2
Francis 2
Fredk. 2
Jno. 2
Lewis 2
Louis 2
Obed 2
Ralph 2
Richard 2
Thos. 2
Augustus 1
Cornelious 1
Fred 1
Hale 1
Harris 1
Mark 1
Nathanall 1
Noah 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Gentle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gentle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 993 people were recorded with the Gentle surname. That placed it at #3,926 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gentle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,297 in 2016. That gives Gentle a modern rank of #4,617.

What does the Gentle surname mean?

Derived from a nickname for a well-mannered, meek, or kind person.

What does the Gentle map show?

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