NameCensus.

UK surname

Gettings

An occupational surname meaning someone who retrieved or obtained things.

In the 1881 census there were 295 people recorded with the Gettings surname, ranking it #9,842 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 412, ranked #11,627, down from #9,842 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Sedgley and Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Salford and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gettings is 478 in 2007. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.7%.

1881 census count

295

Ranked #9,842

Modern count

412

2016, ranked #11,627

Peak year

2007

478 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gettings had 295 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,842 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 412 in 2016, ranked #11,627.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 392 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Gettings surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gettings surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gettings 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 119 #15,247
1861 historical 197 #12,166
1881 historical 295 #9,842
1891 historical 392 #9,019
1901 historical 369 #10,040
1911 historical 379 #9,672
1997 modern 449 #10,094
1998 modern 474 #10,004
1999 modern 473 #10,069
2000 modern 469 #10,105
2001 modern 463 #10,009
2002 modern 472 #10,060
2003 modern 457 #10,156
2004 modern 450 #10,321
2005 modern 455 #10,126
2006 modern 459 #10,088
2007 modern 478 #9,891
2008 modern 466 #10,162
2009 modern 470 #10,324
2010 modern 477 #10,410
2011 modern 457 #10,651
2012 modern 424 #11,183
2013 modern 423 #11,422
2014 modern 426 #11,408
2015 modern 418 #11,516
2016 modern 412 #11,627

Geography

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Where Gettings' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Sedgley, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Rochdale and Hull Holy Trinity. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Salford and Cornwall. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Sedgley Staffordshire
3 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
4 Rochdale Lancashire
5 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 010 County Durham
2 County Durham 012 County Durham
3 County Durham 014 County Durham
4 Salford 016 Salford
5 Cornwall 003 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gettings

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gettings

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gettings, 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 Gettings surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Gettings 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Gettings 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

Gettings 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

Gettings falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gettings 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 Gettings, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gettings

The surname Gettings originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "gat," which means a gap or opening, and the suffix "-ing," which denotes a group or family. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a family or group residing near a gap or opening, likely in a hedgerow or fence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gettings can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from the late 13th century, where it appears as "Gatting." This early spelling variation provides insight into the name's evolution over time.

In the 14th century, records from Yorkshire mention a John de Gattynges, indicating the presence of the surname in that region. The prefix "de" suggests a connection to a specific place or location, further reinforcing the name's geographical origins.

During the 16th century, the Gettings surname gained prominence in Staffordshire and Shropshire. Notable figures from this period include William Gettings, a landowner from Staffordshire who was born around 1520, and John Gettings, a merchant from Shrewsbury whose business dealings were documented in the city's archives in the late 1500s.

The 17th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals bearing the Gettings surname. One such figure was Thomas Gettings, a prominent clergyman who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Stafford from 1632 until his death in 1670. Another was Elizabeth Gettings, a landowner from Shropshire, who was born in 1625 and inherited considerable property from her father.

In the 18th century, the Gettings family continued to flourish in various parts of England. One noteworthy individual was Samuel Gettings, a successful merchant from Bristol who was born in 1705 and amassed a considerable fortune through his trading ventures.

As the Gettings surname spread across England, it also found its way to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the American colonies. By the 19th century, there were numerous Gettings families established in various parts of the United States, many of whom traced their ancestry back to English immigrants from the previous centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gettings families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gettings 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. Staffordshire leads with 81 Gettings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.31x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 81 8.31x
Lancashire 76 2.22x
Yorkshire 24 0.84x
Durham 19 2.21x
Lanarkshire 12 1.29x
Derbyshire 9 1.99x
Middlesex 9 0.31x
Pembrokeshire 8 8.72x
Warwickshire 8 1.10x
Glamorgan 7 1.39x
Surrey 7 0.50x
Angus 5 1.87x
Northamptonshire 5 1.84x
Perthshire 5 3.86x
Northumberland 4 0.93x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.77x
Cheshire 2 0.31x
Devon 2 0.33x
Lincolnshire 2 0.43x
Dorset 1 0.53x
Essex 1 0.18x
Flintshire 1 1.29x
Hampshire 1 0.17x
Herefordshire 1 0.84x
Monmouthshire 1 0.48x
Royal Navy 1 2.91x
Worcestershire 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bilston in Staffordshire leads with 18 Gettings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 95.29x.

Place Total Index
Bilston 18 95.29x
Cannock 18 105.82x
Sedgley 17 46.96x
Over Darwen 16 58.46x
Pendleton In Salford 13 31.85x
Wolverhampton 11 14.68x
Bothwell 9 35.55x
Birmingham 8 3.30x
Bishopwearmouth 8 10.85x
Holy Trinity 8 11.62x
Ilkeston 8 63.14x
Sunderland 8 52.74x
Wardleworth 8 40.86x
Chorlton On Medlock 7 12.86x
Merthyr Tydfil 7 14.49x
Cosheston 6 1071.43x
Salford 6 5.95x
Wednesfield 6 41.84x
Hulme 5 6.99x
Killin 5 393.70x
Little Harrowden 5 609.76x
Liverpool 5 2.40x
Monifieth 5 52.91x
Wednesbury 5 20.53x
Ormskirk 4 60.98x
Barton Upon Irwell 3 11.63x
Darlaston 3 22.27x
Dewsbury 3 10.22x
Ewell 3 101.01x
Glasgow 3 1.81x
Hampstead London 3 6.67x
Leeds 3 1.86x
Middlesbrough 3 8.05x
Oldham 3 2.71x
Westgate 3 11.28x
Dukinfield 2 6.79x
East Retford 2 59.17x
Handsworth 2 8.33x
Llanfair Nantygof 2 1176.47x
Ormesby 2 26.01x
Rusholme 2 21.88x
St George Martyr London 2 34.19x
St Marylebone London 2 1.30x
St Swithin Lincoln 2 27.55x
Stockton On Tees 2 4.83x
Thames Ditton 2 68.49x
Barnsley 1 3.39x
Barrow In Furness 1 2.15x
Bedwellty 1 2.71x
Bermondsey 1 1.16x
Berrow 1 270.27x
Bradford 1 1.44x
Darlington 1 3.02x
Derby St Alkmund 1 7.38x
Devonport 1 14.47x
Elswick 1 2.92x
Farnborough 1 16.08x
Hereford St Owen 1 25.58x
Horton In Bradford 1 2.24x
Kensington London 1 0.62x
Kirk Smeaton 1 263.16x
Lambeth 1 0.40x
Lidford 1 37.04x
Little Bolton 1 2.27x
Mold Bistree 1 79.37x
Radford 1 5.06x
Rotherham 1 6.20x
Royal Navy 1 3.40x
St Pancras London 1 0.43x
Walthamstow 1 4.88x
West Bromwich 1 1.79x
Westhoughton 1 10.94x
Whalley 1 20.04x
Wyke Regis 1 36.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 21
Elizabeth 10
Margaret 10
Sarah 10
Ann 9
Jane 5
Alice 4
Catherine 4
Isabella 4
Maria 4
Annie 3
Bridget 3
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Hannah 3
Margarett 3
Matilda 3
Cecilia 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Harriet 2
Kate 2
Lavinia 2
Martha 2
Susan 2
Zebeth 2
Adelaide 1
Amy 1
Betsy 1
Betty 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Criddy 1
Deborah 1
Elizath. 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Henrietta 1
Jennie 1
Joanniah 1
Laura 1
Liddy 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Lousa 1
Rachel 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 27
William 21
James 14
Thomas 9
Edward 5
George 4
Henry 4
Joseph 4
Patrick 3
Abednego 2
Charles 2
Martin 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Abraham 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Aurther 1
Barney 1
Bartolomew 1
Benjamin 1
Betholomew 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Dominic 1
Edwar 1
Enoch 1
Frederick 1
Joshua 1
Lewis 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Micheal 1
Nathaniel 1
Percival 1
Peter 1
Platt 1
Terence 1

FAQ

Gettings surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gettings surname in 1881?

In 1881, 295 people were recorded with the Gettings surname. That placed it at #9,842 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gettings surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 412 in 2016. That gives Gettings a modern rank of #11,627.

What does the Gettings surname mean?

An occupational surname meaning someone who retrieved or obtained things.

What does the Gettings map show?

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