NameCensus.

UK surname

Ghent

A surname referring to a person from the city of Ghent in Belgium.

In the 1881 census there were 146 people recorded with the Ghent surname, ranking it #15,752 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 303, ranked #14,637, up from #15,752 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Polesworth, Sawley and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cannock Chase, Hackney and Hinckley and Bosworth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ghent is 319 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 107.5%.

1881 census count

146

Ranked #15,752

Modern count

303

2016, ranked #14,637

Peak year

2014

319 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ghent had 146 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,752 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 303 in 2016, ranked #14,637.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 268 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ghent surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ghent surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ghent 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 121 #15,049
1861 historical 65 #25,618
1881 historical 146 #15,752
1891 historical 189 #15,547
1901 historical 240 #13,461
1911 historical 268 #12,332
1997 modern 281 #14,110
1998 modern 289 #14,208
1999 modern 291 #14,234
2000 modern 309 #13,651
2001 modern 309 #13,487
2002 modern 311 #13,666
2003 modern 295 #13,964
2004 modern 296 #14,005
2005 modern 294 #14,006
2006 modern 284 #14,396
2007 modern 287 #14,464
2008 modern 282 #14,748
2009 modern 304 #14,287
2010 modern 311 #14,345
2011 modern 306 #14,410
2012 modern 315 #14,031
2013 modern 310 #14,403
2014 modern 319 #14,216
2015 modern 316 #14,214
2016 modern 303 #14,637

Geography

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Where Ghents are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Polesworth, Sawley, London parishes, Nuneaton and Stockport. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cannock Chase, Hackney, Hinckley and Bosworth, Derbyshire Dales and Worthing. 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 Polesworth Warwickshire
2 Sawley Derbyshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Nuneaton Warwickshire
5 Stockport Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cannock Chase 008 Cannock Chase
2 Hackney 015 Hackney
3 Hinckley and Bosworth 014 Hinckley and Bosworth
4 Derbyshire Dales 004 Derbyshire Dales
5 Worthing 006 Worthing

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ghent

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ghent

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Ghent is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ghent is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ghent falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Ghent

The surname Ghent originated in the medieval city of Ghent, located in present-day Belgium. It first emerged in the 12th century as a locational surname, denoting someone who hailed from or lived near the city of Ghent. The name is derived from the Dutch word "Gent," which itself comes from the Gaulish word "Ganda," meaning "confluence" or "junction," referring to the city's strategic location at the confluence of the Lys and Scheldt rivers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ghent can be found in the Ghent Altarpiece, a famous polyptych panel painting created by the Flemish Renaissance artist Jan van Eyck between 1430 and 1432. The painting features a donor portrait of Joos Vijd and his wife, who were members of the wealthy Ghent-based Vijd family.

In England, the surname Ghent appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a Robert de Gant in Oxfordshire. The surname was also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, with an entry for a landowner named Walter de Gand in Yorkshire.

Notable individuals with the surname Ghent include:

1. Edmund de Ghent (c. 1245-1294), an English baron and military commander who fought in the Ninth Crusade and the Welsh Wars under King Edward I.

2. John de Ghent (c. 1292-1370), an English cleric who served as the Bishop of Bangor and the Bishop of Hereford in the 14th century.

3. Joos van Ghent (c. 1410-1480), a Flemish painter known for his religious works, including the altarpiece in the Church of St. Peter in Leuven, Belgium.

4. Lieven van Ghent (c. 1576-1644), a Flemish painter and draughtsman who was active in Rome and is known for his landscapes and genre scenes.

5. Henry de Ghent (c. 1217-1293), a Flemish philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Paris and wrote extensively on metaphysics and ethics.

The surname Ghent has also been associated with various place names, such as Ghent, New York, a town in Columbia County named after the Belgian city, and Ghent, Kentucky, a small unincorporated community in Carroll County.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ghent families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ghent 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 20 Ghents recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.18x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 20 1.18x
Warwickshire 19 5.29x
Cheshire 13 4.14x
Yorkshire 13 0.92x
Lincolnshire 12 5.27x
Surrey 12 1.73x
Leicestershire 9 5.70x
Derbyshire 8 3.59x
Caernarfonshire 6 10.42x
Northamptonshire 6 4.48x
Northumberland 6 2.83x
Sussex 5 2.08x
Cumberland 4 3.26x
Essex 4 1.42x
Middlesex 4 0.28x
Cornwall 2 1.24x
Durham 1 0.24x
Norfolk 1 0.46x
Staffordshire 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dukinfield in Cheshire leads with 13 Ghents recorded in 1881 and an index of 89.47x.

Place Total Index
Dukinfield 13 89.47x
Polesworth 11 643.27x
Camberwell 9 9.89x
Baston 8 2105.26x
Blackburn 8 17.79x
Liverpool 7 6.82x
Rowington 7 1750.00x
Braunston 6 1153.85x
Elswick 6 35.48x
Hunslet 6 27.26x
Llanbedr 6 2500.00x
Brighton 4 8.26x
Caldewgate 4 59.52x
Grays Thurrock 4 153.26x
Leicester St Margaret 4 10.39x
Swinstead 4 2352.94x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 8.12x
Derby St Alkmund 3 44.91x
Rawdon 3 180.72x
Sheepshed 3 138.89x
Alfreton 2 29.54x
Battersea 2 3.82x
Saltash 2 160.00x
Westminster St James 2 13.66x
Ashby De La Zouch 1 27.32x
Barton Upon Irwell 1 7.86x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.62x
Birmingham 1 0.84x
Claylane 1 32.26x
Croydon 1 2.60x
Downham Market 1 66.67x
Hastings St Leonards 1 28.33x
Heanor 1 30.03x
Hutton Henry 1 112.36x
Markfield 1 128.21x
Middlesbrough 1 5.44x
Sheffield 1 2.23x
St Marylebone London 1 1.32x
Stainton In 1 625.00x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 1.96x
Stokesley 1 113.64x
Wirksworth 1 49.26x
Worsley 1 9.60x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 10
James 6
Thomas 6
William 6
Charles 5
Henry 3
Edward 2
Frederick 2
George 2
Joseph 2
Adam 1
Alfred 1
Bracewell 1
Earnest 1
Enoch 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Geo.Hy. 1
Herbert 1
Martin 1
Michael 1
Paul 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Ghent surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ghent surname in 1881?

In 1881, 146 people were recorded with the Ghent surname. That placed it at #15,752 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ghent surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 303 in 2016. That gives Ghent a modern rank of #14,637.

What does the Ghent surname mean?

A surname referring to a person from the city of Ghent in Belgium.

What does the Ghent map show?

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