NameCensus.

UK surname

Gibbs

A patronymic surname derived from the personal name Gilbert, which means "bright pledge" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 14,676 people recorded with the Gibbs surname, ranking it #272 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 18,884, ranked #319, down from #272 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Dorset, Huntingdonshire and Torfaen.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gibbs is 20,152 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.7%.

1881 census count

14,676

Ranked #272

Modern count

18,884

2016, ranked #319

Peak year

1911

20,152 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gibbs had 14,676 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #272 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 18,884 in 2016, ranked #319.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 20,152 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gibbs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gibbs surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gibbs 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 9,848 #264
1861 historical 10,307 #249
1881 historical 14,676 #272
1891 historical 16,014 #261
1901 historical 18,406 #274
1911 historical 20,152 #224
1997 modern 19,173 #299
1998 modern 19,875 #302
1999 modern 19,964 #302
2000 modern 19,817 #302
2001 modern 19,343 #301
2002 modern 19,620 #303
2003 modern 19,149 #303
2004 modern 19,071 #302
2005 modern 18,638 #306
2006 modern 18,399 #313
2007 modern 18,505 #314
2008 modern 18,595 #313
2009 modern 19,020 #315
2010 modern 19,314 #316
2011 modern 19,076 #315
2012 modern 18,672 #317
2013 modern 19,110 #318
2014 modern 19,191 #319
2015 modern 19,002 #319
2016 modern 18,884 #319

Geography

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Where Gibbs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Dorset, Huntingdonshire, Torfaen, Fenland and South Gloucestershire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Dorset 003 West Dorset
2 Huntingdonshire 006 Huntingdonshire
3 Torfaen 004 Torfaen
4 Fenland 003 Fenland
5 South Gloucestershire 019 South Gloucestershire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gibbs

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gibbs

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

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Gibbs is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Gibbs 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

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

Meaning and origin of Gibbs

The surname Gibbs has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be a derivative of the Old English word "gib," which referred to a male goat or ram. This could have been used as a nickname for someone with a beard or a ram-like appearance, or it may have been a reference to someone who worked with goats or sheep.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gibbs can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and their properties compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the 11th century.

The name Gibbs has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Gibbstown and Gibside. These place names may have originated from individuals bearing the surname Gibbs, indicating that the name was widespread across different regions.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Gibbs was John Gibbs, who was born in England in 1544. He was a prominent figure in the English Reformation and served as the Bishop of Worcester from 1612 until his death in 1633.

Another notable bearer of the name was Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625), an English composer and organist who served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal during the reigns of James I and Charles I. He is considered one of the most famous composers of the English Renaissance.

In the 18th century, Samuel Gibbs (1718-1786) was a renowned English goldsmith and jeweler who worked in London. His craftsmanship was highly sought after, and he produced works for members of the British royal family.

Lewis Gibbs (1810-1894) was an American politician who served as the 27th Governor of Arkansas from 1868 to 1871. He played a significant role in the reconstruction efforts following the American Civil War.

Another prominent figure was Sir Josiah Willard Gibbs (1839-1903), an American scientist who made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, physics, and chemistry. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of modern chemical thermodynamics and is renowned for his work on statistical mechanics and the formulation of the phase rule.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gibbs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gibbs 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. Middlesex leads with 2,338 Gibbs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.63x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 2,338 1.63x
Surrey 1,249 1.79x
Warwickshire 1,013 2.80x
Kent 871 1.78x
Somerset 821 3.55x
Gloucestershire 598 2.12x
Norfolk 492 2.23x
Staffordshire 489 1.01x
Hampshire 485 1.65x
Sussex 463 1.91x
Worcestershire 446 2.38x
Devon 420 1.41x
Glamorgan 417 1.67x
Dorset 406 4.31x
Lancashire 379 0.22x
Essex 324 1.14x
Yorkshire 322 0.23x
Wiltshire 316 2.49x
Berkshire 315 2.92x
Buckinghamshire 293 3.38x
Oxfordshire 277 3.13x
Northamptonshire 266 1.97x
Suffolk 248 1.42x
Derbyshire 160 0.71x
Hertfordshire 153 1.55x
Durham 124 0.29x
Monmouthshire 115 1.11x
Bedfordshire 108 1.45x
Leicestershire 100 0.63x
Cheshire 95 0.30x
Lincolnshire 66 0.29x
Northumberland 59 0.28x
Cambridgeshire 50 0.55x
Lanarkshire 50 0.11x
Herefordshire 48 0.82x
Nottinghamshire 48 0.25x
Cornwall 42 0.26x
Shropshire 42 0.34x
Pembrokeshire 38 0.83x
Huntingdonshire 33 1.16x
Brecknockshire 29 1.01x
Royal Navy 18 1.05x
Channel Islands 17 0.40x
Midlothian 14 0.07x
Aberdeenshire 6 0.05x
East Lothian 6 0.32x
Flintshire 6 0.16x
Morayshire 6 0.27x
Angus 5 0.04x
Cumberland 5 0.04x
Renfrewshire 4 0.04x
Fife 3 0.04x
Anglesey 2 0.08x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.03x
Clackmannanshire 2 0.17x
Rutland 2 0.19x
Stirlingshire 2 0.04x
Berwickshire 1 0.06x
Buteshire 1 0.12x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.02x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.03x
Radnorshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 234 Gibbs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.68x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 234 1.68x
Birmingham 202 1.67x
St Pancras London 200 1.73x
Lambeth 185 1.48x
St Marylebone London 183 2.39x
Aston 178 1.79x
West Ham 136 2.17x
Shoreditch London 133 2.14x
Hackney London 131 1.63x
Kensington London 123 1.54x
Croydon 120 3.09x
Brighton 119 2.44x
Camberwell 119 1.30x
Great Yarmouth 118 6.46x
Portsea 109 1.89x
Portland 108 21.32x
Harborne 99 6.38x
Battersea 95 1.80x
Newington 94 1.77x
Paddington London 93 1.76x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 86 3.25x
Hammersmith London 84 2.38x
St George Hanover Square 74 2.93x
Tonbridge 71 4.02x
Bethnal Green London 67 1.07x
Deptford St Paul 62 1.64x
Leamington Priors 62 6.96x
Greenwich 61 2.67x
Hickling 59 145.03x
Lewisham 58 2.22x
Bedminster 57 2.63x
Mile End Old Town London 56 1.83x
Clerkenwell London 55 1.62x
Chelsea London 53 1.23x
St Luke London 53 2.30x
Ilfracombe 52 16.91x
Southwark St George Martyr 48 1.66x
St George Bloomsbury 46 5.59x
Hungerford 45 30.88x
Bermondsey 44 1.03x
Hampstead London 44 1.97x
Southampton St Mary 44 2.38x
St George In East London 44 3.26x
Clapham 43 2.40x
Speldhurst 43 17.25x
Liverpool 42 0.41x
Southwark Christchurch 42 6.25x
Studley 42 27.14x
West Derby 42 0.84x
Bromley London 41 1.30x
Roath 41 3.61x
Cilybebill 40 41.95x
Coventry Holy Trinity 40 3.70x
Swindon 40 4.06x
Clifton 39 2.74x
Swansea Town 39 1.90x
Wednesbury 39 3.22x
Westbury On Severn East 39 6.13x
Walcot 37 3.01x
Bow London 36 1.97x
Seaton 36 31.26x
Stoke Newington London 36 3.22x
Willesden 36 2.66x
Wolverhampton 36 0.97x
Edgbaston 35 3.12x
Wandsworth 35 2.53x
Whitechapel London 35 2.47x
Cardiff St John 34 4.17x
Kingston On Thames 34 2.02x
Northampton St Giles 34 6.61x
Wedmore 34 22.62x
Deddington 33 34.31x
Lyncombe Widcombe 33 5.46x
Chipping Norton 32 15.62x
Northampton Priory St 31 3.83x
Redditch 31 8.16x
Cardiff St Mary 30 2.18x
Gillingham 30 2.97x
Lakenham 30 9.57x
Luton 30 2.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 854
Elizabeth 598
Sarah 484
Jane 271
Ann 270
Emily 252
Emma 250
Eliza 245
Alice 243
Ellen 226
Annie 205
Louisa 142
Charlotte 112
Harriet 112
Edith 107
Florence 106
Hannah 104
Martha 102
Caroline 92
Fanny 81
Maria 77
Kate 75
Lucy 73
Ada 71
Anne 70
Margaret 68
Amelia 64
Agnes 62
Susan 62
Clara 61
Harriett 61
Frances 60
Catherine 55
Rose 48
Matilda 46
Sophia 37
Esther 36
Jessie 36
Rebecca 36
Minnie 35
Julia 32
Amy 31
Elizth. 30
Gertrude 30
Ethel 29
Eleanor 28
Rosa 28
Anna 27
Beatrice 26
Laura 26

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 943
John 703
George 632
Thomas 423
James 391
Henry 388
Charles 351
Joseph 196
Robert 190
Alfred 185
Frederick 164
Edward 155
Arthur 143
Albert 133
Samuel 122
Walter 121
Richard 108
Ernest 84
Frank 78
Harry 70
Francis 69
Herbert 66
Edwin 61
David 43
Benjamin 32
Geo. 29
Sidney 29
Wm. 29
Edmund 27
Thos. 25
Fredrick 22
Stephen 22
Isaac 21
Fred 19
Fredk. 19
Percy 18
Daniel 17
Tom 17
Mark 16
Chas. 15
Christopher 15
Philip 15
Alexander 12
Willm. 12
Harold 11
Phillip 11
Reginald 11
Jesse 10
Joshua 10
Sydney 10

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 Gibbs households.

FAQ

Gibbs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gibbs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 14,676 people were recorded with the Gibbs surname. That placed it at #272 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gibbs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 18,884 in 2016. That gives Gibbs a modern rank of #319.

What does the Gibbs surname mean?

A patronymic surname derived from the personal name Gilbert, which means "bright pledge" in Old English.

What does the Gibbs map show?

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