NameCensus.

UK surname

Gilbody

A surname likely derived from a nickname for a chubby or stout person.

In the 1881 census there were 261 people recorded with the Gilbody surname, ranking it #10,752 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 318, ranked #14,159, down from #10,752 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Eccles and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newark and Sherwood, North Warwickshire and Nuneaton and Bedworth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gilbody is 351 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.8%.

1881 census count

261

Ranked #10,752

Modern count

318

2016, ranked #14,159

Peak year

1999

351 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gilbody had 261 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,752 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 318 in 2016, ranked #14,159.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 320 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Gilbody surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gilbody surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Gilbody 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 208 #10,107
1861 historical 225 #10,843
1881 historical 261 #10,752
1891 historical 307 #10,914
1901 historical 312 #11,339
1911 historical 320 #10,932
1997 modern 338 #12,489
1998 modern 345 #12,649
1999 modern 351 #12,582
2000 modern 346 #12,670
2001 modern 335 #12,759
2002 modern 327 #13,217
2003 modern 309 #13,559
2004 modern 305 #13,752
2005 modern 297 #13,916
2006 modern 292 #14,148
2007 modern 297 #14,135
2008 modern 302 #14,069
2009 modern 325 #13,657
2010 modern 338 #13,550
2011 modern 332 #13,608
2012 modern 320 #13,868
2013 modern 334 #13,648
2014 modern 339 #13,581
2015 modern 327 #13,871
2016 modern 318 #14,159

Geography

Back to top

Where Gilbodys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Eccles, Manchester and Flixton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newark and Sherwood, North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Wigan and Bassetlaw. 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 2
2 Eccles Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Flixton Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newark and Sherwood 005 Newark and Sherwood
2 North Warwickshire 003 North Warwickshire
3 Nuneaton and Bedworth 002 Nuneaton and Bedworth
4 Wigan 016 Wigan
5 Bassetlaw 004 Bassetlaw

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Gilbody

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Gilbody

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Gilbody surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Gilbody 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Gilbody 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

Gilbody 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

Gilbody 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 Gilbody 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gilbody

The surname Gilbody has its origins in Northern England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. The name is believed to have emerged during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Old English words "gil" or "gile," meaning a ravine or deep valley, and "bodde," meaning a homestead or dwelling.

The earliest known record of the Gilbody name dates back to the 14th century, with the mention of John de Gilbody in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by that time. It is likely that the Gilbody family originally resided in a homestead or settlement located within a ravine or valley, hence the descriptive nature of the surname.

In the 16th century, the Gilbody name appears in the records of the Subsidy Rolls for Lancashire in 1523, where a Thomas Gilbody is listed as a taxpayer. This indicates that the family had spread and established themselves in various parts of Northern England during that period.

One notable individual bearing the Gilbody surname was Robert Gilbody, a merchant and landowner who lived in Westmorland in the late 16th century. Records show that he acquired substantial properties in the region and was involved in local governance.

During the 17th century, the Gilbody name is found in various parish registers and court records across Yorkshire and Lancashire. For instance, a William Gilbody was recorded as a witness in a legal dispute in the West Riding of Yorkshire in 1642.

In the 18th century, the Gilbody family continued to thrive in Northern England. John Gilbody, born in 1712 in Yorkshire, was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a church warden for several years.

Another notable individual was Elizabeth Gilbody, born in 1765 in Lancashire. She gained recognition as a skilled weaver and entrepreneur, establishing her own textile business during the industrial revolution.

By the 19th century, the Gilbody name had spread further across England, with individuals bearing the surname found in various parts of the country. One example is Thomas Gilbody, born in 1823 in Lincolnshire, who became a respected educator and headmaster of a prestigious school in London.

While the Gilbody name is not among the most common surnames in England, it has a rich history deeply rooted in the northern counties, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire, dating back to the medieval period.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Gilbody families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gilbody 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 215 Gilbodys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.09x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 215 7.09x
Cheshire 24 4.25x
Middlesex 17 0.67x
Yorkshire 4 0.16x
Kent 2 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barton Upon Irwell in Lancashire leads with 29 Gilbodys recorded in 1881 and an index of 127.03x.

Place Total Index
Barton Upon Irwell 29 127.03x
Salford 26 29.15x
Worsley 21 112.36x
Flixton 18 1161.29x
Hulme 15 23.69x
Manchester 14 10.27x
Pendleton In Salford 11 30.45x
Tranmere 10 48.24x
Urmston 9 456.85x
Toxteth Park 8 7.79x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 8 91.64x
Brinnington 7 132.83x
Ardwick 6 21.94x
Bethnal Green London 6 5.40x
Islington London 6 2.42x
Liverpool 6 3.26x
Chorlton Cum Hardy 5 248.76x
Great Lever 5 155.28x
Kirkdale 5 9.80x
West Derby 5 5.64x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 4 16.96x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 8.30x
Ditton 4 322.58x
Great Bolton 4 9.96x
Hopwood 3 75.76x
Newton In Ashton Under 3 53.86x
Newton 2 8.56x
North Meols 2 6.74x
Sharples 2 60.79x
St George Hanover Square 2 4.44x
St Pancras London 2 0.97x
Birkdale 1 13.04x
Broughton In Salford 1 3.61x
Chester St John Baptist 1 9.86x
Hoole 1 46.95x
Hyde 1 6.01x
Lee 1 7.90x
Rochester St Margaret 1 10.87x
St Botolph Aldersgate 1 34.13x
Stockport 1 3.44x
Withington 1 10.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Alice 12
Elizabeth 11
Sarah 10
Jane 9
Ellen 7
Martha 7
Ann 5
Emma 5
Hannah 5
Margaret 5
Harriet 3
Rachel 3
Sophia 3
Annie 2
Bertha 2
Catherine 2
Julia 2
Ada 1
Alexandria 1
Anne 1
Betty 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Isabella 1
Louisa 1
Mara 1
Margt. 1
Margt.Ann 1
Moira 1
Phoebe 1
Rachael 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Selina 1
Susannah 1
Sylvia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 20
John 18
William 15
Robert 7
George 6
Henry 6
Joseph 6
Thomas 4
Arthur 3
Charles 3
Peter 3
Alexander 2
Alfred 2
Frederick 2
Herbert 2
Jonathan 2
Samuel 2
Willoughby 2
Abner 1
Albert 1
Ben. 1
Chas. 1
Edin 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Joe. 1
Newton 1
Oliver 1
Phoebe 1
Sam 1
Saml. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Gilbody surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gilbody surname in 1881?

In 1881, 261 people were recorded with the Gilbody surname. That placed it at #10,752 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gilbody surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 318 in 2016. That gives Gilbody a modern rank of #14,159.

What does the Gilbody surname mean?

A surname likely derived from a nickname for a chubby or stout person.

What does the Gilbody map show?

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