NameCensus.

UK surname

Gilpin

Derived from a place name meaning "Gilbert's valley" in Old English, referring to an early settler or inhabitant.

In the 1881 census there were 865 people recorded with the Gilpin surname, ranking it #4,373 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,174, ranked #5,054, down from #4,373 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Kenton, Alphington, Dawlish and Teignmouth, East. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, Bolton and Wrexham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gilpin is 1,234 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.7%.

1881 census count

865

Ranked #4,373

Modern count

1,174

2016, ranked #5,054

Peak year

2002

1,234 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gilpin had 865 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,373 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,174 in 2016, ranked #5,054.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,033 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Gilpin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gilpin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gilpin 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 575 #4,429
1861 historical 535 #4,913
1881 historical 865 #4,373
1891 historical 860 #4,765
1901 historical 1,018 #4,691
1911 historical 1,033 #4,441
1997 modern 1,180 #4,783
1998 modern 1,203 #4,868
1999 modern 1,222 #4,845
2000 modern 1,230 #4,792
2001 modern 1,190 #4,826
2002 modern 1,234 #4,779
2003 modern 1,203 #4,801
2004 modern 1,203 #4,802
2005 modern 1,172 #4,856
2006 modern 1,176 #4,859
2007 modern 1,171 #4,914
2008 modern 1,180 #4,900
2009 modern 1,201 #4,937
2010 modern 1,220 #4,970
2011 modern 1,206 #4,948
2012 modern 1,183 #4,969
2013 modern 1,196 #4,994
2014 modern 1,213 #4,967
2015 modern 1,202 #4,964
2016 modern 1,174 #5,054

Geography

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Where Gilpins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Kenton, Alphington, Dawlish, Teignmouth, East, Sheffield and Woolborough with Newton Abbot. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, Bolton, Wrexham, South Lakeland and Teignbridge. 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 Kenton, Alphington, Dawlish Devon
3 Teignmouth, East Devon
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Woolborough with Newton Abbot Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 004 Copeland
2 Bolton 005 Bolton
3 Wrexham 015 Wrexham
4 South Lakeland 003 South Lakeland
5 Teignbridge 005 Teignbridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gilpin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gilpin

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Gilpin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Gilpin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gilpin 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

Gilpin is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gilpin falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gilpin

The surname Gilpin has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French words "gile," meaning "guile" or "deceit," and "pin," meaning "hill" or "thorn." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived on a thorn-covered hill or may have been a descriptive nickname for a crafty or cunning individual.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Gilpin name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a landowner named Gilbert Gylpin in Westmorland, now part of Cumbria. This indicates that the name was already well-established in northern England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the Gilpin family held lands in the village of Kentmere, near Kendal in Westmorland. A notable member of this family was Richard Gilpin (c. 1300), who served as Sheriff of Cumberland in 1299 and was involved in border disputes with Scotland.

Another early bearer of the Gilpin name was William Gilpin (c. 1516-1583), an English Protestant clergyman and author who served as the chaplain to King Edward VI and later as the Archdeacon of Shropshire. He was a vocal critic of the Roman Catholic Church during the Reformation.

In the 17th century, Bernard Gilpin (1517-1584) was a renowned English preacher and reformer who became known as the "Apostle of the North." He was a prominent figure in the Anglican Church and worked to improve the living conditions and education of the poor in the northern counties.

One of the most famous individuals with the Gilpin surname was William Gilpin (1724-1804), an English artist, writer, and clergyman who is considered one of the originators of the concept of the picturesque in art and landscape appreciation. His influential works, such as "Observations on the River Wye" (1782), helped shape the Romantic movement in literature and art.

Other notable Gilpins include John Gilpin (c. 1510-1565), an English theologian and Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake during the Marian Persecutions; and Richard Gilpin (1625-1699), an English Nonconformist minister and author who wrote extensively on religious and moral topics.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gilpin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gilpin 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. Devon leads with 183 Gilpins recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.34x.

County Total Index
Devon 183 10.34x
Yorkshire 152 1.80x
Middlesex 105 1.23x
Lancashire 82 0.81x
Westmorland 47 25.14x
Surrey 44 1.06x
Denbighshire 34 10.58x
Staffordshire 24 0.84x
Cumberland 22 3.00x
Lanarkshire 19 0.69x
Durham 17 0.67x
Kent 16 0.55x
Bedfordshire 14 3.18x
Sussex 12 0.84x
Warwickshire 11 0.51x
Essex 10 0.60x
Hampshire 8 0.46x
Ayrshire 7 1.10x
Angus 6 0.76x
Channel Islands 6 2.38x
Somerset 6 0.44x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.97x
Lincolnshire 5 0.37x
Midlothian 5 0.44x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.44x
Cornwall 4 0.42x
Worcestershire 4 0.36x
Monmouthshire 3 0.49x
Hertfordshire 2 0.34x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.13x
Berkshire 1 0.16x
Cheshire 1 0.05x
Dorset 1 0.18x
Glamorgan 1 0.07x
Gloucestershire 1 0.06x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.59x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.51x
Northumberland 1 0.08x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.37x
Perthshire 1 0.26x
Renfrewshire 1 0.15x
Shropshire 1 0.14x
Suffolk 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 47 Gilpins recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.87x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 47 9.87x
East Teignmouth 26 359.12x
Kentmere 24 4705.88x
Dawlish 23 174.11x
St Pancras London 19 2.78x
Ecclesall Bierlow 17 9.92x
Kensington London 17 3.59x
Wolborough 17 75.96x
Chelsea London 16 6.24x
Buckfastleigh 15 183.60x
Manchester 15 3.30x
Gildersome 13 128.33x
Govan 12 1.76x
West Teignmouth 12 88.56x
Ruabon 11 24.90x
Brancepeth 10 217.39x
Islington London 10 1.21x
Minera 10 229.89x
Ottery St Mary 10 86.13x
Plymouth St Andrew 10 7.33x
Tormoham 10 13.35x
Ashcombe 9 1551.72x
Hastings St Mary In The 9 29.41x
Lambeth 9 1.21x
Morley 9 20.54x
Wednesbury 9 12.54x
West Ham 9 2.43x
Aston 8 1.35x
Brightside Bierlow 8 4.84x
Droylsden 8 24.29x
Luton 8 10.49x
Penge 8 14.72x
Sheffield 8 2.98x
Urswick 8 213.33x
Barony 7 1.01x
Bishopsteignton 7 208.96x
Bradford 7 14.81x
Bradford 7 3.43x
Kingston On Thames 7 7.03x
Penrith 7 25.87x
Barnsley 6 6.90x
Bedminster 6 4.66x
Bermondsey 6 2.37x
Brandon Byshottles 6 18.93x
Broughton 6 47.51x
Cleator 6 19.69x
Enfield 6 10.75x
Hunslet 6 4.56x
Plymouth Charles The 6 7.69x
St Anne Soho London 6 12.35x
St Helier 6 7.31x
St Peter Tavy 6 666.67x
St Quivox 6 27.88x
West Bromwich 6 3.65x
Bampton 5 316.46x
Bedford St Cuthbert 5 127.88x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 5 17.34x
Brymbo 5 44.68x
Cannock 5 9.98x
Crook 5 609.76x
Deptford St Paul 5 2.23x
Drighlington 5 40.72x
Exeter St Sidwell 5 12.33x
Graystoke 5 384.62x
Hougham 5 28.97x
Kendal 5 14.61x
Oldham 5 1.53x
Paddington London 5 1.60x
Crumpsall 4 16.81x
Great Grimsby 4 4.63x
Hawkshead Monk Coniston 4 113.64x
Liverpool 4 0.65x
Newington 4 1.27x
St Merryn Trevose 4 10000.00x
Tipton 4 4.55x
Ulverston 4 13.61x
Willesden 4 4.99x
Wortley In Bramley 4 5.99x
Headingley Cum Burley 3 5.53x
Soyland 3 29.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 56
John 54
George 27
James 21
Thomas 21
Robert 18
Henry 16
Edward 12
Joseph 11
Alfred 10
Charles 9
Richard 8
Samuel 8
Bernard 7
Walter 6
Albert 5
Arthur 5
Frank 5
Christopher 4
Francis 4
Frederick 4
Geo. 4
Herbert 4
Benjamin 3
David 3
Harry 3
Isaac 3
Percy 3
Bradney 2
Ernest 2
Fred 2
Kaye 2
Moses 2
Reginald 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Ben 1
Cornelius 1
Elias 1
Elliot 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.C. 1
Jas. 1
Jas.D. 1
Jno.Saml. 1
Jo.Ellis 1
Joe 1
Jonathan 1
Leatham 1

FAQ

Gilpin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gilpin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 865 people were recorded with the Gilpin surname. That placed it at #4,373 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gilpin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,174 in 2016. That gives Gilpin a modern rank of #5,054.

What does the Gilpin surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "Gilbert's valley" in Old English, referring to an early settler or inhabitant.

What does the Gilpin map show?

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