NameCensus.

UK surname

Girt

A British surname potentially derived from an Old English word meaning "circle" or "belt."

In the 1881 census there were 66 people recorded with the Girt surname, ranking it #24,256 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 173, ranked #21,561, up from #24,256 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Clacton, Great, Otley and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swale, Thurrock and Bracknell Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Girt is 181 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 162.1%.

1881 census count

66

Ranked #24,256

Modern count

173

2016, ranked #21,561

Peak year

1999

181 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Girt had 66 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,256 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 173 in 2016, ranked #21,561.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 152 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Girt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Girt surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Girt 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 53 #23,739
1861 historical 78 #23,836
1881 historical 66 #24,256
1891 historical 94 #24,820
1901 historical 105 #22,179
1911 historical 152 #17,712
1997 modern 176 #19,091
1998 modern 176 #19,584
1999 modern 181 #19,380
2000 modern 166 #20,426
2001 modern 168 #19,986
2002 modern 174 #19,971
2003 modern 166 #20,320
2004 modern 173 #19,937
2005 modern 165 #20,468
2006 modern 170 #20,214
2007 modern 168 #20,634
2008 modern 172 #20,523
2009 modern 173 #20,869
2010 modern 179 #20,886
2011 modern 176 #20,957
2012 modern 169 #21,437
2013 modern 175 #21,320
2014 modern 179 #21,186
2015 modern 177 #21,220
2016 modern 173 #21,561

Geography

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Where Girts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Clacton, Great, Otley, London parishes, Hasketon and Bildeston or Bilston, Naughton, Nedging. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swale, Thurrock, Bracknell Forest and Leeds. 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 Clacton, Great Essex
2 Otley Yorkshire, West Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Hasketon Suffolk
5 Bildeston or Bilston, Naughton, Nedging Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swale 004 Swale
2 Thurrock 018 Thurrock
3 Thurrock 003 Thurrock
4 Bracknell Forest 003 Bracknell Forest
5 Leeds 010 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Girt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Girt

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Girt surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Girt household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Girt 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

Girt is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Girt falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Girt

The surname GIRT is believed to have originated in England, likely in the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "gyrdan" or "gyrde," meaning "to gird" or "to encircle." This could suggest that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived within a walled or fortified area, or possibly a town crier who wore a distinctive belt or girdle as part of their attire.

One of the earliest known references to the surname GIRT can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1166, where a man named Odo Girt is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century and may have been more widespread in the northern regions of England.

In the 13th century, the GIRT surname appears in various historical records, including the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a Robert Girt. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of the country by this time.

During the 14th century, the surname GIRT is recorded in the Lancashire Inquests of 1310, which mention a Richard Girt. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332 include an entry for a John Girt, suggesting the name's presence in the southern counties as well.

One notable individual with the surname GIRT was Sir Thomas Girt (c. 1370 - 1440), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire in the early 15th century. He held significant estates in Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire and was involved in local governance during the reigns of Henry IV and Henry V.

Another historical figure bearing the GIRT name was William Girt (c. 1520 - 1585), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol during the 16th century. He was actively involved in the local government and served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1571.

In the 17th century, the GIRT surname is recorded in the parish registers of St. Michael le Belfrey in York, where a John Girt was baptized in 1633. This suggests that the name continued to be present in various regions of England throughout this period.

During the 18th century, a notable individual with the GIRT surname was Richard Girt (1712 - 1789), a respected lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in Ireland from 1776 until his death.

The GIRT surname can also be found in various historical records from other parts of the British Isles, such as Scotland and Wales, indicating that the name had spread beyond its English origins over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Girt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Girt 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. Suffolk leads with 40 Girts recorded in 1881 and an index of 51.03x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 40 51.03x
Essex 14 11.02x
Surrey 4 1.28x
Middlesex 2 0.31x
Sussex 2 1.84x
Berkshire 1 2.07x
Hampshire 1 0.76x
Kent 1 0.46x
Yorkshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kettlebaston in Suffolk leads with 12 Girts recorded in 1881 and an index of 30000.00x.

Place Total Index
Kettlebaston 12 30000.00x
Hasketon 11 10000.00x
Bildeston 7 4117.65x
Earls Colne 6 1714.29x
Borley 5 10000.00x
Bury St Edmunds St James 4 191.39x
Bulmer 3 2000.00x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 3 204.08x
Eastbourne 2 40.08x
Camberwell 1 2.43x
Cockfield 1 476.19x
Croydon 1 5.74x
Grundisburgh 1 555.56x
Hanwell 1 87.72x
Islington London 1 1.60x
Lambeth 1 1.78x
Leeds 1 2.78x
Lydd 1 212.77x
New Windsor 1 61.73x
Portsea 1 3.87x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 7.72x
Woodbridge 1 100.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 4
Elizabeth 3
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Maria 3
Mary 3
Jane 2
Ada 1
Amelia 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Fanny 1
Harriet 1
Kate 1
Lydia 1
Mahalia 1
Minnie 1
Nellie 1
R.A.M. 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 10
Robert 5
John 3
Arthur 2
James 2
Albert 1
C.Robt. 1
E.F. 1
F. 1
George 1
Girt. 1
Harry 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1

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 Girt households.

FAQ

Girt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Girt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 66 people were recorded with the Girt surname. That placed it at #24,256 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Girt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 173 in 2016. That gives Girt a modern rank of #21,561.

What does the Girt surname mean?

A British surname potentially derived from an Old English word meaning "circle" or "belt."

What does the Girt map show?

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