NameCensus.

UK surname

Gissing

In the 1881 census there were 265 people recorded with the Gissing surname, ranking it #10,612 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 350, ranked #13,152, down from #10,612 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Lindsey, Suffolk Coastal and North Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gissing is 404 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.1%.

1881 census count

265

Ranked #10,612

Modern count

350

2016, ranked #13,152

Peak year

1999

404 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gissing had 265 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,612 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 350 in 2016, ranked #13,152.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 389 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gissing surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gissing surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gissing 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 169 #11,832
1861 historical 161 #14,392
1881 historical 265 #10,612
1891 historical 269 #12,060
1901 historical 300 #11,647
1911 historical 389 #9,470
1997 modern 368 #11,719
1998 modern 396 #11,435
1999 modern 404 #11,361
2000 modern 400 #11,402
2001 modern 382 #11,606
2002 modern 383 #11,820
2003 modern 372 #11,881
2004 modern 357 #12,272
2005 modern 358 #12,176
2006 modern 361 #12,178
2007 modern 362 #12,271
2008 modern 366 #12,285
2009 modern 363 #12,602
2010 modern 374 #12,597
2011 modern 371 #12,546
2012 modern 363 #12,592
2013 modern 364 #12,790
2014 modern 372 #12,669
2015 modern 359 #12,906
2016 modern 350 #13,152

Geography

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Where Gissings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lambeth, Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John, Theberton and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Lindsey, Suffolk Coastal, North Lincolnshire and Waveney. 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 3
2 Lambeth London (South Districts)
3 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk
4 Theberton Suffolk
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Lindsey 001 West Lindsey
2 Suffolk Coastal 003 Suffolk Coastal
3 North Lincolnshire 002 North Lincolnshire
4 Suffolk Coastal 004 Suffolk Coastal
5 Waveney 011 Waveney

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gissing

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gissing

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Gissing is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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

These households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gissing 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

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

1881 census detail

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Gissing families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gissing 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 118 Gissings recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.48x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 118 37.48x
Surrey 36 2.86x
Norfolk 35 8.81x
Middlesex 26 1.01x
Essex 10 1.96x
Hampshire 9 1.70x
Kent 7 0.79x
Yorkshire 7 0.27x
Lancashire 6 0.20x
Durham 5 0.65x
Staffordshire 2 0.23x
Cornwall 1 0.34x
Somerset 1 0.24x
Sussex 1 0.23x
Worcestershire 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westleton in Suffolk leads with 22 Gissings recorded in 1881 and an index of 2972.97x.

Place Total Index
Westleton 22 2972.97x
Newington 18 18.85x
Theberton 17 3207.55x
Leiston 11 509.26x
Eye 10 492.61x
Camberwell 9 5.45x
Friston 9 2571.43x
Hackney London 9 6.21x
East Bergholt 8 761.90x
Heigham 8 37.51x
Portsea 8 7.70x
Thorpe Next Norwich 8 190.02x
Haverhill 7 250.00x
West Ham 7 6.21x
Deptford St Paul 6 8.82x
Everton 6 6.14x
Great Yarmouth 6 18.23x
Holy Trinity 6 9.74x
Islington London 6 2.39x
Woodbridge 6 149.25x
Acle 5 617.28x
Orford 5 495.05x
Throston 5 337.84x
Diss 4 117.30x
Sudbury St Peter 4 231.21x
Lowestoft 3 20.17x
Bermondsey 2 2.60x
Dorking 2 23.64x
Dunwich 2 909.09x
Framlingham 2 89.29x
Gislingham 2 408.16x
Hammersmith London 2 3.14x
Ipswich St Mathew 2 22.68x
Lambeth 2 0.89x
St Pancras London 2 0.96x
Walthamstow 2 10.89x
Yoxford 2 212.77x
Banham 1 99.01x
Broadway 1 68.97x
Bungay Holy Trinity 1 61.73x
Caterham 1 17.95x
Clevedon 1 23.09x
Dennington 1 142.86x
Frant 1 32.36x
Holme On Spalding Moor 1 59.52x
Hornsey 1 3.06x
Ketteringham 1 625.00x
Kingswinford 1 3.16x
Lackford 1 666.67x
Little Cornard 1 294.12x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.82x
Norwich St Saviour 1 71.94x
Portsmouth 1 8.20x
Prittlewell 1 14.14x
Ramsgate 1 6.94x
Risby 1 256.41x
Rugeley 1 15.97x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.92x
St Clement Danes London 1 18.69x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.20x
St Just In Roseland 1 78.13x
St Marylebone London 1 0.72x
St Michael Wood Street 1 833.33x
Streatham 1 5.21x
Tottenham 1 2.43x
Winfarthing 1 188.68x
Wrentham 1 114.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 19
William 16
George 14
Joseph 7
Arthur 6
Henry 5
Alfred 4
Amos 4
Charles 4
Robert 4
Thomas 4
Edwin 3
Frederick 3
Samuel 3
Abraham 2
Anthony 2
Edward 2
Hugh 2
Isaac 2
James 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Bertie 1
C.G. 1
Edmund 1
Ernest 1
Fredk.J.A. 1
Geo. 1
Gurney 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Jas. 1
Jhon 1
Maurice 1
Napoleon 1
Sam.Farrier 1
Spencer 1
Spenser 1
Stephen 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Gissing surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gissing surname in 1881?

In 1881, 265 people were recorded with the Gissing surname. That placed it at #10,612 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gissing surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 350 in 2016. That gives Gissing a modern rank of #13,152.

What does the Gissing map show?

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