NameCensus.

UK surname

Gladstone

A locational surname referring to someone from a place with a bright or shining stone.

In the 1881 census there were 808 people recorded with the Gladstone surname, ranking it #4,617 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,211, ranked #4,912, down from #4,617 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Melrose and Hawick and Wilton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bonnington, East Riding of Yorkshire and Rural South Midlothian.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gladstone is 1,245 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.9%.

1881 census count

808

Ranked #4,617

Modern count

1,211

2016, ranked #4,912

Peak year

2013

1,245 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gladstone had 808 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,617 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,211 in 2016, ranked #4,912.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,026 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gladstone surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gladstone surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gladstone 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 375 #6,361
1861 historical 484 #5,397
1881 historical 808 #4,617
1891 historical 882 #4,672
1901 historical 1,026 #4,654
1911 historical 790 #5,520
1997 modern 1,169 #4,822
1998 modern 1,184 #4,936
1999 modern 1,204 #4,918
2000 modern 1,196 #4,922
2001 modern 1,178 #4,887
2002 modern 1,162 #5,049
2003 modern 1,154 #4,972
2004 modern 1,137 #5,048
2005 modern 1,121 #5,058
2006 modern 1,097 #5,152
2007 modern 1,095 #5,206
2008 modern 1,127 #5,121
2009 modern 1,159 #5,099
2010 modern 1,205 #5,025
2011 modern 1,162 #5,129
2012 modern 1,203 #4,906
2013 modern 1,245 #4,835
2014 modern 1,232 #4,902
2015 modern 1,216 #4,911
2016 modern 1,211 #4,912

Geography

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Where Gladstones are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Melrose, Hawick and Wilton, London parishes and Gateshead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bonnington, East Riding of Yorkshire, Rural South Midlothian and Gwynedd. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Melrose Roxburgh
3 Hawick and Wilton Roxburgh
4 London parishes London 3
5 Gateshead Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bonnington City of Edinburgh
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 045 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Rural South Midlothian Midlothian
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 044 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Gwynedd 016 Gwynedd

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gladstone

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gladstone

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gladstone 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

Gladstone is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Gladstone

The surname Gladstone originated in England, deriving from the Old English words "glæd" meaning "bright" or "shining", and "stān" meaning "stone". It is believed to have first emerged as a toponymic name, referring to a person who lived near a shining or bright stone.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England, there are several entries for places named Gladston or Gledestan, which may have been the source of the surname. These place names likely referred to settlements near a notable bright or shining stone.

The earliest known recorded use of the surname Gladstone dates back to the 13th century. In the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from 1246, there is a reference to a person named William de Gledestan.

During the Middle Ages, the name was sometimes spelled as Gladstanes, Gledstanes, or Gledstane, reflecting the different regional dialects and spelling variations of the time.

One notable early bearer of the Gladstone surname was Sir John Gladstone (1764-1851), a Scottish merchant and plantation owner in British Guiana. He was the father of the famous British Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone (1809-1898), who served four terms as Prime Minister in the late 19th century.

Another prominent figure with the Gladstone surname was Sir John Gladstone (1877-1944), a British politician and member of parliament. He was the great-grandson of the Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone.

In the 17th century, there was a John Gladstone (1615-1688), who was an English Puritan minister and author of several religious works.

Another notable figure was George Gladstone (1809-1962), a British businessman and philanthropist who founded the shipping company Gladstone, Lilley & Co.

The surname Gladstone has also been associated with several places in various parts of the world, such as Gladstone, Oregon in the United States, and Gladstone, Queensland in Australia, both named after the British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gladstone families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gladstone 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. Durham leads with 131 Gladstones recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.58x.

County Total Index
Durham 131 5.58x
Middlesex 103 1.31x
Northumberland 74 6.30x
Yorkshire 65 0.83x
Roxburghshire 56 39.18x
Lancashire 53 0.57x
Lanarkshire 49 1.92x
Selkirkshire 35 49.02x
Midlothian 30 2.84x
Berwickshire 24 25.12x
Essex 23 1.48x
Hampshire 23 1.42x
Kent 16 0.59x
Dumfriesshire 13 7.46x
Sussex 11 0.83x
Renfrewshire 9 1.47x
Stirlingshire 9 3.09x
Cheshire 8 0.46x
Monmouthshire 8 1.40x
Staffordshire 7 0.26x
Surrey 7 0.18x
Leicestershire 6 0.69x
Aberdeenshire 5 0.68x
Kincardineshire 5 5.20x
Warwickshire 5 0.25x
Perthshire 4 1.13x
Devon 3 0.18x
Hertfordshire 3 0.55x
Somerset 3 0.24x
Wigtownshire 3 2.86x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.42x
Lincolnshire 2 0.16x
Oxfordshire 2 0.41x
Wiltshire 2 0.29x
Bedfordshire 1 0.24x
Berkshire 1 0.17x
Caithness 1 0.93x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.20x
Cumberland 1 0.15x
East Lothian 1 0.96x
Flintshire 1 0.47x
Royal Navy 1 1.06x
Suffolk 1 0.10x
Worcestershire 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. Gateshead in Durham leads with 37 Gladstones recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.05x.

Place Total Index
Gateshead 37 21.05x
St George Hanover Square 19 13.67x
West Ham 19 5.52x
Galashiels 18 68.21x
Heworth 18 38.91x
Hawick 16 50.02x
Melrose 16 89.04x
Portsea 14 4.42x
St Luke London 13 10.27x
Bromley London 12 6.91x
Dryfesdale 12 149.44x
Shoreditch London 12 3.51x
South Leith 12 10.09x
Chester Le Street 11 61.01x
Yetholm 11 390.07x
Little Bolton 10 8.31x
Much Woolton 10 78.68x
Thornaby 10 34.22x
Tweedmouth 10 68.31x
Barony 9 1.39x
Bradford 9 4.75x
Edinburgh Trinity 9 264.71x
Govan 9 1.43x
Blackwell 8 683.76x
Brandon Byshottles 8 27.20x
Cambusnethan 8 14.11x
Jedburgh 8 57.10x
Westgate 8 11.00x
Dunse 7 77.26x
Earlston 7 146.44x
Kensington London 7 1.60x
Lewisham 7 4.88x
St George In East London 7 9.43x
St Woollos 7 10.99x
Stockton On Tees 7 6.19x
Wallsend 7 18.80x
Wolverhampton 7 3.42x
Byker 6 10.34x
Coldingham 6 69.85x
Cowpen 6 22.19x
Leicester St Martin 6 102.04x
Linthorpe 6 12.86x
Newcastle On Tyne St 6 9.86x
Old Monkland 6 5.92x
Salford 6 2.18x
South Mimms 6 55.45x
Whickham 6 27.78x
Wilton 6 38.27x
Aberdeen Old Machar 5 3.28x
Brotton 5 48.97x
Eastwood 5 13.28x
Edgbaston 5 8.10x
Fettercairn 5 122.25x
Kirkton 5 555.56x
Larbert 5 28.74x
Liverpool 5 0.88x
Middlesbrough 5 4.91x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 5 32.38x
North Ferriby 5 390.63x
Paddington London 5 1.72x
Southdean 5 253.81x
Wavertree 5 16.68x
Bingley 4 8.03x
Coldstream 4 57.80x
Culter 4 258.06x
Douglas 4 54.35x
Elswick 4 4.27x
Hackney London 4 0.90x
Hart 4 69.93x
Holywell 4 66.23x
Lamesley 4 31.65x
Lanchester 4 92.81x
Lasswade 4 16.55x
Paisley High Church 4 8.22x
Rye 4 31.65x
Skerton 4 52.02x
South Shields 4 19.13x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 2.52x
Tottington Higher End 4 37.52x
Westminster St Margaret 4 10.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 46
Elizabeth 27
Jane 22
Margaret 18
Sarah 11
Annie 10
Eliza 8
Isabella 8
Ann 7
Edith 7
Ellen 6
Alice 5
Helen 5
Louisa 5
Martha 5
Eleanor 4
Anne 3
Catherine 3
Elizth. 3
Ethel 3
Florence 3
Jessie 3
Sophia 3
Susan 3
Agnes 2
Clara 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Esther 2
Hannah 2
J. 2
Janet 2
Kate 2
Maria 2
Nora 2
Rebecca 2
Violet 2
Caroline 1
Cathe.H.M. 1
Cathn.Stewart 1
Dora 1
Dorothy 1
E. 1
Effie 1
Elard 1
Elisabeth 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Frances 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 35
William 26
Robert 24
Thomas 23
James 14
George 12
Joseph 12
Arthur 10
Charles 9
Henry 6
Andrew 5
David 5
Samuel 5
Walter 5
Alfred 3
Edward 3
Ralph 3
Alexander 2
Benjamin 2
Ernest 2
Harold 2
Herbert 2
Hugh 2
J. 2
Jno. 2
Peter 2
T. 2
Thos. 2
Christopher 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Eleanor 1
Fred 1
Fredk.Jas. 1
Geo. 1
Gilbert 1
Harry 1
Howard 1
Ivie 1
Med 1
Moses 1
Murray 1
Norman 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Robt.J. 1
S.H. 1
Wm.Jno. 1

FAQ

Gladstone surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gladstone surname in 1881?

In 1881, 808 people were recorded with the Gladstone surname. That placed it at #4,617 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gladstone surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,211 in 2016. That gives Gladstone a modern rank of #4,912.

What does the Gladstone surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a place with a bright or shining stone.

What does the Gladstone map show?

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