NameCensus.

UK surname

Goard

A habitational surname originating from a place name derived from the Old English words "gor" meaning mud or dirt and "ard" meaning a piece of land or region.

In the 1881 census there were 116 people recorded with the Goard surname, ranking it #18,126 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 78, ranked #33,171, down from #18,126 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Agnes, East Grinstead and St Blazey. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Horsham, South Gloucestershire and Plymouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goard is 169 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 32.8%.

1881 census count

116

Ranked #18,126

Modern count

78

2016, ranked #33,171

Peak year

1911

169 bearers

Map years

5

1881 to 1998

Key insights

  • Goard had 116 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,126 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 78 in 2016, ranked #33,171.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 169 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Goard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goard surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goard 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 75 #20,268
1861 historical 87 #22,681
1881 historical 116 #18,126
1891 historical 140 #19,193
1901 historical 163 #17,205
1911 historical 169 #16,564
1997 modern 107 #25,924
1998 modern 113 #25,731
1999 modern 110 #26,315
2000 modern 106 #26,848
2001 modern 104 #26,765
2002 modern 109 #26,552
2003 modern 102 #27,383
2004 modern 99 #28,136
2005 modern 100 #28,025
2006 modern 96 #28,946
2007 modern 91 #30,061
2008 modern 91 #30,431
2009 modern 91 #30,944
2010 modern 92 #31,366
2011 modern 94 #31,016
2012 modern 88 #32,064
2013 modern 81 #32,996
2014 modern 84 #32,823
2015 modern 83 #32,847
2016 modern 78 #33,171

Geography

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Where Goards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Agnes, East Grinstead, St Blazey, Liskeard, St Cleer and Plymouth St Charles the Martyr. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Horsham, South Gloucestershire, Plymouth, Wiltshire and Cheltenham. 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 St Agnes Cornwall
2 East Grinstead Sussex
3 St Blazey Cornwall
4 Liskeard, St Cleer Cornwall
5 Plymouth St Charles the Martyr Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Horsham 001 Horsham
2 South Gloucestershire 005 South Gloucestershire
3 Plymouth 021 Plymouth
4 Wiltshire 010 Wiltshire
5 Cheltenham 013 Cheltenham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goard

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goard

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Goard, 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 Goard surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Goard household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Goard 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

Goard 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

Goard falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Goard

The surname Goard is believed to have originated in the British Isles, primarily in England and Scotland, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "gara," which means "a triangular piece of land."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Goard can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Garehorde" in Wiltshire, England. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived on or near a triangular piece of land.

In the 13th century, the name was also recorded as "Gare" and "Gar" in various English and Scottish records. These variations likely evolved from the original Old English form.

The name Goard has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Sir John Goard (1460-1525), an English nobleman and landowner from Somerset. Another was Robert Goard (1570-1642), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the principal of the University of Edinburgh.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including "Goarde," "Goord," and "Gourde." This was likely due to regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

During the 18th century, the Goard surname was found in several places across England, including Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. Notable individuals from this period include William Goard (1724-1798), a British merchant and philanthropist, and Thomas Goard (1762-1844), an English clergyman and writer.

In the 19th century, the surname Goard continued to be present in various parts of the United Kingdom. One notable figure was John Goard (1820-1892), a British engineer and inventor who developed improvements for steam engines and agricultural machinery.

Throughout its history, the surname Goard has maintained its connection to the British Isles, particularly England and Scotland. While it has undergone various spelling variations over time, its origins can be traced back to the Old English word "gara," reflecting its association with triangular pieces of land.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goard 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. Cornwall leads with 55 Goards recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.94x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 55 42.94x
Devon 24 10.19x
Kent 9 2.33x
Middlesex 9 0.80x
Hertfordshire 8 10.26x
Surrey 6 1.09x
Yorkshire 4 0.36x
Norfolk 1 0.57x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Plymouth Charles The in Devon leads with 15 Goards recorded in 1881 and an index of 144.51x.

Place Total Index
Plymouth Charles The 15 144.51x
St Blazey 12 1071.43x
St Germans 10 1123.60x
Cheshunt 8 293.04x
Shoreditch London 8 16.31x
St Agnes 8 446.93x
Stratton 7 1014.49x
Bridgerule West 6 6666.67x
Streatham 6 71.51x
Westerham 6 674.16x
Maker 4 338.98x
Normanby In 4 133.33x
Sheviock 3 1363.64x
Bideford 2 79.37x
Calstock 2 79.68x
Plumstead 2 15.54x
St Austell 2 45.66x
Tintagel 2 571.43x
Bodmin 1 47.17x
East Stonehouse 1 21.55x
Kenwyn 1 29.85x
Liskeard 1 46.73x
Norwich St Michael At 1 99.01x
Redruth 1 27.62x
St Mary Magdalene 1 106.38x
St Pancras London 1 1.10x
Sundridge 1 156.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Jane 5
Eliza 4
Ellen 4
Elizabeth 3
Fanny 3
Edith 2
Emma 2
Grace 2
Mabel 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Clara 1
Cordelia 1
Dorothea 1
Emily 1
Evalina 1
Florence 1
Jessie 1
Johanna 1
L.M. 1
M.I. 1
Martha 1
Maude 1
Minnie 1
Philipa 1
Phillipe 1
Phillippe 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Susan 1
Thersa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 7
John 7
William 6
Thomas 5
James 4
Samuel 4
Arthur 2
Ernest 2
Barton 1
C.N. 1
Cecil 1
Earnest 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Jacob 1
Philip 1
Rich.Henry 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1
Silas 1
Sydney 1
W.E. 1
Wm.John 1

FAQ

Goard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 116 people were recorded with the Goard surname. That placed it at #18,126 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 78 in 2016. That gives Goard a modern rank of #33,171.

What does the Goard surname mean?

A habitational surname originating from a place name derived from the Old English words "gor" meaning mud or dirt and "ard" meaning a piece of land or region.

What does the Goard map show?

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