NameCensus.

UK surname

Gobin

A surname of French origin derived from the name Gobin, a diminutive of Gobert or Gaubert.

In the 1881 census there were 58 people recorded with the Gobin surname, ranking it #25,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 166, ranked #22,140, up from #25,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Westminster and Halton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gobin is 175 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 186.2%.

1881 census count

58

Ranked #25,428

Modern count

166

2016, ranked #22,140

Peak year

2009

175 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gobin had 58 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 166 in 2016, ranked #22,140.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 82 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Gobin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gobin surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gobin 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 70 #21,020
1861 historical 72 #24,643
1881 historical 58 #25,428
1891 historical 67 #28,424
1901 historical 60 #27,502
1911 historical 82 #24,635
1997 modern 139 #22,132
1998 modern 139 #22,720
1999 modern 149 #21,924
2000 modern 148 #21,971
2001 modern 147 #21,756
2002 modern 156 #21,348
2003 modern 155 #21,217
2004 modern 153 #21,528
2005 modern 151 #21,667
2006 modern 155 #21,477
2007 modern 164 #20,973
2008 modern 165 #21,056
2009 modern 175 #20,707
2010 modern 173 #21,327
2011 modern 167 #21,642
2012 modern 160 #22,260
2013 modern 167 #21,984
2014 modern 164 #22,445
2015 modern 160 #22,701
2016 modern 166 #22,140

Geography

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Where Gobins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Westminster, Halton, Croydon and West Lancashire. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 020 Northumberland
2 Westminster 004 Westminster
3 Halton 010 Halton
4 Croydon 018 Croydon
5 West Lancashire 013 West Lancashire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gobin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gobin

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Gobin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Gobin 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 includes many younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Gobin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gobin is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gobin falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gobin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Gobin, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gobin

The surname Gobin is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "gobin" meaning a small mug or cup. It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for a maker or seller of small cups or as a nickname for someone who consumed an excessive amount of liquor from such cups.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gobin can be found in the Rotuli Hundredorum, a census-like survey of landholders in England conducted in 1273, where a certain William Gobin is mentioned as residing in Oxfordshire.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various legal records and manuscripts in northern France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Picardy. The spellings "Gobyn" and "Gobin" were commonly used during this time.

The Gobin family is documented as having held land and property in the village of Méry-Corbon in Normandy as early as the 15th century. A notable bearer of the name from this period was Jean Gobin, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in Rouen, Normandy, from around 1420 to 1485.

In the 16th century, the name Gobin can be found in records from various parts of France, including Paris, where a certain Nicolas Gobin (1542-1628) was a prominent lawyer and judge.

During the 17th century, a branch of the Gobin family emigrated to the French colony of Canada, where they settled in the region of Quebec. One of the earliest recorded immigrants was Jacques Gobin, who arrived in Quebec City in 1665.

Other noteworthy individuals with the surname Gobin throughout history include:

1. Jean-Baptiste Gobin (1663-1748), a French-Canadian explorer and fur trader who established trading posts in the Great Lakes region. 2. Charles Gobin (1766-1842), a French revolutionary soldier who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. 3. Louis Gobin (1804-1876), a French politician and journalist who served as a deputy in the National Assembly. 4. Émile Gobin (1857-1924), a French painter and sculptor known for his portraits and genre scenes. 5. Georges Gobin (1892-1976), a French writer and poet who was associated with the Surrealist movement.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gobin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gobin 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. Lancashire leads with 54 Gobins recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.91x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 54 7.91x
Middlesex 2 0.35x
Cheshire 1 0.79x
Essex 1 0.88x
Royal Navy 1 14.58x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ormskirk in Lancashire leads with 19 Gobins recorded in 1881 and an index of 1450.38x.

Place Total Index
Ormskirk 19 1450.38x
Pemberton 10 367.65x
Lathom 6 731.71x
Blackrod 5 588.24x
Burscough 5 5000.00x
Scarisbrick 5 632.91x
Wigan 4 41.93x
Hackney London 2 6.20x
Orsett 1 333.33x
Royal Navy 1 17.06x
Sutton In Runcorn 1 1428.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 7
Elizabeth 4
Alice 3
Catherine 2
Mary 2
Cicely 1
Ellen 1
Jane 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Minnie 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

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 Gobin households.

FAQ

Gobin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gobin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 58 people were recorded with the Gobin surname. That placed it at #25,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gobin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 166 in 2016. That gives Gobin a modern rank of #22,140.

What does the Gobin surname mean?

A surname of French origin derived from the name Gobin, a diminutive of Gobert or Gaubert.

What does the Gobin map show?

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