NameCensus.

UK surname

Gold

A surname referring to someone who worked with gold or had gold-colored hair or a golden personality.

In the 1881 census there were 1,703 people recorded with the Gold surname, ranking it #2,524 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,156, ranked #2,150, up from #2,524 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Glasgow and Dalserf. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redbridge, Hertsmere and Barnet.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gold is 3,156 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 85.3%.

1881 census count

1,703

Ranked #2,524

Modern count

3,156

2016, ranked #2,150

Peak year

2016

3,156 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gold had 1,703 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,524 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,156 in 2016, ranked #2,150.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,571 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Gold surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gold surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gold 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 1,292 #2,220
1861 historical 1,314 #2,175
1881 historical 1,703 #2,524
1891 historical 2,049 #2,254
1901 historical 2,571 #2,138
1911 historical 1,981 #2,506
1997 modern 2,982 #2,169
1998 modern 3,078 #2,179
1999 modern 3,101 #2,183
2000 modern 3,065 #2,198
2001 modern 2,985 #2,207
2002 modern 3,024 #2,226
2003 modern 2,976 #2,210
2004 modern 2,980 #2,203
2005 modern 2,936 #2,208
2006 modern 2,907 #2,224
2007 modern 2,953 #2,217
2008 modern 2,906 #2,270
2009 modern 2,978 #2,267
2010 modern 3,054 #2,264
2011 modern 3,022 #2,253
2012 modern 3,039 #2,197
2013 modern 3,086 #2,202
2014 modern 3,128 #2,191
2015 modern 3,132 #2,168
2016 modern 3,156 #2,150

Geography

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Where Golds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Glasgow, Dalserf and Cambusnethan. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redbridge, Hertsmere and Barnet. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Dalserf Lanark
5 Cambusnethan Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redbridge 036 Redbridge
2 Hertsmere 005 Hertsmere
3 Barnet 033 Barnet
4 Barnet 007 Barnet
5 Hertsmere 013 Hertsmere

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gold

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gold

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Gold surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Gold household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Gold is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gold 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

Gold 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 Gold 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Gold

The surname Gold is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "golde," which referred to the precious metal. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone with golden hair or a fair complexion, or possibly as an occupational name for a goldsmith or someone involved in the gold trade.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Gold date back to the late 12th century. In the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1192, there is a reference to a person named Golde de Salfleteby, indicating the presence of the surname in England during this time period.

Throughout the Middle Ages, variations of the name such as Golde, Goold, and Gould can be found in various records and documents. For example, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 mention a John Goolde, and the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332 include a Thomas Golde.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Sir John Gold, a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament who lived in the 14th century. He was born in Lincolnshire around 1320 and served as the Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1361.

Another notable historical figure with the surname Gold was John Gold, a 16th-century English Protestant martyr. He was born in Somersetshire in the early 1500s and was burned at the stake in London in 1555 for his religious beliefs during the Marian Persecutions.

In the 17th century, Thomas Gold was an English politician and Member of Parliament for Taunton from 1640 to 1653. He played an active role in the English Civil War and was a supporter of the Parliamentarian cause.

Nathaniel Gold, born in 1655 in Topsfield, Massachusetts, was an early American settler and one of the founders of the town of Stratford, Connecticut. He served as a magistrate and was involved in the local government of the colony.

Another prominent American with the surname Gold was Thomas Gold, a 19th-century British-American astronomer and author. He was born in 1920 in Cambridge, England, and later emigrated to the United States, where he worked as a professor at Cornell University and made significant contributions to the study of astrophysics.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gold families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gold 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. Middlesex leads with 320 Golds recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.93x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 320 1.93x
Lanarkshire 281 5.23x
Warwickshire 142 3.39x
Surrey 105 1.30x
Angus 104 6.75x
Kent 63 1.11x
Somerset 58 2.17x
Fife 57 5.79x
Lancashire 52 0.26x
Sussex 44 1.57x
Staffordshire 43 0.77x
Ayrshire 39 3.14x
Worcestershire 30 1.38x
Durham 25 0.51x
Midlothian 24 1.08x
Renfrewshire 24 1.86x
Yorkshire 23 0.14x
Glamorgan 22 0.76x
Devon 21 0.61x
Berkshire 18 1.44x
Gloucestershire 18 0.55x
Essex 17 0.52x
Cumberland 13 0.91x
Hampshire 13 0.38x
Kincardineshire 13 6.42x
Northumberland 13 0.53x
Dunbartonshire 11 2.46x
Hertfordshire 9 0.79x
Westmorland 9 2.46x
Dumfriesshire 8 2.18x
Oxfordshire 8 0.78x
Perthshire 8 1.07x
Norfolk 7 0.27x
Brecknockshire 5 1.50x
Cheshire 5 0.14x
Leicestershire 5 0.27x
Stirlingshire 5 0.82x
Cardiganshire 4 0.99x
Clackmannanshire 4 2.91x
Dorset 4 0.37x
Northamptonshire 4 0.26x
Orkney 4 2.19x
Aberdeenshire 3 0.19x
Channel Islands 3 0.61x
Derbyshire 3 0.12x
Wiltshire 3 0.20x
Cornwall 2 0.11x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.09x
Isle of Man 1 0.32x
Merionethshire 1 0.33x
Peeblesshire 1 1.28x
Royal Navy 1 0.50x
Shropshire 1 0.07x
Suffolk 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 52 Golds recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.72x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 52 3.72x
Cambusnethan 51 42.71x
Aston 50 4.33x
Douglas 49 316.13x
Dalserf 47 87.62x
Lesmahagow 37 65.08x
Brechin 36 59.48x
St Pancras London 35 2.62x
Hackney London 32 3.43x
Spitalfields London 32 25.60x
Southwark St George Martyr 24 7.18x
Montrose 19 20.36x
Yardley 19 34.21x
Edzell 18 382.17x
Lambeth 18 1.24x
Liverpool 18 1.50x
Stoke Newington London 18 13.90x
Glasgow 17 1.78x
Wolverhampton 16 3.71x
Barony 15 1.10x
Beath 15 48.23x
Mile End Old Town London 15 4.24x
St Marylebone London 15 1.69x
Islington London 14 0.87x
Paisley High Church 14 13.65x
Riccarton Hurlford 14 64.16x
Bermondsey 13 2.63x
Chelsea London 13 2.60x
Hastings St Leonards 12 29.13x
Brighton 11 1.95x
Bromley London 11 3.01x
Clerkenwell London 11 2.80x
St George In East London 11 7.04x
Bickleigh 10 294.99x
Cambuslang 10 18.45x
Carluke 10 20.49x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 10 1.12x
Govan 10 0.75x
Hamilton 10 6.67x
Lewisham 10 3.31x
Liff Benvie 10 4.28x
New Windsor 10 23.84x
West Ham 10 1.38x
Bethnal Green London 9 1.25x
Cheddar 9 66.86x
Cupar 9 21.03x
Eastbourne 9 6.98x
Exton 9 391.30x
Kensington London 9 0.97x
Kilmarnock 9 6.08x
Newington 9 1.47x
Oystermouth 9 40.18x
South Leith 9 3.59x
Warwick St Mary 9 24.73x
Aldershot 8 7.01x
Birkdale 8 16.03x
Carmyllie 8 121.95x
Headley 8 414.51x
Kendal 8 11.96x
Kettle 8 67.74x
Leek Lowe 8 10.72x
Paddington London 8 1.31x
Selling 8 172.04x
St Martin In Fields 8 8.04x
Warwick St Nicholas 8 26.02x
Whitehaven 8 10.49x
Winsford 8 288.81x
Berkswell 7 84.54x
Berwick Upon Tweed 7 13.36x
Carhampton 7 190.74x
Croydon 7 1.56x
Ellel 7 68.83x
Erith 7 12.53x
Galston 7 20.58x
Kinghorn 7 33.51x
Lochmaben 7 43.51x
Lower Heyford 7 234.11x
Ratcliffe London 7 7.63x
Woolwich 7 3.34x
Ystradyfodwg 7 2.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 69
John 63
George 42
James 36
Henry 26
Alfred 25
Charles 22
Thomas 21
Richard 16
Joseph 15
Arthur 14
Edward 14
Frederick 14
Robert 11
Benjamin 8
Harry 8
Walter 8
David 6
Enoch 4
Francis 4
Louis 4
Samuel 4
Stephen 4
Willm. 4
Alexander 3
Edwin 3
Frank 3
Frederic 3
Morris 3
Sidney 3
Wm. 3
Abraham 2
Albert 2
Amos 2
Auther 2
Fred 2
Geo. 2
Harris 2
Hyman 2
Jacob 2
Levi 2
Nicholas 2
Reginald 2
Samson 2
Solomon 2
Timothy 2
Cecil 1
Elizabeth 1
Ernest 1
Wm.E. 1

FAQ

Gold surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gold surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,703 people were recorded with the Gold surname. That placed it at #2,524 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gold surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,156 in 2016. That gives Gold a modern rank of #2,150.

What does the Gold surname mean?

A surname referring to someone who worked with gold or had gold-colored hair or a golden personality.

What does the Gold map show?

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