NameCensus.

UK surname

Goldsborough

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Goldsborough.

In the 1881 census there were 230 people recorded with the Goldsborough surname, ranking it #11,748 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 330, ranked #13,765, down from #11,748 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Calverley and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Darlington and Newcastle upon Tyne.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goldsborough is 338 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.5%.

1881 census count

230

Ranked #11,748

Modern count

330

2016, ranked #13,765

Peak year

2014

338 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goldsborough had 230 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,748 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 330 in 2016, ranked #13,765.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 327 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Goldsborough surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goldsborough surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goldsborough 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 112 #15,913
1861 historical 90 #22,312
1881 historical 230 #11,748
1891 historical 327 #10,379
1901 historical 300 #11,647
1911 historical 232 #13,592
1997 modern 313 #13,158
1998 modern 324 #13,189
1999 modern 316 #13,505
2000 modern 306 #13,742
2001 modern 305 #13,594
2002 modern 319 #13,448
2003 modern 294 #14,002
2004 modern 293 #14,082
2005 modern 296 #13,947
2006 modern 285 #14,361
2007 modern 294 #14,241
2008 modern 295 #14,303
2009 modern 316 #13,933
2010 modern 317 #14,166
2011 modern 316 #14,092
2012 modern 328 #13,625
2013 modern 334 #13,648
2014 modern 338 #13,624
2015 modern 336 #13,593
2016 modern 330 #13,765

Geography

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Where Goldsboroughs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Calverley, Bradford, Keighley and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Darlington and Newcastle upon Tyne. 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 Calverley Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 051 County Durham
2 Darlington 015 Darlington
3 County Durham 010 County Durham
4 County Durham 006 County Durham
5 Newcastle upon Tyne 025 Newcastle upon Tyne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goldsborough

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goldsborough

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Goldsborough surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Goldsborough 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 house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Goldsborough 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

Goldsborough is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Goldsborough falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Goldsborough is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Goldsborough

The surname Goldsborough originated in England during the late Anglo-Saxon period. It is a locational name derived from a place called Goldsborough, a village located in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The name is believed to have been derived from the Old English words "gold" meaning golden, and "burgh" meaning a fortified town or manor.

The earliest known record of the name Goldsborough can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Gouldesburc." This entry refers to a manor located in the West Riding of Yorkshire, which was held by a Norman knight named Ralph.

In the 13th century, there is a record of a Roger de Goldesburgh, who was a landowner in Yorkshire. Another early bearer of the name was Sir John Goldsborough, a prominent knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century.

During the 16th century, the name appears in various records, including those of Richard Goldsborough, who was born in 1535 and served as a Member of Parliament for the city of York.

One of the most notable figures with the surname Goldsborough was John Goldsborough (1610-1670), an English Puritan minister and writer. He was a prominent figure during the English Civil War and served as chaplain to Oliver Cromwell's army.

In the 18th century, Robert Goldsborough (1738-1805) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War. He later became a Member of Parliament for the borough of Eye in Suffolk.

Another notable bearer of the name was Charles Goldsborough (1765-1834), an American naval officer who served in the United States Navy during the Quasi-War with France and the War of 1812.

In the 19th century, John Goldsborough Ravenscroft (1772-1830) was an American bishop of the Episcopal Church who served as the sixth Bishop of Virginia.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the United States can be found in the records of Calvert County, Maryland, where a family by the name of Goldsborough settled in the late 17th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goldsborough families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goldsborough 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. Yorkshire leads with 147 Goldsboroughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.64x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 147 6.64x
Durham 43 6.47x
Lancashire 13 0.49x
Gloucestershire 5 1.14x
Northamptonshire 5 2.38x
Cheshire 4 0.81x
Dorset 3 2.05x
Kent 3 0.39x
Middlesex 3 0.13x
Surrey 3 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Idle in Yorkshire leads with 28 Goldsboroughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 272.90x.

Place Total Index
Idle 28 272.90x
Bradford 16 29.86x
Horton In Bradford 15 43.39x
Leeds 15 12.00x
Blackburn 12 17.02x
Manningham 10 36.67x
Rotherham 10 80.13x
Shipley 9 78.33x
Greasbrough 8 273.97x
Monkwearmouth 8 125.79x
Bingley 6 42.55x
Brightside Bierlow 5 11.52x
Bristol St Peter 5 318.47x
Brompton In 5 505.05x
Cockerton 5 234.74x
Crook Billy Row 5 58.75x
Heeley 5 74.29x
Barnard Castle 4 121.95x
Cleckheaton 4 49.08x
Helmington Row 4 129.03x
Peterborough 4 26.30x
Bishop Auckland 3 33.63x
Hyde 3 20.62x
Lambeth 3 1.54x
Strood 3 68.97x
Bishopwearmouth 2 3.51x
Elvet 2 41.67x
Gillingham 2 79.37x
Haworth 2 38.02x
St Giles 2 48.19x
St Pancras London 2 1.11x
Stranton 2 8.94x
Streatlam Stainton 2 769.23x
Acton Grange 1 833.33x
Fangfoss 1 769.23x
Gateshead 1 2.01x
Helmsley 1 84.03x
Islington London 1 0.46x
Kirk Deighton 1 370.37x
Lofthouse 1 30.30x
Maltby In Middlesbrough 1 1111.11x
Marske Near Richmond 1 500.00x
Middlesbrough 1 3.47x
Middlestone 1 75.19x
Newton In Makerfield 1 12.32x
Northampton Priory St 1 7.93x
Shaftesbury St Peter 1 147.06x
Stockton On Tees 1 3.12x
West Heslerton 1 370.37x
Whorlton 1 192.31x
Willington 1 26.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Elizabeth 11
Ann 8
Sarah 6
Emily 5
Hannah 5
Martha 5
Annie 4
Ellen 4
Grace 4
Clara 3
Eliza 3
Emma 3
Jane 3
Margaret 3
Eleanor 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
Catherine 1
Charity 1
Cristina 1
Dorothy 1
Elianor 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.S. 1
Ella 1
Ethol 1
Florence 1
Harriett 1
Jessie 1
John 1
Maria 1
Mariah 1
Marian 1
Minnie 1
Miream 1
Olive 1
Rose 1
Rosetta 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 17
William 14
George 11
Arthur 5
James 5
Joseph 5
Thomas 5
Charles 4
Harry 3
Tom 3
Ben 2
Giles 2
Herbert 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Alfred 1
Allen 1
Alonzo 1
Askham 1
Astham 1
Bartholomew 1
Doctor 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Johnson 1
Jonathan 1
Jonathon 1
Joshua 1
Lister 1
Luther 1
M. 1
Merritt 1
Ralph 1
Richd.E. 1
Seth 1
Silvester 1
Thos. 1
Timothy 1
Williy 1

FAQ

Goldsborough surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goldsborough surname in 1881?

In 1881, 230 people were recorded with the Goldsborough surname. That placed it at #11,748 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goldsborough surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 330 in 2016. That gives Goldsborough a modern rank of #13,765.

What does the Goldsborough surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Goldsborough.

What does the Goldsborough map show?

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