NameCensus.

UK surname

Goldsmith

An occupational surname referring to a metalworker who specializes in making or selling gold items.

In the 1881 census there were 4,546 people recorded with the Goldsmith surname, ranking it #986 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,623, ranked #1,018, down from #986 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wealden, Sunderland and King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goldsmith is 7,014 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.7%.

1881 census count

4,546

Ranked #986

Modern count

6,623

2016, ranked #1,018

Peak year

2002

7,014 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goldsmith had 4,546 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #986 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,623 in 2016, ranked #1,018.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,472 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Goldsmith surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goldsmith surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goldsmith 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 2,906 #999
1861 historical 3,147 #919
1881 historical 4,546 #986
1891 historical 5,153 #912
1901 historical 6,013 #923
1911 historical 6,472 #796
1997 modern 6,772 #960
1998 modern 6,997 #967
1999 modern 7,010 #975
2000 modern 6,985 #974
2001 modern 6,846 #971
2002 modern 7,014 #965
2003 modern 6,727 #982
2004 modern 6,699 #990
2005 modern 6,465 #1,010
2006 modern 6,476 #1,009
2007 modern 6,539 #1,009
2008 modern 6,589 #1,007
2009 modern 6,703 #1,011
2010 modern 6,879 #1,007
2011 modern 6,782 #1,005
2012 modern 6,635 #1,008
2013 modern 6,832 #998
2014 modern 6,823 #1,007
2015 modern 6,689 #1,015
2016 modern 6,623 #1,018

Geography

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Where Goldsmiths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough, Lambeth and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wealden, Sunderland, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Suffolk Coastal. 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 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wealden 017 Wealden
2 Sunderland 012 Sunderland
3 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 007 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4 Suffolk Coastal 007 Suffolk Coastal
5 Suffolk Coastal 005 Suffolk Coastal

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goldsmith

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goldsmith

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Goldsmith is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Goldsmith 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

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

Meaning and origin of Goldsmith

The surname Goldsmith originated in England and Germany during the Middle Ages. It is an occupational surname, derived from the Old English words "golde" meaning gold and "smið" meaning smith or worker. The name refers to a craftsman who forged and worked with gold, creating jewelry, coins, and other precious metalwork.

In England, the name Goldsmith can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a John le Goldsmyth in Oxfordshire. The Goldsmith surname also appears in various tax records and borough rolls from the 14th and 15th centuries across different counties in England.

In Germany, the surname Goldsmith (or variations like Goldschmidt, Goldschmied, and Goldsmit) emerged around the same time period. The name is documented in records from cities like Nuremberg, which had a thriving goldsmith trade during the Middle Ages. The Goldschmied family from Nuremberg produced several notable goldsmiths, including Hans Goldschmied (c.1460-1533), who created intricate works for royalty and nobility.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not include any direct references to the Goldsmith surname, as it primarily recorded landowners and tenants rather than occupational names. However, it does mention several individuals with the occupation of "aurifaber" or goldsmith, indicating the presence of this craft in England during the Norman period.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the Goldsmith surname is Robert le Goldsmyth, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. Another early figure was John Goldsmyth, a goldsmith from London who was appointed as the King's Goldsmith in 1336 by Edward III.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Goldsmith surname, including:

1. Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774), an Irish novelist, playwright, and poet best known for works like "The Vicar of Wakefield" and "She Stoops to Conquer."

2. Sir James Goldsmith (1933-1997), a Anglo-French billionaire businessman and financier, known for his corporate raids and hostile takeovers.

3. Rebecca Goldsmith (1640-c.1696), an English Quaker writer and preacher who published several religious works.

4. Lewis Goldsmith (1763-1846), an English engraver and portrait painter who worked for the Royal Family and was appointed as the Engraver to the Mint.

5. John Goldsmith (1558-1629), an English composer and organist who served as the organist of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.

The Goldsmith surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Goldsmithville in North Carolina, Goldsmith in Indiana, and Goldsmith's Gerry in Wiltshire, England, which was named after a local goldsmith family.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goldsmith families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goldsmith 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. Kent leads with 896 Goldsmiths recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.79x.

County Total Index
Kent 896 5.79x
Middlesex 781 1.72x
Sussex 769 10.05x
Surrey 472 2.14x
Suffolk 443 8.02x
Norfolk 263 3.77x
Lancashire 112 0.21x
Isle of Man 106 12.58x
Hampshire 92 0.99x
Essex 87 0.97x
Yorkshire 79 0.18x
Bedfordshire 65 2.77x
Hertfordshire 57 1.82x
Staffordshire 44 0.29x
Northumberland 40 0.59x
Warwickshire 38 0.33x
Durham 36 0.27x
Lincolnshire 32 0.44x
Gloucestershire 29 0.33x
Cheshire 28 0.28x
Berkshire 23 0.68x
Cambridgeshire 18 0.63x
Leicestershire 18 0.36x
Buckinghamshire 12 0.44x
Devon 12 0.13x
Wiltshire 12 0.30x
Lanarkshire 11 0.08x
Derbyshire 10 0.14x
Monmouthshire 10 0.30x
Nottinghamshire 9 0.15x
Somerset 8 0.11x
Angus 7 0.17x
Oxfordshire 5 0.18x
Midlothian 4 0.07x
Carmarthenshire 3 0.16x
Herefordshire 3 0.16x
Northamptonshire 3 0.07x
Westmorland 3 0.30x
Cumberland 2 0.05x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.22x
Royal Navy 2 0.37x
Worcestershire 2 0.03x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.02x
Cornwall 1 0.02x
Stirlingshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 145 Goldsmiths recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.40x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 145 9.40x
Tonbridge 114 20.42x
Lambeth 90 2.28x
Ramsgate 69 27.31x
Hackney London 61 2.40x
Islington London 61 1.39x
Bethnal Green London 60 3.04x
Croydon 59 4.81x
Eastbourne 59 16.76x
Mile End Old Town London 57 5.90x
Camberwell 52 1.79x
Bredfield 50 745.16x
Paddington London 50 3.00x
Portsea 50 2.74x
St Pancras London 46 1.26x
Shoreditch London 41 2.08x
Heigham 40 10.68x
St Marylebone London 40 1.65x
Deptford St Paul 39 3.27x
Lowestoft 39 14.94x
Kensington London 38 1.51x
Rotherfield 37 54.93x
Battersea 35 2.10x
Bury St Edmunds St James 32 21.68x
Dartford 32 20.22x
Ashford 31 20.56x
Maidstone 30 6.51x
Southwold 30 91.72x
Woolwich 29 5.07x
Poplar London 28 3.27x
Brenenden 27 135.61x
Cardington 27 141.21x
Woodbridge 27 38.22x
Onchan 26 10.71x
Plumstead 25 4.85x
Hailsham 24 51.84x
Whepstead 24 252.10x
Lewisham 23 2.79x
West Ham 23 1.16x
Aston 22 0.70x
New Shoreham 22 47.98x
Pirton 22 125.00x
Hampstead London 21 2.97x
Hastings St Mary In The 21 12.87x
Horsham 21 14.13x
Tottenham 21 2.91x
Bow London 20 3.46x
Hadlow 20 52.10x
Wandsworth 20 4.58x
Braddan 19 41.29x
Chelsea London 19 1.39x
Chirton 19 12.44x
Sudbourne 19 211.58x
Whitechapel London 19 4.25x
Clerkenwell London 18 1.68x
Coddenham 18 142.18x
St George Hanover Square 18 2.25x
Wadhurst 18 35.84x
Greenwich 17 2.35x
Newington 17 1.01x
Clapham 16 2.82x
Hastings St Mary 16 8.40x
Sevenoaks 16 12.75x
Sittingbourne 16 13.09x
East Hoathly 15 112.70x
Hammersmith London 15 1.34x
Hellingly 15 58.57x
Hingham 15 62.11x
Maughold 15 23.07x
Newhaven 15 24.14x
Westham 15 96.28x
Holy Trinity 14 1.29x
Hove 14 4.17x
Lezayre 14 37.04x
Liverpool 14 0.43x
Lonan 14 27.43x
Sutton 14 8.75x
Folkestone 13 4.33x
Keymer 13 24.07x
Reigate Foreign 13 5.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 237
Elizabeth 174
Sarah 140
Alice 89
Jane 78
Ellen 77
Eliza 71
Emma 71
Emily 70
Annie 67
Ann 55
Harriet 51
Edith 43
Fanny 43
Caroline 39
Hannah 39
Charlotte 37
Maria 36
Florence 34
Kate 33
Louisa 30
Susan 30
Lucy 29
Martha 29
Agnes 23
Frances 23
Harriett 22
Margaret 22
Sophia 21
Amy 20
Minnie 20
Ada 19
Esther 19
Matilda 19
Laura 16
Ruth 16
Clara 15
Rose 15
Jessie 14
Catherine 13
Eleanor 13
Amelia 12
Anna 12
Rebecca 12
Elizth. 11
Lydia 11
Julia 9
Maud 8
Susanna 8
Susannah 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 259
John 211
George 199
Thomas 123
James 117
Henry 115
Charles 106
Edward 71
Alfred 68
Frederick 57
Joseph 54
Arthur 50
Robert 42
Samuel 41
Albert 37
Walter 37
Harry 33
Frank 32
Oliver 28
Richard 25
Herbert 22
Edwin 17
Ernest 16
Thos. 14
David 11
Wm. 11
Abraham 10
Francis 10
Isaac 10
Stephen 10
Benjamin 9
Daniel 9
Percy 8
Edgar 7
Geo. 7
Sydney 7
Edmund 6
Leonard 6
Philip 6
Chas. 5
Fredk. 5
Harold 5
Horace 5
Jesse 5
Willm. 5
Andrew 4
Charley 4
Fred 4
Michael 4
Sidney 4

FAQ

Goldsmith surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goldsmith surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,546 people were recorded with the Goldsmith surname. That placed it at #986 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goldsmith surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,623 in 2016. That gives Goldsmith a modern rank of #1,018.

What does the Goldsmith surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a metalworker who specializes in making or selling gold items.

What does the Goldsmith map show?

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