NameCensus.

UK surname

Goldsworthy

An occupational surname referring to a goldsmith or worker of precious metals.

In the 1881 census there were 1,231 people recorded with the Goldsworthy surname, ranking it #3,290 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,458, ranked #4,222, down from #3,290 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Redruth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goldsworthy is 1,589 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.4%.

1881 census count

1,231

Ranked #3,290

Modern count

1,458

2016, ranked #4,222

Peak year

1999

1,589 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goldsworthy had 1,231 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,290 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,458 in 2016, ranked #4,222.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,522 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Goldsworthy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goldsworthy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goldsworthy 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 1,000 #2,797
1861 historical 843 #3,279
1881 historical 1,231 #3,290
1891 historical 1,239 #3,488
1901 historical 1,491 #3,438
1911 historical 1,522 #3,181
1997 modern 1,468 #3,985
1998 modern 1,550 #3,941
1999 modern 1,589 #3,895
2000 modern 1,544 #3,964
2001 modern 1,511 #3,961
2002 modern 1,559 #3,951
2003 modern 1,505 #3,988
2004 modern 1,499 #3,999
2005 modern 1,456 #4,062
2006 modern 1,449 #4,083
2007 modern 1,445 #4,128
2008 modern 1,455 #4,121
2009 modern 1,499 #4,123
2010 modern 1,502 #4,179
2011 modern 1,496 #4,165
2012 modern 1,456 #4,179
2013 modern 1,484 #4,184
2014 modern 1,490 #4,193
2015 modern 1,470 #4,209
2016 modern 1,458 #4,222

Geography

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Where Goldsworthys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Redruth, Breage and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Redruth Cornwall
4 Breage Cornwall
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 059 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 046 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 055 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 052 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 051 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goldsworthy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goldsworthy

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Goldsworthy 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

Goldsworthy is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Goldsworthy falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Goldsworthy

The surname Goldsworthy originated in England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the place name Goldsworthy, which is found in the county of Cornwall. The name is believed to be a combination of the Old English words "golde" meaning "yellow" and "wordig" meaning "enclosure or homestead," suggesting that the name referred to a homestead or settlement where gorse, a type of yellow-flowering shrub, grew abundantly.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Assize Rolls of Cornwall from 1284, which reference a person named Richard de Goldesworthye. The name also appears in the Cornish Subsidy Rolls of 1327, where it is spelled as Goldesworthi.

During the medieval period, the Goldsworthy family was well-established in Cornwall, with several members holding prominent positions in the local community. In the 15th century, John Goldsworthy (c. 1420 - c. 1490) served as the Mayor of Bodmin, a town in Cornwall.

As the Goldsworthy family spread across England, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, such as Goldsworthy, Goldesworth, and Goldsworth. One notable figure from this period was William Goldsworthy (c. 1550 - 1615), a merchant and ship owner from Plymouth, who played a role in the early colonization efforts in North America.

In the 17th century, Edward Goldsworthy (c. 1595 - 1670) was a prominent landowner and justice of the peace in Cornwall, while his son, Francis Goldsworthy (c. 1620 - 1685), was a renowned Cornish antiquarian and writer.

During the 18th century, the Goldsworthy family gained recognition in the military. Sir Philip Goldsworthy (1734 - 1801) was a British Army officer who served in the American Revolutionary War, and his son, Philip Goldsworthy (1770 - 1837), followed in his footsteps and became a major-general in the British Army.

Another notable figure from this period was Robert Goldsworthy (1737 - 1804), an English architect and surveyor who designed several buildings in Cornwall, including the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.

As the centuries progressed, the Goldsworthy name continued to be associated with various professions and achievements, with individuals from this lineage making their mark in fields such as science, literature, and the arts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goldsworthy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goldsworthy 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 454 Goldsworthys recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.31x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 454 33.31x
Devon 137 5.47x
Middlesex 124 1.03x
Somerset 106 5.47x
Lancashire 72 0.50x
Gloucestershire 42 1.78x
Glamorgan 40 1.91x
Cumberland 31 2.99x
Hampshire 21 0.85x
Monmouthshire 20 2.30x
Surrey 18 0.31x
Caernarfonshire 16 3.29x
Durham 16 0.45x
Staffordshire 16 0.39x
Oxfordshire 14 1.88x
Wiltshire 12 1.13x
Derbyshire 8 0.42x
Montgomeryshire 8 2.90x
Cheshire 7 0.26x
Kent 7 0.17x
Northumberland 7 0.39x
Shropshire 7 0.67x
Brecknockshire 6 2.49x
Dorset 6 0.76x
Yorkshire 6 0.05x
Cardiganshire 5 1.70x
Warwickshire 5 0.16x
Channel Islands 4 1.12x
Sussex 4 0.20x
West Lothian 4 2.21x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.41x
Essex 3 0.13x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.12x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.20x
Denbighshire 1 0.22x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Redruth in Cornwall leads with 88 Goldsworthys recorded in 1881 and an index of 228.28x.

Place Total Index
Redruth 88 228.28x
Gwennap 54 210.04x
Camborne 50 89.05x
Wendron 25 132.14x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 24 10.80x
Mile End Old Town London 23 8.98x
Breage 22 176.85x
Cleator 19 44.04x
Hornsey 19 12.48x
Walcot 19 18.41x
Illogan 18 49.89x
Sithney 18 130.72x
Swansea Town 18 10.47x
Falmouth 17 35.24x
Kenwyn 17 47.70x
Portsea 17 3.52x
St Woollos 17 17.50x
Clayhidon 16 655.74x
Llanengan 16 273.50x
Newchurch 16 13.69x
Bathwick 14 65.30x
Crowan 14 129.63x
Gwinear 13 200.93x
Bere Ferrers 12 291.26x
Handsworth 12 11.98x
St Marylebone London 12 1.87x
Axminster 11 93.62x
Helston 11 77.63x
Oxford St Giles 11 31.01x
St Erth 11 133.17x
Islington London 10 0.86x
Radcliffe 10 14.52x
St Just In Penwith 10 37.82x
Bath St Michael 9 91.93x
Bedminster 9 4.94x
Hammersmith London 9 3.04x
Bristol Christchurch 8 233.24x
Dalton In Furness 8 14.51x
Eckington 8 17.47x
Llanidloes 8 39.12x
Lower Allithwaite 8 233.92x
Monkwearmouth 8 23.34x
Newington 8 1.80x
Salisbury St Thomas 8 94.90x
St Cleer 8 67.68x
St Columb Major 8 70.73x
St Keverne 8 106.67x
Winsham 8 225.99x
Arlecdon 7 25.40x
Hatch Beauchamp 7 466.67x
Liscard 7 14.62x
Longbenton 7 9.23x
Merthyr Tydfil 7 3.47x
Wellington 7 26.65x
Whittington 7 80.37x
Everton 6 1.32x
Halberton 6 102.74x
Llanvrynach 6 359.28x
Llanwonno 6 7.97x
Lyme Regis 6 63.42x
Milverton 6 83.92x
Salcombe Regis 6 255.32x
St Clement 6 42.19x
St Ive 6 68.65x
Stoke Damerel 6 3.42x
Upottery 6 199.34x
Bethnal Green London 5 0.96x
Chittlehampton 5 80.91x
Ealing 5 4.65x
Egremont 5 20.23x
Exeter Holy Trinity 5 50.92x
Hackney London 5 0.74x
Phillack 5 28.43x
St Pancras London 5 0.52x
Tavistock 5 17.52x
Tywardreath 5 57.14x
Wingate 5 20.37x
Woodbury 5 67.29x
Linlithgow 4 17.20x
Lyng 4 325.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 86
Elizabeth 81
Jane 37
Eliza 31
Sarah 30
Ellen 23
Emily 23
Annie 17
Emma 16
Ann 14
Harriet 13
Caroline 12
Alice 11
Martha 10
Grace 9
Ada 8
Bessie 8
Catherine 8
Hannah 8
Susan 8
Elizth. 7
Florence 7
Louisa 7
Edith 6
Charlotte 5
Fanny 5
Kate 5
Maria 5
Minnie 5
Amelia 4
Bertha 4
Jessie 4
Rosina 4
Adelaide 3
Anna 3
Anne 3
Arabella 3
Blanch 3
Clara 3
Eva 3
Harriett 3
Johanna 3
Julia 3
Lily 3
Mabel 3
Marie 3
Rhoda 3
C. 2
Laura 2
Lavinia 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 87
William 84
Thomas 55
James 41
Joseph 23
Richard 23
George 17
Samuel 16
Charles 15
Henry 15
Alfred 11
Edward 10
Arthur 8
Frederick 8
Robert 8
Frank 7
Walter 7
Albert 6
Ernest 6
Martin 5
Paul 4
Tom 4
Abel 3
Francis 3
Harry 3
C. 2
Edwin 2
Fredk. 2
Harold 2
Herbert 2
Lot 2
Percival 2
Sidney 2
Wm. 2
Bertie 1
Chas. 1
Collan 1
Daniel 1
Ed. 1
Edmund 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
H.L. 1
Jim 1
Josiah 1
Lenord 1
Leonard 1
Levi 1
Lewis 1
Linden 1

FAQ

Goldsworthy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goldsworthy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,231 people were recorded with the Goldsworthy surname. That placed it at #3,290 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goldsworthy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,458 in 2016. That gives Goldsworthy a modern rank of #4,222.

What does the Goldsworthy surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a goldsmith or worker of precious metals.

What does the Goldsworthy map show?

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