NameCensus.

UK surname

Goldthorpe

A locational surname derived from a place named Goldthorpe in Yorkshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 728 people recorded with the Goldthorpe surname, ranking it #5,015 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,115, ranked #5,277, down from #5,015 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Batley, Wakefield and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, Calderdale and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goldthorpe is 1,269 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.2%.

1881 census count

728

Ranked #5,015

Modern count

1,115

2016, ranked #5,277

Peak year

1911

1,269 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goldthorpe had 728 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,015 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,115 in 2016, ranked #5,277.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,269 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Goldthorpe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goldthorpe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goldthorpe 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 186 #11,024
1861 historical 331 #7,706
1881 historical 728 #5,015
1891 historical 964 #4,289
1901 historical 1,235 #4,010
1911 historical 1,269 #3,743
1997 modern 1,156 #4,872
1998 modern 1,198 #4,885
1999 modern 1,246 #4,759
2000 modern 1,251 #4,734
2001 modern 1,207 #4,779
2002 modern 1,219 #4,841
2003 modern 1,209 #4,777
2004 modern 1,192 #4,834
2005 modern 1,134 #5,003
2006 modern 1,136 #4,988
2007 modern 1,125 #5,084
2008 modern 1,139 #5,068
2009 modern 1,171 #5,044
2010 modern 1,198 #5,052
2011 modern 1,173 #5,085
2012 modern 1,134 #5,154
2013 modern 1,152 #5,176
2014 modern 1,149 #5,204
2015 modern 1,129 #5,233
2016 modern 1,115 #5,277

Geography

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Where Goldthorpes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Batley, Wakefield, Bradford, Sheffield and Dewsbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley, Calderdale and Wakefield. 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 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Dewsbury Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 027 Barnsley
2 Calderdale 025 Calderdale
3 Wakefield 025 Wakefield
4 Calderdale 026 Calderdale
5 Wakefield 021 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goldthorpe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goldthorpe

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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Goldthorpe is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Goldthorpe is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Goldthorpe 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 Goldthorpe 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Goldthorpe

The surname Goldthorpe is of English origin, derived from the place name Goldthorpe, a small village in South Yorkshire. The name is thought to have originated in the 12th century, derived from the Old English words "golde" meaning "yellow" and "thorpe" meaning "village or hamlet". This suggests that the name referred to a village or settlement where gorse or other yellow-flowering plants grew abundantly.

Records of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Goldetorp". This early spelling variation indicates that the name was already well-established in the region by the time of the Norman Conquest.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Goldthorpe is in the Yorkshire Feet of Fines for 1301, where a William de Goldthorpe is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already being used as a hereditary surname by the early 14th century.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the form "Goldthorpe" in the Parish Registers of Barnsley, Yorkshire, further confirming its local origins. Notable individuals bearing the name during this period include John Goldthorpe, born in 1542, who was a landowner in the village of Goldthorpe.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Goldthorpe remained primarily concentrated in Yorkshire, with several families of that name owning land and property in the region. One notable figure was Thomas Goldthorpe (1683-1761), a wealthy merchant and landowner who served as the High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1735.

In the 19th century, as people began to migrate more widely, the surname started to spread beyond its Yorkshire roots. One prominent individual was Sir John Goldthorpe (1805-1879), a successful industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the city of Sheffield.

Other notable individuals with the surname Goldthorpe include William Goldthorpe (1871-1945), a British trade unionist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Wigan from 1918 to 1923, and John Goldthorpe (born 1935), a renowned British sociologist and academic who has made significant contributions to the study of social stratification and mobility.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goldthorpe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goldthorpe 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 564 Goldthorpes recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.94x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 564 7.94x
Lancashire 59 0.69x
Middlesex 32 0.45x
Cheshire 15 0.95x
Bedfordshire 14 3.77x
Surrey 14 0.40x
Derbyshire 12 1.07x
Kent 7 0.29x
Durham 4 0.19x
Isle of Man 4 3.00x
Lincolnshire 4 0.35x
Staffordshire 4 0.17x
Ayrshire 1 0.19x
Royal Navy 1 1.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dewsbury in Yorkshire leads with 56 Goldthorpes recorded in 1881 and an index of 76.85x.

Place Total Index
Dewsbury 56 76.85x
Batley 30 44.43x
Darton 27 370.88x
Leeds 25 6.23x
Wooldale 21 174.27x
Shelley 18 433.73x
Horbury 17 136.77x
Doncaster 16 30.82x
Liversedge 16 50.58x
Sheffield 16 7.07x
Morley 15 40.61x
Shitlington 15 204.08x
Kirkburton 14 167.06x
Huddersfield 13 12.56x
Thornhill 13 62.71x
Ashton Under Lyne 12 6.45x
Barnsley 11 15.01x
Holbeck 11 23.37x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 11 43.34x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 11 33.32x
Wakefield 11 20.17x
Almondbury 10 29.11x
Biggleswade 10 82.24x
Cartworth 10 170.07x
Crigglestone 10 146.20x
Honley 10 80.39x
Oldham 10 3.64x
Fulstone 9 173.08x
Glossop Dale 9 17.12x
Thurstonland 9 365.85x
Heckmondwike 8 35.01x
Rothwell 8 55.75x
Silkstone 8 227.27x
Cantley 6 437.96x
Greenwich 6 5.26x
Kexborough 6 394.74x
Lockwood 6 23.47x
Longwood 6 52.40x
Manchester 6 1.57x
Ryhill 6 307.69x
Wortley In Bramley 6 10.66x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 5 19.38x
Bromley London 5 3.17x
Dukinfield 5 6.84x
Hornsey 5 5.51x
Hurdsfield 5 51.33x
Kirkdale 5 3.49x
Whitley Upper 5 490.20x
Wortley In Wortley 5 179.21x
Aston Cum Aughton 4 68.85x
Chadderton 4 9.62x
Chiddingfold 4 122.32x
Crumpsall 4 19.95x
Hepworth 4 139.37x
Hulme 4 2.25x
Linthwaite 4 26.79x
Luton 4 6.22x
Rastrick 4 20.27x
St Anne 4 279.72x
Stranton 4 5.57x
Sutton 4 49.38x
Upperthong 4 66.23x
Whitwood 4 39.64x
Worsbrough 4 19.21x
Hibaldstow 3 153.06x
Holy Trinity 3 1.76x
Hunslet 3 2.71x
Islington London 3 0.43x
Kensington London 3 0.75x
Lofthouse Cum Carlton 3 34.64x
Macclesfield 3 4.26x
Middleton In Oldham 3 11.76x
Newington 3 1.13x
Paddington London 3 1.14x
Rusholme 3 13.22x
Spotland 3 3.17x
Sunbury 3 34.84x
Castleford 2 7.73x
St George Hanover Square 2 1.58x
Whittington 2 12.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 46
Sarah 30
Elizabeth 28
Emma 23
Ann 17
Alice 16
Eliza 15
Jane 14
Annie 12
Hannah 10
Martha 10
Ellen 9
Emily 8
Harriet 8
Ada 7
Florence 7
Clara 6
Edith 6
Esther 4
Frances 4
Elizth. 3
Lydia 3
Maria 3
Agnes 2
Betsy 2
Betty 2
Charlotte 2
Florance 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Marion 2
Maud 2
Polly 2
Rebecca 2
Ruth 2
Anna 1
Bessy 1
C. 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizh.Ellen 1
Elma 1
Ethel 1
Hariatt 1
Harr. 1
Juliette 1
Laura 1
Lenior 1
Levina 1
Sushanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 37
George 30
William 29
Joseph 23
Henry 17
Arthur 16
James 13
Charles 12
Harry 11
Fred 9
Samuel 9
Thomas 9
Walter 9
Albert 8
Benjamin 7
Joe 7
Herbert 6
Edward 5
Frank 5
Alfred 4
Ben 4
David 4
Thos. 4
Allen 3
Ernest 3
Job 3
Jonathan 3
Richard 3
Wright 3
Alexander 2
Chas. 2
Frederick 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Jack 2
Jonas 2
Mark 2
Robert 2
Sam 2
Willie 2
Wm. 2
Christopher 1
Dan 1
Enock 1
Enos 1
Ephraim 1
Ezrar 1
F. 1
Francis 1
Isreal 1

FAQ

Goldthorpe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goldthorpe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 728 people were recorded with the Goldthorpe surname. That placed it at #5,015 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goldthorpe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,115 in 2016. That gives Goldthorpe a modern rank of #5,277.

What does the Goldthorpe surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place named Goldthorpe in Yorkshire, England.

What does the Goldthorpe map show?

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