NameCensus.

UK surname

Gonsalves

A Portuguese and Galician surname derived from the given name Gonçalo, likely meaning "battle-eager" or "war-elf" in Germanic.

In the 1881 census there were 1 people recorded with the Gonsalves surname, ranking it #34,027 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 931, ranked #6,139, up from #34,027 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swindon, Ealing and Hounslow.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gonsalves is 931 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 93000.0%.

1881 census count

1

Ranked #34,027

Modern count

931

2016, ranked #6,139

Peak year

2016

931 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gonsalves had 1 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #34,027 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 931 in 2016, ranked #6,139.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 11 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Gonsalves surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gonsalves surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gonsalves 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 5 #32,456
1861 historical 2 #34,135
1881 historical 1 #34,027
1891 historical 6 #33,800
1901 historical 11 #32,907
1911 historical 11 #32,463
1997 modern 475 #9,676
1998 modern 497 #9,638
1999 modern 492 #9,784
2000 modern 497 #9,675
2001 modern 477 #9,798
2002 modern 515 #9,443
2003 modern 523 #9,192
2004 modern 550 #8,865
2005 modern 581 #8,461
2006 modern 607 #8,214
2007 modern 636 #8,009
2008 modern 645 #7,959
2009 modern 677 #7,841
2010 modern 719 #7,619
2011 modern 741 #7,381
2012 modern 789 #6,917
2013 modern 823 #6,785
2014 modern 886 #6,459
2015 modern 888 #6,383
2016 modern 931 #6,139

Geography

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Where Gonsalves' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swindon, Ealing and Hounslow. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swindon 015 Swindon
2 Swindon 012 Swindon
3 Ealing 023 Ealing
4 Hounslow 017 Hounslow
5 Ealing 037 Ealing

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gonsalves

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gonsalves

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Gonsalves surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Gonsalves household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Gonsalves is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gonsalves 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

Gonsalves falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gonsalves 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Gonsalves

The surname Gonsalves has its origins in Portugal, dating back to the 13th century. It is a patronymic name derived from the personal name Gonçalo, which itself is derived from the Germanic name Gundesalvus or Gundisalvus, meaning "battle protection."

The earliest recorded instances of the name Gonsalves can be found in medieval Portuguese documents and records. One notable example is Gonçalo Mendes Gonsalves, a 14th-century Portuguese nobleman and military leader who fought in the Reconquista against the Moors.

As the Portuguese expanded their influence through exploration and colonization, the surname Gonsalves spread to other parts of the world, particularly to their colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. In Brazil, for instance, the name Gonsalves is often found in its Portuguese-Brazilian spelling, Gonçalves.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Gonsalves outside of Portugal is found in the records of the Portuguese colony of Goa, India. In the 16th century, a Catholic priest named Francisco Gonsalves was active in Goa and played a significant role in the Christianization efforts in the region.

Another notable figure bearing the surname Gonsalves was Antão Gonsalves, a 16th-century Portuguese explorer who is credited with being the first European to set foot in the territory of modern-day Brazil, in the year 1501.

In the 19th century, Joaquim Gonsalves, a Portuguese-Indian surgeon and botanist, made significant contributions to the study of medicinal plants in British India. He was born in Goa in 1784 and died in Bombay in 1865.

The name Gonsalves has also been associated with various place names, particularly in Portugal and its former colonies. For example, the town of Gonçalves in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, is named after a prominent Portuguese family bearing the surname Gonçalves.

Throughout history, the surname Gonsalves has been recorded in various spellings, such as Goncalves, Gonsalvez, and Gonsalvez, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions where the name has been present.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gonsalves families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gonsalves 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. Devon leads with 1 Gonsalves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.75x.

County Total Index
Devon 1 49.75x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Plymouth St Andrew in Devon leads with 1 Gonsalves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 666.67x.

Place Total Index
Plymouth St Andrew 1 666.67x

Top male names

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

Name Count
Antonio 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Gonsalves households.

Occupation Count
Cattleman 1

FAQ

Gonsalves surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gonsalves surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1 people were recorded with the Gonsalves surname. That placed it at #34,027 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gonsalves surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 931 in 2016. That gives Gonsalves a modern rank of #6,139.

What does the Gonsalves surname mean?

A Portuguese and Galician surname derived from the given name Gonçalo, likely meaning "battle-eager" or "war-elf" in Germanic.

What does the Gonsalves map show?

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