NameCensus.

UK surname

Gopaul

A Coolie Indian surname meaning Lord Krishna's cowherd.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Haringey, Greenwich and Colchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gopaul is 240 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

230

2016, ranked #17,812

Peak year

2010

240 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 230 in 2016, ranked #17,812.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Gopaul surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gopaul surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gopaul 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
1997 modern 133 #22,705
1998 modern 153 #21,387
1999 modern 160 #20,943
2000 modern 155 #21,341
2001 modern 154 #21,122
2002 modern 173 #20,043
2003 modern 170 #20,023
2004 modern 189 #18,855
2005 modern 202 #18,016
2006 modern 207 #17,892
2007 modern 216 #17,575
2008 modern 214 #17,854
2009 modern 238 #17,002
2010 modern 240 #17,230
2011 modern 225 #17,841
2012 modern 217 #18,184
2013 modern 224 #18,080
2014 modern 235 #17,619
2015 modern 235 #17,530
2016 modern 230 #17,812

Geography

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Where Gopauls 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 Haringey, Greenwich, Colchester, Epsom and Ewell and Ealing. 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 Haringey 012 Haringey
2 Greenwich 017 Greenwich
3 Colchester 002 Colchester
4 Epsom and Ewell 005 Epsom and Ewell
5 Ealing 027 Ealing

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gopaul

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gopaul

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

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Gopaul surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Gopaul 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Gopaul 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

Gopaul 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

Gopaul 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 Gopaul 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
Asian - Indian

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

Meaning and origin of Gopaul

The surname GOPAUL has its origins in India, tracing back to the 16th century or earlier. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit words "go," meaning cow or earth, and "pal," meaning nurturer or protector. This suggests the name may have originally referred to those who cared for cows or worked with the land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GOPAUL can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century document commissioned by the Mughal emperor Akbar the Great. It mentions a individual named Gopaul Singh, who served as a high-ranking official in Akbar's court.

In the 17th century, the GOPAUL name appears in various historical records from the Bengal region of India. A notable figure was Gopaul Dutta, a prominent landlord and philanthropist who established several educational institutions and temples during this period.

As the British Empire expanded its influence in India in the 18th and 19th centuries, the GOPAUL name became more widely documented. In 1837, a British officer named William Gopaul published a memoir detailing his experiences in the East India Company's army.

During the 19th century, the GOPAUL surname was also found in parts of the Caribbean, likely carried by indentured laborers from India who were brought to work on sugar plantations. One such individual was Gopaul Narine, a labor leader and activist in British Guiana (now Guyana) who fought for the rights of Indian workers in the late 1800s.

In more recent times, notable individuals with the GOPAUL surname include Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (1900-1985), a prominent political figure who led Mauritius to independence, and Basdeo Gopaul (1922-2001), a Trinidadian cricketer who played for the West Indies in the 1950s.

Overall, the history of the GOPAUL surname reflects the diverse cultural and geographic spread of people from the Indian subcontinent, carrying with them a name that has its roots in ancient Sanskrit and the traditions of agrarian life.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Gopaul surname: questions and answers

How common is the Gopaul surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 230 in 2016. That gives Gopaul a modern rank of #17,812.

What does the Gopaul surname mean?

A Coolie Indian surname meaning Lord Krishna's cowherd.

What does the Gopaul map show?

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