UK surname
Derived from the Scottish place name Gordon, likely meaning "great hill" or "spacious fort" in Gaelic.
In the 1881 census there were 528 people recorded with the Gorden surname, ranking it #6,497 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 59, ranked #34,401, down from #6,497 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Torrington, Little, St Pancras and St Marylebone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gorden is 907 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 88.8%.
1881 census count
528
Ranked #6,497
Modern count
59
2016, ranked #34,401
Peak year
1861
907 bearers
Map years
6
1851 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Gorden surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Gorden surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 639 | #4,063 |
| 1861 | historical | 907 | #3,052 |
| 1881 | historical | 528 | #6,497 |
| 1891 | historical | 688 | #5,693 |
| 1901 | historical | 293 | #11,829 |
| 1911 | historical | 130 | #19,504 |
| 1997 | modern | 53 | #32,329 |
| 1998 | modern | 44 | #33,462 |
| 1999 | modern | 47 | #33,320 |
| 2000 | modern | 39 | #34,066 |
| 2001 | modern | 37 | #34,082 |
| 2002 | modern | 49 | #33,377 |
| 2003 | modern | 52 | #33,160 |
| 2004 | modern | 45 | #33,957 |
| 2005 | modern | 47 | #34,011 |
| 2006 | modern | 46 | #34,415 |
| 2007 | modern | 46 | #34,634 |
| 2008 | modern | 57 | #34,015 |
| 2009 | modern | 61 | #33,915 |
| 2010 | modern | 65 | #33,863 |
| 2011 | modern | 55 | #34,502 |
| 2012 | modern | 54 | #34,608 |
| 2013 | modern | 53 | #34,715 |
| 2014 | modern | 55 | #34,649 |
| 2015 | modern | 58 | #34,470 |
| 2016 | modern | 59 | #34,401 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Torrington, Little, St Pancras, St Marylebone, Liverpool and Windlesham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Torrington, Little | Devon |
| 2 | St Pancras | London (North Districts) |
| 3 | St Marylebone | London (North Districts) |
| 4 | Liverpool | Lancashire |
| 5 | Windlesham | Surrey |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Gorden surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gorden, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Gorden surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Gorden household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Gorden is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gorden is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Gorden, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Gorden is of Scottish origin, derived from a place name that originally meant "green valley" in the Old English language. It is believed to have originated in the Borders region of Scotland, near the English border, sometime in the 12th or 13th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of homage rolls listing Scottish nobles and landholders who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Gordon" in these rolls, which is an earlier spelling variation.
The Gordons were a prominent Scottish clan and noble family who held significant lands and power in the north-eastern regions of Scotland, particularly in Aberdeenshire and Banffshire. The Clan Gordon's ancestral seat was Huntly Castle, and they were closely associated with the town of Huntly.
In the 14th century, Sir Adam Gordon was a notable figure who served as the Lord of Strathbogie and played a key role in the Wars of Scottish Independence against the English. Another famous bearer of this name was George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly (c.1532-1595), who was a powerful Scottish nobleman and Protestant leader during the Scottish Reformation.
Across the Atlantic, James Gordon (1615-1686) was an early Scottish settler in New Jersey and one of the founders of the town of Middletown. He served as the Deputy Governor of New Jersey from 1683 to 1684.
Other notable individuals with the surname Gorden include Lord George Gordon (1751-1793), a British politician and instigator of the Gordon Riots in London in 1780, and Charles George Gordon (1833-1885), a British army officer and administrator who gained fame for his defense of Khartoum during the Mahdist War in Sudan.
While the Gorden surname has Scottish roots, it has since spread to various parts of the world, especially through migration and the spread of the British Empire. However, its origins can be traced back to the green valleys of the Scottish Borders region, where it first emerged as a place name and eventually became a prominent clan and family name.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gorden surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 82 Gordens recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.35x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 82 | 1.35x |
| Middlesex | 57 | 1.11x |
| Surrey | 55 | 2.20x |
| Staffordshire | 51 | 2.95x |
| Durham | 30 | 1.97x |
| Yorkshire | 26 | 0.51x |
| Cambridgeshire | 19 | 5.86x |
| Somerset | 15 | 1.82x |
| Devon | 14 | 1.31x |
| Aberdeenshire | 13 | 2.74x |
| Essex | 12 | 1.19x |
| Warwickshire | 11 | 0.85x |
| Worcestershire | 11 | 1.64x |
| Cumberland | 10 | 2.27x |
| Hampshire | 10 | 0.95x |
| Kent | 10 | 0.57x |
| Norfolk | 10 | 1.27x |
| Nottinghamshire | 10 | 1.45x |
| Ayrshire | 7 | 1.83x |
| Derbyshire | 6 | 0.75x |
| Kincardineshire | 6 | 9.62x |
| Northamptonshire | 6 | 1.25x |
| West Lothian | 6 | 7.78x |
| Renfrewshire | 5 | 1.26x |
| Glamorgan | 4 | 0.45x |
| Lincolnshire | 4 | 0.49x |
| Northumberland | 4 | 0.53x |
| Sussex | 4 | 0.46x |
| Cheshire | 3 | 0.27x |
| Midlothian | 3 | 0.44x |
| Angus | 2 | 0.42x |
| Berkshire | 2 | 0.52x |
| Herefordshire | 2 | 0.95x |
| Leicestershire | 2 | 0.35x |
| Roxburghshire | 2 | 2.16x |
| Shropshire | 2 | 0.45x |
| Dorset | 1 | 0.30x |
| Gloucestershire | 1 | 0.10x |
| Hertfordshire | 1 | 0.28x |
| Inverness-shire | 1 | 0.65x |
| Lanarkshire | 1 | 0.06x |
| Morayshire | 1 | 1.26x |
| Oxfordshire | 1 | 0.32x |
| Perthshire | 1 | 0.44x |
| Wigtownshire | 1 | 1.47x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kingswinford in Staffordshire leads with 15 Gordens recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.90x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Gorden surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 32 |
| Sarah | 19 |
| Ann | 17 |
| Elizabeth | 14 |
| Jane | 13 |
| Eliza | 12 |
| Annie | 11 |
| Ellen | 10 |
| Alice | 8 |
| Emily | 5 |
| Hannah | 5 |
| Charlotte | 4 |
| Emma | 4 |
| Martha | 4 |
| Edith | 3 |
| Eleanor | 3 |
| Isabella | 3 |
| Margaret | 3 |
| Pheobe | 3 |
| Ada | 2 |
| Agnes | 2 |
| Anne | 2 |
| Clara | 2 |
| Esther | 2 |
| Grace | 2 |
| Harriet | 2 |
| Harriett | 2 |
| Louisa | 2 |
| Matilda | 2 |
| Blanche | 1 |
| Bridget | 1 |
| Caroline | 1 |
| Catherine | 1 |
| E.D. | 1 |
| Elizth.Ann | 1 |
| Emelia | 1 |
| Evea | 1 |
| Evelyn | 1 |
| Ever | 1 |
| Fanny | 1 |
| Georgina | 1 |
| Gertrude | 1 |
| Hepzibah | 1 |
| Ismerilda | 1 |
| J. | 1 |
| Jennet | 1 |
| Jessie | 1 |
| Laura | 1 |
| Lilley | 1 |
| Lizzie | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Gorden surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| William | 34 |
| John | 30 |
| James | 19 |
| Thomas | 15 |
| George | 14 |
| Charles | 11 |
| Joseph | 10 |
| Robert | 9 |
| Edward | 7 |
| Henry | 7 |
| Alexander | 6 |
| Albert | 5 |
| David | 5 |
| Frederick | 5 |
| Andrew | 3 |
| Frank | 3 |
| Peter | 3 |
| Samuel | 3 |
| Walter | 3 |
| Alex | 2 |
| Arthur | 2 |
| Harry | 2 |
| Louis | 2 |
| Patrick | 2 |
| Richard | 2 |
| Sidney | 2 |
| Ben. | 1 |
| Benjamin | 1 |
| Bryce | 1 |
| Cristopher | 1 |
| Elisha | 1 |
| Ellis | 1 |
| Ernest | 1 |
| Fred | 1 |
| Gilbert | 1 |
| Harold | 1 |
| Herbert | 1 |
| Isaac | 1 |
| Isaiah | 1 |
| Jonah | 1 |
| Lewelly | 1 |
| Lewis | 1 |
| Mary | 1 |
| Nelson | 1 |
| Paul | 1 |
| Philipp | 1 |
| Sampson | 1 |
| Stephen | 1 |
| T. | 1 |
| Wm.James | 1 |
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 Gorden households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 91 |
| Cotton Weaver | 13 |
| Ag Lab | 9 |
| Dressmaker | 6 |
| Chemical Labourer | 5 |
| Domestic Servant | 5 |
| General Labourer | 5 |
| Ag Laborer | 4 |
| Cooper | 4 |
| Farm Servant (Indoor) | 4 |
| Housemaid | 4 |
| Laundress | 4 |
| Wife | 4 |
| Ag Labourer | 3 |
| Annuitant | 3 |
| Coal Miner | 3 |
| Gen Labourer | 3 |
| Housekeeper | 3 |
| Baker | 2 |
| Bookbinder | 2 |
| Brush Maker | 2 |
| Carpenter | 2 |
| Clog Iron Worker | 2 |
| Cook | 2 |
| Cotton Spinner | 2 |
| Draper | 2 |
| Dress Maker | 2 |
| Farm Labour | 2 |
| Gardener | 2 |
| Joiner | 2 |
| Lime Burner | 2 |
| None | 2 |
| Porter | 2 |
| Printer Compositor | 2 |
| Schoolar | 2 |
| Servant | 2 |
| Servant (Dom) | 2 |
| Tailor | 2 |
| Vicars Daughter | 2 |
| Warehouseman | 2 |
| Ag Laborers Wife | 1 |
| Assistant In Dining Room | 1 |
| Assistant In School | 1 |
| Box Maker (Wood) | 1 |
| Builder & Decorator | 1 |
| Builders Assistant | 1 |
| Builders Labourer | 1 |
| Butler | 1 |
| Conveyancing Clerk Solicitors | 1 |
| Work At Paper Mill | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 528 people were recorded with the Gorden surname. That placed it at #6,497 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 59 in 2016. That gives Gorden a modern rank of #34,401.
Derived from the Scottish place name Gordon, likely meaning "great hill" or "spacious fort" in Gaelic.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Gorden bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.