NameCensus.

UK surname

Gordon

A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "spacious fort" or "great hill."

In the 1881 census there were 18,832 people recorded with the Gordon surname, ranking it #200 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 33,345, ranked #157, up from #200 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Badenoch and Strathspey North, Keith and Fife Keith and Howe of Alford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gordon is 33,821 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 77.1%.

1881 census count

18,832

Ranked #200

Modern count

33,345

2016, ranked #157

Peak year

2010

33,821 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gordon had 18,832 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #200 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 33,345 in 2016, ranked #157.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 23,578 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Gordon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gordon surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gordon 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 12,896 #184
1861 historical 13,286 #186
1881 historical 18,832 #200
1891 historical 20,241 #192
1901 historical 23,578 #198
1911 historical 12,370 #395
1997 modern 30,564 #168
1998 modern 31,722 #171
1999 modern 31,955 #171
2000 modern 31,648 #172
2001 modern 30,785 #173
2002 modern 31,646 #171
2003 modern 31,162 #170
2004 modern 31,313 #167
2005 modern 31,196 #163
2006 modern 31,405 #161
2007 modern 31,767 #162
2008 modern 32,067 #161
2009 modern 32,964 #160
2010 modern 33,821 #160
2011 modern 33,131 #161
2012 modern 32,280 #162
2013 modern 32,963 #161
2014 modern 33,391 #160
2015 modern 33,308 #160
2016 modern 33,345 #157

Geography

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Where Gordons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Badenoch and Strathspey North, Keith and Fife Keith, Howe of Alford, IZ10 and Seaboard. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Badenoch and Strathspey North Highland
2 Keith and Fife Keith Moray
3 Howe of Alford Aberdeenshire
4 IZ10 East Lothian
5 Seaboard Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gordon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gordon

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Gordon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Gordon household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gordon is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gordon 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

Gordon falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gordon

The surname Gordon has its origins in the medieval territories of Britain and France. It is derived from the Old French word "gu(i)erredon," which means "reward" or "recompense." This name was likely bestowed upon someone who had received a reward or land grant for their service or loyalty.

The Gordon surname is first recorded in the 12th century in Normandy, France. One of the earliest references to the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named "Gordun" in Huntingdonshire, England.

As the Normans expanded their influence in Britain, the name Gordon spread throughout Scotland and England. One of the most notable bearers of the name was Sir Adam de Gordon, a 12th-century knight who fought alongside William the Lion, King of Scots. His descendants established the powerful Gordon clan in the northeast of Scotland.

The Gordon family played a significant role in Scottish history, with members serving as nobles, statesmen, and military leaders. One of the most famous Gordon figures was George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly (1514-1562), who led his clan in several battles against the English during the Rough Wooing.

Another prominent Gordon was John Gordon of Brightons (1544-1619), a Scottish Catholic priest and writer who was known for his treatise on the antiquity of the Gordon family. His work traced the family's lineage back to the ancient Roman times, although some of his claims have been disputed by modern historians.

In England, the Gordon surname was also associated with notable individuals, such as Lord George Gordon (1751-1793), a British politician and Protestant activist who led the Gordon Riots of 1780, one of the most destructive anti-Catholic riots in British history.

Other remarkable Gordons include Sir John Watson Gordon (1788-1864), a Scottish painter and portrait artist, and Lord George Gordon Byron (1788-1824), the renowned English Romantic poet often referred to simply as "Byron."

While the Gordon surname originated in Britain and France, it has since spread worldwide and has been adopted by people of various backgrounds and nationalities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gordon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gordon 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 2,490 Gordons recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.60x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 2,490 14.60x
Lanarkshire 1,627 2.73x
Lancashire 1,494 0.68x
Middlesex 1,282 0.70x
Midlothian 1,020 4.14x
Angus 914 5.36x
Durham 656 1.20x
Banffshire 589 15.42x
Yorkshire 526 0.29x
Surrey 499 0.56x
Northumberland 422 1.54x
Ayrshire 416 3.02x
Morayshire 400 13.98x
Renfrewshire 382 2.68x
Inverness-shire 348 6.33x
Kirkcudbrightshire 316 11.86x
Ross-shire 303 5.99x
Fife 294 2.70x
Kent 294 0.47x
Cheshire 285 0.70x
Sutherland 274 19.35x
Kincardineshire 263 11.73x
Staffordshire 259 0.42x
Perthshire 245 2.96x
Hampshire 193 0.51x
Dunbartonshire 191 3.86x
East Lothian 184 7.54x
Dumfriesshire 178 4.38x
Wigtownshire 157 6.42x
Cumberland 151 0.95x
Essex 150 0.41x
Devon 144 0.38x
Glamorgan 138 0.43x
Sussex 118 0.38x
Stirlingshire 113 1.66x
Northamptonshire 111 0.64x
Warwickshire 101 0.22x
Roxburghshire 97 2.91x
Worcestershire 95 0.40x
Caithness 80 3.17x
Gloucestershire 74 0.20x
West Lothian 73 2.63x
Nottinghamshire 62 0.25x
Nairnshire 55 9.79x
Channel Islands 52 0.95x
Norfolk 52 0.18x
Somerset 50 0.17x
Argyllshire 49 0.96x
Derbyshire 43 0.15x
Shropshire 43 0.27x
Berwickshire 41 1.84x
Wiltshire 40 0.25x
Royal Navy 30 1.37x
Clackmannanshire 28 1.84x
Leicestershire 28 0.14x
Kinross-shire 27 5.80x
Dorset 26 0.22x
Berkshire 22 0.16x
Shetland 22 1.17x
Flintshire 21 0.42x
Peeblesshire 20 2.31x
Selkirkshire 20 1.20x
Lincolnshire 19 0.06x
Cambridgeshire 18 0.15x
Hertfordshire 17 0.13x
Isle of Man 17 0.50x
Buteshire 16 1.43x
Bedfordshire 14 0.15x
Huntingdonshire 14 0.38x
Orkney 14 0.69x
Buckinghamshire 11 0.10x
Oxfordshire 8 0.07x
Pembrokeshire 8 0.14x
Westmorland 8 0.20x
Rutland 7 0.52x
Suffolk 7 0.03x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.06x
Herefordshire 4 0.05x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.04x
Cornwall 3 0.01x
Anglesey 2 0.06x
Denbighshire 1 0.01x
Monmouthshire 1 0.01x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberdeen Old Machar in Aberdeenshire leads with 526 Gordons recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.77x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen Old Machar 526 14.77x
Barony 467 3.10x
Govan 454 3.08x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 411 4.14x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 404 12.66x
Glasgow 341 3.23x
Dundee 256 4.02x
Liverpool 157 1.18x
Kensington London 146 1.43x
Inverness 143 10.34x
Manchester 129 1.31x
Elgin 123 22.10x
Bishopwearmouth 121 2.57x
South Leith 121 4.36x
Islington London 116 0.65x
Lambeth 115 0.72x
St Pancras London 102 0.69x
Cabrach 96 223.00x
Rathven 95 13.24x
Gateshead 91 2.22x
Everton 89 1.28x
Montrose 89 8.61x
Toxteth Park 88 1.19x
Arbroath 85 15.04x
Peterhead 84 9.32x
Chelsea London 82 1.48x
St Marylebone London 82 0.83x
Brechin 81 12.08x
Kirkdale 77 2.10x
Huntly 76 27.39x
Keith 75 18.42x
Liff Benvie 73 2.82x
St George Hanover Square 71 2.19x
West Greenock 71 2.77x
North Leith 70 6.13x
Salford 69 1.07x
Hackney London 66 0.64x
Inveresk 65 9.73x
Kildonan 64 52.21x
Fraserburgh 63 13.12x
St Vigeans 63 6.84x
Stockport 62 2.96x
Glass 59 90.62x
Hamilton 57 3.43x
Prestonpans 57 34.85x
Fetteresso 56 15.94x
Forfar 56 6.06x
Westoe 56 1.80x
Stoke Upon Trent 55 0.83x
Camberwell 54 0.46x
Kelton 54 24.66x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 54 3.30x
Aberlour 53 43.75x
Leeds 53 0.51x
East Greenock 52 3.86x
Kirkmichael 51 75.28x
West Derby 51 0.80x
Crathie Braemar 50 49.03x
Paddington London 50 0.74x
Shoreditch London 50 0.63x
Towie 50 104.52x
Inveravon 49 30.10x
Old Monkland 49 2.07x
Paisley High Church 49 4.31x
Newhills 48 13.75x
Tyrie 48 22.43x
Golspie 47 47.90x
West Ham 47 0.59x
Girvan 45 13.01x
King Edward 45 22.90x
Mortlach 44 23.59x
Wolverhampton 43 0.90x
Bathgate 42 6.98x
Cromdale 42 18.25x
Newington 42 0.62x
Elswick 41 1.88x
Cathcart 40 5.18x
Dumbarton 40 5.81x
Kirkcudbright 40 18.13x
Monifieth 40 6.64x
Aston 39 0.31x
Brighton 39 0.62x
Dornoch 39 24.45x
Nairn 39 11.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 511
Elizabeth 326
Sarah 203
Jane 199
Margaret 158
Ann 137
Ellen 117
Alice 104
Annie 101
Eliza 90
Catherine 84
Emily 73
Isabella 68
Emma 64
Hannah 53
Jessie 50
Agnes 47
Edith 46
Frances 46
Martha 45
Louisa 44
Kate 40
Maria 38
Harriet 36
Anne 35
Caroline 35
Florence 30
Charlotte 29
Ada 28
Amelia 27
Clara 26
Ethel 23
Janet 23
Fanny 22
Lucy 22
Rose 22
Susan 21
Eleanor 20
Helen 20
Minnie 20
Julia 19
Matilda 19
Susannah 18
Amy 16
Elizth. 16
Anna 15
Harriett 15
Rebecca 15
Grace 14
Lilian 13

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 456
William 434
James 299
George 266
Thomas 170
Robert 168
Charles 160
Henry 115
Joseph 81
Alexander 80
Edward 65
Alfred 62
Arthur 62
Samuel 51
David 49
Frederick 48
Richard 48
Walter 37
Peter 36
Harry 34
Albert 32
Francis 32
Patrick 32
Frank 25
Andrew 24
Michael 24
Daniel 17
Ernest 17
Hugh 17
Wm. 14
Chas. 13
Edwin 13
Archibald 11
Douglas 11
Donald 10
Fred 10
Geo. 10
Herbert 10
Lewis 10
Thos. 10
Benjamin 9
Percy 9
Stephen 9
Wallace 9
Isaac 8
Jas. 8
Philip 8
Sidney 8
Anthony 6
Tom 6

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 Gordon households.

FAQ

Gordon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gordon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 18,832 people were recorded with the Gordon surname. That placed it at #200 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gordon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 33,345 in 2016. That gives Gordon a modern rank of #157.

What does the Gordon surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "spacious fort" or "great hill."

What does the Gordon map show?

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