NameCensus.

UK surname

Gore

An English locational surname referring to someone who lived near a triangular plot of land.

In the 1881 census there were 3,371 people recorded with the Gore surname, ranking it #1,352 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,341, ranked #1,261, up from #1,352 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gore is 5,620 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 58.4%.

1881 census count

3,371

Ranked #1,352

Modern count

5,341

2016, ranked #1,261

Peak year

2010

5,620 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gore had 3,371 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,352 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,341 in 2016, ranked #1,261.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,098 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gore surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gore surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Gore 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 1,993 #1,452
1861 historical 1,975 #1,477
1881 historical 3,371 #1,352
1891 historical 3,469 #1,372
1901 historical 4,541 #1,253
1911 historical 5,098 #1,031
1997 modern 5,337 #1,219
1998 modern 5,448 #1,244
1999 modern 5,536 #1,237
2000 modern 5,573 #1,221
2001 modern 5,423 #1,229
2002 modern 5,563 #1,221
2003 modern 5,430 #1,223
2004 modern 5,403 #1,232
2005 modern 5,343 #1,223
2006 modern 5,256 #1,240
2007 modern 5,328 #1,233
2008 modern 5,347 #1,237
2009 modern 5,504 #1,229
2010 modern 5,620 #1,229
2011 modern 5,487 #1,246
2012 modern 5,379 #1,243
2013 modern 5,482 #1,243
2014 modern 5,494 #1,243
2015 modern 5,420 #1,245
2016 modern 5,341 #1,261

Geography

Back to top

Where Gores are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Wigan and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wigan and South Cambridgeshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Wigan Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bridgend 009 Bridgend
2 Rhondda Cynon Taf 008 Rhondda Cynon Taf
3 Wigan 015 Wigan
4 South Cambridgeshire 013 South Cambridgeshire
5 Wigan 010 Wigan

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Gore

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Gore

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gore 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

Gore 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

Gore falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gore

The surname Gore has its origins in England, dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "gara," meaning a small triangular piece of land or a strip of unploughed land between fields.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "de la Gore," suggesting it may have initially referred to a place of residence or landholding.

In the 13th century, records show the name spelled as "atte Gore" and "de la Gore," indicating its association with a location or piece of land. It is possible that the name originated from a place called Gore, which was a small village in the county of Hertfordshire.

The first known bearer of the name was John de la Gore, who was born around 1220 in Hertfordshire. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas de la Gore, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century.

During the 16th century, the spelling of the name evolved to its modern form, Gore. One prominent bearer was Sir John Gore, who served as a Member of Parliament for Shropshire in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name gained prominence with Sir Ralph Gore, a successful merchant and Member of Parliament for Liverpool. His son, Sir John Gore, was a prominent lawyer and served as the Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1659 to 1660.

Another notable figure was Sir Francis Gore, who was born in 1769 and served as the Governor of Upper Canada (now Ontario) from 1806 to 1811. He played a significant role in the development of the colony during his tenure.

The Gore family also produced several distinguished military officers, including Lieutenant General Sir John Gore, who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in 1815.

Throughout history, the surname Gore has been associated with various locations and place names, such as Gore's Green in Buckinghamshire, Gore Farm in Oxfordshire, and Gore Hill in New South Wales, Australia, reflecting the geographical origins of the name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Gore families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gore 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. Lancashire leads with 1,153 Gores recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.95x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,153 2.95x
Middlesex 320 0.97x
Kent 278 2.47x
Surrey 193 1.20x
Somerset 127 2.39x
Wiltshire 110 3.77x
Gloucestershire 105 1.62x
Yorkshire 93 0.28x
Norfolk 87 1.72x
Bedfordshire 65 3.81x
Cheshire 63 0.87x
Northamptonshire 54 1.74x
Devon 52 0.76x
Huntingdonshire 49 7.48x
Warwickshire 46 0.55x
Nottinghamshire 45 1.01x
Berkshire 44 1.78x
Lanarkshire 42 0.39x
Derbyshire 41 0.79x
Hampshire 41 0.61x
Sussex 36 0.65x
Herefordshire 30 2.22x
Worcestershire 29 0.67x
Cambridgeshire 28 1.34x
Staffordshire 28 0.25x
Durham 21 0.21x
Midlothian 20 0.45x
Brecknockshire 18 2.73x
Angus 16 0.52x
Glamorgan 14 0.24x
Northumberland 12 0.24x
Radnorshire 12 4.51x
Essex 10 0.15x
Channel Islands 9 0.92x
Leicestershire 9 0.25x
Lincolnshire 9 0.17x
Ayrshire 8 0.32x
Buckinghamshire 8 0.40x
Hertfordshire 7 0.31x
Isle of Man 7 1.14x
Denbighshire 6 0.48x
Suffolk 5 0.12x
Perthshire 4 0.27x
Rutland 4 1.65x
Shropshire 4 0.14x
Dorset 3 0.14x
Orkney 3 0.83x
Cornwall 2 0.05x
Monmouthshire 2 0.08x
Oxfordshire 2 0.10x
Royal Navy 2 0.51x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.03x
Anglesey 1 0.17x
Flintshire 1 0.11x
Renfrewshire 1 0.04x
Stirlingshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 93 Gores recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.91x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 93 3.91x
West Derby 59 5.15x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 58 9.52x
St Pancras London 58 2.18x
Ashton In Makerfield 46 41.28x
Shoreditch London 46 3.22x
Hindley 42 25.17x
Wigan 42 7.68x
Toxteth Park 41 3.09x
Battersea 40 3.30x
Everton 38 3.05x
Margate St John Baptist 36 17.47x
Chelsea London 34 3.42x
Kirkby 34 214.65x
Shevington 33 184.46x
Eccleston In Prescot 31 15.78x
Luton 30 10.15x
Scarisbrick 30 66.04x
Islington London 29 0.91x
Bradford On Avon 28 29.99x
Broughton In Salford 27 7.55x
Huyton With Roby 26 56.69x
Pemberton 26 16.66x
Prescot 26 36.73x
Camberwell 24 1.14x
Ince In Makerfield 24 13.18x
Much Woolton 23 43.31x
Westleigh 23 25.88x
Bermondsey 22 2.24x
Abram 21 69.93x
Broughton Gifford 21 303.47x
Thatcham 21 55.05x
Knowsley 20 141.54x
Litherland 19 23.22x
Sturry 19 142.75x
Trowbridge 19 14.74x
Wavertree 19 15.17x
Kirkby In Ashfield 18 37.85x
Preston 18 1.72x
Ramsgate 18 9.80x
St George Hanover Square 18 3.10x
Westbere 18 659.34x
Lambeth 17 0.59x
Portsea 17 1.28x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 16 0.90x
Paddington London 16 1.32x
Salford 16 1.39x
Croydon 15 1.68x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 15 9.85x
St Marylebone London 15 0.85x
Aston 14 0.61x
Brighton 14 1.25x
Fotheringhay 14 551.18x
Kempston 14 36.11x
St Peters 14 26.89x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 14 12.43x
Wisbech St Peter 14 13.36x
Blackburn 13 1.25x
Buckden 13 110.26x
Coventry Holy Trinity 13 5.23x
Hockwold Cum Wilton 13 150.29x
Walton On Hill 13 6.13x
Bradford 12 1.52x
Brompton Ralph 12 250.52x
Govan 12 0.45x
Halewood 12 57.25x
Herne 12 24.09x
Kirkdale 12 1.82x
Melling 12 132.60x
Nottingham St Mary 12 1.04x
Orleton 12 185.19x
Puriton 12 140.85x
St Ives 12 35.34x
Tregoyd Velindre 12 333.33x
Bickerstaffe 11 42.94x
Bryngwyn 11 394.27x
Clifton 11 3.36x
Darlington 11 2.90x
Higher Bebington 11 23.61x
Ulnes Walton 11 252.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 230
Elizabeth 151
Sarah 110
Alice 82
Ellen 82
Jane 64
Ann 61
Margaret 57
Eliza 52
Emma 45
Annie 37
Emily 37
Hannah 32
Louisa 31
Martha 26
Catherine 23
Caroline 22
Harriet 17
Ada 15
Maria 15
Frances 14
Charlotte 13
Amy 12
Clara 12
Florence 12
Edith 11
Esther 11
Agnes 10
Anne 10
Eleanor 9
Fanny 9
Harriett 9
Lucy 9
Susan 9
Isabella 8
Kate 8
Susannah 8
Matilda 7
Sophia 7
Gertrude 6
Henrietta 6
Jessie 6
Rose 6
Amelia 5
Elizth. 5
Grace 5
Ruth 5
Georgina 4
Lydia 4
Rachel 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 216
John 193
James 144
Thomas 137
George 108
Henry 83
Joseph 60
Robert 59
Charles 56
Richard 48
Arthur 35
Alfred 32
Frederick 32
Samuel 31
Edward 24
Albert 22
Francis 20
Herbert 17
Walter 17
Harry 15
Peter 15
Frank 10
Ernest 9
Daniel 7
David 7
Edwin 6
Job 6
Ralph 6
Thos. 6
Fred 5
Isaac 5
Jesse 5
Levi 5
Matthew 5
Earnest 4
Josiah 4
Sidney 4
Stephen 4
Benjamin 3
Edmund 3
Frederic 3
Hugh 3
Jacob 3
Lambert 3
Percy 3
Robt. 3
Stanley 3
Tom 3
Allan 2
Michael 2

FAQ

Gore surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gore surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,371 people were recorded with the Gore surname. That placed it at #1,352 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gore surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,341 in 2016. That gives Gore a modern rank of #1,261.

What does the Gore surname mean?

An English locational surname referring to someone who lived near a triangular plot of land.

What does the Gore map show?

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