NameCensus.

UK surname

Goring

An English locational surname derived from various places in England.

In the 1881 census there were 886 people recorded with the Goring surname, ranking it #4,287 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,181, ranked #5,032, down from #4,287 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hamstall Ridware, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Staffordshire, Herefordshire and Hastings.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goring is 1,233 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.3%.

1881 census count

886

Ranked #4,287

Modern count

1,181

2016, ranked #5,032

Peak year

2010

1,233 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goring had 886 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,287 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,181 in 2016, ranked #5,032.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,129 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Goring surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goring surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goring 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 387 #6,204
1861 historical 501 #5,220
1881 historical 886 #4,287
1891 historical 803 #5,014
1901 historical 968 #4,866
1911 historical 1,129 #4,124
1997 modern 1,167 #4,830
1998 modern 1,226 #4,792
1999 modern 1,227 #4,824
2000 modern 1,228 #4,796
2001 modern 1,200 #4,799
2002 modern 1,216 #4,851
2003 modern 1,187 #4,855
2004 modern 1,192 #4,834
2005 modern 1,159 #4,906
2006 modern 1,166 #4,887
2007 modern 1,181 #4,876
2008 modern 1,180 #4,900
2009 modern 1,210 #4,905
2010 modern 1,233 #4,932
2011 modern 1,195 #5,000
2012 modern 1,171 #5,010
2013 modern 1,181 #5,062
2014 modern 1,195 #5,039
2015 modern 1,195 #4,989
2016 modern 1,181 #5,032

Geography

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Where Gorings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hamstall Ridware, London parishes, Lambeth, Worth and Preston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Hastings and Lichfield. 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 Hamstall Ridware Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Worth Sussex
5 Preston Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Staffordshire 006 East Staffordshire
2 East Staffordshire 007 East Staffordshire
3 Herefordshire 020 Herefordshire, County of
4 Hastings 002 Hastings
5 Lichfield 001 Lichfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goring

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goring

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Goring surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Goring household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Goring is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Goring is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Goring falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Goring

The surname GORING is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English words 'gār' meaning 'spear' and 'ing' denoting 'descendant of'. It is believed to have originated in the region of West Sussex, England during the early medieval period.

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Goringes' in reference to a settlement located in the county of Sussex. This settlement, now known as Goring-by-Sea, likely took its name from an early landholder or inhabitant bearing the surname.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the GORING surname was Sir Henry Goring (c. 1275-1349), a prominent English knight and landowner who served as a member of Parliament for Sussex in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.

During the 15th century, the GORING family established themselves as influential landowners and Members of Parliament in the county of Sussex. Notable figures from this period include Sir John Goring (c. 1430-1501) and his son, also named Sir John Goring (c. 1460-1527), both of whom served as High Sheriffs of Sussex.

In the 16th century, the GORING family gained further prominence through their connections to the English monarchy. Sir William Goring (1505-1554) was a courtier and gentleman of the Privy Chamber to King Henry VIII, while his son, George Goring (1538-1600), served as a Member of Parliament and was appointed High Sheriff of Sussex in 1591.

The 17th century saw the rise of one of the most renowned members of the GORING family, George Goring, 1st Earl of Norwich (1608-1657). A distinguished military commander during the English Civil War, Goring initially fought for the Royalist cause before defecting to the Parliamentarian side in 1645. He later served as a member of Oliver Cromwell's council of state.

Other notable individuals bearing the GORING surname include Admiral Sir Erasmus Goring (1742-1814), a prominent naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars, and Sir Harry Goring (1879-1926), a British Army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions during the Second Boer War.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goring families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goring 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. Surrey leads with 146 Gorings recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.44x.

County Total Index
Surrey 146 3.44x
Staffordshire 145 4.94x
Middlesex 120 1.38x
Lancashire 103 1.00x
Sussex 97 6.61x
Yorkshire 49 0.57x
Kent 46 1.55x
Norfolk 28 2.09x
Shropshire 20 2.66x
Derbyshire 13 0.95x
Lincolnshire 13 0.93x
Hampshire 11 0.62x
Channel Islands 10 3.88x
Warwickshire 10 0.46x
Gloucestershire 9 0.53x
Berkshire 8 1.22x
Cambridgeshire 8 1.45x
Dorset 7 1.23x
Midlothian 7 0.60x
Worcestershire 5 0.44x
Brecknockshire 4 2.30x
Cheshire 4 0.21x
Devon 4 0.22x
Monmouthshire 4 0.64x
Fife 3 0.58x
Oxfordshire 3 0.56x
Wiltshire 3 0.39x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.38x
Durham 2 0.08x
Royal Navy 2 1.93x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.27x
Denbighshire 1 0.30x
Essex 1 0.06x
Glamorgan 1 0.07x
Hertfordshire 1 0.17x
Somerset 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 51 Gorings recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.46x.

Place Total Index
Preston 51 18.46x
Kingswinford 35 32.82x
Lambeth 23 3.03x
Burton Upon Trent 21 30.56x
Salford 19 6.26x
Sculcoates 19 13.90x
Worth 19 178.40x
East Grinstead 17 81.85x
Hamstall Ridware 17 1491.23x
Madeley 16 58.06x
Brighton 15 5.07x
Clapham 14 12.87x
Cannock 13 25.37x
Croydon 13 5.52x
Wandsworth 13 15.52x
Wolverhampton 13 5.76x
Islington London 12 1.42x
Newington 12 3.73x
Penge 11 19.79x
Shipdham 11 242.29x
Shoreditch London 11 2.92x
St Pancras London 11 1.57x
Staines 11 79.83x
Tipton 11 12.23x
Lower Beeding 10 256.41x
Portsea 10 2.86x
Bermondsey 9 3.47x
Bromley London 9 4.70x
Crayford 9 69.39x
Hulme 9 4.18x
St Anne 9 195.65x
Edburton 8 784.31x
Fetcham 8 567.38x
Hastings St Leonards 8 37.11x
Oxborough 8 1176.47x
St George Hanover Square 8 5.22x
St Giles Cambridge 8 112.36x
Toxteth Park 8 2.29x
Beckenham 7 18.04x
Chelsea London 7 2.67x
Dorking 7 24.59x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 1.49x
Erith 7 23.93x
Frieston 7 212.12x
Hackney London 7 1.43x
St Marylebone London 7 1.51x
Weston On Trent 7 445.86x
Aston 6 0.99x
Battersea 6 1.87x
Burntwood Edial 6 31.98x
Clewer 6 22.42x
Clitheroe 6 19.74x
Halling 6 154.24x
Lancing 6 148.88x
Linthorpe 6 11.66x
Rotherham 6 12.34x
Cradley 5 48.64x
Deptford St Paul 5 2.18x
Ilkestonderbypart 5 125.31x
Portland 5 16.28x
Whittington 5 83.19x
Brecknock St David 4 85.65x
Bristol St James St Paul 4 7.03x
Clerkenwell London 4 1.95x
Hanwell 4 25.92x
Ilkley 4 28.39x
Ratcliffe London 4 8.32x
Southowram 4 15.20x
Walsall Foreign 4 2.64x
Walton On Thames 4 20.54x
Wednesbury 4 5.45x
Balcombe 3 114.50x
Kensington London 3 0.62x
Limpsfield 3 74.07x
Manchester 3 0.65x
Moreton Valence 3 297.03x
Mynyddyslwyn 3 12.09x
Southwark Christchurch 3 7.36x
Southwark St Saviour 3 6.71x
Westminster St John 3 2.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 57
Elizabeth 35
Sarah 35
Alice 25
Eliza 19
Jane 18
Ellen 16
Ann 14
Annie 13
Catherine 9
Charlotte 9
Emma 8
Louisa 8
Martha 8
Ada 7
Anne 7
Margaret 7
Clara 6
Edith 6
Florence 6
Emily 5
Fanny 5
Hannah 5
Maria 5
Beatrice 4
Caroline 4
Ethel 4
Harriet 4
Lucy 4
Susan 4
Amy 3
Elizth. 3
Gertrude 3
Harriett 3
Julia 3
Kate 3
Lily 3
Rose 3
Amelia 2
Celia 2
Clarissa 2
Constance 2
Esther 2
Eva 2
Isabel 2
Jemima 2
Kathleen 2
Letitia 2
Lilian 2
Margrt. 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 61
John 35
Thomas 32
George 27
James 27
Charles 16
Henry 15
Joseph 15
Alfred 10
Arthur 10
Richard 10
Robert 10
Edward 9
Samuel 8
Albert 6
Harry 6
Ernest 5
Frank 5
Frederick 5
Amos 4
David 4
Isaac 4
Abraham 3
Edmund 3
Erasmus 3
Francis 3
Thos. 3
Walter 3
Andrew 2
Edwin 2
Enoch 2
Fredk. 2
G. 2
Herbert 2
Nathaneal 2
Philip 2
Phillip 2
Stephen 2
Adolphus 1
Barry 1
Chas. 1
Claud 1
Emanuel 1
Foster 1
Fredk 1
Josiah 1
Leonard 1
Lewis 1
Mack 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Goring surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goring surname in 1881?

In 1881, 886 people were recorded with the Goring surname. That placed it at #4,287 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goring surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,181 in 2016. That gives Goring a modern rank of #5,032.

What does the Goring surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from various places in England.

What does the Goring map show?

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