NameCensus.

UK surname

Gorman

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Gormáin," meaning "descendant of Gormán," a personal name meaning "little blue one."

In the 1881 census there were 3,623 people recorded with the Gorman surname, ranking it #1,248 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,476, ranked #892, up from #1,248 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Petershill, Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill and Fylde.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gorman is 7,583 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 106.3%.

1881 census count

3,623

Ranked #1,248

Modern count

7,476

2016, ranked #892

Peak year

2010

7,583 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gorman had 3,623 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,248 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,476 in 2016, ranked #892.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,116 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Gorman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gorman surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Gorman 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 1,511 #1,896
1861 historical 1,874 #1,543
1881 historical 3,623 #1,248
1891 historical 3,482 #1,368
1901 historical 4,116 #1,368
1911 historical 3,164 #1,648
1997 modern 7,127 #912
1998 modern 7,298 #926
1999 modern 7,340 #929
2000 modern 7,303 #924
2001 modern 7,139 #926
2002 modern 7,287 #923
2003 modern 7,063 #929
2004 modern 7,082 #926
2005 modern 6,990 #928
2006 modern 7,077 #919
2007 modern 7,125 #919
2008 modern 7,240 #910
2009 modern 7,426 #909
2010 modern 7,583 #910
2011 modern 7,476 #911
2012 modern 7,306 #908
2013 modern 7,414 #910
2014 modern 7,495 #908
2015 modern 7,434 #905
2016 modern 7,476 #892

Geography

Back to top

Where Gormans are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Petershill, Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill, Fylde, Irvine Castlepark North and IZ03. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Petershill Glasgow City
2 Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill Glasgow City
3 Fylde 002 Fylde
4 Irvine Castlepark North North Ayrshire
5 IZ03 West Dunbartonshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Gorman

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Gorman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gorman, 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 Gorman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Gorman 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, Gorman 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

Gorman 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

Gorman falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gorman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gorman

The surname Gorman is of Irish origin, believed to have originated in the 9th or 10th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "gobha" meaning "smith" and "muine" meaning "thicket" or "shrubbery". The name likely referred to a person who worked as a smith and lived near a thicket or wooded area.

The earliest known recording of the name is found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Gorman of Belach-abann" in 946 AD. This entry suggests that the name was already in use by the 10th century and may have its roots even further back.

In the 12th century, the surname appears in the Book of Leinster, a medieval Irish manuscript, where it is spelled "Gormán". This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames in those early days, as they were often adapted based on local dialects and pronunciation.

The name Gorman has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest was Turlough Gorman, a 13th-century Irish chieftain who ruled over the territory of Ibrickan in County Clare. Another prominent bearer of the name was Miles Gorman, a 17th-century Catholic priest and historian who wrote extensively on the history of Ireland.

In the 18th century, John Gorman (1723-1804) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War. He rose to the rank of Vice-Admiral and was known for his successful campaigns against French and Spanish naval forces in the West Indies.

The 19th century saw the rise of Arthur Pue Gorman (1839-1906), an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Maryland. He was a prominent figure in the Democratic Party and played a significant role in shaping the party's policies during his time in office.

Another notable Gorman was John Gorman (1923-2001), an American football coach who led the Denver Broncos from 1986 to 1992. He is credited with helping to build the team's defense and guiding them to several playoff appearances during his tenure.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have carried the surname Gorman throughout history, each contributing to the rich tapestry of this name's legacy across various fields and cultures.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Gorman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gorman 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 816 Gormans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.95x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 816 1.95x
Lanarkshire 445 3.90x
Middlesex 343 0.97x
Yorkshire 306 0.88x
Durham 193 1.84x
Surrey 118 0.69x
Staffordshire 102 0.86x
Glamorgan 95 1.55x
Devon 92 1.25x
Renfrewshire 87 3.19x
Ayrshire 84 3.18x
Kent 75 0.62x
Midlothian 74 1.57x
Cheshire 69 0.89x
Hampshire 66 0.91x
Warwickshire 64 0.72x
Cumberland 57 1.88x
Northumberland 56 1.07x
Dunbartonshire 40 4.22x
Monmouthshire 36 1.41x
Derbyshire 33 0.60x
Fife 31 1.49x
Angus 30 0.92x
West Lothian 22 4.15x
Wigtownshire 22 4.70x
Essex 18 0.26x
Aberdeenshire 17 0.52x
Somerset 17 0.30x
Leicestershire 16 0.41x
Dumfriesshire 15 1.93x
Denbighshire 14 1.05x
Nottinghamshire 14 0.29x
Sussex 14 0.24x
Gloucestershire 13 0.19x
Buckinghamshire 12 0.56x
Peeblesshire 12 7.24x
Perthshire 12 0.76x
Channel Islands 10 0.96x
Suffolk 7 0.16x
Berkshire 6 0.23x
Selkirkshire 6 1.88x
Westmorland 6 0.77x
Cornwall 5 0.13x
Royal Navy 5 1.19x
Shropshire 5 0.16x
Inverness-shire 4 0.38x
Lincolnshire 4 0.07x
Norfolk 4 0.07x
Stirlingshire 4 0.31x
Wiltshire 3 0.10x
Flintshire 2 0.21x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 0.39x
Merionethshire 2 0.31x
Berwickshire 1 0.23x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.07x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.34x
Dorset 1 0.04x
East Lothian 1 0.21x
Hertfordshire 1 0.04x
Northamptonshire 1 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.09x

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 143 Gormans recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.63x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 143 5.63x
Glasgow 121 5.98x
Barony 117 4.06x
Govan 95 3.37x
Manchester 79 4.20x
Salford 66 5.37x
Bradford 64 7.57x
Wigan 56 9.58x
Leeds 46 2.33x
Irvine 39 53.23x
St Marylebone London 36 1.91x
Aston 34 1.39x
Ashton Under Lyne 33 3.61x
Toxteth Park 32 2.26x
Lambeth 31 1.01x
St Luke London 31 5.48x
Everton 29 2.18x
New Kilpatrick 28 31.08x
Gateshead 27 3.44x
Alverstoke 25 9.56x
St Pancras London 25 0.88x
Hulme 24 2.75x
New Monkland 24 7.12x
Dalton In Furness 23 14.25x
Halifax 23 4.49x
Camberwell 22 0.98x
Maryhill 22 9.86x
Marytavy 20 185.01x
Middlesbrough 20 4.40x
Wolverhampton 20 2.19x
Oldham 19 1.41x
Preston 19 1.70x
St George Hanover Square 19 3.06x
Keighley 18 4.84x
Millom 18 19.36x
Stoke Upon Trent 18 1.43x
Cardiff St John 16 7.98x
Deptford St Nicholas 16 16.77x
Glossop Dale 16 6.19x
Roath 16 5.74x
Swansea Town 16 3.18x
Birmingham 15 0.51x
Dunfermline 15 4.68x
Hamilton 15 4.72x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 15 3.30x
Portsea 15 1.06x
Southwark St George Martyr 15 2.12x
Stone 15 9.86x
Barrow In Furness 14 2.46x
Bathgate 14 12.15x
Bedminster 14 2.63x
Bethnal Green London 14 0.91x
Dumfries 14 18.23x
East Greenock 14 5.43x
Kirkdale 14 1.99x
Liff Benvie 14 2.82x
Longbenton 14 6.30x
Mile End Old Town London 14 1.87x
Monkwearmouth 14 13.95x
Seaton 14 39.55x
St George Martyr London 14 19.61x
St Giles In Fields London 14 8.10x
West Greenock 14 2.86x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 13 2.13x
Bothwell 13 4.21x
Dundee 13 1.07x
East Kilbride 13 26.63x
Harlington 13 69.97x
Hetton Le Hole 13 9.78x
Liberton 13 17.84x
Lofthouse 13 24.93x
Stranraer 13 30.37x
Abbey 12 2.88x
Birkenhead 12 1.93x
Boldon 12 32.10x
Dalry 12 9.67x
Port Glasgow 12 9.09x
Rotherhithe 12 2.76x
St George In East London 12 3.62x
West Ham 12 0.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 292
Catherine 82
Ellen 80
Elizabeth 79
Margaret 68
Ann 57
Sarah 57
Bridget 45
Annie 39
Eliza 36
Jane 33
Alice 26
Kate 22
Agnes 21
Maria 17
Louisa 15
Emily 13
Emma 12
Anne 11
Julia 11
Hannah 10
Maggie 9
Winifred 9
Margt. 8
Martha 8
Rose 8
Caroline 7
Esther 7
Isabella 7
Matilda 7
Amelia 6
Clara 6
Jessie 6
Charlotte 5
Frances 5
Johanna 5
Margret 5
Susan 5
Amy 4
Betsy 4
Catharine 4
Cathrine 4
Katherine 4
Minnie 4
Sophia 4
Ada 3
Elizth. 3
Harriet 3
Letitia 3
Lily 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 212
James 170
Thomas 125
William 116
Michael 75
Patrick 64
Edward 47
Henry 36
George 33
Peter 28
Joseph 27
Daniel 23
Charles 17
Alfred 16
David 16
Richard 15
Robert 15
Samuel 14
Martin 13
Francis 12
Thos. 10
Dennis 9
Philip 9
Arthur 8
Phillip 8
Walter 8
Andrew 7
Bernard 7
Denis 7
Frederick 7
Harry 7
Hugh 7
Albert 6
Timothy 6
Edwin 5
Ernest 5
Matthew 5
Stephen 5
Wm. 5
Benjamin 4
Isaac 4
J. 4
Lawrence 4
Amos 3
Bartholomew 3
Elias 3
Frank 3
Owen 3
Ed. 2
Micheal 2

FAQ

Gorman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gorman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,623 people were recorded with the Gorman surname. That placed it at #1,248 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gorman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,476 in 2016. That gives Gorman a modern rank of #892.

What does the Gorman surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Gormáin," meaning "descendant of Gormán," a personal name meaning "little blue one."

What does the Gorman map show?

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