NameCensus.

UK surname

Gorrill

An English surname derived from the word "gorrel", meaning scrubland or wooded pasture.

In the 1881 census there were 111 people recorded with the Gorrill surname, ranking it #18,597 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 91, ranked #32,109, down from #18,597 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lancaster Borough, Bentham and Kilkhampton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolsover, Rotherham and Bury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gorrill is 161 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 18.0%.

1881 census count

111

Ranked #18,597

Modern count

91

2016, ranked #32,109

Peak year

1901

161 bearers

Map years

5

1881 to 1998

Key insights

  • Gorrill had 111 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,597 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 91 in 2016, ranked #32,109.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 161 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Gorrill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gorrill surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gorrill 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 64 #21,914
1861 historical 52 #27,369
1881 historical 111 #18,597
1891 historical 120 #21,292
1901 historical 161 #17,324
1911 historical 158 #17,277
1997 modern 103 #26,498
1998 modern 108 #26,417
1999 modern 109 #26,439
2000 modern 105 #27,001
2001 modern 104 #26,765
2002 modern 113 #26,024
2003 modern 114 #25,664
2004 modern 107 #26,899
2005 modern 106 #27,044
2006 modern 97 #28,793
2007 modern 95 #29,493
2008 modern 98 #29,355
2009 modern 102 #29,286
2010 modern 96 #30,854
2011 modern 101 #29,938
2012 modern 98 #30,612
2013 modern 88 #32,349
2014 modern 89 #32,409
2015 modern 89 #32,325
2016 modern 91 #32,109

Geography

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Where Gorrills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lancaster Borough, Bentham, Kilkhampton, London parishes and Thornton-in-Lonsdale. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolsover, Rotherham, Bury, Calderdale and Bolton. 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 Lancaster Borough Lancashire
2 Bentham Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Kilkhampton Cornwall
4 London parishes London 3
5 Thornton-in-Lonsdale Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolsover 006 Bolsover
2 Rotherham 009 Rotherham
3 Bury 004 Bury
4 Calderdale 027 Calderdale
5 Bolton 001 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gorrill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gorrill

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gorrill, 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 Gorrill surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Gorrill 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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Gorrill is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gorrill is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gorrill falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gorrill

The surname Gorrill has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "gār" meaning "spear" and "hyll" meaning "hill," possibly referring to a hill or area associated with a particular event or battle involving spears.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, where it appears as "Gorhulle." This variation in spelling was common during that era as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms such as "Goryll" and "Goryll" in records from Wiltshire and Somerset, further indicating its regional use and evolution.

The Gorrill surname is also linked to place names like Gorwell in Dorset and Gorhill in Hampshire, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation variations over time.

Notable individuals bearing the Gorrill surname include William Gorrill (1591-1667), an English clergyman and author from Lincolnshire, who published several works on religion and theology during his lifetime.

Another prominent figure was Sir John Gorrill (1620-1688), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for Bridport in Dorset, who played a significant role in the local politics and economy of the region.

In the 18th century, Thomas Gorrill (1743-1821) was a renowned clockmaker and watchmaker from Bristol, whose works were highly regarded for their craftsmanship and precision.

Mary Gorrill (1810-1889), born in Somerset, was a notable educator and advocate for women's rights, contributing to the establishment of several schools and educational institutions in her time.

The name Gorrill also found its way across the Atlantic, with John Gorrill (1778-1856) being one of the early settlers in Nova Scotia, Canada, where he established a successful farming community and left a lasting legacy.

While the Gorrill surname may have undergone various spelling changes and regional variations throughout history, its roots can be traced back to the medieval era in England, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of that period.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gorrill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gorrill 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. Yorkshire leads with 31 Gorrills recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.89x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 31 2.89x
Lancashire 19 1.48x
Surrey 12 2.27x
Lincolnshire 11 6.35x
Nottinghamshire 11 7.54x
Devon 10 4.44x
Derbyshire 8 4.72x
Cornwall 6 4.90x
Middlesex 2 0.18x
Hertfordshire 1 1.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 12 Gorrills recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.35x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 12 17.35x
Scaftworth 11 27500.00x
Caton 9 2250.00x
Plymouth Charles The 9 90.63x
Bentham 8 975.61x
Ecclesall Bierlow 8 36.66x
Heeley 7 214.72x
Poulton Barre 7 479.45x
Kilkhampton 6 1666.67x
Norton 5 357.14x
Wombwell 5 159.74x
Gainsborough 4 98.04x
Haxey 4 547.95x
Burton In Lonsdale 3 1304.35x
Chesterfield 3 47.24x
Epworth 2 246.91x
Hampstead London 2 11.86x
Lancaster 2 26.18x
Belton 1 142.86x
Farleton 1 2000.00x
St Albans 1 65.36x
Stoke Damerel 1 6.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Ellen 6
Agnes 5
Ann 4
Elizabeth 4
Sarah 4
Fanny 3
Hannah 3
Alice 2
Anne 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Lydia 2
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Caroline 1
Child 1
Dinah 1
Emmeley 1
Eth.Ann 1
Florence 1
Louisa 1
Maggie 1
Olive 1
Rose 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
Thomas 6
William 5
Robert 4
Richard 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Christopher 2
Joseph 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Charles 1
Ed. 1
Edward 1
Edwd. 1
George 1
Gerry 1
Henry 1
James 1
Wm. 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Gorrill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gorrill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 111 people were recorded with the Gorrill surname. That placed it at #18,597 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gorrill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 91 in 2016. That gives Gorrill a modern rank of #32,109.

What does the Gorrill surname mean?

An English surname derived from the word "gorrel", meaning scrubland or wooded pasture.

What does the Gorrill map show?

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