NameCensus.

UK surname

Goswell

In the 1881 census there were 294 people recorded with the Goswell surname, ranking it #9,859 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 518, ranked #9,746, up from #9,859 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Finchamstead, St George in the East and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goswell is 555 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 76.2%.

1881 census count

294

Ranked #9,859

Modern count

518

2016, ranked #9,746

Peak year

2010

555 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goswell had 294 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,859 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 518 in 2016, ranked #9,746.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 370 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Goswell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goswell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goswell 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 168 #11,873
1861 historical 197 #12,166
1881 historical 294 #9,859
1891 historical 332 #10,251
1901 historical 342 #10,608
1911 historical 370 #9,852
1997 modern 519 #9,058
1998 modern 529 #9,195
1999 modern 532 #9,208
2000 modern 521 #9,325
2001 modern 510 #9,312
2002 modern 520 #9,377
2003 modern 507 #9,391
2004 modern 505 #9,453
2005 modern 502 #9,419
2006 modern 513 #9,305
2007 modern 506 #9,482
2008 modern 504 #9,575
2009 modern 528 #9,453
2010 modern 555 #9,305
2011 modern 548 #9,300
2012 modern 524 #9,541
2013 modern 541 #9,459
2014 modern 542 #9,508
2015 modern 523 #9,694
2016 modern 518 #9,746

Geography

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Where Goswells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Finchamstead, St George in the East, London parishes, Reading St Giles, Shinfield (East and West Side, Hartley Dammer), Sonning (Early), and Wokingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell Forest. 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 Finchamstead Berkshire
2 St George in the East London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Reading St Giles, Shinfield (East and West Side, Hartley Dammer), Sonning (Early), Berkshire
5 Wokingham Berkshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Reading 018 Reading
2 Reading 014 Reading
3 Wokingham 012 Wokingham
4 Bracknell Forest 012 Bracknell Forest
5 Bracknell Forest 014 Bracknell Forest

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goswell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goswell

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

Goswell 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

Goswell falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Goswell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goswell 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. Berkshire leads with 129 Goswells recorded in 1881 and an index of 60.13x.

County Total Index
Berkshire 129 60.13x
Middlesex 60 2.10x
Surrey 31 2.23x
Oxfordshire 16 9.07x
Suffolk 10 2.87x
Kent 9 0.92x
Monmouthshire 8 3.87x
Buckinghamshire 7 4.05x
Warwickshire 6 0.83x
Bedfordshire 3 2.03x
Denbighshire 3 2.78x
Devon 3 0.50x
Hampshire 2 0.34x
Lancashire 2 0.06x
Sussex 2 0.42x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.26x
Worcestershire 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Finchampstead in Berkshire leads with 29 Goswells recorded in 1881 and an index of 4461.54x.

Place Total Index
Finchampstead 29 4461.54x
Wokingham 24 489.80x
St George In East London 22 81.85x
Reading St Giles 15 71.26x
Bethnal Green London 9 7.25x
Oxford St Ebbe 9 173.41x
Barkham 8 3636.36x
Bedwellty 8 21.93x
Camberwell 8 4.38x
Langham 8 4000.00x
Hurst 7 249.11x
Midgham 7 2413.79x
Reading St Mary 7 40.75x
Southwark St Saviour 7 47.65x
Tilehurst 7 161.66x
Aston 6 3.02x
Burham 6 444.44x
Penge 6 32.86x
Radnage 6 1428.57x
Wapping London 6 275.23x
Ash Normandy 5 264.55x
Bromley London 5 7.95x
St George Hanover Square 5 9.93x
Aldermaston 4 754.72x
Oxford St Mary Magdalen 4 191.39x
Sandhurst 4 96.39x
Twickenham 4 32.65x
Wargrave 4 217.39x
Buckfastleigh 3 109.09x
Houghton Regis 3 127.12x
St Pancras London 3 1.30x
Winkfield 3 84.27x
Bradfield 2 175.44x
Caversham 2 56.66x
Clewer 2 22.75x
Esclusham Above 2 444.44x
Reading St Lawrence 2 43.57x
St Gregory By St Pauls 2 277.78x
West Swallowfield 2 196.08x
Yateley 2 180.18x
Bexhill 1 41.67x
Carnforth 1 53.76x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 9.83x
Chirk 1 46.95x
Clapham 1 2.80x
Easthampstead 1 86.96x
Great Crosby 1 10.81x
Hardwick 1 476.19x
Hove 1 4.73x
Islington London 1 0.36x
Kings Norton 1 2.99x
Lambeth 1 0.40x
Newington 1 0.95x
Risby 1 232.56x
Shoreditch London 1 0.81x
St Martin In Fields 1 5.84x
Stanton 1 121.95x
Tonbridge 1 2.84x
Wandsworth 1 3.64x
Waterstock 1 769.23x
Welford 1 108.70x
Willesden 1 3.71x
Wimbledon 1 6.39x
Woodhouse Hall 1 769.23x
Woolwich 1 2.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Sarah 12
Elizabeth 11
Jane 9
Ann 8
Alice 7
Emma 7
Emily 6
Louisa 5
Annie 4
Esther 4
Matilda 4
Caroline 3
Ellen 3
Kate 3
Maria 3
Amelia 2
Eliza 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Rose 2
Ada 1
Alfreda 1
Beatrice 1
Bessie 1
Blanche 1
Clara 1
Dorcas 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Fanny 1
Georgina 1
Hannah 1
Henrietta 1
Honora 1
Isabella 1
Lizzie 1
Lousia 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Marian 1
Martha 1
Maryann 1
Maud 1
Priscilla 1
Rebecca 1
Rhoda 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 18
James 18
William 17
Thomas 14
Charles 12
Henry 9
John 9
Alfred 6
Albert 4
Arthur 4
Frederick 4
Walter 4
Frank 3
Thos. 3
David 2
Francis 2
Harry 2
Joseph 2
C.E. 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Gilbert 1
Hugh 1
Infant 1
Issaac 1
Jeremiah 1
Loveson 1
Owen 1
Pursey 1
Reader 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1
Thos.H. 1
Wiliam 1

FAQ

Goswell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goswell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 294 people were recorded with the Goswell surname. That placed it at #9,859 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goswell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 518 in 2016. That gives Goswell a modern rank of #9,746.

What does the Goswell map show?

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