NameCensus.

UK surname

Gothard

A topographic surname referring to an area of land acquired or lived near.

In the 1881 census there were 570 people recorded with the Gothard surname, ranking it #6,099 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 621, ranked #8,487, down from #6,099 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Silkstone, London parishes and Boston (incl. Boston allotments). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North West Leicestershire, Wakefield and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gothard is 775 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.9%.

1881 census count

570

Ranked #6,099

Modern count

621

2016, ranked #8,487

Peak year

1911

775 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gothard had 570 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,099 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 621 in 2016, ranked #8,487.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 775 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Gothard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gothard surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Gothard 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 410 #5,916
1861 historical 309 #8,207
1881 historical 570 #6,099
1891 historical 597 #6,413
1901 historical 717 #6,159
1911 historical 775 #5,604
1997 modern 653 #7,633
1998 modern 666 #7,770
1999 modern 694 #7,567
2000 modern 670 #7,749
2001 modern 658 #7,722
2002 modern 688 #7,614
2003 modern 662 #7,728
2004 modern 652 #7,813
2005 modern 659 #7,694
2006 modern 640 #7,902
2007 modern 641 #7,952
2008 modern 623 #8,175
2009 modern 650 #8,073
2010 modern 660 #8,142
2011 modern 650 #8,155
2012 modern 648 #8,096
2013 modern 647 #8,246
2014 modern 648 #8,274
2015 modern 643 #8,266
2016 modern 621 #8,487

Geography

Back to top

Where Gothards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Silkstone, London parishes, Boston (incl. Boston allotments), Haddenham and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North West Leicestershire, Wakefield and Kirklees. 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 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Boston (incl. Boston allotments) Lincolnshire
4 Haddenham Cambridgeshire
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North West Leicestershire 012 North West Leicestershire
2 Wakefield 021 Wakefield
3 Kirklees 041 Kirklees
4 Wakefield 045 Wakefield
5 Kirklees 018 Kirklees

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Gothard

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Gothard

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Gothard surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Gothard household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Gothard is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gothard is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gothard falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gothard

The surname Gothard is of Germanic origin, originating from the personal name Gotthard, which is a compound of the Old German words "gott" meaning "god" and "hart" meaning "brave" or "hardy". This name was particularly common in areas of present-day Germany and Switzerland during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gothard can be found in the Codex Traditionum Monasterii Sancti Galli, a 9th-century manuscript from the Abbey of St. Gallen in Switzerland, where a man named Gotthard is mentioned as a landowner in the year 857.

In the 11th century, the name gained prominence with Saint Gotthard, also known as Gotthard of Hildesheim (960-1038), a Catholic bishop and patron saint of the Diocese of Hildesheim in Lower Saxony, Germany. His life and miracles were recorded in the Vita Sancti Gothardi, a hagiography written shortly after his death.

The surname Gothard is also linked to several place names, such as Gotthard Pass, a mountain pass in the Swiss Alps, and the town of Sankt Gotthard in Austria. These place names likely derived from the personal name Gotthard and may have contributed to the spread of the surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Gothard throughout history include:

1. Hieronymus Gothard (1530-1592), a German composer and music theorist known for his works on counterpoint and harmony.

2. Johann Christian Gothard (1688-1772), a German architect who designed several churches and palaces in Dresden and Leipzig.

3. Jean-Baptiste Gothard (1733-1800), a French sculptor and engraver known for his portrait busts and medallions.

4. Johann Gothard von Müller (1756-1830), a Swiss historian and writer who served as the tutor to the children of Emperor Alexander I of Russia.

5. Gotthard Oswald Marbach (1810-1890), a German-American architect who designed several notable buildings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, including the Pabst Mansion and the Mackie Building.

While the surname Gothard is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of European surnames, carrying with it a historical significance rooted in the medieval period and the Germanic language.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Gothard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gothard 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 224 Gothards recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.06x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 224 4.06x
Lancashire 55 0.83x
Cambridgeshire 49 13.89x
Middlesex 33 0.59x
Lincolnshire 31 3.48x
Derbyshire 29 3.33x
Surrey 17 0.63x
Durham 16 0.97x
Staffordshire 16 0.85x
Warwickshire 14 1.00x
Midlothian 12 1.61x
Somerset 11 1.23x
Kent 9 0.47x
Nottinghamshire 9 1.20x
Cheshire 8 0.65x
Leicestershire 8 1.30x
West Lothian 6 7.15x
Devon 5 0.43x
Renfrewshire 5 1.16x
Huntingdonshire 3 2.71x
Stirlingshire 3 1.46x
Northamptonshire 2 0.38x
Bedfordshire 1 0.35x
Cumberland 1 0.21x
Gloucestershire 1 0.09x
Lanarkshire 1 0.06x
Norfolk 1 0.12x
Worcestershire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ossett Cum Gawthorpe in Yorkshire leads with 35 Gothards recorded in 1881 and an index of 177.48x.

Place Total Index
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 35 177.48x
Huddersfield 31 38.55x
Haddenham 25 753.01x
Barnsley 17 29.86x
Sheffield 17 9.67x
Wilburton 13 1300.00x
Bishopwearmouth 12 8.44x
Hulme 12 8.70x
Boston 11 40.71x
Great Grimsby 11 19.46x
Ecclesfield 10 24.71x
Islington London 10 1.85x
Wakefield 10 23.60x
Heaton Norris 9 23.92x
Morton 9 535.71x
St Pancras London 9 2.01x
Winshill 9 161.87x
Littleport 8 118.69x
Warrington 8 10.21x
Alcester 7 151.19x
Aston 7 1.81x
Chertsey 7 39.91x
Kingswinford 7 10.25x
Lewisham 7 6.91x
Manchester 7 2.36x
Mexborough 7 63.87x
Appleby 6 413.79x
Bathgate 6 32.95x
Dalton In Huddersfield 6 48.54x
Ecclesall Bierlow 6 5.34x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 2.00x
Frieston 6 284.36x
Gorton 6 9.66x
Hornsey 6 8.52x
Manningham 6 8.82x
South Leith 6 7.15x
Thornhill 6 37.24x
West Derby 6 3.10x
Worsbrough 6 37.11x
Burton Extra 5 46.38x
Combe St Nicholas 5 230.41x
East Greenock 5 12.27x
Paddington London 5 2.44x
Rawmarsh 5 25.64x
Southcoates 5 16.32x
Thurgoland 5 134.41x
Burton Upon Trent 4 9.09x
Dewsbury 4 7.07x
Keighley 4 6.80x
Leeds 4 1.28x
Lockwood 4 20.14x
Newbold Dunston 4 48.25x
Newington 4 1.94x
Barugh 3 64.38x
Carlton In Barnsley 3 144.93x
Colyton 3 67.42x
Hoyland Nether 3 22.16x
Hucknall Torkard 3 15.76x
Ilminster 3 47.92x
Nether Hallam 3 4.02x
Stirling 3 11.58x
Tranmere 3 6.64x
Willington 3 306.12x
Wombwell 3 18.65x
Basford 2 5.78x
Batley 2 3.81x
Charlton Adam 2 253.16x
Darlington 2 3.13x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 2 13.00x
Folkestone 2 5.43x
Holy Trinity 2 1.51x
Houghton Le Spring 2 17.47x
Kimberworth 2 6.53x
Laceby 2 103.09x
Mansfield 2 7.70x
Peterborough 2 5.27x
Richmond 2 5.26x
Southwark St Saviour 2 6.99x
Stockport 2 3.16x
Sutton In Macclesfield 2 15.67x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 29
John 24
George 23
Joseph 21
James 16
Henry 11
Thomas 10
Arthur 9
Charles 8
Richard 7
Alfred 6
Albert 5
Harry 5
Edwin 4
Frank 4
Fred 4
Frederick 4
Herbert 4
Samuel 4
Walter 4
Edward 3
Geo. 3
Warner 3
Adam 2
Earnest 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Isaac 2
Saml. 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
Auther 1
Benjamin 1
Claude 1
Eli 1
Elliott 1
Frederic 1
Geo.Edwd. 1
Gillott 1
Guy 1
Lewis 1
Matthew 1
Milton 1
Norman 1
Oliver 1
Oswald 1
Richmund 1
Robert 1
Roland 1

FAQ

Gothard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gothard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 570 people were recorded with the Gothard surname. That placed it at #6,099 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gothard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 621 in 2016. That gives Gothard a modern rank of #8,487.

What does the Gothard surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to an area of land acquired or lived near.

What does the Gothard map show?

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