NameCensus.

UK surname

Gott

A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname meaning "God," often bestowed as a nickname implying a pious person.

In the 1881 census there were 1,294 people recorded with the Gott surname, ranking it #3,167 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,541, ranked #4,013, down from #3,167 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Calverley, Bingley and Kildwick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Craven, Lancaster and South Lakeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gott is 1,729 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.1%.

1881 census count

1,294

Ranked #3,167

Modern count

1,541

2016, ranked #4,013

Peak year

1911

1,729 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gott had 1,294 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,167 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,541 in 2016, ranked #4,013.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,729 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gott surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gott surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gott 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 934 #2,964
1861 historical 950 #2,918
1881 historical 1,294 #3,167
1891 historical 1,392 #3,126
1901 historical 1,596 #3,237
1911 historical 1,729 #2,835
1997 modern 1,587 #3,722
1998 modern 1,589 #3,863
1999 modern 1,614 #3,840
2000 modern 1,587 #3,884
2001 modern 1,557 #3,877
2002 modern 1,580 #3,898
2003 modern 1,557 #3,868
2004 modern 1,548 #3,888
2005 modern 1,532 #3,882
2006 modern 1,516 #3,931
2007 modern 1,538 #3,902
2008 modern 1,544 #3,916
2009 modern 1,568 #3,948
2010 modern 1,585 #3,990
2011 modern 1,579 #3,957
2012 modern 1,560 #3,934
2013 modern 1,558 #4,009
2014 modern 1,601 #3,937
2015 modern 1,576 #3,952
2016 modern 1,541 #4,013

Geography

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Where Gotts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Calverley, Bingley, Kildwick, Pontefract and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Craven, Lancaster, South Lakeland 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 Calverley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Bingley Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Kildwick Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Pontefract Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Craven 008 Craven
2 Craven 007 Craven
3 Lancaster 005 Lancaster
4 South Lakeland 010 South Lakeland
5 Kirklees 002 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gott

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gott

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

Gott is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gott 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 Gott 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 Gott, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gott

The surname Gott is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "gott" or "got," meaning a person or family who lived near a gap, pass, or opening in a hill or mountain. It is believed to have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire, during the Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire, compiled in 1273, there is a reference to a person named William del Got, indicating the use of a locational suffix derived from the Old English term.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Gott, a merchant and alderman in the city of York, who lived in the late 14th century. He is mentioned in various historical records from that period, including the York Minster records.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Gott appeared in several parish registers and tax records across northern England. Variations in spelling, such as Gotte, Gotte, and Gote, were common during that time.

Notable individuals with the surname Gott throughout history include:

1. Benjamin Gott (1762-1840), an English industrialist and wool merchant from Leeds, who played a significant role in the development of the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution.

2. John Gott (1613-1681), an English clergyman and author, who served as the Rector of St. Sepulchre's Church in London.

3. Samuel Gott (1770-1839), an English Quaker and philanthropist, known for his efforts in promoting education and social reform.

4. Sir John Gott (1886-1963), a British naval officer who served as Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet during World War II.

5. Reverend Thomas Gott (1704-1762), an English clergyman and mathematician, who contributed to the development of calculus and was a member of the Royal Society.

While the name Gott can be found in various historical records and documents, it is not known to have been mentioned in prominent sources like the Domesday Book, which primarily focused on land ownership and taxation during the Norman conquest of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gott families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gott 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 855 Gotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.82x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 855 6.82x
Lancashire 166 1.11x
Durham 69 1.83x
Lincolnshire 60 2.97x
Westmorland 23 8.27x
Middlesex 17 0.13x
Northumberland 17 0.90x
Nottinghamshire 15 0.88x
Cheshire 13 0.47x
Sussex 8 0.38x
Essex 7 0.28x
Kent 7 0.16x
Surrey 7 0.11x
Lanarkshire 6 0.15x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.50x
Staffordshire 4 0.09x
Norfolk 3 0.15x
Warwickshire 3 0.09x
Cornwall 2 0.14x
Devon 2 0.08x
Hampshire 2 0.08x
Anglesey 1 0.45x
Bedfordshire 1 0.15x
Hertfordshire 1 0.11x
Leicestershire 1 0.07x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.34x
Royal Navy 1 0.66x
Suffolk 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cowling in Yorkshire leads with 61 Gotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 750.31x.

Place Total Index
Cowling 61 750.31x
Keighley 51 38.16x
Shipley 40 61.48x
Bingley 29 36.32x
Horton In Bradford 28 14.30x
Leeds 27 3.81x
Bradford 26 8.57x
Calverley Cum Farsley 26 73.03x
Great Little Marsden 26 37.81x
Manningham 24 15.54x
Pontefract 23 85.15x
Rawdon 22 149.05x
Heaton 17 126.21x
Pudsey 17 25.37x
Colne 16 35.78x
Kendal 14 27.50x
Manchester 14 2.07x
Nottingham St Mary 14 3.17x
Potter Newton 14 63.29x
Tynemouth 14 13.89x
Armley 13 23.51x
Hook 13 47.14x
Sheffield 13 3.26x
Eccleshill 12 39.33x
Habergham Eaves 12 8.75x
Halifax 12 6.52x
Marske In Guisbrough 12 53.91x
Burnley 11 8.70x
Esh 11 40.16x
Holbeach 11 48.82x
Horsforth 11 40.01x
Trawden 11 117.15x
Whaplode 11 159.65x
Bowling 10 8.05x
Brightside Bierlow 10 4.07x
Haworth 10 33.56x
Normanton 10 26.55x
Spalding 10 24.91x
Yeadon 10 35.32x
Bishopwearmouth 9 2.79x
Cornsay 9 88.85x
Huddersfield 9 4.93x
Hunslet 9 4.60x
Morley 9 13.81x
Norton In Malton 9 59.21x
Poulton Barre 9 52.69x
Skipton 9 22.81x
Stockton On Tees 9 4.96x
Sculcoates 8 4.02x
Thornley 8 58.74x
Ulceby 8 162.60x
Dent 7 133.59x
East Heslerton 7 530.30x
Haslingden 7 11.26x
Hastings All Sts 7 34.83x
Killington 7 654.21x
Sowerby In Halifax 7 17.07x
Trimdon 7 52.63x
York St George 7 70.85x
Asselby 6 517.24x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 6 5.14x
Barking 6 8.21x
Bradford Girlington 6 107.14x
Bramley In Bramley 6 12.50x
Dalton In Furness 6 10.35x
Everton 6 1.25x
Glasgow 6 0.83x
Lambeth 6 0.54x
Monks Coppenhall 6 5.69x
Rastrick 6 17.23x
Riccall 6 176.47x
Ripon 6 20.63x
Sandal Magna 6 32.36x
Skelton In Guisbrough 6 17.69x
Slingsby 6 231.66x
Wickersley 6 172.91x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 5 11.66x
Kildwick 5 43.78x
Lofthouse 5 26.71x
Monk Bretton 5 39.40x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 106
Sarah 67
Elizabeth 45
Ann 36
Annie 28
Jane 27
Martha 20
Hannah 19
Ada 17
Emma 17
Emily 16
Alice 15
Clara 13
Margaret 13
Ellen 12
Isabella 12
Edith 10
Eliza 9
Frances 8
Louisa 8
Fanny 7
Anne 6
Amelia 5
Charlotte 5
Betsy 4
Esther 4
Ethel 4
Harriet 4
Kate 4
Lilly 4
Rose 4
Judith 3
Lucy 3
Minnie 3
Bertha 2
Betty 2
Caroline 2
Eleanor 2
Florence 2
Gertrude 2
Lilian 2
Margret 2
Rebecca 2
Ruth 2
Susannah 2
Syphina 2
Dorcas 1
Easti 1
Eden 1
Zena 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 95
William 79
James 46
George 39
Joseph 39
Thomas 33
Benjamin 21
Robert 21
Henry 17
Charles 16
Samuel 14
Albert 12
Arthur 11
David 10
Walter 10
Alfred 8
Edward 8
Edwin 6
Ernest 5
Frederick 5
Herbert 5
Richard 5
Harry 4
Tom 4
Chas. 3
Christopher 3
Frank 3
Isaac 3
Jonas 3
Matthew 3
Sam 3
Willie 3
Wm. 3
Alexander 2
Ben 2
Ezra 2
Francis 2
Fred 2
Godfrey 2
Ingham 2
Joe 2
Lewis 2
Percy 2
Ralph 2
Smith 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Ellis 1
Emma 1
Wm.S. 1

FAQ

Gott surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gott surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,294 people were recorded with the Gott surname. That placed it at #3,167 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gott surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,541 in 2016. That gives Gott a modern rank of #4,013.

What does the Gott surname mean?

A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname meaning "God," often bestowed as a nickname implying a pious person.

What does the Gott map show?

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