NameCensus.

UK surname

Gouge

A French occupational surname for a tool maker or someone who made or used gouges or chisels.

In the 1881 census there were 151 people recorded with the Gouge surname, ranking it #15,419 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 217, ranked #18,535, down from #15,419 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Northfleet, Portsmouth, Portsea and Sittingbourne. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gosport, Thurrock and Carlisle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gouge is 280 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.7%.

1881 census count

151

Ranked #15,419

Modern count

217

2016, ranked #18,535

Peak year

1901

280 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gouge had 151 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,419 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 217 in 2016, ranked #18,535.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 280 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gouge surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gouge surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gouge 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 108 #16,308
1861 historical 122 #18,036
1881 historical 151 #15,419
1891 historical 224 #13,760
1901 historical 280 #12,193
1911 historical 277 #12,067
1997 modern 241 #15,638
1998 modern 248 #15,772
1999 modern 238 #16,308
2000 modern 234 #16,470
2001 modern 234 #16,205
2002 modern 240 #16,291
2003 modern 238 #16,144
2004 modern 239 #16,193
2005 modern 244 #15,900
2006 modern 236 #16,384
2007 modern 244 #16,186
2008 modern 257 #15,777
2009 modern 247 #16,549
2010 modern 251 #16,749
2011 modern 250 #16,637
2012 modern 225 #17,733
2013 modern 226 #17,969
2014 modern 218 #18,583
2015 modern 220 #18,346
2016 modern 217 #18,535

Geography

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Where Gouges are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Northfleet, Portsmouth, Portsea, Sittingbourne, London parishes and Great Yarmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gosport, Thurrock and Carlisle. 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 Northfleet Kent
2 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
3 Sittingbourne Kent
4 London parishes London 2
5 Great Yarmouth Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gosport 005 Gosport
2 Gosport 008 Gosport
3 Thurrock 018 Thurrock
4 Gosport 004 Gosport
5 Carlisle 010 Carlisle

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gouge

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gouge

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Gouge is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Gouge is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gouge 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 Gouge is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gouge

The surname GOUGE has its origins in France, tracing back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "gouger," meaning "to pierce" or "to scoop out." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with a trade or occupation related to gouging or carving.

In the 13th century, records show variations of the name such as "le Gouge" and "de Gouge" appearing in regions like Normandy and Brittany. These early spellings indicate that the name may have referred to a person who worked as a gouger or carver, potentially in the woodworking or stoneworking trades.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England conducted in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname GOUGE. However, this does not preclude the possibility of the name existing in other parts of Europe at that time.

One of the earliest documented individuals bearing the name GOUGE was Jean Gouge, a French theologian born in 1616 in Normandy. Another notable figure was Thomas Gouge (1605-1681), an English Puritan minister and author from Stratford-upon-Avon.

In the 17th century, the name appears in records from England, possibly introduced by French Huguenot immigrants fleeing religious persecution. One such individual was William Gouge (1625-1687), a merchant and philanthropist who established several charitable institutions in London.

The name GOUGE also has a connection to the American colonies. Robert Gouge (c. 1610-1662) was an early settler in Virginia and a member of the House of Burgesses, while James Gouge (c. 1630-1689) was a landowner and prominent figure in colonial Maryland.

Other notable individuals with the surname GOUGE include Sir Daniel Gouge (1670-1731), a British naval officer who served during the War of the Spanish Succession, and Humphrey Gouge (1767-1836), an English artist and engraver known for his landscape paintings.

While the surname GOUGE is not among the most common, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and regions, reflecting its origins in the skilled trades and occupations of medieval Europe.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gouge families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gouge 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. Kent leads with 53 Gouges recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.55x.

County Total Index
Kent 53 10.55x
Hampshire 28 9.27x
Cumberland 14 11.04x
Norfolk 14 6.18x
Lancashire 11 0.63x
Middlesex 10 0.68x
Essex 4 1.38x
Dorset 3 3.10x
Herefordshire 3 4.97x
Surrey 3 0.42x
Wiltshire 3 2.30x
Yorkshire 2 0.14x
Cornwall 1 0.60x
Lincolnshire 1 0.42x
Northamptonshire 1 0.72x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Yarmouth in Norfolk leads with 14 Gouges recorded in 1881 and an index of 74.63x.

Place Total Index
Great Yarmouth 14 74.63x
Sittingbourne 14 352.64x
Caldewgate 11 158.27x
Milton In Milton 11 514.02x
Rockbourne 11 4782.61x
Gillingham 10 96.53x
Ormskirk 10 299.40x
Alverstoke 7 64.04x
Fordingbridge 7 426.83x
Maidstone 7 46.76x
Borden 4 625.00x
Mistley 4 512.82x
St James Isle Of Grain 3 2142.86x
Witchampton 3 1200.00x
Berwick St Leonard 2 6666.67x
Bromley London 2 6.17x
Lambeth 2 1.56x
Limehouse London 2 12.37x
Mile End Old Town London 2 6.38x
Portsea 2 3.38x
Tedstone Delamere 2 1538.46x
Wetheral 2 119.05x
Armley 1 15.53x
Battersea 1 1.85x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.56x
Brockhampton 1 1428.57x
Fisherton Anger 1 41.49x
Great Grimsby 1 6.69x
Holdenhurst 1 12.63x
Hollingbourn 1 172.41x
Kilnsea 1 1000.00x
Maidwell 1 666.67x
Minster In Sheppey 1 12.00x
Moss Side 1 10.87x
Rochester St Nicholas 1 64.10x
St Austell 1 17.54x
St Cuthbert W O Carleton 1 285.71x
St Dunstan In West London 1 217.39x
St Luke London 1 4.23x
St Pancras London 1 0.84x
Upchurch 1 175.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 11
George 9
John 8
Thomas 6
James 5
Henry 4
Richard 3
Robert 3
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Mark 2
Sidney 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Alex 1
Alexander 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Eneas 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Isaac 1
Samuel 1
Waller 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Gouge surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gouge surname in 1881?

In 1881, 151 people were recorded with the Gouge surname. That placed it at #15,419 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gouge surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 217 in 2016. That gives Gouge a modern rank of #18,535.

What does the Gouge surname mean?

A French occupational surname for a tool maker or someone who made or used gouges or chisels.

What does the Gouge map show?

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