NameCensus.

UK surname

Gouldsmith

A surname derived from the occupational term for a goldsmith or jewelry maker.

In the 1881 census there were 79 people recorded with the Gouldsmith surname, ranking it #22,357 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 90, ranked #32,202, down from #22,357 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Trowbridge and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Staffordshire Moorlands, Pembrokeshire and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gouldsmith is 111 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.9%.

1881 census count

79

Ranked #22,357

Modern count

90

2016, ranked #32,202

Peak year

1911

111 bearers

Map years

2

1911 to 1998

Key insights

  • Gouldsmith had 79 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,357 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 90 in 2016, ranked #32,202.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 111 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Gouldsmith surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gouldsmith surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gouldsmith 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 76 #20,127
1861 historical 39 #29,099
1881 historical 79 #22,357
1891 historical 78 #27,035
1901 historical 77 #25,627
1911 historical 111 #21,392
1997 modern 94 #27,781
1998 modern 100 #27,619
1999 modern 97 #28,187
2000 modern 97 #28,142
2001 modern 99 #27,534
2002 modern 101 #27,766
2003 modern 93 #28,829
2004 modern 90 #29,481
2005 modern 84 #30,359
2006 modern 84 #30,665
2007 modern 87 #30,666
2008 modern 89 #30,713
2009 modern 94 #30,538
2010 modern 91 #31,497
2011 modern 89 #31,659
2012 modern 86 #32,297
2013 modern 91 #32,020
2014 modern 89 #32,409
2015 modern 91 #32,153
2016 modern 90 #32,202

Geography

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Where Gouldsmiths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Trowbridge, London parishes, Lewisham and Richmond. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Staffordshire Moorlands, Pembrokeshire and Cornwall. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Trowbridge Wiltshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 Lewisham London (South Districts)
5 Richmond Surrey

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Staffordshire Moorlands 011 Staffordshire Moorlands
2 Pembrokeshire 002 Pembrokeshire
3 Cornwall 041 Cornwall
4 Pembrokeshire 007 Pembrokeshire
5 Staffordshire Moorlands 013 Staffordshire Moorlands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gouldsmith

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gouldsmith

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

City Support Workers

Within London, Gouldsmith is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

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

Gouldsmith is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Gouldsmith

The surname GOULDSMITH originated in England during the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English words 'gold' and 'smið', meaning a goldsmith or worker of gold. The name reflects the trade of an ancestor who crafted items from gold, likely in a town or village.

One of the earliest records of the name dates back to the 13th century in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire, where a William le Goldsmyth is mentioned. The name also appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, listing a Thomas Goldsmyth.

In the 15th century, the surname was sometimes spelled as Gouldesmith, Goldesmyth, or Goldsmythe. During this time, a John Gouldesmith was recorded in the Hearth Tax records for Oxfordshire in 1665.

The name GOULDSMITH has been found in various historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a landholder named Goldsmid in Essex. This suggests that the surname has been present in England for centuries.

Notable individuals with the surname GOULDSMITH include:

1. Sir Jasper Gouldsmith (1572-1636), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1624. 2. John Gouldsmith (1589-1668), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. 3. Thomas Gouldsmith (1636-1719), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of logarithms. 4. Elizabeth Gouldsmith (1670-1741), a British poet and writer known for her collection of poems titled "The Blossoms of Fancy." 5. William Gouldsmith (1795-1856), a British architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London.

While the GOULDSMITH surname has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and family ties. The name continues to hold historical significance, reflecting the skilled trade of goldsmiths in medieval times.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gouldsmith families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gouldsmith 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. Middlesex leads with 18 Gouldsmiths recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.34x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 18 2.34x
Hertfordshire 15 28.25x
Kent 14 5.33x
Surrey 13 3.46x
Lancashire 8 0.88x
Wiltshire 4 5.87x
Gloucestershire 3 1.99x
Essex 2 1.32x
Berkshire 1 1.73x
Yorkshire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Broxbourne in Hertfordshire leads with 15 Gouldsmiths recorded in 1881 and an index of 1428.57x.

Place Total Index
Broxbourne 15 1428.57x
Richmond 9 171.10x
Barton Upon Irwell 8 116.28x
Lewisham 6 42.80x
Hackney London 5 11.58x
Islington London 5 6.70x
Northfleet 5 215.52x
Finchley 4 135.59x
Trowbridge 4 132.89x
Bromley London 3 17.70x
Gillingham 3 55.35x
Streatham 3 52.45x
Leyton 2 76.34x
Blaisdon 1 2000.00x
Bristol St Michael 1 76.92x
Clifton 1 13.09x
Ilkley 1 80.00x
Lambeth 1 1.49x
Sandhurst 1 89.29x
St Pancras London 1 1.61x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 4
Elizabeth 3
Emily 3
Maria 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Eliza 2
Hannah 2
Mary 2
Rebecca 2
Agnes 1
Annie 1
Bessie 1
Edith 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Freeman 1
Grace 1
Loui 1
Louise 1
Maud 1
May 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Gouldsmith surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gouldsmith surname in 1881?

In 1881, 79 people were recorded with the Gouldsmith surname. That placed it at #22,357 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gouldsmith surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 90 in 2016. That gives Gouldsmith a modern rank of #32,202.

What does the Gouldsmith surname mean?

A surname derived from the occupational term for a goldsmith or jewelry maker.

What does the Gouldsmith map show?

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