NameCensus.

UK surname

Gouldson

In the 1881 census there were 177 people recorded with the Gouldson surname, ranking it #13,889 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 223, ranked #18,222, down from #13,889 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bebbington, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sefton, Wirral and Knowsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gouldson is 270 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.0%.

1881 census count

177

Ranked #13,889

Modern count

223

2016, ranked #18,222

Peak year

1999

270 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gouldson had 177 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,889 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016, ranked #18,222.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 204 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Gouldson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gouldson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gouldson 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 79 #19,712
1861 historical 111 #19,429
1881 historical 177 #13,889
1891 historical 165 #17,143
1901 historical 177 #16,342
1911 historical 204 #14,784
1997 modern 251 #15,236
1998 modern 262 #15,203
1999 modern 270 #14,992
2000 modern 261 #15,314
2001 modern 251 #15,483
2002 modern 254 #15,641
2003 modern 235 #16,291
2004 modern 233 #16,471
2005 modern 236 #16,286
2006 modern 222 #17,092
2007 modern 230 #16,890
2008 modern 223 #17,395
2009 modern 223 #17,735
2010 modern 212 #18,726
2011 modern 196 #19,538
2012 modern 206 #18,837
2013 modern 211 #18,872
2014 modern 216 #18,705
2015 modern 217 #18,542
2016 modern 223 #18,222

Geography

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Where Gouldsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bebbington, London parishes, Gateshead, Woodchurch and Bidstone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sefton, Wirral and Knowsley. 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 Bebbington Cheshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Woodchurch Cheshire
5 Bidstone Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sefton 029 Sefton
2 Wirral 029 Wirral
3 Wirral 042 Wirral
4 Knowsley 008 Knowsley
5 Wirral 020 Wirral

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gouldson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gouldson

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Gouldson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Gouldson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gouldson 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

Gouldson is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gouldson 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 Gouldson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Gouldson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gouldson 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. Cheshire leads with 112 Gouldsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.89x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 112 29.89x
Lancashire 31 1.54x
Norfolk 13 4.98x
Dumfriesshire 6 16.00x
Surrey 5 0.60x
Middlesex 4 0.24x
Dorset 3 2.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birkenhead in Cheshire leads with 73 Gouldsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 244.39x.

Place Total Index
Birkenhead 73 244.39x
Lower Bebington 15 672.65x
Carleton Forehoe 11 13750.00x
Tranmere 11 79.88x
Everton 9 14.02x
Liverpool 8 6.54x
Dryfesdale 6 346.82x
Oxton 6 283.02x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 14.64x
Widnes 5 34.41x
Shadwell London 4 84.21x
Thornton Hough 4 1481.48x
Toxteth Park 4 5.87x
Buckland Newton 3 600.00x
Barrow In Furness 2 7.30x
Higher Bebington 2 83.33x
West Derby 2 3.39x
Grange 1 1666.67x
North Meols 1 5.07x
Thorpe Next Norwich 1 36.10x
Wortwell 1 416.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Sarah 11
Elizabeth 10
Ellen 9
Margaret 7
Alice 4
Ann 4
Annie 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Hannah 2
Isabella 2
Jane 2
Jessie 2
Maria 2
Susannah 2
Bessie 1
Clara 1
Emily 1
Gertrude 1
Harriett 1
Laura 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Mar.A. 1
Miriam 1
Phoebe 1
Rose 1
Susan 1
Winefrede 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 17
John 12
Joseph 7
Henry 6
James 6
Thomas 6
Charles 4
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Frank 2
Alexander 1
Alice 1
Chas. 1
Chas.John 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Horace 1
Phillip 1
Robert 1

FAQ

Gouldson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gouldson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 177 people were recorded with the Gouldson surname. That placed it at #13,889 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gouldson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016. That gives Gouldson a modern rank of #18,222.

What does the Gouldson map show?

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