NameCensus.

UK surname

Gowdy

A Scottish locational surname derived from a place name meaning "smith's place" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 52 people recorded with the Gowdy surname, ranking it #26,281 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 237, ranked #17,418, up from #26,281 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Arlecdon, Gateshead and Monkwearmouth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Penilee, Thurrock and Harborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gowdy is 247 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 355.8%.

1881 census count

52

Ranked #26,281

Modern count

237

2016, ranked #17,418

Peak year

2015

247 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gowdy had 52 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,281 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 237 in 2016, ranked #17,418.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 104 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Gowdy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gowdy surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Gowdy 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 38 #26,502
1861 historical 49 #27,768
1881 historical 52 #26,281
1891 historical 73 #27,677
1901 historical 100 #22,863
1911 historical 104 #22,209
1997 modern 209 #17,157
1998 modern 214 #17,366
1999 modern 212 #17,611
2000 modern 212 #17,554
2001 modern 211 #17,376
2002 modern 216 #17,447
2003 modern 220 #17,033
2004 modern 204 #17,992
2005 modern 202 #18,016
2006 modern 200 #18,294
2007 modern 212 #17,803
2008 modern 214 #17,854
2009 modern 218 #18,015
2010 modern 233 #17,606
2011 modern 234 #17,383
2012 modern 237 #17,132
2013 modern 241 #17,202
2014 modern 245 #17,140
2015 modern 247 #16,941
2016 modern 237 #17,418

Geography

Back to top

Where Gowdys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Arlecdon, Gateshead, Monkwearmouth, Jarrow (Harton), Monkwearmouth (Southwick), Boldon, Whitburn and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Penilee, Thurrock, Harborough, Rugby and Ryedale. 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 Arlecdon Cumberland
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Monkwearmouth Durham
4 Jarrow (Harton), Monkwearmouth (Southwick), Boldon, Whitburn Durham
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Penilee Glasgow City
2 Thurrock 013 Thurrock
3 Harborough 010 Harborough
4 Rugby 004 Rugby
5 Ryedale 008 Ryedale

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Gowdy

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Gowdy

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Gowdy 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

Gowdy is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gowdy falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gowdy 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Gowdy

The surname Gowdy is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Goddrie" or "Gothric," which itself derives from the Old Norse name "Guðröðr." The earliest recorded instances of this surname date back to the 13th century in the Lanarkshire region of Scotland.

The name Gowdy is believed to have originated as a habitational name, referring to someone who lived in a particular location or settlement. One theory suggests that the name may have derived from the place name "Goudie" or "Goudie," which could have been a small village or farm in Scotland.

Historical records show that the Gowdy surname appeared in various Scottish documents and manuscripts throughout the Middle Ages. For instance, a mention of "John Gowdy" can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the year 1456.

In the 16th century, the Gowdy family was prominent in the Scottish Borders region, particularly in the areas around Jedburgh and Hawick. One notable figure from this time was Robert Gowdy, a merchant and burgess of Jedburgh, who lived in the late 1500s.

During the 17th century, several members of the Gowdy family emigrated to Ireland, where they settled in counties like Antrim and Down. This Irish branch of the family sometimes spelled their name as "Goudy" or "Gowdie."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gowdy surname in America dates back to 1718, when John Gowdy arrived in Boston from Ireland. Another early American bearer of this name was William Gowdy, who was born in Scotland in 1712 and later settled in Pennsylvania.

Other notable individuals with the Gowdy surname include:

1. Robert Gowdy (1778-1856), a Scottish-born merchant and landowner in Nova Scotia, Canada. 2. James Gowdy (1815-1888), a Canadian politician and lawyer from Ontario. 3. James Gowdy (1871-1938), an American author and educator from Illinois. 4. Curt Gowdy (1919-2006), an American sportscaster and broadcaster, best known for his work with the Boston Red Sox. 5. Trey Gowdy (born 1964), an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from South Carolina.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Gowdy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gowdy 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. Durham leads with 23 Gowdys recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.24x.

County Total Index
Durham 23 15.24x
Cumberland 8 18.32x
Northumberland 7 9.28x
Lancashire 5 0.83x
Midlothian 3 4.42x
Cornwall 1 1.74x
Derbyshire 1 1.26x
Essex 1 1.00x
Kent 1 0.58x
Middlesex 1 0.20x
Monmouthshire 1 2.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cleator in Cumberland leads with 8 Gowdys recorded in 1881 and an index of 439.56x.

Place Total Index
Cleator 8 439.56x
Southwick 7 489.51x
Monkwearmouth Shore 6 203.39x
Kirkdale 5 49.41x
Stranton 4 78.74x
Newcastle On Tyne St 3 76.73x
South Leith 3 39.22x
Bishopwearmouth 2 15.44x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 2 202.02x
Westoe 2 23.39x
Bodmin 1 105.26x
East Ham 1 53.76x
Elswick 1 16.61x
Gateshead 1 8.85x
Glossop Dale 1 26.88x
Greenwich 1 12.39x
Limehouse London 1 17.95x
Newport 1 57.14x
Sunderland 1 37.59x
Westgate 1 21.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 4
Annie 3
Sarah 3
Eliza 2
Elizabeth 2
Margaret 2
Mary 2
Allice 1
Catherine 1
Harriet 1
Janet 1
Rachel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
Thomas 3
William 3
James 2
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Charles 1
Harrison 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Samuel 1
Sheraton 1
W.E. 1
Wylam 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Gowdy households.

FAQ

Gowdy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gowdy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 52 people were recorded with the Gowdy surname. That placed it at #26,281 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gowdy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 237 in 2016. That gives Gowdy a modern rank of #17,418.

What does the Gowdy surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname derived from a place name meaning "smith's place" in Old English.

What does the Gowdy map show?

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