NameCensus.

UK surname

Gowlett

In the 1881 census there were 192 people recorded with the Gowlett surname, ranking it #13,185 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 356, ranked #12,978, up from #13,185 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Great and Little Sampford, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Selby, Uttlesford and Coventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gowlett is 451 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 85.4%.

1881 census count

192

Ranked #13,185

Modern count

356

2016, ranked #12,978

Peak year

1998

451 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gowlett had 192 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,185 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 356 in 2016, ranked #12,978.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 414 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gowlett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gowlett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gowlett 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 124 #14,792
1861 historical 139 #16,263
1881 historical 192 #13,185
1891 historical 280 #11,665
1901 historical 353 #10,364
1911 historical 414 #9,062
1997 modern 424 #10,531
1998 modern 451 #10,393
1999 modern 443 #10,577
2000 modern 426 #10,878
2001 modern 419 #10,835
2002 modern 426 #10,918
2003 modern 401 #11,242
2004 modern 393 #11,433
2005 modern 380 #11,639
2006 modern 372 #11,878
2007 modern 372 #12,032
2008 modern 367 #12,264
2009 modern 373 #12,364
2010 modern 379 #12,483
2011 modern 376 #12,416
2012 modern 359 #12,698
2013 modern 376 #12,472
2014 modern 375 #12,578
2015 modern 359 #12,906
2016 modern 356 #12,978

Geography

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Where Gowletts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Great and Little Sampford, London parishes, St Pancras, St John Hackney and Dagenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Selby, Uttlesford, Coventry and Harrogate. 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 Great and Little Sampford Essex
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
5 Dagenham Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Selby 001 Selby
2 Uttlesford 004 Uttlesford
3 Coventry 037 Coventry
4 Harrogate 016 Harrogate
5 Selby 004 Selby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gowlett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gowlett

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Gowlett is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gowlett is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gowlett falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gowlett 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 Gowlett, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Gowlett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gowlett 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. Essex leads with 85 Gowletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.61x.

County Total Index
Essex 85 23.61x
Middlesex 43 2.36x
Hertfordshire 17 13.52x
Surrey 10 1.13x
Northamptonshire 7 4.08x
Yorkshire 6 0.33x
Durham 5 0.92x
Lincolnshire 5 1.71x
Cambridgeshire 4 3.46x
Suffolk 2 0.90x
Kent 1 0.16x
Lancashire 1 0.05x
Norfolk 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Radwinter in Essex leads with 27 Gowletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 5094.34x.

Place Total Index
Radwinter 27 5094.34x
Great Sampford 25 6410.26x
Sawbridgeworth 16 842.11x
Saffron Walden 13 342.11x
St Pancras London 13 8.85x
Hackney London 9 8.80x
Little Sampford 9 4285.71x
Uxbridge 9 432.69x
East Haddon 7 1489.36x
Bishop Auckland 5 68.68x
Frodingham 5 480.77x
Headley 5 2380.95x
Sherburn 5 335.57x
Balsham 4 634.92x
Great Baddow 4 312.50x
Lambeth 4 2.51x
Great Stanmore 3 365.85x
Newport 3 476.19x
Bromley London 2 4.98x
Maldon St Peter 2 109.29x
Poplar London 2 5.81x
St Dionis Backchurch 2 1538.46x
Bishop Stortford 1 23.81x
Burn 1 476.19x
Clare 1 94.34x
Dorking 1 16.75x
Ipswich St Lawrence 1 333.33x
Islington London 1 0.57x
Little Walsingham 1 158.73x
Melling 1 200.00x
Minster In Sheppey 1 9.70x
Paddington London 1 1.49x
Takeley 1 192.31x
Thaxted 1 83.33x
Tottenham 1 3.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 7
Sarah 7
Ann 6
Emily 6
Emma 6
Mary 5
Alice 4
Charlotte 4
Eliza 4
Elizabeth 3
Ellen 3
Hannah 3
Lucy 3
Anne 2
Elizth. 2
Margret 2
Martha 2
Minnie 2
Caroline 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Jane 1
Janet 1
Lougier 1
Louisa 1
M.A. 1
Margam 1
Matilda 1
Rebecca 1
Selina 1
Sophia 1
Sophy 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
Charles 9
William 9
Alfred 8
Arthur 5
George 5
James 5
Benjamin 4
Edward 4
Ernest 3
Frederick 3
Henry 3
Reuben 3
Walter 3
Frank 2
Fred 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Peter 2
Thomas 2
Aaron 1
Albert 1
Chas. 1
Francis 1
Fred. 1
Geo. 1
Jesse 1
Johm 1
Jonah 1
Richard 1
Samson 1
Samuel 1
Shadreach 1
Sydney 1
Thos.Wm. 1

FAQ

Gowlett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gowlett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 192 people were recorded with the Gowlett surname. That placed it at #13,185 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gowlett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 356 in 2016. That gives Gowlett a modern rank of #12,978.

What does the Gowlett map show?

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