NameCensus.

UK surname

Guard

An occupational surname referring to a guard, watchman, or protector.

In the 1881 census there were 396 people recorded with the Guard surname, ranking it #8,024 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 560, ranked #9,165, down from #8,024 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire, Swansea and Neath Port Talbot.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Guard is 586 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.4%.

1881 census count

396

Ranked #8,024

Modern count

560

2016, ranked #9,165

Peak year

1999

586 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Guard had 396 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,024 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 560 in 2016, ranked #9,165.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 474 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Guard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Guard surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Guard 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 289 #7,860
1861 historical 415 #6,187
1881 historical 396 #8,024
1891 historical 455 #8,009
1901 historical 442 #8,818
1911 historical 474 #8,162
1997 modern 527 #8,948
1998 modern 569 #8,694
1999 modern 586 #8,580
2000 modern 573 #8,671
2001 modern 566 #8,619
2002 modern 583 #8,610
2003 modern 562 #8,700
2004 modern 576 #8,575
2005 modern 563 #8,650
2006 modern 556 #8,744
2007 modern 551 #8,894
2008 modern 554 #8,911
2009 modern 567 #8,959
2010 modern 581 #8,991
2011 modern 568 #9,043
2012 modern 554 #9,115
2013 modern 563 #9,151
2014 modern 574 #9,078
2015 modern 569 #9,059
2016 modern 560 #9,165

Geography

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Where Guards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton, London parishes and Swansea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Salford. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton Devon
4 London parishes London 3
5 Swansea Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carmarthenshire 026 Carmarthenshire
2 Swansea 012 Swansea
3 Swansea 005 Swansea
4 Neath Port Talbot 005 Neath Port Talbot
5 Salford 029 Salford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Guard

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Guard

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Guard, 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 Guard surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Guard 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

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Guard is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Guard 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

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

Meaning and origin of Guard

The surname Guard is of English origin, deriving from the Old French "garde" meaning "watchman" or "guardian". This name was commonly given to those who held occupation as watchmen, sentinels, or guards.

The earliest recorded instances of the Guard surname can be found in medieval records from the 13th century, with references to individuals bearing this name in various parts of England. One notable example is Robert le Garde, who was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of Yorkshire in 1273.

In some cases, the Guard surname may have originated from place names associated with guarding or fortifications. For example, there are records of individuals with the surname Guard hailing from the village of Guildford in Surrey, which derives its name from the Old English "gylde" meaning "golden" and "ford" meaning "river crossing", possibly referring to a guarded river crossing.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Guard surname continued to appear in various records across England, with variations in spelling such as Garde, Gard, and Guarde. One notable individual from this period was John Guard, a merchant from London who was mentioned in the city's records in 1432.

In the 16th century, the Guard surname gained further prominence with the birth of Sir Thomas Guard (1540-1612), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire. Another notable figure was William Guard (1588-1658), an English churchman and theologian who served as the Archdeacon of Lewes in Sussex.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Guard surname remained well-established in England, with several individuals of note bearing this name. These included Richard Guard (1620-1695), a prominent merchant and landowner in Essex, and John Guard (1678-1756), a military officer who served in the English Civil War and later became a Member of Parliament for Bury St. Edmunds.

As the centuries progressed, the Guard surname spread to other parts of the English-speaking world, including North America, where it was carried by English settlers and immigrants. Notable individuals with this surname in more recent history include Thomas Guard (1786-1866), an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from New York.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Guard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Guard 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. Devon leads with 133 Guards recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.54x.

County Total Index
Devon 133 16.54x
Glamorgan 40 5.95x
Cornwall 37 8.46x
Hampshire 24 3.03x
Lancashire 21 0.46x
Somerset 20 3.22x
Surrey 19 1.01x
Kent 16 1.21x
Middlesex 15 0.39x
Staffordshire 12 0.92x
Durham 10 0.87x
Gloucestershire 10 1.32x
Cumberland 6 1.80x
Monmouthshire 6 2.15x
Berkshire 5 1.72x
Essex 4 0.52x
Sussex 4 0.61x
Dorset 3 1.18x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.38x
Warwickshire 2 0.21x
Cheshire 1 0.12x
Derbyshire 1 0.17x
Hertfordshire 1 0.38x
Leicestershire 1 0.23x
Northumberland 1 0.17x
Suffolk 1 0.21x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barnstaple in Devon leads with 34 Guards recorded in 1881 and an index of 269.41x.

Place Total Index
Barnstaple 34 269.41x
Swansea Town 20 36.26x
Northam 14 238.91x
Portsea 13 8.38x
Atherington 12 1764.71x
Great Torrington 10 219.30x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 10 20.09x
Merthyr Tydfil 10 15.47x
Audley Talk O Th Hill 9 382.98x
Deptford St Paul 9 8.85x
Stoke Damerel 9 15.99x
St Giles In The Wood 8 666.67x
Camberwell 7 2.84x
Madron Penzance 7 44.03x
Rose Ash 7 1044.78x
Henllys 6 1333.33x
Millbrook 6 30.09x
Newington 6 4.20x
Plumstead 6 13.66x
St Cuthbert W O Upperby 6 659.34x
Williton 6 288.46x
Bermondsey 5 4.35x
Bristol St George 5 14.27x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 6.87x
Liverpool 5 1.80x
Reading St Mary 5 21.53x
Redruth 5 40.42x
St Hilary Marazion 5 420.17x
St Pancras London 5 1.61x
Burrington 4 392.16x
Chittlehampton 4 202.02x
Llanwonno 4 16.55x
Newhaven 4 75.61x
St Stephen In Brannel 4 100.25x
Bilston 3 11.87x
Bristol St James St Paul 3 11.88x
Christchurch 3 17.47x
Eglwysilan 3 25.71x
Exeter St David 3 43.67x
Isle Abbotts 3 652.17x
Kensington London 3 1.40x
Kirkdale 3 3.89x
Lanivet 3 220.59x
Little Torrington 3 422.54x
Plymouth Charles The 3 8.47x
Preston 3 2.45x
Sampford Brett 3 1034.48x
St Buryan 3 165.75x
Taunton St James 3 33.08x
West Ham 3 1.78x
Bishops Tawton 2 79.68x
Cardiff St John 2 9.10x
Chulmleigh 2 109.29x
Compton Gifford 2 79.37x
Highweek 2 69.69x
Leamington Priors 2 8.34x
Newton Abbot St Mary 2 29.63x
Parkstone 2 67.57x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 3.23x
St Mary Magdalene 2 62.31x
St Marylebone London 2 0.97x
St Stephen 2 129.03x
West Chinnock 2 363.64x
Witheridge 2 147.06x
Bradford 1 1.08x
Bratton Fleming 1 144.93x
Cheetham 1 2.92x
Devonport 1 10.82x
East Chinnock 1 129.87x
Gulval 1 35.46x
High Bickington 1 109.89x
Holdenhurst 1 4.81x
Kinson 1 20.20x
Manchester 1 0.49x
Nottingham St Mary 1 0.74x
Radford 1 3.78x
Stoke 1 30.67x
Swansea Lower 1 29.15x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 1 19.96x
West Derby 1 0.75x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 38
Elizabeth 24
Sarah 16
Jane 10
Ann 8
Annie 6
Martha 6
Ellen 5
Alice 4
Emily 4
Harriett 4
Louisa 4
Amelia 3
Anne 3
Emma 3
Fanny 3
Isabella 3
Phillis 3
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Eleanor 2
Eliza 2
Henrietta 2
Kate 2
Laura 2
Lucy 2
Lydia 2
Maria 2
Sophia 2
Susannah 2
Bessie 1
Bessy 1
C. 1
Catharine 1
Constance 1
Elisabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Elsie 1
Ethel 1
Fanney 1
Florenc 1
Florence 1
Helen 1
Helena 1
Hellen 1
Jessie 1
Johanna 1
Julia 1
Lavinia 1
Lily 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 36
John 27
James 16
George 13
Thomas 8
Henry 7
Albert 6
Edward 6
Joseph 6
Richard 5
Samuel 5
Charles 4
Harry 4
Frederick 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Edwin 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Herbert 2
Jno. 2
Peter 2
Philip 2
Sidney 2
Stephen 2
Wm. 2
Chas.C. 1
Davy 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Geo. 1
Lewis 1
Naboth 1
Phillip 1
Robert 1
Robt.Wm. 1
Rupert 1
Temperance 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Guard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Guard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 396 people were recorded with the Guard surname. That placed it at #8,024 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Guard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 560 in 2016. That gives Guard a modern rank of #9,165.

What does the Guard surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a guard, watchman, or protector.

What does the Guard map show?

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