NameCensus.

UK surname

Gude

A German surname derived from the word "gut", meaning good or virtuous.

In the 1881 census there were 58 people recorded with the Gude surname, ranking it #25,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 133, ranked #25,765, down from #25,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rotherham, North East Lincolnshire and West Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gude is 141 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 129.3%.

1881 census count

58

Ranked #25,428

Modern count

133

2016, ranked #25,765

Peak year

2014

141 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gude had 58 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 133 in 2016, ranked #25,765.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 93 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Gude surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gude surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gude 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 59 #22,756
1861 historical 64 #25,747
1881 historical 58 #25,428
1891 historical 76 #27,290
1901 historical 93 #23,689
1911 historical 91 #23,684
1997 modern 123 #23,792
1998 modern 127 #23,940
1999 modern 125 #24,366
2000 modern 130 #23,785
2001 modern 124 #24,114
2002 modern 121 #24,984
2003 modern 124 #24,378
2004 modern 117 #25,448
2005 modern 122 #24,817
2006 modern 117 #25,695
2007 modern 114 #26,491
2008 modern 118 #26,212
2009 modern 133 #24,817
2010 modern 128 #26,036
2011 modern 125 #26,220
2012 modern 134 #25,059
2013 modern 138 #25,020
2014 modern 141 #24,855
2015 modern 135 #25,481
2016 modern 133 #25,765

Geography

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Where Gudes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rotherham, North East Lincolnshire and West Devon. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rotherham 030 Rotherham
2 North East Lincolnshire 012 North East Lincolnshire
3 West Devon 005 West Devon
4 Rotherham 015 Rotherham
5 Rotherham 027 Rotherham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gude

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gude

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gude, 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 Gude surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Gude 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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Gude is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Gude is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gude 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 Gude is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gude

The surname Gude is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "guot," meaning "good" or "virtuous." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who was considered to possess admirable qualities or moral character.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gude can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. This suggests that the name was already in use during this period, and possibly even earlier.

In the 14th century, there are records of individuals with the surname Gude residing in the town of Göttingen, located in Lower Saxony, Germany. This may indicate that the name had a regional concentration in this area during that time.

The name Gude also appeared in various other historical records throughout Germany, such as land registers, tax rolls, and church records. For instance, a certain Johann Gude was mentioned in a legal document from the city of Cologne in the 16th century.

One notable figure with the surname Gude was Marquard Gude, a German scholar and philologist who lived from 1635 to 1689. He was known for his contributions to the study of ancient Greek and Latin literature, and served as a professor at the University of Helmstedt.

Another individual of note was Johann Christian Gude, a German theologian and writer who lived from 1674 to 1758. He held several academic positions, including that of a professor at the University of Erfurt.

In the 18th century, a German poet and writer named Christian Gottlob Gude gained recognition for his works, which included plays, fables, and satires. He lived from 1732 to 1798.

The name Gude also found its way to other parts of Europe, as evidenced by the existence of individuals such as Willem Gude, a Dutch Golden Age painter active in the 17th century, who specialized in depicting landscapes and seascapes.

Additionally, there was a German-born American painter named Hans Gude, who lived from 1825 to 1903. He is renowned for his landscape paintings, particularly those depicting Norwegian fjords and mountainous regions.

While the surname Gude may have evolved or been adapted over time in different regions, its origins can be traced back to the German language and the Middle Ages, with a possible connotation of virtue or goodness associated with its meaning.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gude families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gude 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 19 Gudes recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.36x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 19 3.36x
Surrey 17 6.17x
Yorkshire 10 1.78x
Essex 8 7.17x
Midlothian 2 2.64x
Northamptonshire 1 1.88x
Northumberland 1 1.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kingston On Thames in Surrey leads with 8 Gudes recorded in 1881 and an index of 120.85x.

Place Total Index
Kingston On Thames 8 120.85x
Walthamstow 8 199.01x
Wortley In Wortley 7 3181.82x
Bethnal Green London 6 24.42x
Hampstead London 5 56.75x
Battersea 4 19.22x
St Marylebone London 4 13.25x
Thorpe Salvin 3 4285.71x
Edinburgh St Andrews 2 317.46x
Lambeth 2 4.06x
Camberwell 1 2.77x
Chertsey 1 56.18x
Clapham 1 14.14x
Clerkenwell London 1 7.49x
Ealing 1 19.80x
Heston 1 53.19x
North Shields 1 59.52x
Northampton Priory St 1 31.35x
St George Hanover Square 1 10.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 3
Ellen 3
Louisa 3
Emma 2
Harriett 2
Helen 2
Jane 2
Mary 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Lucy 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 6
George 5
William 4
Arthur 2
Alfred 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Joseph 1
Millist 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Thomas 1
Wm. 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 Gude households.

FAQ

Gude surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gude surname in 1881?

In 1881, 58 people were recorded with the Gude surname. That placed it at #25,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gude surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 133 in 2016. That gives Gude a modern rank of #25,765.

What does the Gude surname mean?

A German surname derived from the word "gut", meaning good or virtuous.

What does the Gude map show?

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