NameCensus.

UK surname

Guildford

In the 1881 census there were 275 people recorded with the Guildford surname, ranking it #10,330 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 366, ranked #12,690, down from #10,330 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Willesden, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East, Shropshire and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Guildford is 377 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.1%.

1881 census count

275

Ranked #10,330

Modern count

366

2016, ranked #12,690

Peak year

1911

377 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Guildford had 275 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,330 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 366 in 2016, ranked #12,690.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 377 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Guildford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Guildford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Guildford 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 84 #19,067
1861 historical 147 #15,539
1881 historical 275 #10,330
1891 historical 308 #10,886
1901 historical 314 #11,285
1911 historical 377 #9,719
1997 modern 331 #12,668
1998 modern 330 #13,046
1999 modern 348 #12,670
2000 modern 329 #13,090
2001 modern 346 #12,478
2002 modern 359 #12,383
2003 modern 356 #12,258
2004 modern 345 #12,571
2005 modern 339 #12,668
2006 modern 337 #12,810
2007 modern 336 #12,975
2008 modern 339 #13,022
2009 modern 347 #13,044
2010 modern 352 #13,187
2011 modern 355 #12,963
2012 modern 356 #12,784
2013 modern 366 #12,733
2014 modern 363 #12,908
2015 modern 360 #12,880
2016 modern 366 #12,690

Geography

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Where Guildfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Willesden, London parishes, Manchester and Harrow-on-the-Hill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East, Shropshire and Cheshire West and Chester. 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 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Harrow-on-the-Hill Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 035 Cheshire East
2 Cheshire East 031 Cheshire East
3 Shropshire 005 Shropshire
4 Cheshire West and Chester 047 Cheshire West and Chester
5 Cheshire East 049 Cheshire East

Forenames

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First names often paired with Guildford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Guildford

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

Professional Periphery

Within London, Guildford is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Guildford 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

Guildford falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Guildford is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Guildford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Guildford 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 56 Guildfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.07x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 56 2.07x
Sussex 50 10.98x
Surrey 31 2.35x
Lancashire 25 0.78x
Shropshire 23 9.85x
Staffordshire 19 2.08x
Warwickshire 10 1.47x
Wiltshire 10 4.18x
Northumberland 9 2.24x
Cheshire 6 1.01x
Leicestershire 6 2.00x
Glamorgan 5 1.06x
Northamptonshire 5 1.97x
Nottinghamshire 5 1.37x
Kent 4 0.43x
Durham 3 0.37x
Gloucestershire 3 0.57x
Derbyshire 2 0.47x
Midlothian 2 0.55x
Hertfordshire 1 0.54x
Somerset 1 0.23x
Yorkshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 45 Guildfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 48.96x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 45 48.96x
Harrow On The Hill 25 462.96x
Stoke Upon Trent 17 17.58x
Camberwell 12 6.95x
Everleigh 10 3030.30x
Adderley 9 2250.00x
Hammersmith London 9 13.52x
Willesden 9 35.34x
Aston 8 4.26x
Manchester 8 5.55x
Tynemouth 8 37.16x
Hulme 7 10.46x
Guildford St Nicholas 6 257.51x
Bridgnorth St Mary 5 219.30x
Drayton In Hales 5 103.95x
Hove 5 25.01x
Leicester Black Friars 5 256.41x
Rotherhithe 5 14.98x
Sandbach 5 98.23x
Barnack 4 740.74x
Cheswardine 4 400.00x
Cowbridge 4 353.98x
Radford 4 21.62x
Rusholme 4 46.78x
Bermondsey 3 3.73x
Bishopwearmouth 3 4.35x
Chelsea London 3 3.68x
Painswick 3 80.00x
Salford 3 3.18x
St Martin In Fields 3 18.54x
Deptford St Paul 2 2.81x
Edinburgh St Georges 2 26.63x
Farnworth 2 10.41x
Kensington London 2 1.33x
Measham 2 129.03x
Bathwick 1 20.79x
Battersea 1 1.01x
Bow London 1 2.91x
Cardiff St Mary 1 3.86x
Castleton 1 3.12x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 10.41x
Cheadle 1 8.78x
Coventry Holy Trinity 1 4.91x
Edgbaston 1 4.73x
Farnham 1 9.77x
Headingley Cum Burley 1 5.80x
Islington London 1 0.38x
Jesmond 1 17.67x
Lambeth 1 0.42x
Merton 1 43.48x
Norbury 1 500.00x
North Collingham 1 116.28x
Paston 1 92.59x
Rickmansworth 1 19.49x
Shenton 1 500.00x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 8.55x
St Giles In Fields London 1 7.54x
Tonbridge 1 3.01x
Walsall Foreign 1 2.12x
Westminster St James 1 3.60x
Woking 1 12.61x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 16
William 15
Charles 10
George 10
Henry 10
Thomas 9
Walter 8
Frederick 6
James 6
Edward 4
Arthur 3
Frank 3
Joseph 3
Albert 2
Christopher 2
Edmund 2
Ernest 2
Horace 2
Robert 2
Wm. 2
Alfd. 1
Alfred 1
Amos 1
Chaler 1
Chas. 1
Duncan 1
Edwin 1
Edwr.J. 1
Frances 1
Fredk. 1
G.A. 1
Guildford 1
Harry 1
Hensleigh 1
Hy. 1
Infant 1
Jesse 1
Jessie 1
Louis 1
Mark 1
Patrick 1
Peter 1
Reuben 1
Richard 1
Rowland 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Tully 1

FAQ

Guildford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Guildford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 275 people were recorded with the Guildford surname. That placed it at #10,330 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Guildford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 366 in 2016. That gives Guildford a modern rank of #12,690.

What does the Guildford map show?

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