NameCensus.

UK surname

Guile

A surname derived from a Norman French word meaning cunning or deceit.

In the 1881 census there were 221 people recorded with the Guile surname, ranking it #12,049 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 349, ranked #13,189, down from #12,049 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Erith, Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst and Heene. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Brighton and Hove, Wealden and Rochdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Guile is 376 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.9%.

1881 census count

221

Ranked #12,049

Modern count

349

2016, ranked #13,189

Peak year

1998

376 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Guile had 221 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,049 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 349 in 2016, ranked #13,189.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 275 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Guile surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Guile surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Guile 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 139 #13,659
1861 historical 117 #18,635
1881 historical 221 #12,049
1891 historical 213 #14,269
1901 historical 243 #13,358
1911 historical 275 #12,123
1997 modern 366 #11,781
1998 modern 376 #11,918
1999 modern 368 #12,182
2000 modern 370 #12,078
2001 modern 360 #12,127
2002 modern 372 #12,077
2003 modern 359 #12,189
2004 modern 357 #12,272
2005 modern 355 #12,243
2006 modern 365 #12,076
2007 modern 354 #12,489
2008 modern 343 #12,899
2009 modern 357 #12,766
2010 modern 358 #13,001
2011 modern 352 #13,032
2012 modern 347 #13,048
2013 modern 356 #13,016
2014 modern 363 #12,908
2015 modern 349 #13,189
2016 modern 349 #13,189

Geography

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Where Guiles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Erith, Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst, Heene, Leominster and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Brighton and Hove, Wealden, Rochdale, Adur and Worthing. 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 Erith Kent
2 Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst Sussex
3 Heene Sussex
4 Leominster Sussex
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Brighton and Hove 002 Brighton and Hove
2 Wealden 010 Wealden
3 Rochdale 020 Rochdale
4 Adur 006 Adur
5 Worthing 006 Worthing

Forenames

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First names often paired with Guile

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Guile

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Guile 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

Guile is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Guile

The surname GUILE is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "guile," meaning cunning or deceit. This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who was perceived as crafty or sly.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GUILE can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a William Gile residing in Oxfordshire. The variant spelling "Gile" was common during this period, as spellings were often inconsistent and phonetic before the standardization of English orthography.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various manorial records and tax rolls across different counties in England. For example, a John Gyle was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1379. The name also surfaced in the Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire in 1332, where a Robert Guyle was listed.

During the Tudor period, the GUILE surname gained more prominence. One notable figure was Sir John Guile (c. 1500-1572), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the City of London. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1562 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the GUILE name was found in various parish records and birth registers across England. One example is Thomas Guile, who was born in Gloucestershire in 1647 and later became a respected clergyman in the Church of England.

Another individual of note was Samuel Guile (1677-1745), a prominent English engraver and cartographer. He is best known for his detailed maps of London and its surrounding areas, which were widely used during his lifetime.

Moving into the 18th century, the GUILE surname continued to appear in various records and documents across the country. One notable figure was John Guile (1723-1804), a successful businessman and landowner from Somersetshire. He was also a generous philanthropist and contributed to the construction of several churches and schools in the region.

As the centuries progressed, the GUILE surname spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration to the United States and other English-speaking countries. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it likely emerged as a descriptive nickname reflecting the perceived cunning or sly nature of its earliest bearers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Guile families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Guile 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. Sussex leads with 85 Guiles recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.18x.

County Total Index
Sussex 85 23.18x
Lancashire 39 1.51x
Surrey 30 2.83x
Kent 16 2.16x
Lanarkshire 16 2.27x
Middlesex 10 0.46x
Cheshire 9 1.87x
Wiltshire 8 4.16x
Channel Islands 3 4.65x
Hampshire 3 0.67x
Flintshire 2 3.42x
Lincolnshire 2 0.58x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Broadwater in Sussex leads with 33 Guiles recorded in 1881 and an index of 392.39x.

Place Total Index
Broadwater 33 392.39x
Leominster 17 1440.68x
Barony 15 8.43x
Liverpool 15 9.57x
Erith 14 191.52x
Everton 11 13.37x
Brighton 10 13.52x
Billingshurst 8 666.67x
Whiteparish 8 975.61x
Merton 7 378.38x
Tranmere 7 39.66x
Wimbledon 7 58.82x
Portslade 6 267.86x
Hornsey 5 18.18x
Oldham 5 6.00x
West Derby 5 6.62x
Kingston On Thames 3 11.78x
Newington 3 3.73x
St Peter Port 3 25.17x
Sutton 3 39.11x
Blackburn 2 2.91x
Lewisham 2 5.05x
North Kyme 2 384.62x
Oving 2 161.29x
Petworth 2 91.32x
Portsmouth 2 19.47x
Rhuddlan 2 38.84x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 4.57x
Subdeanery 2 71.94x
Worth 2 75.19x
Beddington 1 24.39x
Betchworth 1 76.34x
Bury 1 3.39x
Clapham 1 3.68x
Funtington 1 120.48x
Ham 1 212.77x
Hamilton 1 5.10x
Hampstead London 1 2.95x
Higher Bebington 1 32.57x
Horsham 1 14.04x
Isleworth 1 10.34x
Islington London 1 0.47x
Kensington London 1 0.83x
Lambeth 1 0.53x
Lyme Handley 1 454.55x
Portsea 1 1.14x
St Marylebone London 1 0.86x
Worthing 1 243.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Elizabeth 7
Charlotte 6
Ellen 6
Alice 5
Emma 5
Caroline 4
Catherine 4
Eliza 4
Emily 4
Fanny 3
Jane 3
Amy 2
Annie 2
Harriett 2
Louise 2
Maria 2
Ada 1
Adeline 1
Ann 1
Catharine 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Ethel 1
Ethelinda 1
Florance 1
Hannah 1
Hariet 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Henrietta 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Laura 1
Lilly 1
Lydia 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1
Rachel 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 12
John 12
William 11
James 10
Thomas 7
Richard 5
Frederick 4
Albert 3
Charles 3
Daniel 3
Frank 3
Henry 3
Edward 2
Harry 2
Robert 2
Abraham 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Edwin 1
Elizabeth 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Harvey 1
Herbert 1
Hubert 1
Hy. 1
Jessie 1
Joseph 1
Nate 1
Richd. 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Thos 1
Tom 1
Willie 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Guile surname: questions and answers

How common was the Guile surname in 1881?

In 1881, 221 people were recorded with the Guile surname. That placed it at #12,049 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Guile surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 349 in 2016. That gives Guile a modern rank of #13,189.

What does the Guile surname mean?

A surname derived from a Norman French word meaning cunning or deceit.

What does the Guile map show?

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