NameCensus.

UK surname

Guise

A surname derived from the French term "guise" meaning manner, fashion or style.

In the 1881 census there were 434 people recorded with the Guise surname, ranking it #7,512 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 529, ranked #9,589, down from #7,512 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick, Himbleton, Shell and Tardebigg. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stroud, East Lindsey and Newark and Sherwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Guise is 628 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.9%.

1881 census count

434

Ranked #7,512

Modern count

529

2016, ranked #9,589

Peak year

1997

628 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Guise had 434 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,512 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 529 in 2016, ranked #9,589.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 619 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Guise surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Guise surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Guise 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 267 #8,342
1861 historical 259 #9,561
1881 historical 434 #7,512
1891 historical 458 #7,974
1901 historical 539 #7,632
1911 historical 619 #6,681
1997 modern 628 #7,884
1998 modern 618 #8,221
1999 modern 623 #8,224
2000 modern 626 #8,179
2001 modern 612 #8,164
2002 modern 616 #8,298
2003 modern 598 #8,358
2004 modern 590 #8,453
2005 modern 575 #8,523
2006 modern 567 #8,637
2007 modern 557 #8,813
2008 modern 553 #8,924
2009 modern 554 #9,117
2010 modern 570 #9,106
2011 modern 568 #9,043
2012 modern 546 #9,221
2013 modern 547 #9,375
2014 modern 548 #9,418
2015 modern 538 #9,489
2016 modern 529 #9,589

Geography

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Where Guises are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick, Himbleton, Shell, Tardebigg, Droitwich St Andrew and St Mary, Droitwich St Nicholas, Dodderhill (Dodderhill in Liberties), Malbor and Dodderhill (Dodderhill), Hanbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stroud, East Lindsey, Newark and Sherwood, Stratford-on-Avon and Dudley. 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 Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick Worcestershire
2 Himbleton, Shell Worcestershire
3 Tardebigg Worcestershire
4 Droitwich St Andrew and St Mary, Droitwich St Nicholas, Dodderhill (Dodderhill in Liberties), Malbor Worcestershire
5 Dodderhill (Dodderhill), Hanbury Worcestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stroud 001 Stroud
2 East Lindsey 004 East Lindsey
3 Newark and Sherwood 008 Newark and Sherwood
4 Stratford-on-Avon 011 Stratford-on-Avon
5 Dudley 017 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Guise

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Guise

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Guise is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Guise is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Guise falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Guise

The surname Guise originates from the northern regions of France, particularly Normandy, during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "guise," which means "manner" or "way." The name may have been originally used to describe a person's distinctive manner or behavior.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a person named "Willelmus de Guisa," suggesting that the name had already been established in Normandy before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

During the 12th century, the noble family of Guise, also known as the House of Lorraine, rose to prominence in France. This powerful dynasty produced several influential figures, including François de Lorraine, Duke of Guise (1519-1563), a prominent military leader during the French Wars of Religion, and his son, Henri I, Duke of Guise (1550-1588), who played a significant role in the French Wars of Religion and the War of the Three Henrys.

Another notable figure with the surname Guise was René Potier, Duke of Tresmes and Prince of Guise (1579-1670), a French nobleman and military commander who served as the Governor of Provence and later as the Grand Chamberlain of France under Louis XIII.

In England, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Sir John Guise (c. 1450-1502), a Tudor knight and courtier who served as the Governor of Calais and held various other important positions under Henry VII and Henry VIII.

The surname Guise has also been associated with several place names, such as Guise-la-Mothe in the Somme department of France and Guist in Norfolk, England. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Other notable individuals with the surname Guise include William Guise (c. 1570-1645), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, and John Guise (1683-1765), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Guise families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Guise 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. Worcestershire leads with 213 Guises recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.53x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 213 38.53x
Staffordshire 47 3.29x
Warwickshire 43 4.03x
Gloucestershire 20 2.41x
Lancashire 17 0.34x
Kent 12 0.83x
Oxfordshire 12 4.59x
Middlesex 7 0.17x
Midlothian 7 1.23x
Glamorgan 6 0.81x
Herefordshire 6 3.46x
Yorkshire 6 0.14x
Bedfordshire 5 2.28x
Devon 5 0.57x
Essex 5 0.60x
Surrey 5 0.24x
Wiltshire 5 1.34x
Dorset 3 1.08x
Shropshire 3 0.82x
Derbyshire 2 0.30x
Hampshire 2 0.23x
Cheshire 1 0.11x
Flintshire 1 0.88x
Roxburghshire 1 1.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Droitwich St Andrew in Worcestershire leads with 28 Guises recorded in 1881 and an index of 2014.39x.

Place Total Index
Droitwich St Andrew 28 2014.39x
Kingswinford 25 48.19x
Dodderhill 19 805.08x
Stratford On Avon 16 270.27x
Claines 13 85.70x
Dodderhill In Liberties 13 1710.53x
Aston 12 4.08x
Redditch 12 107.05x
Birmingham 10 2.81x
Cropthorne 10 980.39x
Droitwich St Nicholas 10 487.80x
Belbroughton 9 313.59x
Castlemorton 8 740.74x
Droitwich St Peter 8 645.16x
Himbleton 8 1212.12x
Huyton With Roby 8 135.82x
Wolverhampton 8 7.28x
Broadwas 7 1555.56x
Bromsgrove 7 37.61x
Elmore 7 1372.55x
Stoke Prior 7 205.28x
Castleford 6 39.27x
Oxford St Ebbe 6 78.02x
Ratho 6 227.27x
Roath 6 17.92x
West Derby 6 4.08x
Worcester St Nicholas 6 229.01x
Worcester St Peter 6 57.36x
Barking 5 20.45x
Bedford St Paul 5 33.27x
Ash Next Ridley 4 434.78x
Hammerwich 4 197.04x
Pershore Holy Cross 4 112.99x
Plymouth Charles The 4 10.30x
Swindon 4 13.77x
Wyre Piddle 4 1052.63x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 3 3.84x
Caversham 3 57.36x
Evesham St Lawrence 3 102.04x
Great Little Hampton 3 326.09x
Linton In Bromyard 3 394.74x
Little Dean 3 252.10x
Longhope 3 212.77x
Old Stratford 3 49.67x
Oxford St Thomas 3 24.59x
Rowley Regis 3 7.53x
St Luke London 3 4.42x
West Bromwich 3 3.67x
Worcester St Andrew 3 160.43x
Yardley 3 21.22x
Alkham 2 240.96x
Beckenham 2 10.59x
Church Pulverbach 2 344.83x
Lea Upper 2 1333.33x
Leatherhead 2 38.68x
Mickleton 2 183.49x
Portland 2 13.39x
Salwarpe 2 322.58x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 2.35x
Tibberton 2 400.00x
Tutnall Cobley 2 277.78x
Upperswinford 2 42.74x
Whitechapel London 2 4.79x
Worcester St John 2 30.30x
Audley 1 7.07x
Bromley 1 4.54x
Eastnor 1 172.41x
Edgbaston 1 3.02x
Hanbury 1 66.67x
Handsworth 1 2.84x
Knightwick 1 476.19x
Lower Mitton 1 20.53x
Ludlow St Lawrence 1 13.74x
Pelsall 1 23.53x
Richmond 1 3.46x
Solihull 1 13.04x
Wardour 1 90.91x
Warrington 1 1.68x
Whitford 1 16.95x
Whittington 1 10.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 25
Sarah 17
Elizabeth 16
Emma 12
Ellen 10
Ann 9
Eliza 8
Annie 7
Fanny 7
Jane 6
Maria 6
Alice 5
Harriet 5
Amy 4
Susan 4
Emily 3
Harriett 3
Henrietta 3
Isabella 3
Lizzie 3
Louisa 3
Minnie 3
Phoebe 3
Rose 3
Ada 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Elizebeth 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Margaret 2
Rebecca 2
Anne 1
Blanch 1
Delia 1
Ester 1
Ethel 1
Florinda 1
Francis 1
Frederica 1
Georgiana 1
Jessie 1
Lavinia 1
Lilian 1
Lillian 1
Lillie 1
Lilly 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 24
George 23
John 21
Joseph 17
Thomas 14
Henry 9
Charles 8
James 7
Frederick 5
Harry 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Benjamin 3
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Elijah 2
Herbert 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Bertram 1
Clifford 1
David 1
Dennis 1
Ebenezer 1
Frank 1
Fred.W. 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Giles 1
H. 1
Hurbert 1
Hy. 1
Infant 1
Jarvis 1
Jesse 1
Jessie 1
Julian 1
Junie 1
Leonard 1
Mark 1
Moses 1
Philip 1
Rawson 1
Robert 1
Rowson 1
Thos. 1
Vernon 1
Wm.Elijah 1

FAQ

Guise surname: questions and answers

How common was the Guise surname in 1881?

In 1881, 434 people were recorded with the Guise surname. That placed it at #7,512 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Guise surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 529 in 2016. That gives Guise a modern rank of #9,589.

What does the Guise surname mean?

A surname derived from the French term "guise" meaning manner, fashion or style.

What does the Guise map show?

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