NameCensus.

UK surname

Gulland

A Gulland is a Scottish surname derived from the lands of Gulland in Perthshire.

In the 1881 census there were 185 people recorded with the Gulland surname, ranking it #13,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 129, ranked #26,270, down from #13,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Falkland, KInghorn and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Thornybank, Milton Keynes and Chichester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gulland is 224 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 30.3%.

1881 census count

185

Ranked #13,506

Modern count

129

2016, ranked #26,270

Peak year

1891

224 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gulland had 185 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016, ranked #26,270.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 224 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gulland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gulland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gulland 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 134 #14,033
1861 historical 151 #15,209
1881 historical 185 #13,506
1891 historical 224 #13,760
1901 historical 210 #14,677
1911 historical 94 #23,391
1997 modern 113 #25,106
1998 modern 124 #24,316
1999 modern 127 #24,125
2000 modern 125 #24,351
2001 modern 120 #24,615
2002 modern 127 #24,267
2003 modern 129 #23,783
2004 modern 132 #23,625
2005 modern 127 #24,178
2006 modern 128 #24,267
2007 modern 130 #24,389
2008 modern 125 #25,249
2009 modern 124 #25,957
2010 modern 124 #26,582
2011 modern 123 #26,512
2012 modern 117 #27,394
2013 modern 124 #26,842
2014 modern 129 #26,352
2015 modern 134 #25,607
2016 modern 129 #26,270

Geography

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Where Gullands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Falkland, KInghorn, London parishes, Kilconquhar and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Thornybank, Milton Keynes, Chichester, Troqueer and Prestwick West. 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 Falkland Fife
2 KInghorn Fife
3 London parishes London 3
4 Kilconquhar Fife
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Thornybank Midlothian
2 Milton Keynes 028 Milton Keynes
3 Chichester 005 Chichester
4 Troqueer Dumfries and Galloway
5 Prestwick West South Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gulland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gulland

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

Gulland 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

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

Meaning and origin of Gulland

The surname Gulland is believed to have originated in Scotland, and its roots can be traced back to the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old Norse word "gul," meaning yellow or golden, and "land," referring to a tract of land or territory. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive term for someone who lived on or owned land with a yellowish or golden hue.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gulland can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the late 13th century, where a person named William Gulland is mentioned as a landowner in the county of Fife. The name also appears in various medieval charters and legal documents, indicating its presence in Scotland during the Middle Ages.

In the 16th century, the name Gulland was associated with a prominent family from the Scottish Borders region. Sir John Gulland (1520-1588) was a notable figure who served as a member of the Scottish Parliament and played a significant role in the turbulent political landscape of the time.

During the 17th century, the Gulland family established itself in the city of Edinburgh, where they became respected members of the local gentry. One notable individual from this period was Robert Gulland (1645-1712), a successful merchant and philanthropist who contributed to the construction of several churches and educational institutions in the city.

In the 18th century, the Gulland name gained prominence in the literary world with the birth of William Gulland (1745-1820), a renowned Scottish poet and playwright. His works, which often celebrated the natural beauty of the Scottish highlands, earned him widespread recognition and acclaim.

Moving into the 19th century, the Gulland family continued to make significant contributions to various fields. James Gulland (1810-1879) was a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings, including the iconic St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.

Throughout its history, the surname Gulland has been associated with various place names and geographic locations in Scotland, such as Gulland Hill, Gulland Muir, and the village of Gullandfirth. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and the Scottish landscape.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gulland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gulland 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. Midlothian leads with 57 Gullands recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.58x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 57 23.58x
Fife 47 44.00x
Surrey 20 2.27x
Lancashire 15 0.70x
Middlesex 12 0.66x
Kent 7 1.14x
Perthshire 7 8.64x
Angus 5 2.99x
Lanarkshire 5 0.86x
Dumfriesshire 2 5.02x
Renfrewshire 2 1.43x
Caithness 1 4.05x
Channel Islands 1 1.87x
Kinross-shire 1 21.93x
Northamptonshire 1 0.59x
Shetland 1 5.43x
Sussex 1 0.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 20 Gullands recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.56x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 20 20.56x
Battersea 16 24.10x
Falkland 11 654.76x
South Leith 10 36.76x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 8 479.04x
Kinglassie 7 864.20x
Moss Side 7 62.11x
Muckhart 7 1891.89x
Bethnal Green London 6 7.65x
Charlton Next Woolwich 6 93.46x
Edinburgh Greenside 6 188.09x
Dalkeith 5 104.82x
Dundee 5 8.01x
Kilconquhar 5 393.70x
Kinghorn 5 220.26x
North Leith 5 44.68x
Cameron 4 645.16x
Great Bolton 4 14.10x
Lambeth 4 2.54x
Largo 4 287.77x
Levenshulme 4 181.82x
Glasgow 3 2.89x
Scoonie 3 129.87x
St Marylebone London 3 3.11x
Cathcart 2 26.42x
Cupar 2 43.01x
Dysart 2 27.82x
Gretna 2 266.67x
Auchtertool 1 227.27x
Barony 1 0.68x
Burntisland 1 33.44x
Duddingston 1 20.62x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 19.92x
Govan 1 0.69x
Hastings St Mary 1 13.21x
Inveresk 1 15.27x
Islington London 1 0.57x
Kingsthorpe 1 52.91x
Kinross 1 64.10x
Kirkcaldy 1 18.87x
Lerwick Gulberwick 1 35.09x
St Helier 1 5.74x
Torryburn 1 217.39x
Twickenham 1 12.92x
Westminster St Margaret 1 11.49x
Wick 1 12.53x
Woolwich 1 4.40x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ellen 3
Mary 3
Annie 2
Elizabeth 2
Jane 2
Amy 1
Ann 1
Daisy 1
Dinah 1
Edith 1
Emily 1
Eva 1
Flo. 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Lalla 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Nellie 1
Priscilla 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alexander 3
Charles 2
Fredk. 2
John 2
William 2
Alfred 1
Char. 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Walter 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 Gulland households.

FAQ

Gulland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gulland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 185 people were recorded with the Gulland surname. That placed it at #13,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gulland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016. That gives Gulland a modern rank of #26,270.

What does the Gulland surname mean?

A Gulland is a Scottish surname derived from the lands of Gulland in Perthshire.

What does the Gulland map show?

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