NameCensus.

UK surname

Gun

An Anglo-saxon surname derived from the Old English word "gunnian" meaning to battle or fight.

In the 1881 census there were 174 people recorded with the Gun surname, ranking it #14,042 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 172, ranked #21,648, down from #14,042 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Pevensey, Sherford and Shoreham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Islington and Hackney.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gun is 316 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.1%.

1881 census count

174

Ranked #14,042

Modern count

172

2016, ranked #21,648

Peak year

1851

316 bearers

Map years

3

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gun had 174 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,042 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 172 in 2016, ranked #21,648.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 316 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Gun surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gun surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gun 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 316 #7,323
1861 historical 1 #34,435
1881 historical 174 #14,042
1891 historical 16 #32,868
1901 historical 85 #24,636
1997 modern 43 #33,361
1998 modern 50 #32,899
1999 modern 43 #33,683
2000 modern 44 #33,602
2001 modern 42 #33,658
2002 modern 60 #32,388
2003 modern 69 #31,587
2004 modern 74 #31,306
2005 modern 88 #29,831
2006 modern 96 #28,946
2007 modern 111 #26,954
2008 modern 123 #25,505
2009 modern 122 #26,220
2010 modern 131 #25,656
2011 modern 118 #27,192
2012 modern 143 #24,019
2013 modern 153 #23,314
2014 modern 159 #22,930
2015 modern 166 #22,159
2016 modern 172 #21,648

Geography

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Where Guns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Pevensey, Sherford, Shoreham, Paddington and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Islington and Hackney. 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 Pevensey Sussex
2 Sherford Devon
3 Shoreham Kent
4 Paddington London (West Districts)
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Islington 015 Islington
2 Hackney 004 Hackney
3 Hackney 016 Hackney
4 Hackney 010 Hackney
5 Islington 001 Islington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gun

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gun

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gun, 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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Gun surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Gun 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Gun is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gun is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gun falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gun is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Gun

The surname Gun originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, which lasted from the 5th to the 11th centuries. It is believed to have derived from the Old English personal name "Gunna," which itself was derived from the word "gunnr," meaning "war" or "battle."

The name Gun was particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, where many early records of the surname can be found. One of the earliest known references to the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where a person named Gun is listed as a landowner in Oxfordshire.

In the 13th century, records show a William Gun who was a landowner in Gloucestershire. Another notable individual with the surname Gun was John Gun, a merchant from Bristol who lived in the late 14th century and is mentioned in historical documents related to trade and commerce in the city.

During the 16th century, the surname Gun began to spread to other parts of England, including London and the surrounding areas. One notable figure from this period was Sir Roger Gun (1538-1616), a prominent lawyer and Member of Parliament who served as the Solicitor General for England and Wales.

In the 17th century, the Gun family produced several notable figures, including Thomas Gun (1615-1670), a clergyman and academic who served as the Provost of Queen's College, Oxford, and John Gun (1645-1718), a philosopher and theologian who was a fellow of the Royal Society.

Other notable individuals with the surname Gun include William Gun (1768-1846), a British naval officer who participated in several battles during the Napoleonic Wars, and Edward Gun (1809-1868), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London and other parts of England.

While the surname Gun has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, due to migration and emigration over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gun families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gun 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. Kent leads with 45 Guns recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.63x.

County Total Index
Kent 45 6.63x
Surrey 20 2.06x
Lancashire 19 0.80x
Sussex 18 5.37x
Yorkshire 14 0.71x
Sutherland 12 78.43x
Essex 10 2.55x
Middlesex 9 0.45x
Orkney 7 31.98x
Northamptonshire 6 3.21x
Lincolnshire 5 1.57x
Angus 4 2.17x
Devon 4 0.97x
Midlothian 4 1.50x
Staffordshire 4 0.60x
Ayrshire 3 2.01x
Somerset 3 0.94x
Warwickshire 3 0.60x
Berkshire 2 1.34x
Cornwall 2 0.89x
Derbyshire 2 0.64x
Cheshire 1 0.23x
Durham 1 0.17x
Glamorgan 1 0.29x
Hertfordshire 1 0.73x
Inverness-shire 1 1.68x
Lanarkshire 1 0.16x
Perthshire 1 1.12x
Stirlingshire 1 1.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Farr in Sutherland leads with 12 Guns recorded in 1881 and an index of 909.09x.

Place Total Index
Farr 12 909.09x
Shoreham 11 1134.02x
Brighton 9 13.30x
Chiddingly 8 1333.33x
Ashford 7 105.90x
Camberwell 7 5.51x
Maidstone 6 29.67x
Paston 6 750.00x
Caterham 5 116.55x
Everton 5 6.64x
Kirkwall St Ola 5 152.44x
South Weald 5 148.81x
Woolwich 5 19.94x
York St Lawrence 5 242.72x
Idle 4 43.76x
Manchester 4 3.77x
Newington 4 5.44x
Toxteth Park 4 5.00x
Aveley 3 454.55x
Frindsbury 3 117.19x
Frittenden 3 476.19x
Harborne 3 13.93x
Largs 3 85.47x
Northfleet 3 50.17x
Speldhurst 3 86.71x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 3 67.11x
Walcot 3 17.59x
Bapchild 2 714.29x
Barrow In Furness 2 6.23x
Claylane 2 46.19x
Croydon 2 3.72x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 1.87x
Firth Stenness 2 212.77x
Hulme 2 4.06x
Liff Benvie 2 7.15x
Montrose 2 17.91x
Sheffield 2 3.19x
Shoreditch London 2 2.32x
St George Bloomsbury 2 17.51x
Tetney 2 363.64x
Aston 1 0.72x
Aston Cum Aughton 1 62.11x
Barony 1 0.61x
Burton Upon Trent 1 6.37x
Cliffe 1 65.36x
Colchester St Mary At 1 71.94x
Coventry St Michael 1 6.20x
Dalkeith 1 19.01x
Eastbourne 1 6.48x
Fortingall 1 87.72x
Hemel Hempstead 1 16.18x
Ickham Well 1 256.41x
Ilfracombe 1 23.47x
Kiltarlity 1 68.49x
Kings Nympton 1 232.56x
Kippen 1 101.01x
Lambeth 1 0.58x
Liskeard 1 26.53x
Llandaff 1 8.67x
Manningham 1 4.12x
North Meols 1 4.33x
Ovenden 1 11.39x
Pinner 1 57.47x
Reading St Mary 1 8.36x
Salford 1 1.44x
Sandhurst 1 34.60x
South Leith 1 3.33x
Southwark St Saviour 1 9.78x
St Blazey 1 50.51x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.85x
St Luke London 1 3.13x
St Martin In Fields 1 8.40x
St Marylebone London 1 0.94x
Stranton 1 5.02x
Thelbridge 1 666.67x
Tranmere 1 6.20x
West Ham 1 1.15x
Wilnecote 1 69.44x
Wolborough 1 19.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 7
Ellen 5
Ann 4
Eliza 4
Jane 4
Sarah 4
Caroline 3
Annie 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Helen 2
Marie 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Alpha 1
Anne 1
Clara 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Helenor 1
Hosanah 1
Isabella 1
Kate 1
Lily 1
Madeline 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Marion 1
Oncestrich 1
Rose 1
Susanah 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 11
John 11
William 10
James 9
Thomas 5
Arthur 4
Joseph 4
Albert 3
Richard 3
Samuel 3
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Henry 2
Walter 2
Alban 1
Albany 1
Ambrose 1
Annie 1
Ashley 1
Daniel 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fredc. 1
Frederick 1
Gordon 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Hugh 1
Infant 1
Jonathan 1
Nicklous 1
Patrick 1
Wilson 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Gun surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gun surname in 1881?

In 1881, 174 people were recorded with the Gun surname. That placed it at #14,042 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gun surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 172 in 2016. That gives Gun a modern rank of #21,648.

What does the Gun surname mean?

An Anglo-saxon surname derived from the Old English word "gunnian" meaning to battle or fight.

What does the Gun map show?

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