NameCensus.

UK surname

Gunby

A locational surname derived from a place name in Lincolnshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 205 people recorded with the Gunby surname, ranking it #12,643 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 388, ranked #12,133, up from #12,643 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Belgrave and Thurcaston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, Ashfield and Charnwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gunby is 429 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 89.3%.

1881 census count

205

Ranked #12,643

Modern count

388

2016, ranked #12,133

Peak year

1997

429 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gunby had 205 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,643 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 388 in 2016, ranked #12,133.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 408 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Gunby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gunby surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gunby 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 109 #16,212
1861 historical 147 #15,539
1881 historical 205 #12,643
1891 historical 263 #12,261
1901 historical 327 #10,966
1911 historical 408 #9,161
1997 modern 429 #10,440
1998 modern 429 #10,795
1999 modern 429 #10,874
2000 modern 425 #10,898
2001 modern 406 #11,096
2002 modern 401 #11,429
2003 modern 393 #11,401
2004 modern 387 #11,559
2005 modern 384 #11,538
2006 modern 372 #11,878
2007 modern 392 #11,550
2008 modern 389 #11,723
2009 modern 400 #11,729
2010 modern 414 #11,673
2011 modern 416 #11,492
2012 modern 406 #11,606
2013 modern 400 #11,915
2014 modern 399 #12,030
2015 modern 387 #12,218
2016 modern 388 #12,133

Geography

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Where Gunbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Belgrave, Thurcaston, Thorpe Arnold and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, Ashfield and Charnwood. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Belgrave Leicestershire
3 Thurcaston Leicestershire
4 Thorpe Arnold Leicestershire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 035 Leeds
2 Ashfield 003 Ashfield
3 Charnwood 014 Charnwood
4 Leeds 032 Leeds
5 Leeds 041 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gunby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gunby

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Gunby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Gunby household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Gunby 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

Gunby is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gunby falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gunby 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gunby

The surname Gunby originated in England during the late medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the parish and village of Gunby in Lincolnshire, where the name was first recorded in the 13th century. The name likely comes from the Old Norse words "gunni" meaning war or battle, and "by" meaning a farmstead or village. This suggests the name may have been given to someone who lived in the village associated with war or battles.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the Gunby name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273, where it appears as "Gunnesby". The nearby village of Gunby is also mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Gunnebi". This indicates the name and the place it originated from have existed since at least the 11th century.

Notable people with the surname Gunby include Sir John Gunby (c.1530-1601), an English politician who served as Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1578. Another early bearer of the name was William Gunby (1576-1654), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Sutton-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire.

In the 17th century, there was Thomas Gunby (1621-1675), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire in 1660. Around the same time, Robert Gunby (1626-1699) was an English churchman who became the Bishop of Peterborough in 1675.

Moving into the 18th century, we have Richard Gunby (1714-1770), an English landowner and politician who represented Lincolnshire in the House of Commons from 1754 to 1768. He was also the High Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1751.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Gunby, which has its roots in the small village of the same name in Lincolnshire, England. The name's origins can be traced back to at least the 11th century, with various spellings appearing in early records and historical documents.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gunby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gunby 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. Leicestershire leads with 66 Gunbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.77x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 66 29.77x
Yorkshire 36 1.82x
Middlesex 31 1.55x
Lincolnshire 25 7.82x
Derbyshire 15 4.79x
Lancashire 14 0.59x
Nottinghamshire 10 3.71x
Northamptonshire 4 2.13x
Surrey 3 0.31x
Rutland 1 6.81x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire leads with 16 Gunbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 401.00x.

Place Total Index
Melton Mowbray 16 401.00x
Belgrave 12 240.00x
Leicester St Margaret 11 20.34x
St Pancras London 10 6.21x
Thorpe Arnold 9 9000.00x
Wigston Magna 9 306.12x
Brightside Bierlow 8 20.58x
Carlton 8 259.74x
Whitwell 8 640.00x
Ingham 7 1707.32x
Matlock 7 166.67x
Bethnal Green London 6 6.91x
Openshaw 6 54.01x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 5 211.86x
Doncaster 5 34.53x
Sheffield 5 7.93x
Winterton 5 454.55x
Great Bolton 4 12.73x
Islington London 4 2.06x
Northampton All Sts 4 62.70x
Roxby Cum Risby 4 1379.31x
Welton In The Marsh 4 1538.46x
Croydon 3 5.55x
Hackney London 3 2.68x
Leicester All Sts 3 68.97x
Leicester St Mary 3 16.75x
Linthwaite 3 72.12x
Southcoates 3 27.27x
Ashby De La Zouch 2 38.91x
Boston 2 20.62x
Castleton 2 8.44x
Clerkenwell London 2 4.24x
Paddington London 2 2.72x
Sculcoates 2 6.37x
Westminster St James 2 9.73x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 2.48x
Ecclesfield 1 6.88x
Everton 1 1.32x
Frampton 1 163.93x
Glen Parva 1 192.31x
Hampstead London 1 3.21x
Hulme 1 2.02x
Leeds 1 0.89x
Linthorpe 1 8.45x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.43x
Ormesby 1 18.76x
St Martin Lincoln 1 33.67x
Westminster St John 1 4.11x
Weston 1 416.67x
Wildmore 1 238.10x
Wing 1 454.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 21
George 11
Thomas 8
William 7
Arthur 5
Henry 5
Harry 4
Walter 4
James 3
Charles 2
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Reuben 2
Samuel 2
Tom 2
Amos 1
Anthony 1
Bert 1
David 1
Douglass 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Enoch 1
Ezra 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Garbet 1
Geo.Hy. 1
Horace 1
Infant 1
Isaac 1
Jno. 1
Jno.Tho. 1
Joseph 1
Joshua 1
Mark 1
Morris 1
Robert 1
Tater 1
Taylor 1
Wm.Thos. 1

FAQ

Gunby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gunby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 205 people were recorded with the Gunby surname. That placed it at #12,643 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gunby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 388 in 2016. That gives Gunby a modern rank of #12,133.

What does the Gunby surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in Lincolnshire, England.

What does the Gunby map show?

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