NameCensus.

UK surname

Gundy

A surname with origins relating to war or military actions.

In the 1881 census there were 131 people recorded with the Gundy surname, ranking it #16,824 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 155, ranked #23,197, down from #16,824 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Peterstow, Goodrich, Marstow, Hentland and Llangarran. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, East Dorset and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gundy is 185 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.3%.

1881 census count

131

Ranked #16,824

Modern count

155

2016, ranked #23,197

Peak year

1861

185 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gundy had 131 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,824 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 155 in 2016, ranked #23,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 185 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Gundy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gundy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gundy 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 159 #12,400
1861 historical 185 #12,799
1881 historical 131 #16,824
1891 historical 169 #16,885
1901 historical 142 #18,633
1911 historical 165 #16,808
1997 modern 169 #19,578
1998 modern 172 #19,883
1999 modern 179 #19,539
2000 modern 172 #19,974
2001 modern 160 #20,616
2002 modern 166 #20,532
2003 modern 153 #21,406
2004 modern 148 #22,000
2005 modern 152 #21,572
2006 modern 144 #22,520
2007 modern 153 #21,912
2008 modern 155 #21,956
2009 modern 158 #22,168
2010 modern 160 #22,487
2011 modern 154 #22,886
2012 modern 151 #23,166
2013 modern 150 #23,653
2014 modern 157 #23,101
2015 modern 158 #22,913
2016 modern 155 #23,197

Geography

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Where Gundys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Peterstow, Goodrich, Marstow, Hentland, Llangarran, Eccles and Hope-under-Dinsmore. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, East Dorset, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Caerphilly. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Peterstow, Goodrich, Marstow, Hentland Herefordshire
3 Llangarran Herefordshire
4 Eccles Lancashire
5 Hope-under-Dinsmore Herefordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 021 Herefordshire, County of
2 Herefordshire 006 Herefordshire, County of
3 East Dorset 007 East Dorset
4 Rhondda Cynon Taf 013 Rhondda Cynon Taf
5 Caerphilly 022 Caerphilly

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gundy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gundy

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Gundy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Gundy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Gundy is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gundy is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gundy falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gundy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gundy

The surname Gundy is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a place called Gunthwaite or Gunthorpe, which are old English place names meaning "Gunna's clearing" or "Gunna's village."

One of the earliest records of the name Gundy can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Gundeuilla." This entry refers to a place in Lincolnshire, suggesting that the name was already in use in that region by the late 11th century.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, various spellings of the name emerged, such as Gundye, Gundy, and Gundith. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the phonetic spelling preferences of scribes at the time.

In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Gundy was Sir John Gundy (c. 1435-1498), a member of the gentry in Gloucestershire. He served as a Member of Parliament for the county in 1477 and 1483.

Another prominent individual with the name Gundy was William Gundy (1548-1615), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Battersby in Yorkshire. He wrote several religious works, including a treatise on the Book of Revelation.

In the 17th century, the Gundy family established themselves in Oxfordshire, where they owned land and properties. One member of this branch, Robert Gundy (1620-1688), was a prosperous landowner and magistrate in the county.

During the 18th century, the name Gundy was associated with several military figures. Captain John Gundy (1705-1783) was an officer in the British Army who served in the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Admiral Sir Thomas Gundy (1742-1821), a Royal Navy officer who distinguished himself in several naval battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

As the centuries progressed, the Gundy name spread to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to other parts of the world through emigration. While the name has undergone various spelling variations over time, its roots can be traced back to the medieval English place names that gave rise to this distinctive surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gundy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gundy 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. Herefordshire leads with 35 Gundys recorded in 1881 and an index of 68.91x.

County Total Index
Herefordshire 35 68.91x
Lancashire 28 1.91x
Monmouthshire 17 18.98x
Essex 13 5.32x
Middlesex 10 0.81x
Staffordshire 8 1.91x
Cheshire 6 2.19x
Kent 4 0.95x
Yorkshire 2 0.16x
Berkshire 1 1.08x
Lincolnshire 1 0.50x
Northumberland 1 0.54x
Oxfordshire 1 1.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Worsley in Lancashire leads with 20 Gundys recorded in 1881 and an index of 220.75x.

Place Total Index
Worsley 20 220.75x
Llangarren 12 2608.70x
South Shoebury 7 714.29x
Whitchurch 7 2258.06x
Leftwich 6 495.87x
Dingestow 5 6250.00x
Henllys 5 3571.43x
Hope Under Dinmore 5 2380.95x
Rodd Nash Little 5 7142.86x
Warrington 5 28.70x
Wolverhampton 5 15.55x
Hammersmith London 4 13.11x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 9.34x
Chigwell 3 129.87x
Islington London 3 2.50x
Rocester 3 576.92x
Christchurch 2 72.20x
Great Wakering 2 363.64x
Llanishen 2 2000.00x
Newton In Leominster 2 6666.67x
Tregare 2 1666.67x
Bartestree 1 1111.11x
Burghill 1 172.41x
Eardisland 1 303.03x
Eye 1 333.33x
Greenwich 1 5.07x
Horton In Bradford 1 5.22x
Horton Kirby 1 153.85x
Lewisham 1 4.44x
Marske In Guisbrough 1 45.87x
Monmouth 1 42.19x
North Shields 1 27.17x
Oxford St Giles 1 27.40x
Poplar London 1 4.28x
Springfield 1 93.46x
St George Hanover Square 1 4.58x
St Pancras London 1 1.00x
Stamford St Michael 1 178.57x
Thatcham 1 69.93x
Woolwich 1 6.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 8
Sarah 6
Alice 4
Jane 4
Ann 3
Susan 3
Clara 2
Eliza 2
Lucy 2
Ada 1
Amy 1
Augusta 1
Bertha 1
Blanche 1
Caroline 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Maude 1
Rebecca 1
Rosa 1
Susuanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 9
John 8
George 6
Joseph 6
Henry 4
James 3
Thomas 3
Arthur 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Allan 1
Arnold 1
Benjamin 1
Bertie 1
Charles 1
Frederick 1
H. 1
Jno.Hy. 1
Joshua 1
Mathew 1
Peter 1
Reece 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Gundy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gundy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 131 people were recorded with the Gundy surname. That placed it at #16,824 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gundy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 155 in 2016. That gives Gundy a modern rank of #23,197.

What does the Gundy surname mean?

A surname with origins relating to war or military actions.

What does the Gundy map show?

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