NameCensus.

UK surname

Gunning

An occupational surname for an individual who manufactured or used guns, or perhaps a nickname for a hunter.

In the 1881 census there were 1,094 people recorded with the Gunning surname, ranking it #3,635 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,122, ranked #3,047, up from #3,635 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Nunney and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Milton East, West Dorset and South Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gunning is 2,195 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 94.0%.

1881 census count

1,094

Ranked #3,635

Modern count

2,122

2016, ranked #3,047

Peak year

2010

2,195 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gunning had 1,094 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,635 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,122 in 2016, ranked #3,047.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,469 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gunning surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gunning surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gunning 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 728 #3,605
1861 historical 762 #3,591
1881 historical 1,094 #3,635
1891 historical 1,260 #3,423
1901 historical 1,469 #3,480
1911 historical 1,299 #3,670
1997 modern 2,037 #3,015
1998 modern 2,132 #2,998
1999 modern 2,134 #3,021
2000 modern 2,114 #3,025
2001 modern 2,065 #3,024
2002 modern 2,088 #3,064
2003 modern 2,058 #3,047
2004 modern 2,033 #3,074
2005 modern 2,037 #3,027
2006 modern 2,071 #2,988
2007 modern 2,081 #3,007
2008 modern 2,086 #3,022
2009 modern 2,157 #3,010
2010 modern 2,195 #3,018
2011 modern 2,192 #2,982
2012 modern 2,140 #2,995
2013 modern 2,154 #3,025
2014 modern 2,161 #3,039
2015 modern 2,134 #3,042
2016 modern 2,122 #3,047

Geography

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Where Gunnings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Nunney, London parishes, St Pancras and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Milton East, West Dorset, South Somerset, Wiltshire and Richmondshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Nunney Somerset
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Milton East Glasgow City
2 West Dorset 003 West Dorset
3 South Somerset 002 South Somerset
4 Wiltshire 030 Wiltshire
5 Richmondshire 002 Richmondshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gunning

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gunning

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

Gunning 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

Gunning falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Gunning

The surname GUNNING is of English origin and is derived from the Old English word "gunna" or "gunnen," which means "battle" or "war." The name is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century during the time of the Norman conquest of England.

The name was likely initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who was a skilled warrior or soldier. It may have also been used as a nickname for someone with a fierce or aggressive personality.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GUNNING surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a Robert Gunning is mentioned. Another early reference is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, which lists a John Gunnyng.

The name has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir Robert Gunning (1589-1670), an English diplomat and politician who served as a member of Parliament during the reign of Charles I and was appointed as a commissioner to negotiate with the Scottish Covenanters.

Another prominent figure was Peter Gunning (1614-1684), an English clergyman and bishop who played a significant role in the restoration of the Church of England during the reign of Charles II. He was appointed as the Bishop of Chichester in 1670.

In the 18th century, Elizabeth Gunning (1733-1790) and her sister, Maria Gunning (1737-1760), were famous for their beauty and became part of the British aristocracy through their marriages. Elizabeth married the 6th Duke of Hamilton, while Maria married the Earl of Coventry.

In the literary world, Peter Gunning (1808-1884) was a notable English author and educator who wrote several books on natural philosophy and natural history.

Another individual of note was Sir Robert Gunning (1854-1940), a British diplomat who served as the ambassador to Brazil and Sweden, and was also the Governor of Madras Presidency in India from 1919 to 1924.

The GUNNING surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Gunning in Kent and Gunning in Oxfordshire, which may have contributed to the evolution and spread of the name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gunning families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gunning 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. Somerset leads with 274 Gunnings recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.96x.

County Total Index
Somerset 274 15.96x
Middlesex 113 1.06x
Lancashire 104 0.82x
Gloucestershire 87 4.16x
Surrey 59 1.14x
Wiltshire 54 5.73x
Lanarkshire 47 1.36x
Cheshire 44 1.87x
Yorkshire 27 0.26x
Devon 25 1.13x
Staffordshire 22 0.61x
Ayrshire 21 2.63x
Hampshire 21 0.96x
Worcestershire 18 1.29x
Angus 13 1.32x
Leicestershire 12 1.02x
Oxfordshire 12 1.82x
Dunbartonshire 11 3.84x
Berkshire 9 1.12x
Dorset 9 1.29x
Midlothian 9 0.63x
Renfrewshire 9 1.09x
Glamorgan 8 0.43x
Kirkcudbrightshire 8 5.18x
Derbyshire 7 0.42x
Dumfriesshire 7 2.97x
Durham 7 0.22x
Northamptonshire 7 0.70x
Shropshire 5 0.54x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.62x
Cumberland 4 0.44x
Kent 4 0.11x
Sussex 4 0.22x
Warwickshire 4 0.15x
Essex 3 0.14x
Norfolk 3 0.18x
Stirlingshire 3 0.76x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.30x
Hertfordshire 2 0.27x
Monmouthshire 2 0.26x
Argyllshire 1 0.34x
Bedfordshire 1 0.18x
Brecknockshire 1 0.47x
Fife 1 0.16x
Kincardineshire 1 0.77x
Northumberland 1 0.06x
Roxburghshire 1 0.52x
Royal Navy 1 0.79x
Suffolk 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Walcot in Somerset leads with 31 Gunnings recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.91x.

Place Total Index
Walcot 31 33.91x
Barony 29 3.32x
Bedminster 22 13.64x
Nunney 22 591.40x
Liverpool 21 2.73x
Shepton Mallet 21 109.03x
Bristol St George 20 20.68x
St Pancras London 19 2.21x
Trowbridge 19 45.59x
Wick Abson 18 562.50x
Frome 17 41.41x
Swainswick 17 735.93x
Midsomer Norton 14 86.58x
Salford 14 3.76x
Birkenhead 13 6.93x
Calne 13 66.98x
Barr 12 547.95x
Wells St Cuthbert 12 102.48x
West Derby 12 3.24x
Whatley 12 759.49x
Bathwick 11 57.93x
Bermondsey 11 3.47x
Cloford 11 1527.78x
Newington 11 2.79x
Harborne 10 8.67x
Manchester 10 1.76x
Newton St Loe 10 751.88x
Whitestone 10 595.24x
Bromley London 9 3.84x
Kirkdale 9 4.23x
Bristol St James St Paul 8 11.47x
Dudley 8 4.73x
Glasgow 8 1.31x
Kensington London 8 1.35x
Marsden In Almondbury 8 83.25x
Northfield 8 30.28x
Terregles 8 465.12x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 7 3.56x
Heston 7 19.77x
Llandaff 7 11.33x
Southwark St John 7 21.47x
St Vigeans 7 13.13x
Toxteth Park 7 1.63x
Wookey 7 185.19x
Horton In Bradford 6 3.64x
Islington London 6 0.58x
Leeds 6 1.01x
Leicester St Margaret 6 2.08x
Mile End Old Town London 6 2.64x
Newcastle Under Lyme 6 9.42x
Oxford St Giles 6 19.10x
Runcorn 6 11.06x
Stockton On Tees 6 3.92x
Tranmere 6 6.94x
Twickenham 6 13.12x
Walton On Hill 6 8.75x
Wrington 6 104.17x
Bath St Peter St Paul 5 65.88x
Battersea 5 1.27x
Bristol St Paul In 5 8.98x
Calstone Wellington 5 3125.00x
Croydon 5 1.73x
Dalmellington 5 21.31x
Dumbarton 5 12.54x
Glastonbury 5 35.69x
Glossop Dale 5 6.40x
Govan 5 0.59x
Hackney London 5 0.84x
Hodnet 5 69.44x
Langridge 5 1724.14x
Melton Mowbray 5 23.52x
Penge 5 7.34x
Plympton St Mary 5 38.97x
Row 5 13.49x
St Luke London 5 2.92x
St Michael Paternoster 5 1351.35x
St Sepulchre London 5 32.03x
Stourton 5 246.31x
Farnham 4 9.90x
Horton 4 1428.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 55
William 51
James 30
Thomas 29
Joseph 17
George 16
Henry 16
Charles 15
Edward 13
Arthur 12
Alfred 11
Frank 9
Frederick 9
Harry 9
Albert 8
Edwin 8
Robert 8
Walter 8
Ernest 7
Michael 7
Peter 6
David 5
Alexander 4
Andrew 4
Richard 4
Benjamin 3
Edmund 3
Jas. 3
Mark 3
Patrick 3
Samuel 3
Tom 3
Edgar 2
Emanuel 2
Francis 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Godfrey 2
Herbert 2
Job 2
Leonard 2
Sidney 2
Silvanus 2
Stephen 2
Sydney 2
Wm. 2
Allen 1
Emat 1
Erasmus 1
Yorkey 1

FAQ

Gunning surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gunning surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,094 people were recorded with the Gunning surname. That placed it at #3,635 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gunning surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,122 in 2016. That gives Gunning a modern rank of #3,047.

What does the Gunning surname mean?

An occupational surname for an individual who manufactured or used guns, or perhaps a nickname for a hunter.

What does the Gunning map show?

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