NameCensus.

UK surname

Gunstone

In the 1881 census there were 308 people recorded with the Gunstone surname, ranking it #9,542 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 420, ranked #11,414, down from #9,542 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Melksham, Trowbridge and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Croydon, Carmarthenshire and Cardiff.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gunstone is 514 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.4%.

1881 census count

308

Ranked #9,542

Modern count

420

2016, ranked #11,414

Peak year

1998

514 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gunstone had 308 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,542 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 420 in 2016, ranked #11,414.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 448 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Gunstone surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gunstone surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gunstone 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 231 #9,334
1861 historical 206 #11,725
1881 historical 308 #9,542
1891 historical 339 #10,089
1901 historical 448 #8,735
1911 historical 444 #8,598
1997 modern 485 #9,512
1998 modern 514 #9,383
1999 modern 512 #9,490
2000 modern 505 #9,561
2001 modern 500 #9,464
2002 modern 505 #9,563
2003 modern 494 #9,572
2004 modern 470 #9,958
2005 modern 459 #10,053
2006 modern 462 #10,037
2007 modern 448 #10,365
2008 modern 453 #10,345
2009 modern 454 #10,590
2010 modern 446 #10,988
2011 modern 441 #10,958
2012 modern 423 #11,195
2013 modern 433 #11,184
2014 modern 430 #11,323
2015 modern 425 #11,346
2016 modern 420 #11,414

Geography

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Where Gunstones are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Melksham, Trowbridge, London parishes, Cardiff St John and St Mary and Thetford St Cuthbert. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Croydon, Carmarthenshire, Cardiff, Sheffield and Bristol. 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 Melksham Wiltshire
2 Trowbridge Wiltshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
5 Thetford St Cuthbert Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Croydon 018 Croydon
2 Carmarthenshire 016 Carmarthenshire
3 Cardiff 015 Cardiff
4 Sheffield 003 Sheffield
5 Bristol 052 Bristol, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gunstone

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gunstone

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Gunstone is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gunstone 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

Gunstone falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gunstone is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Gunstone families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gunstone 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. Wiltshire leads with 122 Gunstones recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.06x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 122 46.06x
Yorkshire 24 0.81x
Middlesex 23 0.77x
Kent 18 1.76x
Oxfordshire 16 8.65x
Hampshire 14 2.28x
Norfolk 13 2.82x
Glamorgan 12 2.30x
Somerset 11 2.28x
Essex 10 1.69x
Warwickshire 10 1.32x
Cambridgeshire 8 4.22x
Buckinghamshire 5 2.76x
Surrey 5 0.34x
Berkshire 3 1.33x
Dorset 3 1.53x
Midlothian 3 0.75x
Derbyshire 2 0.43x
Herefordshire 2 1.63x
Monmouthshire 1 0.46x
Northamptonshire 1 0.36x
Staffordshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Melksham in Wiltshire leads with 44 Gunstones recorded in 1881 and an index of 956.52x.

Place Total Index
Melksham 44 956.52x
Westbury 22 355.99x
Islington London 15 5.17x
Deptford St Paul 14 17.76x
Trowbridge 13 111.02x
Sheffield 11 11.64x
Thetford St Cuthbert 11 662.65x
Aston 10 4.81x
West Ham 10 7.66x
Cardiff St Mary 9 31.34x
Oxford St Clement 9 192.72x
Christchurch 8 60.11x
Ecclesall Bierlow 8 13.25x
Milford 8 563.38x
Isleham 7 402.30x
Steeple Ashton 7 985.92x
Bradford On Avon 6 70.75x
Downton 6 172.91x
Aylesbury 5 62.34x
Bradford 5 6.96x
East Tisbury 5 549.45x
Lullington 5 3571.43x
Whitley 5 1428.57x
Stanton St John 4 714.29x
Chelsea London 3 3.32x
Corfe Castle 3 164.84x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 1.86x
Lambeth 3 1.15x
Llanwonno 3 16.01x
Whitchurch 3 153.85x
Beckington 2 210.53x
Corsham 2 51.81x
Gillingham 2 9.49x
Harrow On The Hill 2 33.44x
Maidstone 2 6.57x
Pipe Lyde 2 833.33x
Portsea 2 1.66x
South Petherton 2 80.32x
Swadlincote 2 384.62x
Thetford St Mary 2 160.00x
Wallingford St Mary Le 2 157.48x
Berkley 1 303.03x
Cranleigh 1 46.73x
Great Shelford 1 100.00x
Gt Haseley 1 142.86x
Highworth 1 29.50x
Keevil 1 256.41x
Kensington London 1 0.60x
Kingston On Thames 1 2.85x
Llanover 1 13.53x
Oxford All Sts 1 250.00x
Oxford St Giles 1 11.34x
Penton Mewsey 1 344.83x
Reading St Mary 1 5.56x
Road 1 172.41x
Semington 1 232.56x
St Giles In Fields London 1 6.81x
St Pancras London 1 0.41x
Warminster 1 17.24x
Wolstanton Knutton 1 16.21x
Yardley Hastings 1 82.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 16
William 14
George 12
Arthur 8
James 8
Charles 5
Frank 5
Henry 5
Joseph 5
David 4
Edward 4
Fred 4
Frederick 4
Job 4
Albert 3
Herbert 3
Samuel 3
Thomas 3
Tom 3
Alfred 2
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Harry 2
Jacob 2
Jesse 2
Robert 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Benjamin 1
Benjn. 1
Bernard 1
Charlie 1
Collen 1
Enoch 1
Ernie 1
Fred. 1
Fredrick 1
Gideon 1
Isaac 1
Jno. 1
Josh.A. 1
Joshua 1
Laurence 1
Mark 1
Matthew 1
Reginald 1
Richard 1
Sydney 1
Wm.D. 1

FAQ

Gunstone surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gunstone surname in 1881?

In 1881, 308 people were recorded with the Gunstone surname. That placed it at #9,542 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gunstone surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 420 in 2016. That gives Gunstone a modern rank of #11,414.

What does the Gunstone map show?

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