NameCensus.

UK surname

Guscott

From a Cornish place name, perhaps from an Old English personal name 'cos' + 'cot'.

In the 1881 census there were 173 people recorded with the Guscott surname, ranking it #14,112 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 322, ranked #14,033, up from #14,112 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cheriton Bishop, Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) and Poole St James. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Devon, Mid Devon and Torridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Guscott is 342 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 86.1%.

1881 census count

173

Ranked #14,112

Modern count

322

2016, ranked #14,033

Peak year

2014

342 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Guscott had 173 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,112 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 322 in 2016, ranked #14,033.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 239 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Guscott surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Guscott surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Guscott 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 167 #11,936
1861 historical 186 #12,751
1881 historical 173 #14,112
1891 historical 224 #13,760
1901 historical 206 #14,845
1911 historical 239 #13,321
1997 modern 310 #13,241
1998 modern 324 #13,189
1999 modern 317 #13,473
2000 modern 313 #13,541
2001 modern 306 #13,565
2002 modern 320 #13,414
2003 modern 323 #13,161
2004 modern 323 #13,230
2005 modern 331 #12,913
2006 modern 332 #12,970
2007 modern 332 #13,087
2008 modern 327 #13,350
2009 modern 325 #13,657
2010 modern 331 #13,769
2011 modern 340 #13,375
2012 modern 331 #13,538
2013 modern 332 #13,713
2014 modern 342 #13,498
2015 modern 333 #13,676
2016 modern 322 #14,033

Geography

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Where Guscotts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cheriton Bishop, Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), Poole St James, Kenn, Ide, Ashton, Exminster and Kenton, Alphington, Dawlish. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Devon, Mid Devon, Torridge, West Somerset and Medway. 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 Cheriton Bishop Devon
2 Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) Devon
3 Poole St James Dorset
4 Kenn, Ide, Ashton, Exminster Devon
5 Kenton, Alphington, Dawlish Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Devon 003 West Devon
2 Mid Devon 001 Mid Devon
3 Torridge 009 Torridge
4 West Somerset 001 West Somerset
5 Medway 016 Medway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Guscott

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Guscott

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

Guscott 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

Guscott falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Guscott

The surname Guscott is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. The name itself is thought to be a locational surname, derived from a place name. One theory suggests that it may be derived from the Old English words "gusc" or "guise," which referred to a sort of water channel or gully, and "cot," meaning a small dwelling or cottage. This could indicate that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a water channel or gully.

Another possibility is that the name is linked to the village of Gussage in Dorset, England. This village's name is derived from the Old English words "gusc" and "eage," meaning "gully" and "island" or "dry ground in a marsh." It's plausible that the surname Guscott could have originated from this place name, with early bearers of the name hailing from this area.

In terms of historical references, the surname Guscott can be found in various records dating back to the 13th century. One notable mention is in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset from 1268, which lists a Walter Guscot. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1327 mention a John Guscot.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is found in the Feet of Fines for Essex from 1310, which mentions a William Guscot. Other early spellings of the name include Guscote, Guscote, and Guscotte.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname Guscott. One example is John Guscott (c. 1530 – 1607), an English politician who served as Member of Parliament for Taunton in 1586. Another is Sir Thomas Guscott (1556 – 1624), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Somerset in 1597.

In the 18th century, James Guscott (1725 – 1795) was a notable English clergyman and author who served as the Vicar of Wedmore in Somerset. In more recent times, Jeremy Guscott (born 1965) is a former English rugby union player who represented England in the 1990s and played in the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

It's worth noting that the surname Guscott has also been associated with the West Country region of England, particularly Somerset and Dorset, where it appears to have been most prevalent in historical records.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Guscott families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Guscott 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. Devon leads with 124 Guscotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.30x.

County Total Index
Devon 124 35.30x
Gloucestershire 17 5.14x
Cornwall 16 8.38x
Middlesex 6 0.36x
Surrey 6 0.73x
Glamorgan 2 0.68x
Somerset 2 0.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ide in Devon leads with 18 Guscotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 4736.84x.

Place Total Index
Ide 18 4736.84x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 14 44.93x
Bridestow 12 3243.24x
Cruwys Morchard 11 3142.86x
Tedburn St Mary 11 2972.97x
Beerferris 8 1176.47x
St Austell 8 122.51x
Highampton 7 4117.65x
Chelsea London 6 11.80x
Kelly 6 4615.38x
Lambeth 6 4.08x
Plymouth Charles The 6 38.78x
Exeter Alphington 5 781.25x
Kenton 5 450.45x
Colyton 4 296.30x
Laneast 3 2000.00x
Madron Penzance 3 43.17x
Marytavy 3 576.92x
Poughill 3 2000.00x
Stonehouse East 3 168.54x
Antony 2 108.70x
Bedminster 2 7.84x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 18.12x
Chagford 2 238.10x
Exeter St Sidwell 2 24.88x
Roath 2 14.99x
Stoke Damerel 2 8.14x
Tavistock 2 50.00x
Bideford 1 26.60x
Bratton Clovelly 1 285.71x
Bridford 1 400.00x
Crediton 1 30.03x
Devonport 1 24.75x
Exeter Heavitree 1 38.17x
Exeter Holy Trinity 1 72.46x
Exeter St Mary Major 1 47.17x
Hatherleigh 1 114.94x
Lamerton 1 149.25x
Lifton 1 117.65x
Okehampton 1 75.76x
Stapleton 1 15.92x
Stowford 1 434.78x
Whitestone 1 370.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 13
John 10
George 6
James 6
Henry 4
Charles 3
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Simon 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Daniel 1
Eli 1
Ernest 1
Horace 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Jas.A. 1
Lewis 1
Mark 1
Seth 1
Simeon 1
Thirza 1
Tom 1
Willie 1
Willm. 1
Willm.A. 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Henry 1
Wm.Jewell 1

FAQ

Guscott surname: questions and answers

How common was the Guscott surname in 1881?

In 1881, 173 people were recorded with the Guscott surname. That placed it at #14,112 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Guscott surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 322 in 2016. That gives Guscott a modern rank of #14,033.

What does the Guscott surname mean?

From a Cornish place name, perhaps from an Old English personal name 'cos' + 'cot'.

What does the Guscott map show?

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