NameCensus.

UK surname

Gush

A surname potentially derived from the Yiddish word "gesher" meaning bridge.

In the 1881 census there were 179 people recorded with the Gush surname, ranking it #13,787 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 145, ranked #24,293, down from #13,787 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Seaton, London parishes and Budleigh, East. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Devon, Mid Devon and Newport.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gush is 241 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 19.0%.

1881 census count

179

Ranked #13,787

Modern count

145

2016, ranked #24,293

Peak year

1911

241 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gush had 179 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,787 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 145 in 2016, ranked #24,293.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 241 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gush surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gush surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gush 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 80 #19,558
1861 historical 132 #16,957
1881 historical 179 #13,787
1891 historical 215 #14,155
1901 historical 201 #15,059
1911 historical 241 #13,229
1997 modern 158 #20,422
1998 modern 166 #20,329
1999 modern 171 #20,072
2000 modern 172 #19,974
2001 modern 156 #20,974
2002 modern 157 #21,261
2003 modern 151 #21,574
2004 modern 152 #21,628
2005 modern 144 #22,367
2006 modern 141 #22,833
2007 modern 149 #22,318
2008 modern 150 #22,429
2009 modern 148 #23,141
2010 modern 149 #23,598
2011 modern 149 #23,408
2012 modern 151 #23,166
2013 modern 147 #23,977
2014 modern 153 #23,537
2015 modern 151 #23,613
2016 modern 145 #24,293

Geography

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Where Gushs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Seaton, London parishes, Budleigh, East, Branscombe and Axminster, Thorncombe, Uplyme. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Devon, Mid Devon, Newport, West Berkshire and Cornwall. 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 Seaton Devon
2 London parishes London 3
3 Budleigh, East Devon
4 Branscombe Devon
5 Axminster, Thorncombe, Uplyme Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Devon 007 East Devon
2 Mid Devon 010 Mid Devon
3 Newport 008 Newport
4 West Berkshire 022 West Berkshire
5 Cornwall 073 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gush

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gush

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

Gush is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gush 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 Gush 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 Gush, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gush

The surname GUSH has its origins in the Czech Republic, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Czech word "gusak," which means "goose" or "gander." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who raised or traded in geese.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GUSH can be found in a document from the town of Olomouc, dated 1578, which mentions a certain Jan Gush, a local farmer. Another early record comes from the nearby village of Velká Bystřice, where a family by the name of Gush is noted as living there in the late 1500s.

In the 17th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of what is now the Czech Republic. For instance, a record from the town of Kutná Hora mentions a blacksmith named Jakub Gush in 1631. This suggests that the name had become associated with various occupations by that time.

One notable figure bearing the GUSH surname was Václav Gush, a scholar and writer who lived from 1701 to 1768. He is known for his works on Czech history and literature, and is considered an important figure in the Czech National Revival movement.

Another individual of note was Jindřich Gush, a military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1785 and served in the Austrian army, participating in several major battles against the French forces.

In the 19th century, the GUSH name appears to have spread beyond the Czech lands. For example, there are records of a family by that name living in the town of Lviv (now in Ukraine) in the 1840s. This may have been due to migration or intermarriage with other Slavic populations.

One of the earliest instances of the GUSH name in the English-speaking world comes from the United States, where a man named Joseph Gush is recorded as having immigrated from Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) in the 1860s. He settled in the state of Iowa and worked as a farmer.

While the GUSH surname is most commonly associated with the Czech Republic, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, such as Poland and Slovakia, likely due to migration and intermarriage among Slavic populations over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gush families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gush 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 68 Gushs recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.10x.

County Total Index
Devon 68 18.10x
Dorset 28 23.64x
Middlesex 28 1.55x
Somerset 13 4.48x
Hampshire 8 2.16x
Renfrewshire 8 5.72x
Sussex 8 2.63x
Surrey 6 0.68x
Channel Islands 5 9.35x
Glamorgan 5 1.59x
Yorkshire 3 0.17x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.92x
Gloucestershire 1 0.28x
Kent 1 0.16x
Monmouthshire 1 0.77x
Royal Navy 1 4.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Branscombe in Devon leads with 27 Gushs recorded in 1881 and an index of 5294.12x.

Place Total Index
Branscombe 27 5294.12x
Lyme Regis 16 1126.76x
Seaton 10 689.66x
East Budleigh 8 451.98x
West Greenock 8 31.87x
Axminster 7 397.73x
Burton Bradstock 7 1206.90x
Hastings Holy Trinity 6 267.86x
Huish Episcopi 6 1463.41x
Hornsey 5 21.91x
Hound 5 199.20x
Llandaff 5 47.85x
Paddington London 5 7.54x
Uffculme 5 446.43x
Willesden 5 29.39x
Exeter St John 4 1481.48x
St Peter Port 4 40.44x
St Marylebone London 3 3.11x
St Pancras London 3 2.07x
Thornhill 3 57.47x
Wellington 3 76.14x
Wimborne 3 209.79x
Exeter Holy Trinity 2 136.05x
Exeter St Leonard 2 194.17x
Exminster 2 148.15x
Hackney London 2 1.98x
Hastings St Mary 2 26.42x
Lambeth 2 1.27x
Richmond 2 16.23x
Chard 1 28.41x
Cheam 1 106.38x
Clerkenwell London 1 2.35x
Cranleigh 1 77.52x
Dunster 1 142.86x
Ealing 1 6.20x
Eton 1 40.49x
Holdenhurst 1 10.31x
Islington London 1 0.57x
Kensington London 1 1.00x
Langport 1 714.29x
Longbredy 1 714.29x
Lydeard St Lawrence 1 303.03x
Margate St John Baptist 1 8.87x
Millbrook 1 10.73x
Portland 1 15.70x
Portsea 1 1.38x
Royal Navy 1 5.44x
St George Hanover Square 1 3.15x
St Martin 1 30.49x
St Woollos 1 6.87x
Stroud 1 14.51x
Tormoham 1 6.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Sarah 7
Elizabeth 4
Fanny 4
Emma 3
Jane 3
Alice 2
Anne 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Ethel 2
Frances 2
Hannah 2
Louisa 2
Mabel 2
Rosalie 2
Adah 1
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Anna 1
Bertha 1
Bessie 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Ciciley 1
Dilesne 1
Ellen 1
Eva 1
Francis 1
Grace 1
Jessie 1
Johanna 1
Kate 1
Katurah 1
Lillie 1
Lily 1
Lucretia 1
Marina 1
Marrianne 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 18
John 17
James 6
Frederick 5
Alfred 4
Henry 4
Charles 3
George 3
Harry 3
Robert 3
Edwin 2
Thomas 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Clifford 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Emanuel 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Geoffray 1
Gerald 1
Howard 1
Paul 1
Percy 1
Saml 1
Samuel 1
Steward 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Gush surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gush surname in 1881?

In 1881, 179 people were recorded with the Gush surname. That placed it at #13,787 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gush surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 145 in 2016. That gives Gush a modern rank of #24,293.

What does the Gush surname mean?

A surname potentially derived from the Yiddish word "gesher" meaning bridge.

What does the Gush map show?

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