NameCensus.

UK surname

Gustafsson

A patronymic surname of Swedish origin meaning "son of Gustaf".

In the 1881 census there were 3 people recorded with the Gustafsson surname, ranking it #33,498 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 107, ranked #29,762, up from #33,498 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Middlesbrough, Brent and Islington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gustafsson is 110 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 3466.7%.

1881 census count

3

Ranked #33,498

Modern count

107

2016, ranked #29,762

Peak year

2014

110 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gustafsson had 3 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,498 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 107 in 2016, ranked #29,762.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 24 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Gustafsson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gustafsson surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gustafsson 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
1881 historical 3 #33,498
1891 historical 6 #33,800
1901 historical 24 #31,365
1911 historical 14 #32,045
1997 modern 61 #31,526
1998 modern 63 #31,639
1999 modern 73 #30,856
2000 modern 80 #30,139
2001 modern 82 #29,714
2002 modern 85 #29,867
2003 modern 65 #31,979
2004 modern 66 #32,079
2005 modern 69 #32,007
2006 modern 71 #32,147
2007 modern 78 #31,748
2008 modern 79 #31,957
2009 modern 88 #31,352
2010 modern 98 #30,540
2011 modern 97 #30,552
2012 modern 104 #29,543
2013 modern 107 #29,561
2014 modern 110 #29,294
2015 modern 106 #29,895
2016 modern 107 #29,762

Geography

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Where Gustafssons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Middlesbrough, Brent, Islington and Westminster. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Middlesbrough 020 Middlesbrough
2 Brent 015 Brent
3 Islington 022 Islington
4 Westminster 017 Westminster
5 Westminster 018 Westminster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gustafsson

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gustafsson

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Gustafsson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Gustafsson 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Gustafsson is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gustafsson 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

Gustafsson 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 Gustafsson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Gustafsson

The surname Gustafsson has its origins in Sweden, emerging in the medieval period. It is a patronymic surname, derived from the personal name Gustaf, which is the Swedish form of the name Gustavus. The name Gustavus itself has Germanic roots, originating from the elements "gus" meaning staff or stick, and "staf" meaning staff.

Gustafsson is one of the most common surnames in Sweden, and it can be traced back to the 15th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in a Swedish census record from the year 1495, where a man named Olof Gustafsson is listed as a resident of the town of Norrköping.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Gustafsson became closely associated with the Swedish monarchy. King Gustav Vasa, who reigned from 1523 to 1560, played a pivotal role in establishing Sweden as a modern nation-state. Several of his descendants, including King Gustav II Adolf (1594-1632) and King Gustav III (1746-1792), also bore the name Gustaf or Gustavus.

Notable individuals throughout history who carried the surname Gustafsson include Johan Gustafsson (1613-1680), a Swedish lawyer and politician who served as the Lord Chief Justice of Sweden; Pehr Gustafsson (1766-1842), a Swedish botanist and explorer who conducted extensive research in South America; and Pehr Adolph Gustafsson (1801-1880), a Swedish industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Gustafsson & Co. engineering firm.

Another prominent figure was Ebba Gustafsson (1870-1946), a Swedish feminist and suffragette who campaigned tirelessly for women's rights and played a key role in securing voting rights for Swedish women in 1921. Additionally, the Swedish author and Nobel laureate Selma Lagerlöf (1858-1940) was born with the surname Gustafsson, though she later adopted her mother's maiden name.

While the surname Gustafsson is predominantly Swedish in origin, it has also been adopted by individuals in other Scandinavian countries and communities with Swedish ancestry. The name has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Gustafson, Gustafsson, and Gustaffson.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gustafsson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gustafsson 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. Durham leads with 1 Gustafssons recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.51x.

County Total Index
Durham 1 11.51x
Middlesex 1 3.42x
Renfrewshire 1 44.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Greenock Oldor West in Renfrewshire leads with 1 Gustafssons recorded in 1881 and an index of 10000.00x.

Place Total Index
Greenock Oldor West 1 10000.00x
South Shields 1 1250.00x
St George In East London 1 370.37x

Top male names

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

Name Count
Joel 1
Wilhelm 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Gustafsson households.

Occupation Count
Cook 1
Scholar 1

FAQ

Gustafsson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gustafsson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3 people were recorded with the Gustafsson surname. That placed it at #33,498 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gustafsson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 107 in 2016. That gives Gustafsson a modern rank of #29,762.

What does the Gustafsson surname mean?

A patronymic surname of Swedish origin meaning "son of Gustaf".

What does the Gustafsson map show?

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