NameCensus.

UK surname

Guy

A French occupational surname for a guide or leader of travelers in a difficult or unknown region.

In the 1881 census there were 6,226 people recorded with the Guy surname, ranking it #697 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 10,217, ranked #630, up from #697 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors, Newchurch and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Richmondshire, Isles of Scilly and Barnsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Guy is 10,615 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 64.1%.

1881 census count

6,226

Ranked #697

Modern count

10,217

2016, ranked #630

Peak year

1999

10,615 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Guy had 6,226 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #697 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 10,217 in 2016, ranked #630.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,547 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Guy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Guy surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Guy 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 4,326 #655
1881 historical 6,226 #697
1891 historical 334 #10,198
1901 historical 8,547 #624
1997 modern 10,211 #602
1998 modern 10,527 #606
1999 modern 10,615 #607
2000 modern 10,582 #606
2001 modern 10,308 #610
2002 modern 10,562 #608
2003 modern 10,267 #612
2004 modern 10,307 #610
2005 modern 10,095 #614
2006 modern 10,014 #620
2007 modern 10,082 #621
2008 modern 10,168 #621
2009 modern 10,325 #629
2010 modern 10,515 #629
2011 modern 10,319 #631
2012 modern 10,267 #624
2013 modern 10,396 #625
2014 modern 10,460 #627
2015 modern 10,320 #629
2016 modern 10,217 #630

Geography

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Where Guys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors, Newchurch, London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Richmondshire, Isles of Scilly, Barnsley, Swansea and County Durham. 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 Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors Shropshire
2 Newchurch Hampshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Richmondshire 005 Richmondshire
2 Isles of Scilly 001 Isles of Scilly
3 Barnsley 006 Barnsley
4 Swansea 018 Swansea
5 County Durham 017 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Guy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Guy

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

Guy 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

Guy falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Guy

The surname Guy has its origins in France, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French given name "Gui" or "Guy," which itself comes from the Germanic name "Wido," meaning "wood" or "forest."

The name Guy was particularly common in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northern France. It is believed to have been introduced to England after the Norman Conquest in 1066, when many Norman families settled in the British Isles.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Guy can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Wido" in this historical document.

In the 12th century, a notable figure named Guy de Lusignan (c. 1150 – 1194) was a French crusader and King of Jerusalem. He played a significant role in the Third Crusade and is mentioned in various chronicles of the time.

Another prominent individual with the surname Guy was Thomas Guy (1644 – 1724), a wealthy British bookseller and founder of Guy's Hospital in London. The hospital, established in 1721, was one of the earliest healthcare institutions in London and continues to operate to this day.

In the literary world, Guy de Maupassant (1850 – 1893) was a celebrated French writer known for his short stories and novels, including works such as "Bel-Ami" and "The Necklace."

The surname Guy has also been associated with various place names throughout history. One example is Guy's Cliffe in Warwickshire, England, which was named after Guy of Warwick, a legendary English hero from the 10th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname Guy include René Guy Cadou (1920 – 1951), a French poet and writer, and Rosa Guy (1924 – 2012), an American writer and educator known for her works depicting the experiences of the African American community.

While the surname Guy has its roots in France and has been present in various parts of Europe and the Americas, it has maintained a strong connection to its historical origins and has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Guy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Guy 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. Lancashire leads with 708 Guys recorded in 1881 and an index of 0.93x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 708 0.93x
Hampshire 564 4.30x
Yorkshire 555 0.88x
Middlesex 474 0.74x
Sussex 393 3.64x
Dorset 340 8.10x
Durham 336 1.77x
Staffordshire 313 1.45x
Surrey 277 0.89x
Shropshire 239 4.33x
Cornwall 213 2.94x
Gloucestershire 186 1.48x
Nottinghamshire 160 1.86x
Northumberland 138 1.45x
Glamorgan 135 1.21x
Somerset 109 1.06x
Warwickshire 99 0.61x
Wiltshire 97 1.71x
Renfrewshire 96 1.94x
Lanarkshire 92 0.44x
Essex 77 0.61x
Lincolnshire 76 0.74x
Kent 75 0.34x
Cheshire 65 0.46x
Derbyshire 62 0.62x
Devon 59 0.44x
Westmorland 54 3.84x
Ayrshire 53 1.11x
Oxfordshire 50 1.27x
Worcestershire 45 0.54x
Norfolk 39 0.40x
Dunbartonshire 36 2.09x
Berkshire 35 0.73x
Herefordshire 32 1.22x
Buckinghamshire 29 0.75x
Leicestershire 29 0.41x
Cumberland 24 0.44x
Monmouthshire 24 0.52x
Suffolk 23 0.30x
Cambridgeshire 22 0.54x
Northamptonshire 21 0.35x
Channel Islands 14 0.74x
East Lothian 12 1.42x
Denbighshire 9 0.37x
Royal Navy 9 1.18x
Berwickshire 8 1.03x
Rutland 7 1.49x
Argyllshire 6 0.34x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.22x
Roxburghshire 5 0.43x
Stirlingshire 5 0.21x
Flintshire 3 0.17x
Midlothian 3 0.04x
Perthshire 3 0.10x
Angus 2 0.03x
Bedfordshire 2 0.06x
Isle of Man 2 0.17x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.14x
Brecknockshire 1 0.08x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.04x
Fife 1 0.03x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.08x
Radnorshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Everton in Lancashire leads with 111 Guys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.59x.

Place Total Index
Everton 111 4.59x
Portsea 89 3.46x
Brighton 87 4.00x
Liverpool 87 1.89x
Wrockwardine 56 46.08x
Lambeth 54 0.97x
Islington London 53 0.85x
Ryde 53 18.82x
Aston 52 1.17x
Llanrhidian Higher 51 72.10x
Nottingham St Mary 51 2.29x
Ringwood 46 54.84x
Wellington 43 13.85x
Toxteth Park 40 1.56x
Wombridge 40 58.63x
Fulham London 38 4.10x
Beith 35 24.50x
Camberwell 35 0.86x
Kingswinford 35 4.46x
St George Hanover Square 35 3.11x
Birmingham 34 0.63x
Cannock 34 9.02x
Madeley 33 16.29x
Milton Abbas 33 160.35x
West Derby 33 1.49x
Bootle Cum Linacre 31 5.14x
Chiddingly 31 159.63x
Croydon 31 1.79x
Hackney London 30 0.84x
Bramley In Bramley 29 11.95x
St Just In Penwith 28 19.93x
Bedminster 27 2.79x
St Marylebone London 27 0.79x
Northwood 26 13.93x
Stoke Upon Trent 26 1.14x
Eastbourne 25 5.04x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 25 3.03x
Lilleshall 25 29.60x
Little Bolton 25 2.56x
Normanton 25 13.13x
Poplar London 25 2.07x
Bilston 24 5.74x
Newport 24 33.75x
Owslebury 24 129.10x
Swansea Town 24 2.63x
Clifton 23 3.63x
Lathom 23 25.10x
Muker 23 125.48x
Dudley 22 2.17x
Hellingly 22 60.94x
Lyneham 22 99.50x
St Pancras London 22 0.43x
Wednesbury 22 4.08x
Whatlington 22 265.70x
Harborne 21 3.03x
Holy Trinity 21 1.38x
Madron 21 35.90x
Melcombe Regis 21 12.07x
Mile End Old Town London 21 1.54x
Newchurch 21 3.38x
Southampton St Mary 21 2.55x
Armley 20 7.15x
Cardiff St Mary 20 3.26x
Halsall 20 66.73x
Hammersmith London 20 1.27x
Rawmarsh 20 8.93x
Bermondsey 19 1.00x
East Greenock 19 4.06x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 19 6.44x
Limehouse London 19 2.71x
Newington 19 0.80x
Paisley Low Church 19 12.11x
Seaham 19 27.39x
Shifnal 19 12.67x
St Luke London 19 1.85x
Wareham Lady St Mary 19 58.59x
Govan 18 0.35x
Redcar 18 35.79x
Ventnor 18 14.44x
Wednesfield 18 5.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 401
Elizabeth 243
Sarah 217
Jane 155
Ann 122
Emma 112
Ellen 99
Alice 98
Eliza 94
Annie 91
Margaret 86
Emily 85
Hannah 76
Charlotte 55
Martha 48
Harriet 40
Louisa 39
Maria 38
Caroline 37
Isabella 37
Ada 35
Edith 33
Fanny 31
Florence 30
Catherine 28
Anne 26
Frances 25
Kate 24
Lucy 24
Harriett 23
Agnes 22
Sophia 19
Susan 19
Amelia 18
Rebecca 17
Elizth. 16
Bessie 15
Eleanor 15
Grace 15
Clara 14
Esther 13
Minnie 13
Ruth 13
Julia 12
Rose 12
Susannah 12
Henrietta 10
Matilda 10
Betsy 9
Eva 9

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 417
John 350
Thomas 238
George 212
James 209
Henry 138
Charles 103
Joseph 92
Robert 77
Edward 74
Richard 73
Alfred 64
Frederick 56
Albert 46
Arthur 36
Benjamin 35
Samuel 35
Walter 35
Frank 27
Edwin 26
David 25
Ernest 25
Harry 22
Andrew 14
Herbert 14
Isaac 14
Wm. 14
Peter 13
Daniel 12
Francis 11
Fred 11
Thos. 11
Enoch 10
Fredk. 10
Mark 10
Percy 10
Stephen 10
Chas. 9
Abraham 8
Eli 8
Geo. 8
Tom 8
Alexander 7
Jabez 7
Nathaniel 7
Edmund 6
Philip 6
Jonathan 5
Martin 5
Robt. 5

FAQ

Guy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Guy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,226 people were recorded with the Guy surname. That placed it at #697 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Guy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 10,217 in 2016. That gives Guy a modern rank of #630.

What does the Guy surname mean?

A French occupational surname for a guide or leader of travelers in a difficult or unknown region.

What does the Guy map show?

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