NameCensus.

UK surname

Guyan

A surname of French origin meaning "watchman" or "sentinel".

In the 1881 census there were 141 people recorded with the Guyan surname, ranking it #16,091 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 323, ranked #13,997, up from #16,091 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Torosay and Kinlochspervie and Aberdeen and Old Machar. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northfield, Tillydrone and Cove North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Guyan is 348 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 129.1%.

1881 census count

141

Ranked #16,091

Modern count

323

2016, ranked #13,997

Peak year

1998

348 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Guyan had 141 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,091 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 323 in 2016, ranked #13,997.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 238 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Guyan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Guyan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Guyan 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 41 #25,926
1861 historical 95 #21,768
1881 historical 141 #16,091
1891 historical 176 #16,404
1901 historical 238 #13,528
1911 historical 39 #29,025
1997 modern 327 #12,784
1998 modern 348 #12,585
1999 modern 338 #12,922
2000 modern 323 #13,268
2001 modern 315 #13,291
2002 modern 329 #13,167
2003 modern 314 #13,419
2004 modern 313 #13,502
2005 modern 314 #13,403
2006 modern 324 #13,183
2007 modern 334 #13,036
2008 modern 339 #13,022
2009 modern 337 #13,318
2010 modern 342 #13,440
2011 modern 335 #13,528
2012 modern 321 #13,836
2013 modern 321 #14,073
2014 modern 326 #14,006
2015 modern 329 #13,800
2016 modern 323 #13,997

Geography

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Where Guyans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Torosay and Kinlochspervie, Aberdeen and Old Machar, Nigg and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northfield, Tillydrone, Cove North, Mastrick and Ythanside. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Torosay and Kinlochspervie Argyll
3 Aberdeen and Old Machar Aberdeen
4 Nigg Kincardine
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northfield Aberdeen City
2 Tillydrone Aberdeen City
3 Cove North Aberdeen City
4 Mastrick Aberdeen City
5 Ythanside Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Guyan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Guyan

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Guyan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Guyan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Guyan is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Guyan 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

Guyan falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Guyan

The surname Guyan has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the regions of Punjab and Sindh. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "Gupt," which means "secret" or "hidden." This name was likely adopted by individuals or families who were part of the Gupta Empire, a prominent dynasty that ruled a significant portion of the Indian subcontinent from the 4th to the 6th century CE.

Historically, the name Guyan has been associated with various communities and regions within the Indian subcontinent. In the 11th century, there are records of individuals bearing this name in the Gurjara-Pratihara region, which encompassed parts of present-day Rajasthan and Gujarat. Some early spellings of the name included "Guyan," "Gayan," and "Gayun."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Guyan can be found in the "Ain-i-Akbari," a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. It mentions a nobleman named Guyan Khan, who held a prominent position in the imperial court.

Another notable figure with this surname was Guyan Das, a 17th-century poet and writer from Punjab. He is renowned for his contributions to Punjabi literature and his work "Qissa Hir Ranjha," a classic Punjabi love story.

In the 18th century, a Sikh warrior named Guyan Singh played a significant role in the battles against the Afghan invaders, earning him recognition in Sikh historical accounts.

The name Guyan also has connections to various place names in the Indian subcontinent. For instance, there is a village called Guyan Khera in the Haryana state of India, which may have been named after a person or family with this surname.

Other notable figures who bore the surname Guyan include Guyan Chand, a 19th-century scholar and educator from Punjab, and Guyan Datt, a prominent mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 18th century and contributed to the field of celestial mechanics.

It is worth noting that while the surname Guyan has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Guyan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Guyan 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 97 Guyans recorded in 1881 and an index of 75.62x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 97 75.62x
Kincardineshire 33 195.61x
Gloucestershire 5 1.84x
Cumberland 4 3.35x
Northumberland 1 0.49x
Royal Navy 1 6.06x
Sussex 1 0.43x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberdeen St Nicholas in Aberdeenshire leads with 95 Guyans recorded in 1881 and an index of 395.83x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen St Nicholas 95 395.83x
Nigg 26 1857.14x
Bervie 7 700.00x
Bristol St James In 5 125.31x
Crosscanonby 4 101.52x
Aberdeen Old Machar 2 7.47x
Amble 1 106.38x
Lewes St John Southover 1 63.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 2
Kate 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Patrick 2
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Charles 1
George 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 Guyan households.

FAQ

Guyan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Guyan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 141 people were recorded with the Guyan surname. That placed it at #16,091 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Guyan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 323 in 2016. That gives Guyan a modern rank of #13,997.

What does the Guyan surname mean?

A surname of French origin meaning "watchman" or "sentinel".

What does the Guyan map show?

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