NameCensus.

UK surname

Southgate

A surname indicating an individual came from a southern gate or entrance.

In the 1881 census there were 2,341 people recorded with the Southgate surname, ranking it #1,896 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,944, ranked #2,289, down from #1,896 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and St Marylebone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ipswich, Babergh and St Edmundsbury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Southgate is 3,336 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.8%.

1881 census count

2,341

Ranked #1,896

Modern count

2,944

2016, ranked #2,289

Peak year

1999

3,336 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Southgate had 2,341 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,896 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,944 in 2016, ranked #2,289.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,311 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Southgate surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Southgate surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Southgate 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 1,450 #1,985
1861 historical 1,522 #1,855
1881 historical 2,341 #1,896
1891 historical 2,619 #1,821
1901 historical 3,018 #1,855
1911 historical 3,311 #1,578
1997 modern 3,245 #1,981
1998 modern 3,281 #2,039
1999 modern 3,336 #2,032
2000 modern 3,299 #2,040
2001 modern 3,196 #2,062
2002 modern 3,239 #2,077
2003 modern 3,135 #2,097
2004 modern 3,130 #2,093
2005 modern 3,021 #2,142
2006 modern 3,033 #2,142
2007 modern 3,020 #2,166
2008 modern 3,025 #2,172
2009 modern 3,047 #2,213
2010 modern 3,153 #2,193
2011 modern 3,134 #2,173
2012 modern 3,033 #2,203
2013 modern 3,078 #2,207
2014 modern 3,078 #2,222
2015 modern 2,987 #2,267
2016 modern 2,944 #2,289

Geography

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Where Southgates are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, St Marylebone and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ipswich, Babergh and St Edmundsbury. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ipswich 003 Ipswich
2 Ipswich 004 Ipswich
3 Babergh 005 Babergh
4 Ipswich 008 Ipswich
5 St Edmundsbury 007 St Edmundsbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Southgate

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Southgate

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Southgate is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Southgate is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Southgate

The surname Southgate is of English origin, derived from a place name referring to a location near a southern gate or entrance to a town or city. It first emerged in the early Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century.

The name can be traced back to various locations across England, including the village of Southgate in Middlesex, as well as places in counties like Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Yorkshire. The earliest known spelling variations include Suthgat, Southgat, and Southyate.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Southgate appears in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1176, where a Roger de Suthgat is mentioned. The Domesday Book of 1086 also includes references to places like "Suthgat" and "Sutgat," which may have contributed to the development of the surname.

In the 13th century, a man named William de Suthgate is recorded as holding lands in Derbyshire. Another early bearer of the name was John de Southgate, who is mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297.

Notable individuals with the surname Southgate throughout history include:

1. Sir Thomas Southgate (c. 1500-1568), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Middlesex during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

2. Richard Southgate (1590-1645), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Munslow, Shropshire.

3. Robert Southgate (1773-1839), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and became a Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy.

4. Henry Southgate (1803-1865), an American Episcopal bishop who served as the Missionary Bishop of Constantinople from 1844 to 1865.

5. Horatio Southgate (1812-1894), an American author and traveler who wrote extensively about his journeys in Europe and the Middle East.

Place names and locations associated with the surname Southgate include Southgate in Middlesex (now part of London), as well as villages and hamlets in counties like Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire, where the name was prominent in medieval times.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Southgate families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Southgate 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. Suffolk leads with 553 Southgates recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.84x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 553 19.84x
Norfolk 411 11.68x
Middlesex 408 1.78x
Essex 343 7.59x
Surrey 173 1.55x
Kent 121 1.55x
Lancashire 37 0.14x
Yorkshire 36 0.16x
Cambridgeshire 35 2.41x
Nottinghamshire 22 0.71x
Durham 20 0.29x
Sussex 18 0.47x
Leicestershire 17 0.67x
Northumberland 16 0.47x
Cheshire 13 0.26x
Warwickshire 13 0.23x
Derbyshire 11 0.31x
Devon 10 0.21x
Bedfordshire 9 0.76x
Hertfordshire 9 0.57x
Hampshire 8 0.17x
Brecknockshire 7 1.53x
Gloucestershire 7 0.16x
Berkshire 6 0.35x
Glamorgan 6 0.15x
Lincolnshire 6 0.16x
Lanarkshire 4 0.05x
Midlothian 4 0.13x
Cornwall 3 0.12x
Huntingdonshire 3 0.66x
Royal Navy 3 1.10x
Dorset 2 0.13x
Oxfordshire 2 0.14x
Staffordshire 2 0.03x
Wiltshire 2 0.10x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.07x
Channel Islands 1 0.15x
Denbighshire 1 0.12x
Isle of Man 1 0.24x
Perthshire 1 0.10x
Westmorland 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Marylebone London in Middlesex leads with 50 Southgates recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.09x.

Place Total Index
St Marylebone London 50 4.09x
Islington London 49 2.21x
Lambeth 42 2.10x
Ipswich St Mary Stoke 38 146.89x
Hackney London 35 2.73x
West Ham 34 3.41x
Great Snoring 33 901.64x
Kensington London 33 2.59x
Ipswich St Mathew 30 38.40x
Wells Next Sea 30 146.20x
Ipswich St Margaret 29 30.66x
St Pancras London 29 1.57x
Sproughton 28 574.95x
Bermondsey 27 3.96x
Camberwell 25 1.71x
Ipswich St Clement 25 35.29x
East Donyland 23 211.40x
Manchester 23 1.88x
Colchester St James 22 120.15x
Bury St Edmunds St James 21 28.21x
Nottingham St Mary 21 2.63x
Stowmarket 21 65.20x
Belstead 19 763.05x
Heigham 19 10.06x
Paddington London 19 2.26x
Poplar London 19 4.40x
Sutton 19 641.89x
Ipswich St Nicholas 18 117.26x
Lewisham 18 4.32x
Great Yarmouth 17 5.83x
Langham 17 323.19x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 16 25.31x
Harwich St Nicholas 15 42.99x
Horning 15 439.88x
Hunstanton 15 126.26x
Kirby Le Soken 15 231.12x
Mile End 15 181.60x
Cawston 14 162.60x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 14 13.25x
Newington 14 1.66x
Ardleigh 13 103.75x
Barking 13 90.09x
Combs 13 139.63x
East Rudham 13 209.34x
Edmonton 13 7.05x
Feltwell Feltwell Anchor 13 202.81x
Minster In Sheppey 13 10.05x
Shoreditch London 13 1.31x
Tattingstone 13 300.93x
Bramford 12 114.61x
Brighton 12 1.54x
Hornsey 12 4.15x
Melton Mowbray 12 26.30x
Mile End Old Town 12 3.32x
Norton 12 205.48x
Battersea 11 1.31x
Hindringham 11 238.61x
Holbrook 11 180.33x
Mildenhall 11 37.14x
Prittlewell 11 17.57x
Rotherhithe 11 3.89x
Badley 10 1666.67x
Birmingham 10 0.52x
Fincham 10 161.29x
Gateshead 10 1.96x
Holy Trinity 10 1.83x
Ipswich St Helen 10 30.27x
Mistley 10 82.44x
Rattlesden 10 122.70x
Westminster St John 10 3.59x
Bildeston 9 146.82x
Bow London 9 3.09x
Chelmsford 9 11.61x
Great Finborough 9 278.64x
Ixworth 9 114.50x
Lee 9 7.94x
St Andrewthe Less 9 5.43x
Wetherden 9 230.77x
Wherstead 9 434.78x
Woolwich 9 3.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 114
Sarah 85
Elizabeth 78
Emma 45
Ellen 44
Eliza 40
Alice 33
Emily 30
Jane 28
Maria 28
Annie 27
Charlotte 26
Hannah 26
Ann 25
Ada 20
Caroline 20
Susan 20
Kate 19
Harriet 18
Amelia 17
Martha 17
Florence 14
Clara 12
Louisa 12
Susannah 12
Anna 11
Matilda 11
Rebecca 11
Edith 10
Harriett 10
Julia 10
Rose 10
Anne 9
Jessie 9
Esther 8
Fanny 8
Ruth 8
Sophia 8
Frances 7
Lucy 7
Agnes 6
Amy 6
Lydia 6
Minnie 6
Georgina 5
Laura 5
Margaret 5
Rosa 5
Catherine 4
Maryann 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 139
George 96
John 86
Robert 64
Charles 63
James 63
Henry 48
Frederick 41
Walter 41
Thomas 39
Edward 36
Arthur 35
Alfred 27
Samuel 27
Joseph 20
Harry 19
Herbert 16
Ernest 15
Frank 13
Francis 12
Albert 10
Richard 10
David 8
Fredrick 8
Benjamin 7
Chas. 6
Sidney 6
Abraham 5
Edgar 5
Joshua 5
Thos. 5
Daniel 4
Jacob 4
Phillip 4
Sydney 4
Wm. 4
Clifford 3
Edmund 3
Isaac 3
Josiah 3
Nathan 3
Percy 3
Richd. 3
Tufnell 3
Willm. 3
Abram 2
Chris. 2
Peter 2
Philip 2
Saml. 2

FAQ

Southgate surname: questions and answers

How common was the Southgate surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,341 people were recorded with the Southgate surname. That placed it at #1,896 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Southgate surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,944 in 2016. That gives Southgate a modern rank of #2,289.

What does the Southgate surname mean?

A surname indicating an individual came from a southern gate or entrance.

What does the Southgate map show?

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