NameCensus.

UK surname

Wildgoose

A surname indicating an untamed nature or free spirit.

In the 1881 census there were 802 people recorded with the Wildgoose surname, ranking it #4,642 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 696, ranked #7,738, down from #4,642 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Matlock, Darley and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Derbyshire Dales, High Peak and Rotherham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wildgoose is 920 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 13.2%.

1881 census count

802

Ranked #4,642

Modern count

696

2016, ranked #7,738

Peak year

1901

920 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wildgoose had 802 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,642 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 696 in 2016, ranked #7,738.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 920 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wildgoose surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wildgoose surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wildgoose 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 569 #4,474
1861 historical 511 #5,121
1881 historical 802 #4,642
1891 historical 781 #5,140
1901 historical 920 #5,063
1911 historical 753 #5,722
1997 modern 743 #6,933
1998 modern 738 #7,191
1999 modern 734 #7,263
2000 modern 733 #7,237
2001 modern 712 #7,267
2002 modern 724 #7,318
2003 modern 708 #7,309
2004 modern 701 #7,391
2005 modern 700 #7,344
2006 modern 693 #7,413
2007 modern 695 #7,467
2008 modern 711 #7,390
2009 modern 720 #7,470
2010 modern 732 #7,518
2011 modern 745 #7,351
2012 modern 721 #7,449
2013 modern 725 #7,535
2014 modern 722 #7,590
2015 modern 699 #7,719
2016 modern 696 #7,738

Geography

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Where Wildgooses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Matlock, Darley, Sheffield, Bakewell and Aberdeen and Old Machar. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Derbyshire Dales, High Peak and Rotherham. 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 Matlock Derbyshire
2 Darley Derbyshire
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Bakewell Derbyshire
5 Aberdeen and Old Machar Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Derbyshire Dales 005 Derbyshire Dales
2 High Peak 012 High Peak
3 Derbyshire Dales 003 Derbyshire Dales
4 Derbyshire Dales 006 Derbyshire Dales
5 Rotherham 025 Rotherham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wildgoose

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wildgoose

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Wildgoose is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wildgoose 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

Wildgoose 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 Wildgoose is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Wildgoose

The surname Wildgoose has its origins in England, dating back to medieval times. It is believed to have originated from the East Midlands or northern parts of the country, an area rich with farmland and natural wildlife. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words wilde, meaning wild, and gos, meaning goose, possibly indicating a person who was either a goose herder or someone who lived in an area where wild geese were notable.

Historical records suggest that the surname first appeared in written documents in the 13th century. An early reference can be found in the Assize Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273, which lists a William Wyldegos. Variations in the spelling of the surname include Wildgos, Wildgoss, and Wildgosse, which were common in manuscripts from that era.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname is Richard Wildgose, who appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301. Gregory Wildgoose, another historical figure, was documented as a landholder in Nottinghamshire during the mid-15th century. The frequency of the surname in ecclesiastical records from that period suggests that it was fairly widespread in the region.

The name also appears in several legal documents from the 16th century. For instance, in the Feet of Fines for the county of Essex in 1570, we find mention of a John Wildgoose. His involvement in land transactions indicates the social mobility of those bearing the surname during the Tudor era.

In the 17th century, the surname continued to be recorded in various parts of England. A notable individual was Thomas Wildgoose, baptized in St. Martin's Church, Leicester, in 1623 and noted for his later work as a local magistrate. Another example is Mary Wildgoose, whose marriage to James Thompson in 1685 is recorded in the parish registers of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham.

Wildgoose remains a distinctive surname with deep historical roots in England, and while its use has diminished over time, its legacy persists through historical records and the contributions of individuals who bore the name in centuries past.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wildgoose families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wildgoose 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. Derbyshire leads with 309 Wildgooses recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.23x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 309 25.23x
Yorkshire 140 1.81x
Lancashire 111 1.20x
Cheshire 64 3.71x
Aberdeenshire 35 4.83x
Staffordshire 35 1.33x
Gloucestershire 29 1.89x
Nottinghamshire 16 1.52x
Banffshire 15 9.24x
Lincolnshire 12 0.96x
Warwickshire 8 0.41x
Wiltshire 6 0.87x
Middlesex 5 0.06x
Somerset 5 0.40x
Durham 3 0.13x
Cornwall 2 0.23x
Northumberland 2 0.17x
Essex 1 0.06x
Hampshire 1 0.06x
Kincardineshire 1 1.05x
Midlothian 1 0.10x
Sussex 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Matlock in Derbyshire leads with 56 Wildgooses recorded in 1881 and an index of 340.43x.

Place Total Index
Matlock 56 340.43x
Ecclesall Bierlow 38 24.10x
Darley 34 686.87x
Sheffield 34 13.78x
Dronfield 33 210.19x
Hyde 24 47.10x
Hulme 21 10.84x
Burton Extra 17 112.29x
Bonsall 16 440.77x
West Derby 16 5.89x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 15 11.07x
Bristol St George 14 19.73x
Manchester 14 3.35x
Upper Hallam 14 207.72x
Over Haddon 13 2708.33x
Ashton Under Lyne 12 5.91x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 12 16.62x
Bakewell 12 179.10x
Chesterfield 12 26.13x
Birkenhead 11 7.99x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 11 7.61x
Castleton 11 632.18x
Gamrie 11 60.71x
Brightside Bierlow 10 6.58x
Buxton 10 96.43x
Derby St Alkmund 10 27.24x
Derby St Werburgh 10 14.14x
Ecclesfield 10 17.59x
Warrington 10 9.09x
Wormhill 10 390.63x
Hunslet 8 6.62x
Knutsford Nether 8 76.63x
Litchurch 8 16.23x
Sheldon 8 1777.78x
Tutbury 8 124.22x
Broughton In Salford 7 8.25x
Derby St Peter 7 17.94x
Stretford 7 13.71x
Aberdeen Old Machar 6 3.97x
Glossop Dale 6 10.46x
Kimberworth 6 13.94x
Lenton 6 24.15x
Macclesfield 6 7.82x
Swindon 6 11.18x
Tintwistle 6 65.01x
Unstone 6 124.48x
Whitwell 6 123.20x
Basford 5 10.29x
Bedminster 5 4.23x
Birmingham 5 0.76x
Brampton 5 29.21x
Fraserburgh 5 24.51x
Gorton 5 5.73x
Metheringham 5 100.00x
New Sleaford 5 62.34x
Newton 5 6.99x
Oldham 5 1.67x
Wingfield South 5 152.44x
Barrow In Furness 4 3.17x
Bollington In 4 26.02x
Chelsea London 4 1.70x
Old Deer 4 29.13x
Snenton 4 9.65x
Tupton 4 108.70x
Wednesbury 4 6.06x
Wensley Snitterton 4 219.78x
Winshill 4 51.22x
Aston 3 0.55x
Crich 3 37.55x
Heeley 3 12.73x
Westoe 3 2.27x
Alfreton 2 5.37x
Ashover 2 32.79x
Bristol Temple 2 19.80x
Cromford 2 69.44x
Fazeley 2 41.67x
Madron Penzance 2 6.21x
Poynton 2 34.42x
St Fergus 2 48.78x
Tynemouth 2 3.21x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 56
Sarah 33
Elizabeth 30
Ann 25
Hannah 21
Annie 17
Jane 14
Emma 12
Harriet 9
Edith 8
Eliza 8
Ellen 8
Maria 8
Rose 8
Fanny 7
Margaret 7
Martha 7
Alice 6
Emily 6
Lydia 6
Louisa 5
Lucy 5
Ada 4
Charlotte 4
Clara 4
Florence 4
Anne 3
Caroline 3
Alathea 2
Beatrice 2
Betsy 2
Bridget 2
Ethel 2
Frances 2
Francis 2
Helen 2
Jessie 2
Lilly 2
Lily 2
Lizzie 2
Ruth 2
Susan 2
Bathleen 1
Bertha 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth. 1
Elsie 1
Hezia 1
Ida 1
Isabella 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 43
William 40
George 29
Thomas 22
James 20
Joseph 15
Alfred 11
Charles 11
Henry 9
Richard 9
Samuel 9
Albert 8
Frederick 7
Arthur 6
Francis 5
Frank 5
Fred 5
Ralph 5
Edward 4
Ernest 4
Herbert 4
Thos. 4
Tom 4
Anthony 3
David 3
Fredrick 3
Job 3
Lawrence 3
Robert 3
Walter 3
Abraham 2
Bernard 2
Edwin 2
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
Jasper 2
Joshua 2
Peter 2
Sidney 2
Wm. 2
Archer 1
Clement 1
Daniel 1
Frederic 1
Geo.Hy. 1
Leebin 1
Leonard 1
Miles 1
Moses 1
Richd.H. 1

FAQ

Wildgoose surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wildgoose surname in 1881?

In 1881, 802 people were recorded with the Wildgoose surname. That placed it at #4,642 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wildgoose surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 696 in 2016. That gives Wildgoose a modern rank of #7,738.

What does the Wildgoose surname mean?

A surname indicating an untamed nature or free spirit.

What does the Wildgoose map show?

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