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Gayton Family History

Gayton Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of several places in Cheshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, and Staffordshire called Gayton, or from Gayton le Marsh or Gayton le Wold in Lincolnshire.

The Northamptonshire and Staffordshire placenames are from an Old English personal name Gǣga + tūn ‘farmstead’; the others are from Old Norse geit ‘goat’ + tún ‘farmstead’.

In some cases, possibly also French: diminutive of Gayte, a southern variant of guette ‘watch’, and hence an occupational name for a watchman.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Gayton family from?

You can see how Gayton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gayton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gayton families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 114 Gayton families living in Northamptonshire. This was about 18% of all the recorded Gayton's in United Kingdom. Northamptonshire had the highest population of Gayton families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gayton surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Gayton ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Gayton. 14% of Gayton men worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties and 84% of Gayton women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gayton were Farm Labourer and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Gayton | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    14%
  • General Labourer
    14%
  • General Labourer Heavy Worker
    14%
  • Farm Labourer
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    84%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Housekeeper
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Gayton family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 19,000 census records available for the last name Gayton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gayton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gayton

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Gayton. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Gayton immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Gayton. For the veterans among your Gayton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gayton military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gayton family history

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What is the average Gayton lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Gayton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Gayton in 1944 was 56, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gayton

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gayton ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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