Find out how popular the last name Gab is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gab.

Gab, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gab surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gab in America

Gab is the 103655th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gab surname appeared 173 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gab.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gab to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gab

The surname "GAB" is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages, likely in the southern regions near the borders with Switzerland and Austria. It is thought to be derived from the Old High German word "gab," meaning "gift" or "bounty." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who possessed a generous or benevolent nature.

The earliest known record of the surname appears in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the Duchy of Bavaria, dating back to the 12th century. In this text, a certain "Hainricus Gab" is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Niederkaltenbach.

By the 13th century, variations of the name such as "Gabe" and "Gaeb" can be found in various administrative records and tax rolls across southern Germany. Notable bearers of the name during this period include Johannes Gab, a renowned stonemason who worked on the construction of the Strasbourg Cathedral in the late 13th century.

As the name spread throughout the German-speaking regions, it also found its way into place names, such as the village of Gabelbach in the Palatinate region, which likely derived its name from the presence of families with the surname Gab.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name gained prominence with the rise of several notable figures. Hans Gab (1515-1588) was a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the city of Nuremberg. Meanwhile, Katharina Gab (1567-1631) was a prominent businesswoman and landowner in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

In the 18th century, the name gained international recognition with the exploits of Johann Gab (1728-1796), a German-born explorer and naturalist who accompanied Captain James Cook on his famous voyages to the Pacific Ocean. Gab's detailed accounts of the flora and fauna encountered during these expeditions were highly influential in the field of natural history.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Friedrich Gab (1792-1867), a renowned composer and conductor who served as the Kapellmeister at the court of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. His works, which include several operas and symphonic compositions, were highly regarded during his lifetime.

As the name spread across Europe and beyond, it continued to appear in various forms, such as "Gabbe" in Sweden and "Gabbi" in Italy, often retaining its association with generosity and abundance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gab

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gab.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gab was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gab has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gab was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gab, please contact us.

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