2000
#3,658
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,926
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.31
Rare Last name
Gaddis
A surname of Welsh origin, derived from the given name Cadoc, meaning "battle honor" or "warrior honor."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,831 Americans carry the last name Gaddis. That puts it at #4,019 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,865 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gaddis surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
9.8K
1 in 34,865
Census rank
#4,019
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,573 bearers of the surname Gaddis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4019th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaddis, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.6%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gaddis
The surname Gaddis is believed to have originated in the British Isles, specifically in England. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "gad," which meant "a goad or spike." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked as a herder or farmer, using a goad to guide livestock.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Gaddis." This ancient record provides valuable insight into the distribution and prevalence of surnames in medieval England.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various records with slightly different spellings, such as "Gaddys" and "Gaddyes." These variations were common in the Middle Ages, as spelling conventions were not yet standardized.
During the 16th century, the surname Gaddis began to spread beyond its roots in England. Records from this period show the name appearing in Scotland and Ireland, possibly due to migration and intermarriage between these neighboring regions.
One notable figure bearing the Gaddis surname was John Gaddis, a Welsh poet and translator who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His work helped preserve and promote Welsh literature during a time of cultural upheaval.
In the 18th century, the name Gaddis can be found in connection with several place names in England, such as Gaddis Green in Leicestershire and Gaddis Farm in Wiltshire. These place names likely derived from individuals or families with the Gaddis surname who once resided or owned land in those areas.
Another prominent individual with the Gaddis surname was William Gaddis, an American novelist born in 1922. He is best known for his complex and experimental novels, such as "The Recognitions" and "JR," which explored themes of capitalism, art, and modern society.
Over the centuries, the Gaddis surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including writers, poets, farmers, and tradesmen. While its origins may be humble, the name has left a lasting imprint on the history and culture of the British Isles and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gaddis
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaddis, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.6%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gaddis bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Gaddis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.1% · 5,927
- Black or African American21.6% · 1,854
- Two or more races4.5% · 390
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 297
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 54
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 51
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gaddis
Gaddis appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,877
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,142
+216 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 3.10
Rank movement Down 219 places
2020
#4,019
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,573
-569 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 2.87
Rank movement Down 142 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,658 | 8,926 | 3.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,877 | 9,142 | 3.10 | +216 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 219 places |
| 2020 | #4,019 | 8,573 | 2.87 | -569 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 142 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Gaddis surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,877 | #4,019 | -3.7% |
| Count | 9,142 | 8,573 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.10 | 2.87 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gaddis bearers went from 9,142 to 8,573 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 142 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,877 to #4,019.
FAQ
Gaddis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gaddis?
Name Census estimates that about 9,831 living Americans carry the surname Gaddis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,865 residents.
How common is Gaddis?
Gaddis ranks #4,019 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.87 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,573 people with the surname Gaddis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,831), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.87 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Gaddis.
Has Gaddis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gaddis went from 9,142 recorded bearers to 8,573. That is a decrease of 569 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,877 to #4,019.
What does the Census say about the background of Gaddis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaddis, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.6%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gaddis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.1% (5,927 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gaddis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.1%), Black (21.6%), Two or More Races (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Gaddis (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Gaddis mean?
A surname of Welsh origin, derived from the given name Cadoc, meaning "battle honor" or "warrior honor." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Gaddis (2.87 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Gaddis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.