2000
#90,252
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 190
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Gadsen
An Americanized form of the English surname Gadsden, derived from a place name meaning "Gad's valley."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 140 Americans carry the last name Gadsen. That puts it at #140,525 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,448,245 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gadsen 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
140
1 in 2,448,245
Census rank
#140,525
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
122
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 122 bearers of the surname Gadsen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 140525th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gadsen, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gadsen
The surname Gadsen has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "gad" and "sen," meaning "goad" and "ridge" or "hill," respectively. This suggests that the name may have originally been a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a ridge or hill used for goading cattle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Lincolnshire, compiled in 1274, which mentions a Hugo de Gaddesen. This early spelling variation highlights the evolving nature of surnames during that period.
In the 14th century, the Gadsen name appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire, where a John de Gadsone was listed in 1327. This record provides insights into the geographic distribution of the name and its association with the county of Staffordshire.
The Gadsen surname is also found in historical records related to the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property conducted in England in 1086. While the name itself is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, it is likely that some early bearers of the name can be traced back to families recorded in this important historical document.
One notable individual bearing the Gadsen surname was Sir John Gadsen (c. 1460-1518), a member of the English gentry and a significant landowner in Hertfordshire. He served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Hertford during the reign of Henry VIII.
Another prominent figure was Thomas Gadsen (1594-1659), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of St. Margaret's Church in Lowestoft, Suffolk. He is known for his theological writings, including a treatise titled "The Christian's Consolation against Death."
In the 18th century, Christopher Gadsen (1719-1805) was a prominent American Revolutionary War officer and politician from South Carolina. He is best remembered for his design of the famous Gadsden Flag, featuring a coiled rattlesnake and the iconic phrase "Don't Tread on Me."
William Gadsen (1772-1840) was a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He played a significant role in several notable battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, where he commanded the HMS Thunderer.
Lastly, Reverend James Gadsen (1823-1891) was an English clergyman and author who served as the vicar of Farnham, Surrey. He was known for his contributions to the field of religious literature, including his work "The Christian Life and Doctrine."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gadsen
Among Census respondents with the surname Gadsen, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gadsen 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 Gadsen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American89.3% · 109
- White8.2% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gadsen
Gadsen 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
-65 bearers (-34.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 44,460 places
2020
#140,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-3 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,813 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #90,252 | 190 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | -65 bearers (-34.2%) | Down 44,460 places |
| 2020 | #140,525 | 122 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 5,813 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 Gadsen 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 | #134,712 | #140,525 | -4.3% |
| Count | 125 | 122 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gadsen bearers went from 125 to 122 (-2.4% change). The surname moved down 5,813 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #140,525.
FAQ
Gadsen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gadsen?
Name Census estimates that about 140 living Americans carry the surname Gadsen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,448,245 residents.
How common is Gadsen?
Gadsen ranks #140,525 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 122 people with the surname Gadsen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (140), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gadsen.
Has Gadsen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gadsen went from 125 recorded bearers to 122. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #140,525.
What does the Census say about the background of Gadsen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gadsen, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gadsen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gadsen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (89.3%), White (8.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Gadsen (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 Gadsen mean?
An Americanized form of the English surname Gadsden, derived from a place name meaning "Gad's valley." 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 Gadsen (0.04 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 share the surname Gadsen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.