2000
#6,617
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,720
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.75
Rare Last name
Gadson
A surname of English origin, derived from the Middle English personal name Gad, meaning "God is my witness."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,805 Americans carry the last name Gadson. That puts it at #6,457 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,045 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gadson 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
5.8K
1 in 59,045
Census rank
#6,457
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,062 bearers of the surname Gadson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6457th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gadson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and White (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gadson
The surname Gadson has its origins in England, with the earliest records dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "gad," which means "goad" or "spike." This suggests that the surname may have initially referred to someone who worked with goads, such as a cattle herder or farmer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gadson surname can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Chelmsford, Essex, where a John Gadson was listed as a resident in 1598. Another early reference is in the Yorkshire parish registers, which mention a Thomas Gadson in 1612.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Gadson surname appeared in various historical documents across England. Notably, a Richard Gadson was recorded as a landowner in the Hertfordshire Hearth Tax records of 1673. In 1712, a William Gadson was listed as a freeman of the City of London.
The Gadson surname has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. John Gadson (1812-1892) was a prominent English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas. Another notable figure was Mary Gadson (1839-1923), a pioneering educator who founded one of the first schools for girls in Birmingham.
Other historical figures with the Gadson surname include:
1. Thomas Gadson (1765-1846), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
2. Elizabeth Gadson (1802-1878), a British philanthropist and social reformer, known for her efforts in improving the living conditions of factory workers in Manchester.
3. James Gadson (1845-1912), a British explorer and naturalist who led several expeditions to the African continent and documented its flora and fauna.
4. Robert Gadson (1887-1957), a British military officer who served in both World War I and World War II, earning numerous decorations for his bravery and leadership.
5. Margaret Gadson (1920-2005), a renowned British author and poet, whose works explored themes of identity, love, and the human condition.
While the Gadson surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, carried by immigrants and their descendants.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gadson
Among Census respondents with the surname Gadson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and White (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gadson 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 Gadson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American87.9% · 4,450
- Two or more races4.8% · 242
- White3.6% · 184
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 156
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gadson
Gadson 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
#6,422
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,291
+571 bearers (+12.1%)
Per 100,000 1.79
Rank movement Up 195 places
2020
#6,457
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,062
-229 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.69
Rank movement Down 35 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,617 | 4,720 | 1.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,422 | 5,291 | 1.79 | +571 bearers (+12.1%) | Up 195 places |
| 2020 | #6,457 | 5,062 | 1.69 | -229 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 35 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 Gadson 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 | #6,422 | #6,457 | -0.5% |
| Count | 5,291 | 5,062 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.79 | 1.69 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gadson bearers went from 5,291 to 5,062 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 35 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,422 to #6,457.
FAQ
Gadson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gadson?
Name Census estimates that about 5,805 living Americans carry the surname Gadson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,045 residents.
How common is Gadson?
Gadson ranks #6,457 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,062 people with the surname Gadson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,805), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Gadson.
Has Gadson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gadson went from 5,291 recorded bearers to 5,062. That is a decrease of 229 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,422 to #6,457.
What does the Census say about the background of Gadson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gadson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and White (3.6%). 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 Gadson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.9% (4,450 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gadson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (87.9%), Two or More Races (4.8%), White (3.6%). 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 Gadson (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 Gadson mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from the Middle English personal name Gad, meaning "God is my witness." 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 Gadson (1.69 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 Gadson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.