2000
#34,038
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 631
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Very Rare Last name
Gainor
A surname derived from the Old French word "gaaigneur" meaning farmer or husbandman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 781 Americans carry the last name Gainor. That puts it at #35,561 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 438,866 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gainor 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
781
1 in 438,866
Census rank
#35,561
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
681
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 681 bearers of the surname Gainor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 35561st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gainor, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gainor
The surname Gainor originated in Ireland, with its earliest recorded examples appearing in the 16th century. The name is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "geanair," which means "planter" or "gardener." It is believed to have been an occupational surname initially given to those who worked as gardeners or farmers.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Gainor surname can be found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of records from the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Philip and Mary. These records mention individuals with the surname Gainor living in County Cork, Ireland, in the mid-16th century.
The Gainor family has its roots in the province of Munster, particularly in counties such as Cork, Limerick, and Tipperary. Several place names in these areas, like Ganeor and Ganeroe, may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.
One notable individual with the Gainor surname was Patrick Gainor (c. 1610-1674), an Irish Catholic priest who served as the Bishop of Kilmore from 1648 until his death. He played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars during the 17th century.
In the 18th century, James Gainor (1755-1828) was a prominent Irish-American businessman and politician. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and was involved in the construction of the Pennsylvania Canals.
Another notable figure was Michael Gainor (1846-1920), an Irish-American lawyer and politician from New York. He served as a member of the New York State Assembly and was actively involved in various political and social organizations.
In the literary world, Edward Gainor (1890-1976) was an American author and playwright. He wrote several novels, including "The Magnolia Tree" and "The Long Road Home," which explored themes of family, identity, and the Southern experience.
Mary Gainor (1908-1984) was an American actress and singer who had a successful career on Broadway and in Hollywood. She appeared in numerous musicals and films, including the 1939 classic "Gone with the Wind."
The Gainor surname has a rich history rooted in Irish heritage, with its origins dating back to the 16th century. While initially an occupational surname, it has since become a prominent family name carried by individuals from various walks of life, including religious leaders, politicians, authors, and performers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gainor
Among Census respondents with the surname Gainor, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Gainor 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 Gainor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.2% · 512
- Black or African American16.7% · 114
- Two or more races4.3% · 29
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gainor
Gainor 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
#35,537
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 633
+2 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 1,499 places
2020
#35,561
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 681
+48 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 24 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,038 | 631 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,537 | 633 | 0.21 | +2 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 1,499 places |
| 2020 | #35,561 | 681 | 0.23 | +48 bearers (+7.6%) | Down 24 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 Gainor 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 | #35,537 | #35,561 | -0.1% |
| Count | 633 | 681 | 7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.23 | 8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gainor bearers went from 633 to 681 (+7.6% change). The surname moved down 24 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,537 to #35,561.
FAQ
Gainor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gainor?
Name Census estimates that about 781 living Americans carry the surname Gainor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 438,866 residents.
How common is Gainor?
Gainor ranks #35,561 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.23 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 681 people with the surname Gainor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (781), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.23 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 Gainor.
Has Gainor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gainor went from 633 recorded bearers to 681. That is an increase of 48 (+7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #35,537 to #35,561.
What does the Census say about the background of Gainor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gainor, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Gainor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.2% (512 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gainor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.2%), Black (16.7%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Gainor (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 Gainor mean?
A surname derived from the Old French word "gaaigneur" meaning farmer or husbandman. 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 Gainor (0.23 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 Americans have the surname Gainor?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.