2000
#26,987
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 845
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.31
Rare Last name
Gainous
Of Old French origin, potentially derived from "gaigner," meaning to earn or gain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,113 Americans carry the last name Gainous. That puts it at #26,469 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 307,955 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gainous 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
1.1K
1 in 307,955
Census rank
#26,469
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
971
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 971 bearers of the surname Gainous in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26469th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gainous, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Black (40.4%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gainous
The surname Gainous is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is likely derived from the Old French word "gaignon," which means "groom" or "stable hand." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as an occupational surname to someone who worked with horses or in a stable.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gainous can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086. This comprehensive survey, commissioned by William the Conqueror, documented landowners and their holdings throughout England. The entry indicates that a person with a similar name, possibly an ancestor of the Gainous family, held land in the county of Gloucestershire.
During the 13th century, variations of the name, such as "Gaignous" and "Gaynous," appeared in medieval records and documents from the region of Normandy in northern France. This suggests that the name may have originated in this area before spreading to other parts of France and eventually to England.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Jean Gainous was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Rouen, Normandy. He was involved in the lucrative wool trade and is mentioned in several historical accounts of the time.
Another significant figure with the surname Gainous was François Gainous, a French military officer who served under King Louis XIV in the late 17th century. He participated in several campaigns during the Nine Years' War and was awarded the prestigious Order of Saint Louis for his bravery and leadership.
In the 18th century, a man named Pierre Gainous was a renowned vintner and winemaker in the Bordeaux region of France. His wines were highly sought after and enjoyed a reputation for exceptional quality among nobility and connoisseurs of the time.
The name Gainous also has a connection to the town of Gagnon in the Pays de la Loire region of western France. It is believed that some families with the surname Gainous may have originated from or lived in this area, which could explain the similarity in the name.
Throughout history, the surname Gainous has been associated with various professions, including military service, commerce, and agriculture, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gainous
Among Census respondents with the surname Gainous, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Black (40.4%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Gainous 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 Gainous surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.3% · 498
- Black or African American40.4% · 392
- Two or more races4.3% · 42
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gainous
Gainous 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
#25,459
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 971
+126 bearers (+14.9%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Up 1,528 places
2020
#26,469
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 971
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Down 1,010 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,987 | 845 | 0.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,459 | 971 | 0.33 | +126 bearers (+14.9%) | Up 1,528 places |
| 2020 | #26,469 | 971 | 0.32 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 1,010 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 Gainous 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 | #25,459 | #26,469 | -4.0% |
| Count | 971 | 971 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.33 | 0.32 | -1.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gainous bearers went from 971 to 971 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 1,010 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,459 to #26,469.
FAQ
Gainous surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gainous?
Name Census estimates that about 1,113 living Americans carry the surname Gainous. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 307,955 residents.
How common is Gainous?
Gainous ranks #26,469 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.32 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 971 people with the surname Gainous. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,113), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.32 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 Gainous.
Has Gainous become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gainous went from 971 recorded bearers to 971. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #25,459 to #26,469.
What does the Census say about the background of Gainous?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gainous, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Black (40.4%) 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 Gainous in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.3% (498 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gainous appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (51.3%), Black (40.4%), 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 Gainous (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 Gainous mean?
Of Old French origin, potentially derived from "gaigner," meaning to earn or gain. 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 Gainous (0.32 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 Gainous?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.