2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Gainwell
A name derived from a place name meaning "a prosperous or fruitful settlement".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Gainwell. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gainwell 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Gainwell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gainwell, the largest self-reported group is Black at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gainwell
The surname GAINWELL is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a place called Gainwell or Gainswell, which may have referred to a prosperous or thriving spring or well. The prefix "gain" likely comes from the Old English word "gænan," meaning "to make prosperous or productive."
The earliest recorded instance of the name GAINWELL dates back to the 13th century in the county of Lincolnshire. In 1275, a man named Robert de Gayneswell was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire, an ancient legal record documenting landowners and their holdings.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Gaynwell and Gainswell, in several regions of England, including Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire. It is possible that the name was associated with different locations bearing similar names.
One notable historical figure with the surname GAINWELL was Sir Richard Gainwell, a prominent English landowner and knight who lived during the reign of King Edward III in the 14th century. He was known for his military service and his involvement in the Hundred Years' War against France.
Another individual of note was John Gainwell, a scholar and clergyman who lived in the 16th century. He served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Lincolnshire and was renowned for his works on theology and religious studies.
In the 17th century, the name GAINWELL was found in various parts of England, including London and the counties of Derbyshire and Gloucestershire. One notable bearer of the name was Thomas Gainwell, a successful merchant and trader who lived in London during the reign of King Charles II.
During the 18th century, a branch of the GAINWELL family settled in the county of Yorkshire, where they established themselves as landed gentry. One prominent member of this branch was William Gainwell, a respected landowner and justice of the peace who lived from 1725 to 1798.
Another notable figure was Elizabeth Gainwell, a renowned author and poet who lived in the late 18th century. She published several collections of poetry and was highly regarded in literary circles of her time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gainwell
Among Census respondents with the surname Gainwell, the largest self-reported group is Black at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gainwell 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 Gainwell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American98.1% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gainwell
Gainwell appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+3 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 6,122 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +3 bearers (+3.0%) | Up 6,122 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 Gainwell 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 | #159,712 | #153,590 | 3.8% |
| Count | 101 | 104 | 3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gainwell bearers went from 101 to 104 (+3.0% change). The surname moved up 6,122 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #153,590.
FAQ
Gainwell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gainwell?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Gainwell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Gainwell?
Gainwell ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Gainwell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Gainwell.
Has Gainwell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gainwell went from 101 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 3 (+3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Gainwell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gainwell, the largest self-reported group is Black at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Gainwell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gainwell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (98.1%), Hispanic (1.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Gainwell (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 Gainwell mean?
A name derived from a place name meaning "a prosperous or fruitful settlement". 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 Gainwell (0.03 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 last name Gainwell?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Gainwell at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.