2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gaitens
A variant spelling of the English surname Gaitens or Gayton, denoting someone from the town of that name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Gaitens. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gaitens 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gaitens with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Gaitens in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaitens, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gaitens
The surname Gaitens is believed to have originated in the British Isles, specifically in the region of Northern England and Scotland during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from an Old English or Old Norse word meaning "goat herder" or "goatherd," reflecting the occupational origins of many surnames from that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Chartulary of Lindores Abbey, a medieval cartulary from the late 12th century, which mentions a "Thomas Gaitens" as a witness to a land transaction. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century in Scotland.
Another early reference appears in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1284, where a "Willelmus Gaytins" is listed, indicating the presence of the name in Northern England during the late 13th century.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in various spellings, such as "Gaytyn" and "Gaytyngs," in records from counties like Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. This variation in spelling was common during that period before standardized orthography became more widespread.
One notable figure with the surname Gaitens was John Gaitens, a Scottish merchant and landowner who lived in the 16th century. He is recorded as having owned substantial properties in the town of Dysart, Fife, and was involved in local government affairs.
Another individual of note was Robert Gaitens, a 17th-century clergyman and author from England. He published several religious works, including a treatise titled "The Heavenly Manna" in 1653.
In the 18th century, a certain William Gaitens gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker and watchmaker in London. His timepieces were highly regarded for their craftsmanship and accuracy.
Moving into the 19th century, one finds mention of a John Gaitens, born in 1812, who was a prominent figure in the shipbuilding industry in Glasgow, Scotland. He owned and operated a successful shipyard on the River Clyde.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Margaret Gaitens, a Scottish artist and painter who lived from 1868 to 1944. She was known for her landscapes and portraits, and her works were exhibited at various galleries throughout Scotland and England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gaitens
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaitens, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gaitens 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 Gaitens surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 101
- Two or more races4.6% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gaitens
Gaitens 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-7 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,415 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 247 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 16,415 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 247 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 Gaitens 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 | #150,452 | #150,205 | 0.2% |
| Count | 109 | 109 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gaitens bearers went from 109 to 109 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 247 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #150,205.
FAQ
Gaitens surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gaitens?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Gaitens. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Gaitens?
Gaitens ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Gaitens. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Gaitens.
Has Gaitens become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gaitens went from 109 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Gaitens?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaitens, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Gaitens in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gaitens appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Gaitens (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 Gaitens mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname Gaitens or Gayton, denoting someone from the town of that name. 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 Gaitens (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 common is the surname Gaitens?
If you just want to know how many people are called Gaitens, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.