Find out how popular the last name Gaiter is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gaiter.

Gaiter, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gaiter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gaiter in America

Gaiter is the 22543rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gaiter surname appeared 1,140 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gaiter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gaiter to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gaiter

The surname Gaiter originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "geat," which means "gate" or "opening." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a gate or opening in a town or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Gaterig." This entry suggests that the name may have initially been a place name before becoming a surname.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Gayter" and "Gater." These spellings reflect the influence of the Norman French language on English after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

During the 14th century, the name began to take on its modern spelling of "Gaiter." This can be seen in records such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mention a "John le Gayter."

One notable individual with the surname Gaiter was Sir John Gaiter, a prominent landowner and member of Parliament for Worcestershire in the 15th century. He was born around 1420 and died in 1487.

Another historical figure with this surname was William Gaiter, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 16th century. He was born around 1520 and is mentioned in various records related to trade and civic affairs in the city.

In the 17th century, the name Gaiter was associated with several places in England, including Gaiter's Green in Buckinghamshire and Gaiter's Farm in Kent. These place names likely originated from individuals with the surname Gaiter who owned or lived in those areas.

A notable bearer of the name in the 18th century was Robert Gaiter, a renowned clockmaker from London. He was born in 1720 and is known for creating intricate and highly accurate timepieces that were highly sought after by the wealthy and aristocratic classes.

Another individual of note was Elizabeth Gaiter, a prominent social reformer and advocate for women's rights in the 19th century. She was born in 1810 and played a significant role in the early stages of the women's suffrage movement in Britain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gaiter

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gaiter.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gaiter was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gaiter has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gaiter was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gaiter, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!