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

Gaither, 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 Gaither surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gaither in America

Gaither is the 3324th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gaither surname appeared 10,790 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Gaither.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gaither 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 Gaither

The surname Gaither is believed to have originated in England, possibly in the county of Northamptonshire, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English personal name "Gæðhere," which means "prosperous army."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gaither surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, dated 1176. These rolls were records of financial transactions and taxes paid to the Crown. The name is spelled "Gaitheir" in this document.

In the 13th century, the Gaither surname is mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls, which were records of the royal court. A certain Robert Gaither is listed as a landowner in Northamptonshire during this time.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain the Gaither surname. However, it does include various place names that may be related to the name's origin, such as "Geddington" and "Geitinton" in Northamptonshire.

One of the earliest known individuals with the Gaither surname was John Gaither, who was born in Northamptonshire around 1480. He was a member of the local gentry and owned land in the village of Rothwell.

Another notable Gaither was William Gaither, born in Northamptonshire in 1540. He was a prominent merchant and served as a member of the local town council in Peterborough.

In the 17th century, the Gaither surname spread to other parts of England and eventually to the American colonies. One of the earliest Gaithers in America was John Gaither, who was born in Staffordshire, England, in 1630. He emigrated to Maryland in the 1660s and became a successful planter and landowner.

Another notable Gaither was Benjamin Gaither, born in Maryland in 1734. He served as a colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and played a significant role in several battles, including the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in 1781.

The Gaither surname also has connections to the state of Virginia. One of the most prominent Gaithers from this region was Edmonia Gaither, born in Virginia in 1855. She was an influential educator and civil rights activist who worked tirelessly to promote education and equality for African Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gaither

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

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 Gaither 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 Gaither 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 Gaither was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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