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

Gam, 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 Gam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gam in America

Gam is the 86645th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gam surname appeared 215 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 Gam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gam 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 Gam

The surname GAM is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and it is believed to have its roots in England dating back to the 11th century. Its earliest known spelling was "Gam," and it is thought to be derived from the Old English word "gamen," which means "game" or "sport." This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname given to someone who was involved in various forms of entertainment or sports.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname GAM can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The record mentions a person named Gam holding land in Gloucestershire, England.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Gamme" and "Gaume," which were likely regional variations of the original spelling. During this period, the surname GAM was also associated with certain place names, such as Gammerton in Nottinghamshire and Gamlingay in Cambridgeshire.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname GAM include:

1. Sir John Gam (c. 1300-1370), an English knight and courtier who served under King Edward III.
2. David Gam (c. 1530-1594), a Welsh Protestant clergyman and scholar who was known for his translation work.
3. William Gam (1689-1752), a British naval officer and explorer who played a key role in mapping the Pacific Ocean.
4. Sarah Gam (1793-1868), an English author and philanthropist whose works focused on education and social reform.
5. Thomas Gam (1856-1938), a Scottish businessman and politician who served as the Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1913 to 1916.

Over time, the surname GAM has undergone various spelling variations, including Gamm, Game, Gaume, and Gammell, among others. These variations often reflect regional dialects or changes in pronunciation that occurred as the name spread across different parts of the British Isles and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gam

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

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

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

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