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

Gamble, 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 Gamble surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gamble in America

Gamble is the 1024th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gamble surname appeared 34,005 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname Gamble.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gamble 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 Gamble

The surname Gamble is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "gamen," meaning "game" or "sport." It likely emerged as a descriptive name for someone associated with games, sports, or perhaps even gambling.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known bearers was William Gammel, mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272. The variation Gammel was common in medieval times, reflecting the name's evolution from "gamen."

In the late 14th century, John Gamyll was recorded in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379. This spelling variation further demonstrates the fluidity of the name's form throughout history.

The Gamble surname can be traced to various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Staffordshire. Some early examples include Thomas Gamyll of Yorkshire, who was mentioned in the Yorkshire Lay Subsidy Rolls in 1301, and John Gamyll of Lancashire, recorded in the Wills and Inventories of the Archdeaconry of Richmond in 1535.

The name may have also derived from place names, such as Gamble Brook in Staffordshire, indicating that some individuals may have taken their surname from the location where they resided.

Notable historical figures with the Gamble surname include:

1. Sir William Gamble (1672-1749), an Irish politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Killybegs.
2. John Gamble (1610-1687), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of St. Cross Hospital, Winchester.
3. John Gamble (1755-1811), an American Revolutionary War officer and politician from Virginia.
4. James Gamble (1803-1891), an Irish-born American businessman who co-founded the Procter & Gamble Company in 1837.
5. Mary Gamble (1859-1938), an American educator and philanthropist who established the Gamble Institute in St. Louis, Missouri.

While the Gamble surname has English roots, it has spread worldwide over the centuries, with notable bearers in various countries and cultures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gamble

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gamble, 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!