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

Gambles, 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 Gambles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gambles in America

Gambles is the 59742nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gambles surname appeared 338 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 Gambles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gambles 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 Gambles

The surname Gambles is an English locational name derived from the place name Gambles, a hamlet in the parish of Slaidburn, Yorkshire. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "gamen" and "hyll," meaning "game hill" or "hill where games were played."

The earliest recorded spelling of the surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as "Gamelesbi." This ancient record suggests that the name has a long history and was likely derived from a specific location or settlement in the Yorkshire region.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Gamelsby," "Gamelesbi," and "Gamelesby." These variations in spelling were common during that period due to the lack of standardized orthography and the influence of local dialects.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Gambles was John Gambles, who was listed in the Nottinghamshire Subsidy Rolls of 1327. Another notable figure was William Gambles, born in 1586 in Westmorland, England, who was a prominent merchant and landowner.

In the 17th century, the name Gambles appeared in various parish records across England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire. During this time, the surname was sometimes associated with place names such as Gamblesholme, a township in the parish of Calverley, Yorkshire.

Among the notable individuals with the surname Gambles was Sir William Gambles (1628-1701), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Hindon in Wiltshire. Another prominent figure was Thomas Gambles (1766-1811), an English clergyman and author who published several works on theology and religious subjects.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname Gambles continued to be found in various parts of England, with some members of the family migrating to other parts of the British Isles and abroad. One notable individual from this period was John Gambles (1792-1870), an English inventor and engineer who contributed significantly to the development of early steam engines and locomotives.

Throughout its history, the surname Gambles has maintained a strong connection to its English roots and the Yorkshire region, where it is believed to have originated from the Old English words "gamen" and "hyll."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gambles

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

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

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

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