2000
#82,019
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 214
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Gambon
An old French surname potentially derived from the word "gambe" meaning leg.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 257 Americans carry the last name Gambon. That puts it at #88,925 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,333,674 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gambon surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
257
1 in 1,333,674
Census rank
#88,925
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
224
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 224 bearers of the surname Gambon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 88925th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gambon, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gambon
The surname Gambon originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "gambon," which referred to a ham or leg of pork. This could suggest that the name's earliest bearers may have been involved in the meat trade or had some association with pigs or pork products.
Gambon is thought to have first appeared in historical records in the 12th century, with some of the earliest documented references found in various charters and census rolls from Normandy and other regions of northern France. The name's spelling has remained relatively consistent over the centuries, although variations such as Gambone and Gambonne have been noted in some ancient documents.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Gambon was Renaud Gambon, a merchant from Rouen who was recorded in a tax register in 1278. Another early bearer of the name was Jean Gambon, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was mentioned in a chronicle from the 14th century.
During the late Middle Ages and Renaissance period, the Gambon name was prominent in several French cities, including Paris, Lyon, and Bordeaux. Notable figures from this era included Pierre Gambon (1512-1584), a renowned jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Parlement of Paris, and Étienne Gambon (1572-1635), a successful merchant and landowner in the Bordeaux region.
In the 17th century, the Gambon family established itself in the French province of Languedoc, where they played a significant role in local politics and governance. One prominent member was Antoine Gambon (1638-1709), who served as the Mayor of Nîmes and was a respected figure in the Protestant community during a time of religious turmoil.
Another notable individual with the Gambon surname was Jacques Gambon (1756-1828), a French military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Légion d'Honneur for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
Throughout its history, the Gambon name has been associated with various professions, including law, commerce, politics, and military service, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of its bearers across different regions of France.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gambon
Among Census respondents with the surname Gambon, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gambon bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Gambon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.1% · 184
- Asian and Pacific Islander12.9% · 29
- Two or more races2.7% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gambon
Gambon appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#98,099
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 185
-29 bearers (-13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 16,080 places
2020
#88,925
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 224
+39 bearers (+21.1%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 9,174 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #82,019 | 214 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #98,099 | 185 | 0.06 | -29 bearers (-13.6%) | Down 16,080 places |
| 2020 | #88,925 | 224 | 0.07 | +39 bearers (+21.1%) | Up 9,174 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Gambon surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #98,099 | #88,925 | 9.4% |
| Count | 185 | 224 | 21.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.07 | 24.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gambon bearers went from 185 to 224 (+21.1% change). The surname moved up 9,174 positions in the national ranking, going from #98,099 to #88,925.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gambon
FAQ
Gambon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gambon?
Name Census estimates that about 257 living Americans carry the surname Gambon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,333,674 residents.
How common is Gambon?
Gambon ranks #88,925 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 224 people with the surname Gambon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (257), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gambon.
Has Gambon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gambon went from 185 recorded bearers to 224. That is an increase of 39 (+21.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #98,099 to #88,925.
What does the Census say about the background of Gambon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gambon, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gambon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.1% (184 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gambon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (12.9%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Gambon (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Gambon mean?
An old French surname potentially derived from the word "gambe" meaning leg. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Gambon (0.07 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Gambon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.