2000
#15,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,749
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.65
Rare Last name
Gambrel
A structural member or roof ridge resembling a horse's hind leg.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,066 Americans carry the last name Gambrel. That puts it at #15,607 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 165,902 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gambrel 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
2.1K
1 in 165,902
Census rank
#15,607
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,802 bearers of the surname Gambrel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15607th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gambrel, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gambrel
The surname Gambrel originates from England and is believed to have derived from the Old French term "gambrel" or "gamberel," which referred to a hocked leg or a bent piece of wood used in construction. The name likely emerged during the medieval period, potentially reflecting an occupation or a physical attribute associated with the bearer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a certain Robert Gambrel is mentioned. This historical document provides valuable insights into the presence of the surname in England during the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in various records, such as the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where a William Gambrell is listed. The spelling variations during this period, including Gambrell and Gamberell, highlight the evolution of the name over time.
Interestingly, the surname Gambrel has also been associated with place names in England. For instance, the village of Gamblesby in Cumbria is thought to have derived from a similar root, suggesting a potential connection between the surname and geographic locations.
Notable individuals bearing the Gambrel surname throughout history include:
1. John Gambrel (c. 1500 - 1570), an English merchant and landowner from Somerset, who played a significant role in the local community during the Tudor period.
2. Elizabeth Gambrel (1632 - 1705), a early settler in the British colonies of North America, who arrived in Virginia in the mid-17th century and established a family lineage in the New World.
3. Thomas Gambrel (1735 - 1810), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and participated in several battles against the Continental Navy.
4. William Gambrel (1810 - 1876), a renowned architect and civil engineer from Yorkshire, who contributed to the design and construction of several notable buildings and infrastructure projects in the Victorian era.
5. Alice Gambrel (1867 - 1948), an English philanthropist and social reformer, who dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of underprivileged communities in London and advocating for women's rights.
Throughout its history, the surname Gambrel has maintained a consistent presence in various regions of England and later in the British colonies, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gambrel
Among Census respondents with the surname Gambrel, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Gambrel 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 Gambrel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 1,621
- Black or African American5.0% · 90
- Two or more races2.3% · 42
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gambrel
Gambrel 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
#15,541
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,883
+134 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 146 places
2020
#15,607
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,802
-81 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Down 66 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,395 | 1,749 | 0.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,541 | 1,883 | 0.64 | +134 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 146 places |
| 2020 | #15,607 | 1,802 | 0.60 | -81 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 66 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 Gambrel 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 | #15,541 | #15,607 | -0.4% |
| Count | 1,883 | 1,802 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.60 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gambrel bearers went from 1,883 to 1,802 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 66 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,541 to #15,607.
FAQ
Gambrel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gambrel?
Name Census estimates that about 2,066 living Americans carry the surname Gambrel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 165,902 residents.
How common is Gambrel?
Gambrel ranks #15,607 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,802 people with the surname Gambrel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,066), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Gambrel.
Has Gambrel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gambrel went from 1,883 recorded bearers to 1,802. That is a decrease of 81 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,541 to #15,607.
What does the Census say about the background of Gambrel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gambrel, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Gambrel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (1,621 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gambrel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Black (5.0%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Gambrel (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 Gambrel mean?
A structural member or roof ridge resembling a horse's hind 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 Gambrel (0.60 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 Americans have the surname Gambrel?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.