2000
#6,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,879
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.81
Rare Last name
Gambrell
An English occupational surname for someone who operated a winch or crane, likely from the Old French "gambrel".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,336 Americans carry the last name Gambrell. That puts it at #6,960 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,234 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gambrell 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gambrell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.3K
1 in 64,234
Census rank
#6,960
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,653 bearers of the surname Gambrell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6960th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gambrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.9%. The next largest groups are Black (28.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gambrell
The surname Gambrell is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English words "gamb" and "hrill," meaning "horse" and "leg" respectively. This combination suggests a possible connection to horse riding or horse breeding.
The earliest known record of the name Gambrell dates back to the late 13th century in the county of Lancashire, where it was spelled as "Gambrel." It is believed that the name may have initially referred to a person who had a peculiar way of walking or riding a horse, or perhaps someone who was involved in equestrian activities.
As the name spread throughout England, it underwent various spelling variations, including Gambrell, Gambrill, and Gamberell. Some of these variations may have been influenced by regional dialects or scribal errors in record-keeping.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Gambrell was John Gambrell, who was mentioned in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. Another notable early bearer of the name was William Gambrell, a landowner in Cheshire, whose name appeared in the Feet of Fines records from 1491.
In the 16th century, the surname Gambrell gained prominence in the county of Staffordshire, where a family of that name owned land and property. One notable member was Thomas Gambrell (1540-1611), a successful merchant and alderman in the city of Lichfield.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, several Gambrell families migrated to the American colonies, where the name continued to evolve and spread. One of the earliest recorded instances in the colonies was that of George Gambrell, who settled in Virginia in 1635.
Another notable figure was John Gambrell (1723-1803), a soldier and surveyor from South Carolina who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He was instrumental in establishing the city of Greenville, which was named after his close friend and fellow soldier, Nathanael Greene.
In the 19th century, the Gambrell surname gained further recognition with individuals like James Gambrell (1801-1879), a Baptist minister and educator from Georgia, and John Marshall Gambrell (1865-1937), a prominent lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Georgia.
While the origins of the Gambrell surname can be traced back to medieval England, it has since spread across various parts of the world, carried by individuals who have contributed to diverse fields, from military service to politics and religion.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gambrell
Among Census respondents with the surname Gambrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.9%. The next largest groups are Black (28.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gambrell 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 Gambrell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.9% · 2,973
- Black or African American28.8% · 1,342
- Two or more races4.7% · 221
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 94
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gambrell
Gambrell 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
#6,530
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,190
+311 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 1.76
Rank movement Down 104 places
2020
#6,960
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,653
-537 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 1.56
Rank movement Down 430 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,426 | 4,879 | 1.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,530 | 5,190 | 1.76 | +311 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 104 places |
| 2020 | #6,960 | 4,653 | 1.56 | -537 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 430 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 Gambrell 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 | #6,530 | #6,960 | -6.6% |
| Count | 5,190 | 4,653 | -10.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.76 | 1.56 | -11.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gambrell bearers went from 5,190 to 4,653 (-10.3% change). The surname moved down 430 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,530 to #6,960.
FAQ
Gambrell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gambrell?
Name Census estimates that about 5,336 living Americans carry the surname Gambrell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,234 residents.
How common is Gambrell?
Gambrell ranks #6,960 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,653 people with the surname Gambrell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,336), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Gambrell.
Has Gambrell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gambrell went from 5,190 recorded bearers to 4,653. That is a decrease of 537 (-10.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,530 to #6,960.
What does the Census say about the background of Gambrell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gambrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.9%. The next largest groups are Black (28.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Gambrell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.9% (2,973 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gambrell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.9%), Black (28.8%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Gambrell (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 Gambrell mean?
An English occupational surname for someone who operated a winch or crane, likely from the Old French "gambrel". 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 Gambrell (1.56 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 Gambrell?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.