2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Gamliel
A Hebrew surname meaning "reward of God" or "camel driver of God".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Gamliel. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gamliel 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Gamliel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gamliel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gamliel
The surname GAMLIEL is of Hebrew origin, derived from the Hebrew name "Gamliel," which means "reward of God." The name is believed to have originated in the ancient Middle East, particularly in the regions of present-day Israel and the surrounding areas.
The earliest known reference to the name GAMLIEL can be found in the biblical accounts, where it is mentioned as the name of a renowned Jewish scholar and leader of the Sanhedrin, Rabban Gamliel the Elder (c. 10 BCE - 50 CE). He was a prominent figure in the early years of Christianity and is known for his role in the trials of the Apostles.
In the Middle Ages, the surname GAMLIEL appeared in various Jewish communities across Europe. One notable example is Rabbi Moshe Ben Gamliel, a 13th-century Jewish scholar and philosopher from Toledo, Spain. He was a prominent figure in the field of Jewish philosophy and contributed significantly to the study of Maimonides' works.
Another historical figure bearing the surname GAMLIEL was Rabbi Yehuda Gamliel, a 16th-century rabbi and Kabbalist from Safed, Palestine. He was a renowned teacher and author, known for his work on Jewish mysticism and the Kabbalah.
In the modern era, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname GAMLIEL was Leah Goldberg (1911-1970), an Israeli poet, author, and literary translator. Born Leah Gamliel, she is considered a pivotal figure in modern Hebrew literature and a pioneer of Israeli poetry.
The surname GAMLIEL has also been found in various historical records and manuscripts, including the Cairo Geniza, a vast collection of Jewish manuscript fragments discovered in the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Old Cairo, Egypt. These documents provide valuable insights into the lives and practices of Jewish communities in the Middle Ages.
While the surname GAMLIEL has its roots in ancient Hebrew, it has been adapted and modified over time in different regions and cultures. Variations of the name include Gamaliél, Gamaliel, and Gamli'el, among others.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gamliel
Among Census respondents with the surname Gamliel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gamliel 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 Gamliel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 98
- Two or more races7.5% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gamliel
Gamliel appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,895 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 4,895 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 Gamliel 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 | #157,234 | #152,339 | 3.1% |
| Count | 103 | 106 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gamliel bearers went from 103 to 106 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 4,895 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #152,339.
FAQ
Gamliel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gamliel?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Gamliel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Gamliel?
Gamliel ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 106 people with the surname Gamliel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Gamliel.
Has Gamliel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gamliel went from 103 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Gamliel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gamliel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%). 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 Gamliel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gamliel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (7.5%). 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 Gamliel (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 Gamliel mean?
A Hebrew surname meaning "reward of God" or "camel driver of God". 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 Gamliel (0.04 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 have the last name Gamliel?
You can see how many people are called Gamliel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.