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

Gammon, 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 Gammon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gammon in America

Gammon is the 5428th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gammon surname appeared 6,415 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Gammon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gammon 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 Gammon

The surname GAMMON is of English origin, with records dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "gamen," which means "game" or "sport." This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a nickname to someone who enjoyed games or had a playful nature.

The earliest known record of the GAMMON surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, where a certain Walter Gamun is mentioned. This early spelling variation "Gamun" highlights the evolution of the name over time.

In the 13th century, the GAMMON surname is found in various records, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which list a Richard Gamun in Oxfordshire. This indicates that the name had spread to different regions of England by that time.

During the 14th century, the GAMMON surname gained prominence, with notable individuals like John Gammon, a landowner in Somerset mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327. Additionally, the Placita de Quo Warranto records from 1346 mention a Richard Gammon in Hertfordshire.

One of the earliest known recorded instances of the GAMMON surname in its modern spelling can be found in the Feet of Fines records from Staffordshire in 1430, which reference a John Gammon.

Notable historical figures with the GAMMON surname include:

1. William Gammon (c. 1490 - 1549), an English churchman who served as the Bishop of Norwich from 1539 until his death.

2. Robert Gammon (c. 1550 - 1609), an English merchant and explorer who participated in voyages to the West Indies and South America.

3. John Gammon (1623 - 1687), an English nonconformist minister and author known for his work "The Christian's Consolation."

4. Bartholomew Gammon (1677 - 1732), an English architect and surveyor who worked on several notable buildings in London.

5. William Gammon (1788 - 1864), an English cricketer who played for Kent and was considered one of the leading batsmen of his time.

The GAMMON surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Gammonfield in Shropshire and Gammonsbury in Hertfordshire, further reinforcing its longstanding presence in the country's history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gammon

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

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

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

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