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

Gander, 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 Gander surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gander in America

Gander is the 16060th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gander surname appeared 1,804 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Gander.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gander 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 Gander

The surname Gander is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "gander," which referred to a male goose. This connection suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who raised or herded geese.

The earliest known record of the name Gander can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Berkshire, dated around 1273, which mentions a person named William le Gandre. The use of the prefix "le" in this early spelling indicates that the name was likely derived from an occupation or a descriptive term.

In the late 14th century, the name appears in various records with spellings such as Gaundre, Gaundir, and Gaundyr, reflecting the evolution of the English language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Gander was Sir Thomas Gander (c. 1540-1605), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire in the late 16th century.

Another prominent individual was John Gander (1554-1618), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge from 1594 until his death.

In the 17th century, the surname Gander can be found in various parish records across England, particularly in counties like Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and Buckinghamshire, suggesting a concentration of the name in these regions.

During the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname Gander was William Gander (1718-1790), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the St. George's Church in Bloomsbury.

In the 19th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname Gander was Charles Gander (1822-1891), a British architect and surveyor who worked on several significant projects, including the reconstruction of the Palace of Westminster after the fire of 1834.

While the surname Gander has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and settlement. However, the historical records and references mentioned above provide insights into the early development and distribution of this surname across various regions of England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gander

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

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

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

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