2000
#15,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,788
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.66
Rare Last name
Gascon
A French topographic surname referring to someone from the Gascony region in southwest France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,322 Americans carry the last name Gascon. That puts it at #14,233 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,612 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gascon 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
2.3K
1 in 147,612
Census rank
#14,233
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,025 bearers of the surname Gascon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14233rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gascon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 37.7%. The next largest groups are White (34.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (22.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gascon
The surname Gascon originated in the Gascony region of southwestern France, an area historically known as Gascogne. The name can be traced back to the 11th century and is derived from the Old Gascon word "Gascon," meaning "a person from Gascony."
Gascony was once an independent duchy and later a province of France. The region has a rich cultural heritage, with its own language, customs, and traditions. The Gascon people were known for their distinct dialect and their involvement in the wine trade, which was a significant part of the local economy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Gascon can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that individuals with this surname had already migrated from France to England by the late 11th century.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Arnaud de Gascon (born around 1150) was a prominent knight and troubadour from Gascony. He was known for his literary contributions and his participation in the Third Crusade, where he fought alongside Richard the Lionheart.
During the 13th century, the surname Gascon appeared in various records throughout France and England. One notable individual was Pierre Gascon (c. 1210-1278), a French priest and scholar who served as the Archbishop of Bordeaux and played a significant role in the church's administration.
In the 14th century, the name Gascon gained prominence with the rise of the Gascon family in England. Sir John Gascon (c. 1320-1380) was a respected knight and landowner who held positions of authority under King Edward III. His son, Sir Thomas Gascon (c. 1350-1420), also served as a knight and held important military roles during the Hundred Years' War.
Another notable figure from this period was Arnaut de Gascon (c. 1360-1430), a French poet and composer who was celebrated for his contributions to the development of secular music. His works were widely appreciated and influenced the musical traditions of his time.
As the centuries passed, the surname Gascon continued to be found across Europe, with individuals bearing this name making their mark in various fields, including literature, politics, and the arts. Some examples include Jean-Baptiste Gascon (1592-1656), a French playwright and poet, and Amable Gascon (1776-1857), a Spanish soldier and military leader who fought in the Peninsular War against Napoleonic forces.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gascon
Among Census respondents with the surname Gascon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 37.7%. The next largest groups are White (34.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (22.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Gascon 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 Gascon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino37.7% · 764
- White34.5% · 699
- Asian and Pacific Islander22.3% · 452
- Two or more races4.7% · 95
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 9
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gascon
Gascon 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
#13,806
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,190
+402 bearers (+22.5%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 1,329 places
2020
#14,233
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,025
-165 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 427 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,135 | 1,788 | 0.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,806 | 2,190 | 0.74 | +402 bearers (+22.5%) | Up 1,329 places |
| 2020 | #14,233 | 2,025 | 0.68 | -165 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 427 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 Gascon 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 | #13,806 | #14,233 | -3.1% |
| Count | 2,190 | 2,025 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.68 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gascon bearers went from 2,190 to 2,025 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 427 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,806 to #14,233.
FAQ
Gascon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gascon?
Name Census estimates that about 2,322 living Americans carry the surname Gascon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,612 residents.
How common is Gascon?
Gascon ranks #14,233 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,025 people with the surname Gascon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,322), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Gascon.
Has Gascon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gascon went from 2,190 recorded bearers to 2,025. That is a decrease of 165 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,806 to #14,233.
What does the Census say about the background of Gascon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gascon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 37.7%. The next largest groups are White (34.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (22.3%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gascon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 37.7% (764 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gascon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (37.7%), White (34.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (22.3%). 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 Gascon (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 Gascon mean?
A French topographic surname referring to someone from the Gascony region in southwest France. 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 Gascon (0.68 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 are called Gascon?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Gascon on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.