2000
#3,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,869
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.66
Uncommon Last name
Gaskins
Derived from a medieval nickname for someone who wore gaskins, which were a type of loose breeches or hose.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,974 Americans carry the last name Gaskins. That puts it at #3,621 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,233 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gaskins 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 Gaskins with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 31,233
Census rank
#3,621
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.6K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,570 bearers of the surname Gaskins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3621st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaskins, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.2%. The next largest groups are Black (35.5%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gaskins
The surname Gaskins has its origins in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "gærs," meaning grass, and the suffix "-ing," indicating a place or location. This suggests that the name may have been initially used to refer to someone who lived near a grassy area or meadow.
One of the earliest known references to the name Gaskins can be found in the Hertfordshire county records from 1273, where it appears as "Garskyns." This spelling variation is likely indicative of the regional dialect and pronunciation of the time.
In the 14th century, the surname Gaskins began to appear in various manorial records and tax rolls across southern England, particularly in counties such as Surrey, Sussex, and Kent. This suggests that the name was well-established and possibly associated with specific locations or settlements in these areas.
The Domesday Book, the impressive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Gaskins. However, it does include mentions of places with similar names, such as "Gersinges" in Surrey, which could be related to the origin of the surname.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Gaskins was John Gaskins, who was born in Wiltshire, England, around 1520. He was a prominent landowner and is mentioned in several legal documents from the mid-16th century.
Another notable figure was Richard Gaskins, born in 1635 in Kent, England. He was a merchant and ship owner who played a significant role in the early colonial trade between England and the American colonies.
In the 17th century, the surname Gaskins began to spread beyond England, with several individuals bearing the name emigrating to the American colonies. One such individual was William Gaskins, born in 1650 in Norfolk, England, who settled in Virginia and became a successful tobacco farmer.
The Gaskins surname also has connections to place names in England. For example, the village of Gaskins in Hampshire is believed to have derived its name from the surname, rather than the other way around.
Throughout history, there have been several other notable individuals with the surname Gaskins, including:
1. Elizabeth Gaskins (1710-1789), an English author and poet from Sussex.
2. Robert Gaskins (1795-1872), a British soldier who served in the Napoleonic Wars.
3. John Gaskins (1828-1905), an American politician and lawyer from North Carolina.
4. Mary Gaskins (1892-1978), an Irish-born novelist and playwright.
5. Thomas Gaskins (1915-2001), an American jazz musician and bandleader from New Orleans.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gaskins
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaskins, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.2%. The next largest groups are Black (35.5%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gaskins 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 Gaskins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.2% · 5,285
- Black or African American35.5% · 3,397
- Two or more races5.4% · 521
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 275
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 48
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 44
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gaskins
Gaskins 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
#3,428
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,414
+545 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 3.53
Rank movement Down 101 places
2020
#3,621
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,570
-844 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 3.20
Rank movement Down 193 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,327 | 9,869 | 3.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,428 | 10,414 | 3.53 | +545 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 101 places |
| 2020 | #3,621 | 9,570 | 3.20 | -844 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 193 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 Gaskins 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 | #3,428 | #3,621 | -5.6% |
| Count | 10,414 | 9,570 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.53 | 3.20 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gaskins bearers went from 10,414 to 9,570 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 193 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,428 to #3,621.
FAQ
Gaskins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gaskins?
Name Census estimates that about 10,974 living Americans carry the surname Gaskins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,233 residents.
How common is Gaskins?
Gaskins ranks #3,621 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,570 people with the surname Gaskins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,974), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Gaskins.
Has Gaskins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gaskins went from 10,414 recorded bearers to 9,570. That is a decrease of 844 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,428 to #3,621.
What does the Census say about the background of Gaskins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaskins, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.2%. The next largest groups are Black (35.5%) and Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Gaskins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.2% (5,285 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gaskins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.2%), Black (35.5%), Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Gaskins (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 Gaskins mean?
Derived from a medieval nickname for someone who wore gaskins, which were a type of loose breeches or hose. 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 Gaskins (3.20 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 surname Gaskins?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.