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

Gaster, 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 Gaster surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gaster in America

Gaster is the 38948th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gaster surname appeared 566 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gaster.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gaster 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 Gaster

The surname Gaster originated in England, with its earliest recorded uses dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "gæst," meaning a guest or stranger. This suggests that the name was initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was perceived as a newcomer or visitor in a particular area.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273. This document mentions a William Gaster, who was a resident of the village of Bassingbourn at that time.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including Gester, Gestere, and Gestour, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings in medieval times. These variations likely stemmed from the way the name was pronounced in different regions.

During the Tudor period, the Gaster surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Suffolk and Norfolk. The parish registers of Beccles, Suffolk, record the marriage of John Gaster and Alice Brice in 1568.

Notable individuals bearing the Gaster surname include:

1. Sir Edmund Gaster (c. 1500 - 1567), a prominent merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He served as Master of the Company in 1558.

2. John Gaster (1586 - 1649), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, from 1633 until his death.

3. Moses Gaster (1856 - 1939), a Romanian-born British scholar and writer who specialized in the study of Jewish literature and folklore. He was instrumental in preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of the Sephardic Jewish community.

4. Theodore Gaster (1893 - 1971), a British anthropologist and scholar of comparative religion. He is best known for his work on ancient Near Eastern texts and their influence on the Bible.

5. Adrienne Gaster (1925 - 2022), a British author and playwright who wrote several children's books, including "The Green Children" and "The Salamander Spell."

While the Gaster surname has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. The name continues to be found in various English-speaking countries, as well as in communities with historical ties to Britain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gaster

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

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

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

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