2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gasway
An English surname derived from a place name meaning "road through the marsh".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Gasway. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gasway 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Gasway in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gasway, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.2%. The next largest groups are Black (22.5%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gasway
The surname Gasway is believed to have originated in the English county of Lancashire, specifically in the area around the town of Garstang. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "gaers" and "weg," meaning "grass" and "way" or "road," respectively. Historically, it was likely used to refer to someone who lived near a grassy path or roadway.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Garsewey." This entry suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Garseway" and "Garsweye," reflecting the evolution of spelling conventions over time. During this period, there are references to individuals bearing the name in the Lancashire area, such as Robert de Garsweye, who was mentioned in court records from 1276.
The 16th century saw the emergence of the spelling "Gasway," which became more prevalent. Notably, John Gasway, born in 1543 in Garstang, was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a magistrate.
In the 17th century, the name Gasway continued to be associated with Lancashire, with several families residing in the region. One notable bearer of the name was Thomas Gasway (1620-1687), a landowner and farmer from the village of Catterall.
As the surname spread beyond its original geographical origins, it also appeared in other parts of England and even in the American colonies. In the late 18th century, William Gasway (1754-1832) was a successful merchant and ship owner based in Bristol, England.
Another notable figure was John Gasway (1786-1868), a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a respected author and historian.
Throughout history, the surname Gasway has maintained a strong connection to its Lancashire roots, even as it has been carried by individuals across various regions and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gasway
Among Census respondents with the surname Gasway, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.2%. The next largest groups are Black (22.5%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gasway 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 Gasway surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.2% · 79
- Black or African American22.5% · 25
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gasway
Gasway 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+4 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,445 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,464 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 5,445 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 2,464 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 Gasway 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 | #146,201 | #148,665 | -1.7% |
| Count | 113 | 111 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gasway bearers went from 113 to 111 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 2,464 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #148,665.
FAQ
Gasway surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gasway?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Gasway. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Gasway?
Gasway ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Gasway. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gasway.
Has Gasway become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gasway went from 113 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Gasway?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gasway, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.2%. The next largest groups are Black (22.5%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Gasway in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.2% (79 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gasway appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.2%), Black (22.5%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Gasway (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 Gasway mean?
An English surname derived from a place name meaning "road through the marsh". 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 Gasway (0.04 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 Gasway?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.