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

Gathers, 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 Gathers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gathers in America

Gathers is the 13627th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gathers surname appeared 2,222 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 Gathers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gathers 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 Gathers

The surname GATHERS is of English origin, originating from the Middle English word "gaderen," which means "to gather" or "to collect." This name likely originated as an occupational surname, given to someone whose profession involved gathering crops, firewood, or other materials.

The earliest recorded instance of this surname dates back to the late 13th century in the county of Yorkshire, England. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was John le Gatherere, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1275.

In the 14th century, the surname GATHERS appeared in various records across England, including the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1327, which listed a Robert le Gaderere. The name also appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire in 1349, where a John Gaderer was recorded.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname underwent various spelling variations, including Gatherer, Gatherere, and Gatherer, as evidenced by parish records and court documents from that time period.

One notable bearer of this surname was William Gatherall (1592-1649), an English clergyman and author who served as the vicar of Uffington, Lincolnshire. He is known for his work "The General Practice of the Spiritual or Ecclesiastical Courts," published in 1672.

Another individual of note was John Gathers (1625-1699), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of comets and celestial mechanics. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society and served as the Savilian Professor of Astronomy at the University of Oxford.

In the 18th century, the GATHERS surname was found in various parts of England, with concentrations in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Cambridgeshire. One prominent figure from this era was Thomas Gathers (1730-1802), a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Wareham, Dorset, from 1768 to 1790.

Moving into the 19th century, the GATHERS surname continued to be present in various regions of England, with some bearers migrating to other parts of the world, such as North America and Australia. One notable individual from this period was William Gathers (1857-1931), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Automobile Club and the St. Ermin's Hotel.

Throughout its history, the surname GATHERS has been closely associated with occupations related to gathering and collecting, reflecting its origins as an occupational surname. While the name has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, its underlying meaning and connection to the act of gathering have remained consistent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gathers

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

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

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

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