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

Gatling, 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 Gatling surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gatling in America

Gatling is the 10819th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gatling surname appeared 2,944 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 Gatling.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gatling 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 Gatling

The surname Gatling originates from England, and its origins can be traced back to the 13th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English word "gat," which means "goat," and the suffix "-ling," which was used to indicate a small or young person or animal. Thus, the name Gatling likely referred to someone who worked with or tended goats.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Gatling surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a person named Richard Gateling. The Gatling name also appears in various medieval tax records and rolls from different parts of England, indicating its widespread presence across the country.

In the 16th century, the Gatling surname was often spelled differently, with variations such as Gatelyn, Gattlying, and Gattelynge. These alternative spellings reflect the fluidity of surnames in that era and the influence of regional dialects.

A notable historical figure with the Gatling surname was Richard Gatling (1818-1903), an American inventor best known for patenting the Gatling gun, one of the earliest successful machine guns, in 1862. Gatling's invention played a significant role in various military conflicts, including the American Civil War.

Another prominent individual with the Gatling surname was Sir William Gatling (1644-1701), an English merchant and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Salisbury from 1698 until his death in 1701.

In the 18th century, John Gatling (1731-1813) was a prominent figure in the American Revolutionary War, serving as a Colonel in the Virginia Militia and participating in several battles against the British forces.

The Gatling surname also has connections to various place names in England, such as Gatling Green in Hertfordshire and Gatling Hill in Northamptonshire, suggesting that the name may have originated from or been associated with these locations.

Despite its English origins, the Gatling surname has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, due to emigration and migration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gatling

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

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

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

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