2000
#33,090
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 652
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.24
Very Rare Last name
Gatrell
An English surname derived from an Old French term for gatekeeper or toll collector.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 750 Americans carry the last name Gatrell. That puts it at #36,772 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 457,006 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gatrell 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 Gatrell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
750
1 in 457,006
Census rank
#36,772
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
654
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 654 bearers of the surname Gatrell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 36772nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gatrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gatrell
The surname Gatrell originated in England, specifically in Lancashire, during the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "gat," meaning a goat, and "relle," referring to a stream or a small watercourse. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a stream where goats were kept or grazed.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Lancashire Inquests of 1311, where a certain Adam del Gatrylle is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.
In the 16th century, the Gatrell surname appeared in various records across Lancashire and the neighboring counties of Yorkshire and Cheshire. For instance, in 1567, a John Gatrell was recorded as a resident of Bolton, Lancashire.
The Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Gatrell name. However, it does mention several place names that may have contributed to the formation of the surname, such as Gaterid in Lincolnshire and Gateley in Staffordshire.
Throughout history, there have been notable individuals bearing the Gatrell surname. One such figure was Richard Gatrell (1650-1723), an English clergyman who served as the Rector of Eccleston, Lancashire.
Another notable Gatrell was John Gatrell (1792-1853), a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in Liverpool, including the Liverpool Royal Institution and the Mersey Tunnel.
In the realm of literature, William Gatrell (1857-1924) was a respected English poet and author, known for his works celebrating the beauty of the English countryside.
Moving into the 20th century, Charles Gatrell (1909-1973) was a distinguished British historian and academic, known for his expertise in the history of the English Civil War.
Finally, it is worth mentioning Elizabeth Gatrell (1924-2008), a pioneering British social worker and campaigner for women's rights, who played a crucial role in the establishment of several support services for victims of domestic violence.
While the Gatrell surname may have evolved over the centuries, its roots can be traced back to the pastoral landscapes of medieval Lancashire, where it originated as a descriptive name for those residing near streams frequented by goats.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gatrell
Among Census respondents with the surname Gatrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gatrell 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 Gatrell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 599
- Two or more races4.3% · 28
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 5
- Black or African American0.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gatrell
Gatrell 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
#33,731
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 675
+23 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 641 places
2020
#36,772
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 654
-21 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 3,041 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #33,090 | 652 | 0.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #33,731 | 675 | 0.23 | +23 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 641 places |
| 2020 | #36,772 | 654 | 0.22 | -21 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 3,041 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 Gatrell 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 | #33,731 | #36,772 | -9.0% |
| Count | 675 | 654 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.23 | 0.22 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gatrell bearers went from 675 to 654 (-3.1% change). The surname moved down 3,041 positions in the national ranking, going from #33,731 to #36,772.
FAQ
Gatrell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gatrell?
Name Census estimates that about 750 living Americans carry the surname Gatrell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 457,006 residents.
How common is Gatrell?
Gatrell ranks #36,772 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.22 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 654 people with the surname Gatrell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (750), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.22 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 Gatrell.
Has Gatrell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gatrell went from 675 recorded bearers to 654. That is a decrease of 21 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #33,731 to #36,772.
What does the Census say about the background of Gatrell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gatrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Gatrell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (599 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gatrell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Gatrell (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 Gatrell mean?
An English surname derived from an Old French term for gatekeeper or toll collector. 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 Gatrell (0.22 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 last name Gatrell?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Gatrell, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.