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

Gatson, 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 Gatson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gatson in America

Gatson is the 12944th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gatson surname appeared 2,373 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 Gatson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gatson 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 Gatson

The surname Gatson is of English origin, originating in the northern counties of England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words 'gat', meaning 'goat', and 'tun', meaning 'farm' or 'enclosure'. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived or worked on a farm where goats were kept.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Gatson can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where a Robert Gateson is listed as a taxpayer. The spelling variations at this time included Gateson, Gatson, and Gattsone, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during the Middle Ages.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Court Rolls of Wiltshire, where a John Gatson is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Chiseldon in 1349. This record provides evidence of the name's spread beyond its northern origins and its association with landownership.

The Gatson surname is also found in the Hearth Tax Returns of Northumberland from 1665, indicating the family's continued presence in the north of England. In this document, a William Gatson is listed as a householder in the village of Wark.

One notable figure bearing the Gatson surname was Sir John Gatson (1592-1658), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 17th century. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1641 and played a significant role in the political and economic affairs of the city during the turbulent years of the English Civil War.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Reverend Thomas Gatson (1718-1789), an Anglican clergyman and scholar who served as the headmaster of Eton College from 1765 to 1785. He was known for his contributions to classical education and his efforts to reform the curriculum at Eton.

In the 18th century, the name also appears in the parish records of Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmorland (now part of Cumbria), where a family by the name of Gatson is recorded as residing in the village of Barbon from the 1740s onwards.

One of the earliest known instances of the Gatson surname in North America can be traced back to William Gatson, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 as an indentured servant. His descendants later settled in various parts of the American colonies and played a role in the early development of the nation.

Throughout its history, the Gatson surname has been associated with various occupations, including farming, trade, and religious service, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who bore this name across different regions and time periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gatson

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

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

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

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