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

Gatton, 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 Gatton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gatton in America

Gatton is the 15615th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gatton surname appeared 1,871 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 Gatton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gatton 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 Gatton

The surname Gatton originated in England during the late Anglo-Saxon period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "gat" meaning goat and "tun" meaning enclosure or farmstead, suggesting it referred to a dwelling or settlement where goats were kept. The name was likely initially used as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near or worked at such a place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gatton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Gatone" in reference to a settlement in Surrey. This indicates the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded in various spellings such as "Gattone," "Gatton," and "Gattoun" in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire and the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Gatton, born around 1280, who served as a member of the English Parliament for Surrey in 1307 and 1311. Another was William Gatton, a wealthy merchant from Bristol who lived in the late 14th century and was involved in the wool trade.

During the 16th century, the surname Gatton was found in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Lancashire. One notable figure from this period was Thomas Gatton, a clergyman who served as the rector of Stoke St. Mary in Somerset in the late 1500s.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in parish records and other documents in places like Warwickshire and Wiltshire. One notable bearer was John Gatton, born in 1642, who was a successful merchant and landowner in Oxfordshire.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname Gatton continued to be found across various regions of England, with families bearing the name residing in places like Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Hertfordshire. One notable figure from this period was William Gatton, born in 1768, who was a prominent farmer and landowner in Gloucestershire.

While the surname Gatton is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the English surname landscape, with its origins rooted in the Anglo-Saxon era and a rich history spanning centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gatton

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

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

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

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