2000
#6,892
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,493
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.67
Rare Last name
Gaul
A surname derived from the historic region of Western Europe inhabited by Celtic tribes, also known as Gaul.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,875 Americans carry the last name Gaul. That puts it at #7,543 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,309 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gaul 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 Gaul with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 70,309
Census rank
#7,543
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,251 bearers of the surname Gaul in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7543rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaul, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Black (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gaul
The surname GAUL is of Norman origin and derives from the ancient region of Gaul, which encompassed modern-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and areas of Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. It is believed to have emerged as a locational surname in the years following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
The name traces its roots back to the Latin word "Gallus," which referred to the inhabitants of Gaul and the broader Gaulish culture that existed in the region before the Roman conquest. As the Normans established their rule in England, individuals from Gaul who settled in the country likely adopted the surname GAUL to identify their ancestral origins.
Historical records from the 12th and 13th centuries provide some of the earliest known references to the surname GAUL. One notable mention appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, which lists a Robert de Gale, an early variant spelling of the name. The Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct references to the surname GAUL, suggesting its emergence came later.
Over the centuries, the surname GAUL has undergone various spelling variations, including Gale, Gall, and Galle, reflecting regional dialects and scribal inconsistencies in record-keeping. It is also linked to several place names in England, such as Gaulby in Leicestershire and Galley in Yorkshire, which may have influenced the surname's development.
Notable individuals with the surname GAUL throughout history include John Gale (1680-1721), an English Baptist minister and scholar known for his work "Reflections on Mr. Wall's History of Infant Baptism." Another prominent figure was Theophilus Gale (1628-1678), an English nonconformist minister and theologian who authored several influential works on theology and philosophy.
In the realm of literature, the surname is associated with writers like Jonas Gaulthuillier (c. 1505-1573), a French Protestant poet and historian, and Theophilus Gale (1628-1678), an English nonconformist minister and theologian who authored several influential works on theology and philosophy. Additionally, the name is linked to military figures such as John Gale (1680-1721), a British Army officer who served during the War of the Spanish Succession.
Throughout its history, the surname GAUL has maintained a presence in various regions of Europe and beyond, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural influences that have shaped its evolution over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gaul
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaul, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Black (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gaul 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 Gaul surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 3,877
- Black or African American3.0% · 126
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 106
- Two or more races2.4% · 104
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gaul
Gaul 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
#7,189
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,650
+157 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.58
Rank movement Down 297 places
2020
#7,543
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,251
-399 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Down 354 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,892 | 4,493 | 1.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,189 | 4,650 | 1.58 | +157 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 297 places |
| 2020 | #7,543 | 4,251 | 1.42 | -399 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 354 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 Gaul 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 | #7,189 | #7,543 | -4.9% |
| Count | 4,650 | 4,251 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.58 | 1.42 | -10.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gaul bearers went from 4,650 to 4,251 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 354 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,189 to #7,543.
FAQ
Gaul surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gaul?
Name Census estimates that about 4,875 living Americans carry the surname Gaul. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,309 residents.
How common is Gaul?
Gaul ranks #7,543 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.42 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,251 people with the surname Gaul. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,875), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.42 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Gaul.
Has Gaul become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gaul went from 4,650 recorded bearers to 4,251. That is a decrease of 399 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,189 to #7,543.
What does the Census say about the background of Gaul?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaul, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Black (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Gaul in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (3,877 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gaul appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Black (3.0%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Gaul (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 Gaul mean?
A surname derived from the historic region of Western Europe inhabited by Celtic tribes, also known as Gaul. 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 Gaul (1.42 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 are called Gaul?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Gaul on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.