2000
#24,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 960
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.36
Rare Last name
Gaulden
A locational surname derived from a place name related to the Old English word 'gal', meaning "boisterous, wanton."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,062 Americans carry the last name Gaulden. That puts it at #27,561 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 322,744 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gaulden 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.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 322,744
Census rank
#27,561
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
926
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 926 bearers of the surname Gaulden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27561st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaulden, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.9%. The next largest groups are Black (40.0%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gaulden
The surname Gaulden is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "gal" meaning "merry" and "denu" meaning "valley." It is believed to have emerged in the late 11th or early 12th century, initially referring to someone who lived in a cheerful or lively valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Hertfordshire from 1195, where a person named Walter de Galdene is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Galdene," is thought to be an early rendition of the modern Gaulden.
In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various records and documents, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a John de Galdene is listed as residing in Essex. This suggests that the name was present in the southeastern regions of England during this period.
During the 14th century, the surname appeared in its more modern spelling of "Gaulden" in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, where a William Gaulden is recorded. This indicates the name's spread to the northern parts of the country.
Interestingly, the surname Gaulden is also linked to the place name "Gaulden," a small village in Worcestershire. It is possible that some individuals adopted the surname based on their association with this location.
Notable individuals with the surname Gaulden throughout history include:
1. John Gaulden (c. 1550 - 1617), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Malmesbury in the early 17th century.
2. William Gaulden (c. 1620 - 1689), a British merchant and ship owner who played a significant role in the expansion of trade with the American colonies.
3. Mary Gaulden (1742 - 1820), a renowned English poet and author, known for her works celebrating nature and rural life.
4. Thomas Gaulden (1805 - 1879), a British engineer and inventor, credited with several innovations in the field of steam engine design.
5. Elizabeth Gaulden (1867 - 1941), an American educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded one of the first women's colleges in the United States.
While the surname Gaulden may not have been widely recorded in historical documents such as the Domesday Book, its origins and evolution can be traced through various records, revealing its enduring presence as a distinctly English surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gaulden
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaulden, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.9%. The next largest groups are Black (40.0%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gaulden 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 Gaulden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.9% · 453
- Black or African American40.0% · 370
- Two or more races5.7% · 53
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gaulden
Gaulden 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
#26,261
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 930
-30 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Down 1,829 places
2020
#27,561
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 926
-4 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Down 1,300 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,432 | 960 | 0.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #26,261 | 930 | 0.32 | -30 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 1,829 places |
| 2020 | #27,561 | 926 | 0.31 | -4 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 1,300 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 Gaulden 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 | #26,261 | #27,561 | -5.0% |
| Count | 930 | 926 | -0.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.32 | 0.31 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gaulden bearers went from 930 to 926 (-0.4% change). The surname moved down 1,300 positions in the national ranking, going from #26,261 to #27,561.
FAQ
Gaulden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gaulden?
Name Census estimates that about 1,062 living Americans carry the surname Gaulden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 322,744 residents.
How common is Gaulden?
Gaulden ranks #27,561 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.31 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 926 people with the surname Gaulden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,062), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.31 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 Gaulden.
Has Gaulden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gaulden went from 930 recorded bearers to 926. That is a decrease of 4 (-0.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #26,261 to #27,561.
What does the Census say about the background of Gaulden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaulden, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.9%. The next largest groups are Black (40.0%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Gaulden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.9% (453 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gaulden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (48.9%), Black (40.0%), Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Gaulden (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 Gaulden mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name related to the Old English word 'gal', meaning "boisterous, wanton." 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 Gaulden (0.31 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 share the surname Gaulden?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.