2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gaun
A variant spelling of the English surname Gown, probably referring to a maker or seller of gowns.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Gaun. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gaun 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Gaun in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaun, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gaun
The surname "GAUN" originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the late 12th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English word "gän," meaning "to go" or "to walk," which suggests that the name may have been given to someone who frequently traveled or walked long distances.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "GAUN" appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1198, where a person named Roger Gaun is mentioned. This document was a record of financial transactions and accounts kept by the English Exchequer during the reign of King Richard I.
In the 13th century, the name "GAUN" appeared in various forms, such as "Gayn," "Gawn," and "Gawne," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation during that time period. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of scribes who recorded the name.
The surname "GAUN" has been associated with several place names in England, including Gaunt, a village in Lincolnshire, and Gaunts, a hamlet in Somerset. It is possible that the name may have originated as a locative surname, referring to someone who hailed from one of these locations.
Notable individuals with the surname "GAUN" throughout history include:
1. John Gaun (c. 1350 - 1420), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Worcester from 1397 to 1407.
2. William Gaun (c. 1460 - 1528), an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1512.
3. Margaret Gaun (c. 1520 - 1585), an English noblewoman and landowner who inherited substantial estates in Warwickshire and Gloucestershire.
4. Thomas Gaun (c. 1580 - 1650), an English philosopher and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of trigonometry and algebra.
5. Elizabeth Gaun (1660 - 1730), a prominent English philanthropist and benefactor who founded several schools and charitable institutions in London.
The surname "GAUN" has a rich history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to its Old English roots. While the name may have originated from a descriptive term or a place name, it has been carried forward by notable individuals who have left their mark in various fields, from religion and politics to academia and philanthropy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gaun
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaun, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gaun 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 Gaun surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 97
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gaun
Gaun 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,384 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+4 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,723 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 10,384 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+4.0%) | Up 6,723 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 Gaun 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 | #159,712 | #152,989 | 4.2% |
| Count | 101 | 105 | 4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gaun bearers went from 101 to 105 (+4.0% change). The surname moved up 6,723 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #152,989.
FAQ
Gaun surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gaun?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Gaun. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Gaun?
Gaun ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 105 people with the surname Gaun. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Gaun.
Has Gaun become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gaun went from 101 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 4 (+4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Gaun?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaun, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Gaun in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gaun appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Two or More Races (2.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%). 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 Gaun (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 Gaun mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname Gown, probably referring to a maker or seller of gowns. 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 Gaun (0.04 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 Gaun?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Gaun, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.