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

Gauthier, 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 Gauthier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gauthier in America

Gauthier is the 2153rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gauthier surname appeared 16,852 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Gauthier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gauthier 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 Gauthier

The surname Gauthier originates from France and is derived from the ancient Germanic personal name Walther, which means "ruler of the army" or "commander of the host". This name was introduced into France by the Franks during the 5th century.

The name Gauthier is a variant of the more common French surname Gaultier, with the "au" spelling reflecting the Norman French influence. It was particularly prevalent in the northern regions of France, such as Normandy and Picardy, where the Norman language had a strong presence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gauthier can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners in England after the Norman Conquest. The name appears as Gauterius, referring to a Norman landowner in Gloucestershire.

During the Middle Ages, the name Gauthier was borne by several notable figures. Jean Gauthier (c. 1200-1272) was a French theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Paris. Gauthier de Châtillon (c. 1135-1201) was a French poet and ecclesiastic known for his Latin poetry.

In the 14th century, Gauthier de Metz (c. 1300-1365) was a renowned French architect who worked on several Gothic cathedrals, including the Cathedral of Reims. Gauthier de Bruges (c. 1350-1424) was a Flemish painter and one of the earliest practitioners of oil painting in the Netherlands.

During the Renaissance, Gauthier Lenet (1561-1629) was a French cleric and one of the founders of the Congregation of the Oratory in France. Gauthier de Costes (1515-1603) was a French writer and poet who served as a secretary to King Henry IV.

As the name spread across Europe, it took on various spellings and forms. In Italy, it became Gualtieri, while in Germany, it was rendered as Walter or Walther. The Spanish variant is Galter, and the Portuguese form is Gualter.

Throughout history, the surname Gauthier has been associated with several notable individuals from various fields, including arts, literature, religion, and architecture. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Germanic name Walther, reflecting the influence of the Franks on the French language and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gauthier

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

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

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

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