2000
#2,025
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,419
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.09
Uncommon Last name
Gauthier
A French occupational surname referring to a forest warden or woodsman, derived from the Old French "gaultier".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,313 Americans carry the last name Gauthier. That puts it at #2,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,716 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gauthier 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 Gauthier with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
18K
1 in 18,716
Census rank
#2,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,970 bearers of the surname Gauthier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gauthier, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gauthier
Among Census respondents with the surname Gauthier, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gauthier 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 Gauthier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.3% · 13,469
- Black or African American6.3% · 1,001
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 645
- Two or more races3.7% · 592
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 163
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 100
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gauthier
Gauthier 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
#2,153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,852
+433 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 5.71
Rank movement Down 128 places
2020
#2,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,970
-882 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 5.34
Rank movement Down 68 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,025 | 16,419 | 6.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,153 | 16,852 | 5.71 | +433 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 128 places |
| 2020 | #2,221 | 15,970 | 5.34 | -882 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 68 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 Gauthier 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 | #2,153 | #2,221 | -3.2% |
| Count | 16,852 | 15,970 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 5.71 | 5.34 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gauthier bearers went from 16,852 to 15,970 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 68 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,153 to #2,221.
FAQ
Gauthier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gauthier?
Name Census estimates that about 18,313 living Americans carry the surname Gauthier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,716 residents.
How common is Gauthier?
Gauthier ranks #2,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,970 people with the surname Gauthier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,313), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Gauthier.
Has Gauthier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gauthier went from 16,852 recorded bearers to 15,970. That is a decrease of 882 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,153 to #2,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Gauthier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gauthier, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Gauthier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (13,469 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gauthier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.3%), Black (6.3%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Gauthier (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 Gauthier mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a forest warden or woodsman, derived from the Old French "gaultier". 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 Gauthier (5.34 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 Gauthier?
See how many people have the last name Gauthier on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.