2000
#25,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 900
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.33
Rare Last name
Gaye
A variant spelling of the French surname Gay, derived from the Occitan word "gai" meaning joyful or carefree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,267 Americans carry the last name Gaye. That puts it at #14,510 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 151,193 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gaye 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 Gaye with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 151,193
Census rank
#14,510
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,977 bearers of the surname Gaye in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14510th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaye, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gaye
The surname GAYE originated in France and dates back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "gai," which means "joyous" or "cheerful." The name likely referred to a person with a happy or lively disposition.
The earliest recorded instances of the name GAYE can be found in various documents from the 12th and 13th centuries, such as tax rolls, property records, and parish registers. One notable example is the mention of Robert Gaye in the Pipe Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1195.
During the Middle Ages, the name GAYE was primarily concentrated in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Picardy. As people began to migrate and settle in different areas, the name spread to other parts of the country and beyond.
One of the earliest known bearers of the GAYE surname was Jean Gaye, a French poet and playwright who lived in the 15th century. His works, including the comedy "La Farce de Maître Pierre Pathelin," were influential in the development of French Renaissance literature.
In the 16th century, the name GAYE appeared in various records across Europe, such as the Domesday Book in England and the Stadtbuch (City Book) of Cologne, Germany. This suggests that individuals with this surname had already begun to migrate and establish themselves in other regions.
Notable historical figures with the surname GAYE include:
1. Jacques Gaye (1528-1586), a French magistrate and diplomat who served as the ambassador to England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. Pierre Gaye (1676-1754), a French architect and engineer known for his work on the Château de Versailles and the Château de Fontainebleau.
3. Antoine Gaye (1741-1823), a French composer and music theorist who wrote several treatises on harmony and counterpoint.
4. Marie-François-Louis Gaye (1762-1834), a French botanist and explorer who participated in several scientific expeditions to South America and the Caribbean.
5. Louis-André Gaye (1792-1860), a French general who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a member of the French Académie des Sciences.
While the surname GAYE has its roots in France, over the centuries it has spread to various parts of the world, including other European countries, North America, and beyond, as individuals with this name migrated and established new communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gaye
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaye, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Gaye 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 Gaye surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American83.5% · 1,650
- White11.3% · 223
- Two or more races3.2% · 63
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gaye
Gaye 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
#17,447
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,616
+716 bearers (+79.6%)
Per 100,000 0.55
Rank movement Up 8,277 places
2020
#14,510
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,977
+361 bearers (+22.3%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 2,937 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,724 | 900 | 0.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,447 | 1,616 | 0.55 | +716 bearers (+79.6%) | Up 8,277 places |
| 2020 | #14,510 | 1,977 | 0.66 | +361 bearers (+22.3%) | Up 2,937 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 Gaye 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 | #17,447 | #14,510 | 16.8% |
| Count | 1,616 | 1,977 | 22.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.55 | 0.66 | 20.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gaye bearers went from 1,616 to 1,977 (+22.3% change). The surname moved up 2,937 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,447 to #14,510.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gaye
FAQ
Gaye surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gaye?
Name Census estimates that about 2,267 living Americans carry the surname Gaye. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 151,193 residents.
How common is Gaye?
Gaye ranks #14,510 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 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 1,977 people with the surname Gaye. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,267), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 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 Gaye.
Has Gaye become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gaye went from 1,616 recorded bearers to 1,977. That is an increase of 361 (+22.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,447 to #14,510.
What does the Census say about the background of Gaye?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaye, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.5%. The next largest groups are White (11.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gaye in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.5% (1,650 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gaye appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (83.5%), White (11.3%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Gaye (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 Gaye mean?
A variant spelling of the French surname Gay, derived from the Occitan word "gai" meaning joyful or carefree. 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 Gaye (0.66 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 Americans have the surname Gaye?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.