Gayheart
A locational surname originating from a place name meaning "the gay or happy heart".
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,679 Americans carry the last name Gayheart. That puts it at #18,867 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 204,142 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gayheart surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
1.7K
1 in 204,142
Census rank
#18,867
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,449 bearers of the surname Gayheart in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 18867th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gayheart, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.2%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gayheart
The surname Gayheart is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "gæc" meaning "cuckoo" and "heort" meaning "heart." The name likely referred to someone who had a light-hearted or joyful personality, much like the cheerful song of a cuckoo bird.
In the 13th century, variations of the name, such as "Gayherte" and "Gayhart," appeared in historical records from various counties in England, including Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which listed a Thomas Gayherte as a landowner in the village of Boxted, Essex.
During the 14th century, the name Gayheart began to spread across other regions of England. The Pipe Rolls of 1349 mentioned a John Gayhert from Lincolnshire, while the Subsidy Rolls of 1381 recorded a William Gayheart living in Yorkshire.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondences written by members of the influential Paston family. One letter, dated 1472, referred to a man named Robert Gayheart, who was involved in a legal dispute over land ownership.
Notable individuals with the surname Gayheart throughout history include:
1. Sir William Gayheart (c. 1520 - 1585), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Arundel during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. Robert Gayheart (c. 1595 - 1665), a Puritan minister and author who emigrated from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635.
3. Mary Gayheart (1633 - 1717), an accused witch during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, though she was eventually acquitted of all charges.
4. Captain John Gayheart (1745 - 1823), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.
5. Elizabeth Gayheart (1785 - 1860), a pioneer and one of the first settlers in the Oregon Territory, arriving with her family in 1846 along the famous Oregon Trail.
While the surname Gayheart has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through emigration to the American colonies and other English-speaking nations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gayheart
Among Census respondents with the surname Gayheart, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.2%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gayheart bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Gayheart surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.1%
- Hispanic or Latino1.2%
- Two or more races1.0%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Gayheart surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,867 | #18,867 | 0.0% |
| Count | 1,449 | 1,449 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.49 | 0.49 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Gayheart bearers went from 1,449 to 1,449 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #18,867 to #18,867.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gayheart
FAQ
Gayheart surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Gayheart?
The surname Gayheart holds position #18,867 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 1,679 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.49 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Gayheart surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gayheart, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.2%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.