2000
#12,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,366
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.88
Rare Last name
Gayton
A locational surname derived from any of the places in England named Gayton, meaning "settlement on a road."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,712 Americans carry the last name Gayton. That puts it at #12,512 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,384 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gayton 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 Gayton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 126,384
Census rank
#12,512
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,365 bearers of the surname Gayton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12512th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gayton, the largest self-reported group is White at 40.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (30.6%) and Black (18.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gayton
The surname Gayton has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the village of Gayton in Norfolk, England. The name itself is thought to come from the Old English words "gat" meaning "goat" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement," suggesting that the area may have been known for its goat farming or grazing.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Gayton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Gatuna" in Norfolk. This historical record provides evidence of the name's long-standing presence in the region.
In the 13th century, records show individuals with the surname Gayton living in various parts of England, including Norfolk, Suffolk, and Lincolnshire. One notable figure from this period was John de Gayton, a landowner and member of the gentry in Norfolk, who was born around 1260.
During the 14th century, the Gayton family gained prominence in Norfolk, with several members holding positions of authority and influence. Sir John Gayton (c. 1330-1399) was a prominent knight and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Norfolk in the latter part of the century.
In the 16th century, the Gayton surname spread further across England, with individuals bearing the name appearing in records from counties such as Yorkshire and Gloucestershire. One notable figure from this period was Sir Thomas Gayton (c. 1520-1590), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Norfolk.
As the centuries progressed, the Gayton name continued to be associated with various notable individuals. In the 17th century, Edmund Gayton (c. 1609-1666) was a writer and clergyman known for his satirical works, including "Pleasant Notes upon Don Quixote" and "Festivous Notes on the Plays of Ben Jonson."
Another prominent figure bearing the Gayton surname was Sir John Gayton (c. 1640-1702), who served as a Member of Parliament for Norfolk and was appointed as a Justice of the Peace in the late 17th century.
Throughout its history, the surname Gayton has maintained strong ties to its geographical origins in Norfolk, with many families tracing their roots back to the village of the same name. While the name has spread across England over the centuries, its distinctive locational roots and associations with the region have endured.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gayton
Among Census respondents with the surname Gayton, the largest self-reported group is White at 40.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (30.6%) and Black (18.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gayton 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 Gayton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White40.3% · 952
- Hispanic or Latino30.6% · 723
- Black or African American18.9% · 447
- Two or more races6.0% · 143
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.5% · 83
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gayton
Gayton 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
#12,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,557
+191 bearers (+8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 90 places
2020
#12,512
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,365
-192 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 326 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,096 | 2,366 | 0.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,186 | 2,557 | 0.87 | +191 bearers (+8.1%) | Down 90 places |
| 2020 | #12,512 | 2,365 | 0.79 | -192 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 326 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 Gayton 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 | #12,186 | #12,512 | -2.7% |
| Count | 2,557 | 2,365 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.79 | -9.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gayton bearers went from 2,557 to 2,365 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 326 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,186 to #12,512.
FAQ
Gayton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gayton?
Name Census estimates that about 2,712 living Americans carry the surname Gayton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,384 residents.
How common is Gayton?
Gayton ranks #12,512 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 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 2,365 people with the surname Gayton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,712), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 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 Gayton.
Has Gayton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gayton went from 2,557 recorded bearers to 2,365. That is a decrease of 192 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,186 to #12,512.
What does the Census say about the background of Gayton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gayton, the largest self-reported group is White at 40.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (30.6%) and Black (18.9%). 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 Gayton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 40.3% (952 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gayton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (40.3%), Hispanic (30.6%), Black (18.9%). 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 Gayton (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 Gayton mean?
A locational surname derived from any of the places in England named Gayton, meaning "settlement on a road." 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 Gayton (0.79 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 share the surname Gayton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.