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

Genson, 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 Genson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Genson in America

Genson is the 34465th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Genson surname appeared 657 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Genson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Genson 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 Genson

The surname Genson originated in England during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English given name "Gens", which was a diminutive form of the Germanic name "Gens-hard" or "Gens-helm". This name likely meant "brave" or "courageous warrior".

Over time, the name evolved into various spellings such as Genson, Genson, and Genison. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and spelling conventions during the Middle Ages. The earliest recorded instance of the surname Genson can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a person named William Genson was listed.

In the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, there is a reference to a John Genson, who was a landowner in the region. This suggests that the Genson family had established roots in Yorkshire by the early 14th century. Another notable early record is the appearance of a Robert Genson in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327.

One of the earliest prominent individuals bearing the Genson surname was Sir John Genson (c. 1460-1528), a successful merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He served as an alderman and Sheriff of London in 1511, and his legacy is remembered through the Genson Charity, which he established to support education and aid for the poor.

During the 16th century, the Genson family had a strong presence in the county of Nottinghamshire. A notable figure was Thomas Genson (c. 1520-1589), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for East Retford in 1558. He was a staunch Catholic and faced persecution for his religious beliefs during the reign of Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the Gensons continued to play a role in politics and society. William Genson (1611-1677) was a member of the Virginia Company and invested in the colonization efforts in the New World. His son, Edward Genson (1638-1709), was a prominent lawyer and served as Chief Justice of the Province of New Jersey from 1698 to 1709.

Another notable figure was Sir George Genson (1672-1744), a British naval officer who served during the War of the Spanish Succession and the War of the Quadruple Alliance. He was renowned for his bravery and tactical skills, and his exploits were documented in several historical accounts of the time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Genson

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

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

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

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