2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Gentillon
A French surname potentially derived from a diminutive of the name Gentil, meaning kind or gentle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Gentillon. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gentillon 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.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Gentillon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gentillon, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.6%. The next largest groups are Black (41.1%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gentillon
The surname Gentillon has its origins in France, tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "gentil," meaning noble or gentle. This name was likely bestowed upon families of noble or distinguished lineage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gentillon can be found in the Cartulaire de Notre-Dame de Paris, a medieval manuscript dating back to the late 12th century. This document mentions a "Robertus Gentillon" as a witness to a land transaction in the year 1187.
During the 13th century, the name appears in various regional records across northern France, particularly in the provinces of Picardy and Normandy. The spellings "Gentillon," "Gentilhon," and "Gentilhomme" were used interchangeably, reflecting the evolution of the French language over time.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Jean Gentillon, a wealthy merchant and landowner from the town of Amiens in Picardy. He is recorded as having donated a substantial sum to the construction of the city's cathedral in 1328.
The name Gentillon can also be found in historical records from the neighboring region of Normandy. In the 15th century, a Guillaume Gentillon is mentioned as a member of the Norman nobility, serving as a knight in the service of the Duke of Normandy.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Pierre Gentillon, a French scholar and theologian born in Rouen in 1548. He authored several influential works on philosophy and theology during the Renaissance period.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Gentillon family appears to have spread across various regions of France, with branches established in cities such as Paris, Lyon, and Marseille. Some notable figures from this era include Jacques Gentillon, a renowned painter born in Paris in 1592, and Antoine Gentillon, a respected lawyer and judge from Lyon, who lived from 1632 to 1701.
Over the centuries, the Gentillon surname has been associated with various noble and distinguished families in France, reflecting its origins as a name bestowed upon those of gentle or noble birth. However, it has also been adopted by families from diverse backgrounds, further enriching its historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gentillon
Among Census respondents with the surname Gentillon, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.6%. The next largest groups are Black (41.1%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gentillon 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 Gentillon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.6% · 52
- Black or African American41.1% · 44
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gentillon
Gentillon appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+7 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,336 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+7.0%) | Up 9,336 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 Gentillon 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 | #160,975 | #151,639 | 5.8% |
| Count | 100 | 107 | 7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gentillon bearers went from 100 to 107 (+7.0% change). The surname moved up 9,336 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #151,639.
FAQ
Gentillon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gentillon?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Gentillon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Gentillon?
Gentillon ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Gentillon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gentillon.
Has Gentillon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gentillon went from 100 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 7 (+7.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Gentillon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gentillon, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.6%. The next largest groups are Black (41.1%) and Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Gentillon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.6% (52 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gentillon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (48.6%), Black (41.1%), Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Gentillon (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 Gentillon mean?
A French surname potentially derived from a diminutive of the name Gentil, meaning kind or gentle. 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 Gentillon (0.04 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 Gentillon?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.