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

Gest, 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 Gest surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gest in America

Gest is the 32632nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gest surname appeared 704 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 Gest.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gest 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 Gest

The surname Gest has its origins in England, emerging during the medieval period. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English word "gæst," which means "guest" or "stranger." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify someone who was a visitor or a newcomer to a particular area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gest can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Goscelinus Gest, indicating that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

During the 13th century, the name Gest appeared in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed individuals with the surnames Gest and Ghest. These variations in spelling were common during that time, reflecting the lack of standardized orthography.

In the 14th century, the name Gest was associated with several notable individuals. One such person was John Gest, a prominent merchant and landowner in Yorkshire, who lived around 1350. Another was William Gest, a monk and scholar who served as the Prior of the Benedictine monastery in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, from 1377 to 1398.

The 15th century saw the rise of several distinguished individuals bearing the Gest surname. Among them was Sir Edmund Gest (c. 1420-1497), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the City of London. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1490 and was known for his philanthropic endeavors, including the founding of a grammar school in Beccles, Suffolk.

In the 16th century, the name Gest continued to be associated with prominent figures. One notable example is Edmund Gest (1509-1567), an English Renaissance scholar and schoolmaster. He served as the headmaster of Westminster School and was renowned for his translations of classical Greek and Latin texts.

Another notable individual from this period was Sir William Gest (c. 1530-1599), a military commander and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He played a significant role in the suppression of the Northern Rebellion in 1569 and was knighted for his service.

Over the centuries, the Gest surname has been linked to various locations, including Yorkshire, Suffolk, and London, where it seems to have been particularly prevalent. While the name may have originated from the Old English word "gæst," it has evolved and taken on different spellings and variations throughout its history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gest

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!