2000
#12,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,375
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.88
Rare Last name
Gholson
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Gowk's hill," referring to a cuckoo's hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,684 Americans carry the last name Gholson. That puts it at #12,598 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 127,703 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gholson 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
2.7K
1 in 127,703
Census rank
#12,598
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,341 bearers of the surname Gholson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12598th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gholson, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.5%. The next largest groups are Black (34.8%) and Two or More Races (6.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gholson
The surname Gholson is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. Its roots can be traced back to Old English words such as "gol" meaning "a hollow" or "a ravine," and "tun" meaning "a town or settlement." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a ravine or in a settlement located near such a geographical feature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gholson can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Golstone" and "Golstun," hinting at its evolution over time.
During the 13th century, the name Gholson was also found in several legal documents and property records, often associated with landowners and tenants in the southern regions of England. This suggests that the name had become well-established and was carried by individuals with some social standing.
Notably, Sir John Gholson, born in 1412, was a prominent figure in the city of Bristol during the 15th century. He served as a alderman and was known for his involvement in local trade and commerce. His descendants continued to play influential roles in the city for several generations.
Another notable bearer of the name was William Gholson, born in 1598, who was a renowned scholar and theologian. He authored several influential works on religious philosophy and served as a fellow at Oxford University during his lifetime.
In the 17th century, the Gholson family established a presence in the American colonies, with several members emigrating from England to various settlements along the eastern coast. One such individual was Thomas Gholson, born in 1635, who settled in Virginia and became a successful farmer and landowner.
As the Gholson name spread across different regions, variations in spelling emerged, including Golson, Goulson, and Ghoulston. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its English heritage, reflecting the geographic and historical context from which it emerged.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gholson
Among Census respondents with the surname Gholson, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.5%. The next largest groups are Black (34.8%) and Two or More Races (6.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gholson 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 Gholson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White54.5% · 1,275
- Black or African American34.8% · 814
- Two or more races6.4% · 149
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 79
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gholson
Gholson 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
#12,795
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,410
+35 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 737 places
2020
#12,598
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,341
-69 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 197 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,058 | 2,375 | 0.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,795 | 2,410 | 0.82 | +35 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 737 places |
| 2020 | #12,598 | 2,341 | 0.78 | -69 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 197 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 Gholson 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 | #12,795 | #12,598 | 1.5% |
| Count | 2,410 | 2,341 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.78 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gholson bearers went from 2,410 to 2,341 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 197 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,795 to #12,598.
FAQ
Gholson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gholson?
Name Census estimates that about 2,684 living Americans carry the surname Gholson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 127,703 residents.
How common is Gholson?
Gholson ranks #12,598 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 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 2,341 people with the surname Gholson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,684), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 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 Gholson.
Has Gholson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gholson went from 2,410 recorded bearers to 2,341. That is a decrease of 69 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,795 to #12,598.
What does the Census say about the background of Gholson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gholson, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.5%. The next largest groups are Black (34.8%) and Two or More Races (6.4%). 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 Gholson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.5% (1,275 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gholson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (54.5%), Black (34.8%), Two or More Races (6.4%). 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 Gholson (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 Gholson mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Gowk's hill," referring to a cuckoo's hill. 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 Gholson (0.78 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 Gholson?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.