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

Gholston, 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 Gholston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gholston in America

Gholston is the 12935th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gholston surname appeared 2,375 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Gholston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gholston 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 Gholston

The surname Gholston is of English origin, originating in the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "gol," meaning "hollow" or "valley," and "tun," meaning "town" or "settlement." Therefore, the name likely referred to someone who lived in a settlement located in a valley.

Gholston is thought to have emerged as a locational surname, referring to a specific place where the earliest bearers of the name resided. However, there are no definitive records of a place called Gholston in England, suggesting that the name may have evolved from a similar-sounding place name over time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Gholston can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, dated 1572, where a Richard Gholston is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, variations of the name, such as Goulston and Golston, appeared in various records, including parish registers and tax rolls. For example, a John Goulston was recorded in the Hearth Tax Rolls of Warwickshire in 1674.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Gholston include:

1. Theodore Gholston (1572-1632), an English merchant and landowner who owned properties in London and Essex.
2. Elizabeth Gholston (1621-1689), an English writer and poet, known for her collection of poems published in 1670.
3. William Gholston (1718-1795), a British soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Virginia.
4. Henry Gholston (1832-1910), an American businessman and industrialist who founded the Gholston Manufacturing Company in Ohio.
5. Margaret Gholston (1887-1976), an American educator and civil rights activist who fought for equal educational opportunities for African Americans in the South.

While there are no definitive records of the name's appearance in historical documents like the Domesday Book, the surname Gholston has a rich history dating back to the 16th century, with its roots firmly planted in the English language and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gholston

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

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

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

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