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

Ghost, 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 Ghost surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ghost in America

Ghost is the 120901st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ghost surname appeared 143 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 Ghost.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ghost 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 Ghost

The surname "GHOST" is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "gast," which meant "spirit" or "soul." This word may have initially been used as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who seemed ghostly or pale in appearance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a man named Godwine Gast in the county of Gloucestershire. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century, though it may have existed in various spellings and forms even earlier.

During the medieval period, the name was often spelled as "Gast," "Gaste," or "Gost," reflecting the different dialects and linguistic variations of the time. As surnames became more standardized, the spelling eventually settled on "Ghost."

In the 13th century, records show a William Gost living in Nottinghamshire. This may have been a reference to the nearby village of Gosthorpe, which could indicate that the name was also associated with certain place names or locations.

One notable bearer of the surname was John Ghost, a prominent merchant and alderman who lived in London during the late 15th century. He was involved in trade with the Netherlands and is mentioned in various historical documents from that time.

Another significant figure was Sir Richard Ghost (c. 1530-1592), a military commander who served under Queen Elizabeth I during the Anglo-Spanish War. He was knighted for his valor in the Battle of Smerwick in 1580.

In the 17th century, the name appears in the records of the English Civil War, with a Captain Thomas Ghost serving in the Parliamentarian forces. He was involved in the siege of Oxford in 1646.

Moving into the 18th century, we find mention of a Samuel Ghost (1685-1753), a prominent clergyman and author who wrote several works on theology and religious philosophy.

Finally, in the 19th century, there was Sir Henry Ghost (1817-1891), a British explorer and diplomat who spent much of his career in Central Asia and served as the British Envoy to Persia (modern-day Iran) from 1869 to 1873.

While these are just a few examples, the surname "GHOST" has a rich history spanning several centuries, with bearers of the name making notable contributions in various fields throughout the years.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ghost

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

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

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

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