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

Ghoston, 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 Ghoston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ghoston in America

Ghoston is the 57234th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ghoston surname appeared 356 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 Ghoston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ghoston 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 Ghoston

The surname Ghoston is believed to have originated in England during the late 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "gast" meaning ghost or spirit, and "tun" meaning a town or village. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived in a town or area associated with ghostly occurrences or supernatural beliefs.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1188, which mentions a "Gilbertus de Gastun". This spelling variation, "Gastun", is likely an early form of the modern Ghoston surname.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to several places with names similar to Ghoston, such as "Gaistun" in Lincolnshire and "Gastun" in Yorkshire. These place names may have contributed to the development of the surname.

During the 13th century, the name was found in various parts of England, with records showing a John de Gastun in Oxfordshire in 1273 and a Walter de Gastun in Norfolk in 1285.

Notable individuals with the surname Ghoston throughout history include:

1. Sir Henry Ghoston (1524-1598), an English nobleman and landowner in Gloucestershire.
2. Elizabeth Ghoston (c.1610-1675), a Puritan settler in Massachusetts Bay Colony, one of the first women to be accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials.
3. Robert Ghoston (1695-1769), an English clergyman and author of the book "A Treatise on the Origin and Meaning of Surnames".
4. William Ghoston (1789-1863), a British explorer and naturalist who documented several new species of plants and animals during his travels in South America.
5. Mary Ghoston (1875-1945), an English suffragette and activist for women's rights, who participated in the famous protest march on Parliament in 1908.

While the surname Ghoston is not as common today as some other English surnames, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period, reflecting the fascinating history and linguistic evolution of English place names and surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ghoston

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

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

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

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