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

Gibson, 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 Gibson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gibson in America

Gibson is the 130th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gibson surname appeared 190,667 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 65 people would have the surname Gibson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gibson 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 Gibson

The surname Gibson originated in England, with the earliest known references dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the given name Gilbert, which was popular among the Normans and ultimately stems from the Germanic name Gisalbarht, meaning "bright pledge" or "bright as an arrow."

One of the earliest known records of the name Gibson is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1195, where a man named William Gibunson is mentioned. This spelling variation reflects the common practice of adding "son" to a father's name to create a surname during that period.

The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were census-like records compiled during the reign of King Edward I. In these rolls, the surname is recorded as Gibsone, suggesting the name's evolution over time.

As the Gibson family spread across England, various place names became associated with the surname. For example, in the 13th century, there were records of individuals named Gibson in areas like Gibsonton, Yorkshire, and Gibston, Leicestershire, which likely contributed to the surname's development.

One notable individual with the surname Gibson was Thomas Gibson, a prominent English publisher and bookseller who lived from 1531 to 1600. He was granted a royal patent by Queen Elizabeth I and played a significant role in the printing and distribution of books during the Elizabethan era.

Another influential figure was William Gibson, an English playwright and poet who lived from 1597 to 1662. He is best known for his collaboration with Francis Beaumont on several popular plays, including "The Coxcomb" and "A Wife for a Month."

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Gibson was Isaac Gibson, a Quaker who settled in Pennsylvania in the late 17th century. He was born in 1633 and played a role in the establishment of the Quaker community in the American colonies.

In the 19th century, John Banister Gibson (1780-1853) was a notable American jurist and legal scholar. He served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and was highly regarded for his contributions to the development of American jurisprudence.

Another prominent individual with the surname Gibson was Charles Dana Gibson (1867-1944), an American graphic artist and illustrator. He was best known for his creation of the iconic "Gibson Girl" image, which became a celebrated representation of the modern American woman in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gibson

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

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

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

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