2000
#5,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.27
Rare Last name
Gist
An occupational surname for someone who performed or sold heroic deeds or adventures, derived from Middle English "geste."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,001 Americans carry the last name Gist. That puts it at #5,498 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,958 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gist 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gist with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.0K
1 in 48,958
Census rank
#5,498
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,105 bearers of the surname Gist in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5498th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gist, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.9%. The next largest groups are Black (42.4%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gist
The surname Gist has its origins in medieval England, where it first emerged in the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "giste," meaning a resting place or lodging, and was likely given to an innkeeper or someone who provided accommodations for travelers.
One of the earliest known references to the name Gist can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1175, where a Robert Gist is recorded. The surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1273, suggesting the name had spread across various regions of England by that time.
During the 13th century, the name Gist was sometimes spelled as "Ghist" or "Gyst," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling that were common in the Middle Ages. The surname was also associated with certain place names, such as Gistborough in Yorkshire, which may have influenced the development of the name in some families.
Notable individuals with the surname Gist throughout history include Sir William Gist (1538-1611), an English politician and member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Christopher Gist (1706-1759), an American explorer and surveyor who played a significant role in the early settlement of the Ohio Valley region.
In the 18th century, Mordecai Gist (1743-1792) was a prominent American lawyer and statesman who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress. His cousin, Nathaniel Gist (1787-1857), was a successful businessman and landowner in South Carolina.
During the American Civil War, Brigadier General Samuel Gist (1838-1918) served in the Confederate Army and was known for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
Throughout its history, the surname Gist has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, particularly in Yorkshire and the surrounding areas. It has also traveled to other parts of the world, including North America, where it has been borne by numerous individuals who have made significant contributions to their communities and societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gist
Among Census respondents with the surname Gist, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.9%. The next largest groups are Black (42.4%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gist 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 Gist surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White45.9% · 2,801
- Black or African American42.4% · 2,587
- Two or more races5.7% · 345
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 244
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 89
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gist
Gist 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
#5,419
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,422
+296 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 2.18
Rank movement Down 185 places
2020
#5,498
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,105
-317 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 2.04
Rank movement Down 79 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,234 | 6,126 | 2.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,419 | 6,422 | 2.18 | +296 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 185 places |
| 2020 | #5,498 | 6,105 | 2.04 | -317 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 79 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 Gist 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 | #5,419 | #5,498 | -1.5% |
| Count | 6,422 | 6,105 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.18 | 2.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gist bearers went from 6,422 to 6,105 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 79 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,419 to #5,498.
FAQ
Gist surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gist?
Name Census estimates that about 7,001 living Americans carry the surname Gist. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,958 residents.
How common is Gist?
Gist ranks #5,498 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,105 people with the surname Gist. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,001), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Gist.
Has Gist become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gist went from 6,422 recorded bearers to 6,105. That is a decrease of 317 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,419 to #5,498.
What does the Census say about the background of Gist?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gist, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.9%. The next largest groups are Black (42.4%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Gist in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.9% (2,801 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gist appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (45.9%), Black (42.4%), Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Gist (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 Gist mean?
An occupational surname for someone who performed or sold heroic deeds or adventures, derived from Middle English "geste." 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 Gist (2.04 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 have the last name Gist?
If you just want to know how common the surname Gist is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.