2000
#1,293
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,007
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.27
Uncommon Last name
Gleason
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Glasáin, meaning "descendant of Glasán," derived from glas, meaning "green" or "gray."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 27,992 Americans carry the last name Gleason. That puts it at #1,419 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,245 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gleason 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 Gleason with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
28K
1 in 12,245
Census rank
#1,419
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
24K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 24,410 bearers of the surname Gleason in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1419th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gleason, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gleason
The surname Gleason originated in Ireland and is derived from the Gaelic personal name 'Gíolla Iasachta', which means 'servant of Jesus'. It was first found in County Mayo, where the name is believed to have originated from the Gaelic 'O'Gillaisigh' sept.
The name Gleason has been anglicized and modified from its original Gaelic form over the centuries. Some of the earliest recorded spellings include Gyllyson, Gyllyshon, and Gillison, which were found in various medieval records and manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Gleason can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention a member of the Gleason family, Aodh O'Gillaisigh, who was a prominent figure in the Gaelic nobility of County Mayo in the 15th century.
In the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there is no record of the name Gleason or its variants, suggesting that the name was not yet established in England at that time.
One of the most notable figures in history with the surname Gleason was Patrick Gleason (1856-1926), an American politician who served as the Mayor of Long Island City, New York, from 1898 to 1900. Another prominent Gleason was James Gleason (1886-1959), an American actor and writer who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout his career.
Other notable individuals with the surname Gleason include:
1. Jackie Gleason (1916-1987), an American comedian, actor, and writer best known for his television series "The Honeymooners" and his film work.
2. Donald Gleason (1925-2010), an American baseball player who played for the Cleveland Indians and the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1950s.
3. Andrew Gleason (1921-2008), an American mathematician and professor at Harvard University, known for his contributions to the field of abstract algebra.
4. Kathleen Gleason (born 1950), an American actress and writer who has appeared in several films and television shows, including "The Incredible Hulk" and "The Silence of the Lambs".
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gleason
Among Census respondents with the surname Gleason, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gleason 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 Gleason surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 21,758
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 898
- Two or more races3.4% · 830
- Black or African American1.9% · 470
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 270
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 184
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gleason
Gleason 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
#1,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,416
+409 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 8.62
Rank movement Down 102 places
2020
#1,419
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,410
-1,006 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 8.17
Rank movement Down 24 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,293 | 25,007 | 9.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,395 | 25,416 | 8.62 | +409 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 102 places |
| 2020 | #1,419 | 24,410 | 8.17 | -1,006 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 24 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 Gleason 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 | #1,395 | #1,419 | -1.7% |
| Count | 25,416 | 24,410 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 8.62 | 8.17 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gleason bearers went from 25,416 to 24,410 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 24 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,395 to #1,419.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gleason
FAQ
Gleason surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gleason?
Name Census estimates that about 27,992 living Americans carry the surname Gleason. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,245 residents.
How common is Gleason?
Gleason ranks #1,419 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 24,410 people with the surname Gleason. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (27,992), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Gleason.
Has Gleason become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gleason went from 25,416 recorded bearers to 24,410. That is a decrease of 1,006 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,395 to #1,419.
What does the Census say about the background of Gleason?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gleason, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Gleason in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (21,758 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gleason appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Gleason (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 Gleason mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Glasáin, meaning "descendant of Glasán," derived from glas, meaning "green" or "gray." 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 Gleason (8.17 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 are called Gleason?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Gleason on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.