2000
#80,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 219
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Gloston
A French habitational surname likely derived from a place meaning "glorious town".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 295 Americans carry the last name Gloston. That puts it at #79,808 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,161,879 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gloston 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.
Bearers in the US
295
1 in 1,161,879
Census rank
#79,808
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
257
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 257 bearers of the surname Gloston in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 79808th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gloston, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gloston
The surname Gloston is believed to have originated in England, likely in the medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a now-lost place name, perhaps a small village or hamlet. Many English surnames arose from the names of towns, villages, or estates where a person or family once lived.
One theory suggests that the name Gloston may have roots in the Old English words "glo" meaning "a bright place" and "tun" meaning "an enclosure or settlement." This could imply that the name may have referred to a settlement or village in a bright or sunny location.
While there are no definitive records of the name Gloston appearing in early historical manuscripts like the Domesday Book, some of the earliest documented examples of the name can be found in parish records and tax rolls from the 16th and 17th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is John Gloston, who was born in Gloucestershire, England, around 1560. Another early bearer of the name was William Gloston, born in Oxfordshire in 1612.
In the 18th century, a notable individual with the surname Gloston was Thomas Gloston (1732-1804), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Yorkshire. He was known for his contributions to the local community and for establishing a charitable trust that supported education and housing for the poor.
Another prominent figure was Elizabeth Gloston (1776-1843), a writer and poet from Lincolnshire. Her published works included a collection of sonnets and a historical novel set during the English Civil War.
In the 19th century, there was Henry Gloston (1819-1892), a respected botanist and naturalist from Cornwall. He conducted extensive research on the flora and fauna of the region and authored several books on the subject.
Another individual worth mentioning is James Gloston (1854-1927), a successful architect from London who designed several notable buildings, including churches and public libraries, throughout the city and surrounding areas.
While the name Gloston is not among the most common surnames, it has a long and interesting history, with various bearers contributing to various fields over the centuries, from literature and science to business and architecture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gloston
Among Census respondents with the surname Gloston, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gloston 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 Gloston surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American88.7% · 228
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 18
- Two or more races1.9% · 5
- White1.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gloston
Gloston 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
#86,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 216
-3 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 5,812 places
2020
#79,808
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 257
+41 bearers (+19.0%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 6,506 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #80,502 | 219 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #86,314 | 216 | 0.07 | -3 bearers (-1.4%) | Down 5,812 places |
| 2020 | #79,808 | 257 | 0.09 | +41 bearers (+19.0%) | Up 6,506 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 Gloston 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 | #86,314 | #79,808 | 7.5% |
| Count | 216 | 257 | 19.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.09 | 22.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gloston bearers went from 216 to 257 (+19.0% change). The surname moved up 6,506 positions in the national ranking, going from #86,314 to #79,808.
FAQ
Gloston surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gloston?
Name Census estimates that about 295 living Americans carry the surname Gloston. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,161,879 residents.
How common is Gloston?
Gloston ranks #79,808 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 257 people with the surname Gloston. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (295), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gloston.
Has Gloston become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gloston went from 216 recorded bearers to 257. That is an increase of 41 (+19.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #86,314 to #79,808.
What does the Census say about the background of Gloston?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gloston, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gloston in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (228 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gloston appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (88.7%), Hispanic (7.0%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Gloston (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 Gloston mean?
A French habitational surname likely derived from a place meaning "glorious town". 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 Gloston (0.09 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 share the surname Gloston?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.