2000
#14,792
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,841
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Gobble
An anglicized form of a surname derived from a French term referring to the sound made by a turkey.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,033 Americans carry the last name Gobble. That puts it at #15,818 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 168,595 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gobble 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
2.0K
1 in 168,595
Census rank
#15,818
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,773 bearers of the surname Gobble in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15818th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gobble, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gobble
The surname Gobble is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "gobel," which means "a small portion" or "a mouthful." This name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was known for their hearty appetite or tendency to gobble down food quickly.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gobble can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire, a census-like record from 1273, where a person named Geoffrey Gobel is mentioned. The name also appears in various other medieval records, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire from the 14th century.
During the 16th century, the name Gobble began to appear in parish records across England, particularly in the counties of Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire. One notable individual from this time was Thomas Gobble, who was born in Grantham, Lincolnshire, in 1562.
In the 17th century, the name Gobble was found in various places across England, including London and the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire. One individual worth mentioning is William Gobble, a merchant from Norwich who was born in 1632 and died in 1702.
The 18th century saw the name Gobble spread further across England, with records showing individuals bearing this surname in places like Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. One notable person from this period was John Gobble, a farmer from Chippenham, Wiltshire, who was born in 1745 and lived until 1822.
As the 19th century dawned, the Gobble surname continued to be found in various parts of England, with some individuals also migrating to other parts of the world, such as North America and Australia. One individual of note from this time was Henry Gobble, a wealthy landowner from Oxfordshire, who was born in 1811 and died in 1892.
Throughout its history, the surname Gobble has been associated with various occupations, including farmers, merchants, and tradesmen. While not a particularly common name, it has left its mark in various corners of England and beyond, tracing its roots back to the descriptive nicknames of medieval times.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gobble
Among Census respondents with the surname Gobble, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gobble 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 Gobble surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 1,666
- Two or more races2.7% · 47
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 32
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 16
- Black or African American0.6% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gobble
Gobble 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
#15,833
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,838
-3 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 1,041 places
2020
#15,818
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,773
-65 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Up 15 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,792 | 1,841 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,833 | 1,838 | 0.62 | -3 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 1,041 places |
| 2020 | #15,818 | 1,773 | 0.59 | -65 bearers (-3.5%) | Up 15 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 Gobble 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 | #15,833 | #15,818 | 0.1% |
| Count | 1,838 | 1,773 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.62 | 0.59 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gobble bearers went from 1,838 to 1,773 (-3.5% change). The surname moved up 15 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,833 to #15,818.
FAQ
Gobble surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gobble?
Name Census estimates that about 2,033 living Americans carry the surname Gobble. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 168,595 residents.
How common is Gobble?
Gobble ranks #15,818 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,773 people with the surname Gobble. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,033), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Gobble.
Has Gobble become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gobble went from 1,838 recorded bearers to 1,773. That is a decrease of 65 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,833 to #15,818.
What does the Census say about the background of Gobble?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gobble, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Gobble in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (1,666 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gobble appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Gobble (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 Gobble mean?
An anglicized form of a surname derived from a French term referring to the sound made by a turkey. 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 Gobble (0.59 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 Gobble?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Gobble on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.