2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gomon
An occupational surname derived from a Scottish or Irish word meaning a foolish or stupid person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 147 Americans carry the last name Gomon. That puts it at #136,082 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,331,662 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gomon 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
147
1 in 2,331,662
Census rank
#136,082
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
128
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 128 bearers of the surname Gomon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 136082nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gomon, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gomon
The surname GOMON is believed to have originated in France, where it first appeared in the early 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old French word "gomer," which means "a sailor or seaman." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have been involved in maritime activities or lived near the coast.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GOMON surname can be found in the 1195 Cartulary of Sainte-Croix d'Orléans, where a certain Radulfus Gomon is mentioned. Additionally, the name appears in the 1292 Taille de Paris, a tax roll from the city of Paris, indicating the presence of a family with this surname in the French capital during that time.
In the 14th century, the GOMON name is documented in the Subsidy Rolls of Normandy, which were records of taxes levied on the population. This suggests that the name was well-established in the northern region of France by that period.
Throughout the centuries, the GOMON surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Gommon, Gommun, and Gommun. These variations can be attributed to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and the evolution of the French language over time.
Notable individuals with the GOMON surname include:
1. Jean Gomon (c. 1510 - 1580), a French Protestant theologian and reformer who was a close associate of John Calvin.
2. Pierre Gomon (1618 - 1687), a French painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits.
3. Claude Gomon (1672 - 1737), a French architect and military engineer who designed several fortifications and public buildings in Paris.
4. Étienne Gomon (1758 - 1825), a French revolutionary and politician who served as a deputy in the National Convention during the French Revolution.
5. Émile Gomon (1840 - 1912), a French painter and illustrator known for his scenes depicting rural life in Normandy.
While the GOMON surname originated in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to emigration and migration patterns. However, its roots can be traced back to the French coastal regions and maritime heritage of its earliest bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gomon
Among Census respondents with the surname Gomon, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Gomon 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 Gomon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 128
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gomon
Gomon 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+11 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 618 places
2020
#136,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
-3 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,257 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 618 places |
| 2020 | #136,082 | 128 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 6,257 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 Gomon 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 | #129,825 | #136,082 | -4.8% |
| Count | 131 | 128 | -2.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gomon bearers went from 131 to 128 (-2.3% change). The surname moved down 6,257 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #136,082.
FAQ
Gomon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gomon?
Name Census estimates that about 147 living Americans carry the surname Gomon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,331,662 residents.
How common is Gomon?
Gomon ranks #136,082 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 128 people with the surname Gomon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (147), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Gomon.
Has Gomon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gomon went from 131 recorded bearers to 128. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #136,082.
What does the Census say about the background of Gomon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gomon, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Gomon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (128 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gomon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Gomon (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 Gomon mean?
An occupational surname derived from a Scottish or Irish word meaning a foolish or stupid person. 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 Gomon (0.04 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 surname Gomon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.