2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gordwin
A habitational or locational surname likely of English origin derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 144 Americans carry the last name Gordwin. That puts it at #137,553 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,380,238 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gordwin 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
144
1 in 2,380,238
Census rank
#137,553
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
126
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 126 bearers of the surname Gordwin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 137553rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gordwin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gordwin
The surname GORDWIN is of Anglo-Saxon origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era in England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "gor" meaning "mud" or "dirt" and "dun" meaning "hill" or "down." This suggests that GORDWIN was initially a locational name given to someone who resided near a muddy hill or a settlement situated on a muddy hill.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name GORDWIN can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. This historical document mentions a certain Godric Gordwin, who held lands in Gloucestershire.
During the 13th century, the name GORDWIN appeared in various legal and manorial records across the English counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire. In 1275, a Walter Gordwin is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Wiltshire, a survey of landholdings conducted by King Edward I.
The name GORDWIN can also be linked to several place names in England, such as Gordwin's Green in Somerset and Gordwin's Hill in Wiltshire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the surname GORDWIN who resided in or owned land in those areas.
One notable historical figure with the surname GORDWIN was Sir John Gordwin (c. 1520-1580), a prominent English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1575. Another was Thomas Gordwin (c. 1570-1640), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works.
In the 17th century, the GORDWIN surname can be found in various parish records and legal documents. For instance, a William Gordwin was recorded in the Parish Registers of Minster, Kent, in 1687.
Other notable individuals with the surname GORDWIN include:
- Edmund Gordwin (c. 1590-1660), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Bridgwater in the 1620s.
- John Gordwin (c. 1625-1690), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Provost of Eton College from 1677 until his death.
- Robert Gordwin (c. 1670-1725), a British naval officer who commanded several ships during the War of the Spanish Succession.
While the surname GORDWIN may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon settlers who first established themselves in various parts of England during the Middle Ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gordwin
Among Census respondents with the surname Gordwin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gordwin 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 Gordwin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American92.9% · 117
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 4
- Two or more races2.4% · 3
- White1.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gordwin
Gordwin 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+18 bearers (+17.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,171 places
2020
#137,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+7 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,604 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+17.8%) | Up 9,171 places |
| 2020 | #137,553 | 126 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+5.9%) | Up 2,604 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 Gordwin 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 | #140,157 | #137,553 | 1.9% |
| Count | 119 | 126 | 5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gordwin bearers went from 119 to 126 (+5.9% change). The surname moved up 2,604 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #137,553.
FAQ
Gordwin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gordwin?
Name Census estimates that about 144 living Americans carry the surname Gordwin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,380,238 residents.
How common is Gordwin?
Gordwin ranks #137,553 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 126 people with the surname Gordwin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (144), 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 Gordwin.
Has Gordwin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gordwin went from 119 recorded bearers to 126. That is an increase of 7 (+5.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #140,157 to #137,553.
What does the Census say about the background of Gordwin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gordwin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gordwin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gordwin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (92.9%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Gordwin (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 Gordwin mean?
A habitational or locational surname likely of English origin derived from a place name. 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 Gordwin (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 share the surname Gordwin?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.