2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gorgon
A surname derived from the mythological Gorgon creatures having hair of living snakes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Gorgon. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gorgon 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Gorgon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorgon, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.2%) and Black (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gorgon
The surname Gorgon originates from ancient Greece, derived from the mythological creatures known as Gorgons. The word "Gorgon" comes from the Greek word "gorgós," meaning "dreadful" or "terrible." In Greek mythology, Gorgons were monstrous creatures with snake-like hair and a petrifying gaze that could turn anyone who looked directly at them into stone.
The earliest recorded use of the name Gorgon can be traced back to ancient Greek texts and legends. In Homer's Odyssey, the hero Odysseus encounters the Gorgon Medusa during his journey. The Roman poet Ovid also wrote extensively about the Gorgons in his Metamorphoses, describing their origins and the heroic exploits of Perseus, who famously slew Medusa.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Gorgon began to appear in various European records and manuscripts. One notable example is the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name Gorgon is listed among the tenants in the county of Somerset, England.
In the 13th century, a knight named Sir Gorgon de Launcy fought alongside King Edward I during the Welsh Wars. De Launcy's ancestral lands were located in the village of Launceston, Cornwall, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Another prominent figure with the surname Gorgon was Petrus Gorgonicus, a 15th-century Italian humanist and scholar. Born in Padua in 1430, Gorgonicus was renowned for his contributions to classical literature and his translations of ancient Greek texts.
During the Renaissance, the Gorgon motif became popular in art and architecture, with many artists and sculptors depicting the terrifying visage of Medusa. One notable example is the Gorgon Head sculpted by Benvenuto Cellini in the late 16th century, which adorned the entrance of the Medici Palace in Florence.
In the 18th century, a French explorer named Jean-Baptiste Gorgon played a significant role in the exploration of the Pacific Ocean. Gorgon led expeditions to the Marquesas Islands and other remote regions, contributing to the mapping and charting of previously uncharted territories.
While the surname Gorgon is relatively uncommon today, it continues to evoke the powerful imagery and symbolism of ancient Greek mythology. Its enduring presence serves as a testament to the lasting influence of these legendary creatures on Western culture and storytelling.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gorgon
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorgon, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.2%) and Black (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Gorgon 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 Gorgon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.0% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino12.2% · 14
- Black or African American6.1% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gorgon
Gorgon 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-5 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,311 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,649 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 13,311 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 3,649 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 Gorgon 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 | #142,108 | #145,757 | -2.6% |
| Count | 117 | 115 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gorgon bearers went from 117 to 115 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 3,649 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #145,757.
FAQ
Gorgon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gorgon?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Gorgon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Gorgon?
Gorgon ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Gorgon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Gorgon.
Has Gorgon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gorgon went from 117 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Gorgon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorgon, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.2%) and Black (6.1%). 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 Gorgon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.0% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gorgon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.0%), Hispanic (12.2%), Black (6.1%). 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 Gorgon (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 Gorgon mean?
A surname derived from the mythological Gorgon creatures having hair of living snakes. 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 Gorgon (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 Gorgon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.