2000
#1,024
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,285
First available Census row
Per 100,000 11.60
Uncommon Last name
Gorman
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Gormáin," meaning "descendant of Gormán," a personal name meaning "little blue one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 34,519 Americans carry the last name Gorman. That puts it at #1,145 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,929 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gorman 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gorman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
35K
1 in 9,929
Census rank
#1,145
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
30K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 30,102 bearers of the surname Gorman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1145th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorman, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gorman
The surname Gorman is of Irish origin, believed to have originated in the 9th or 10th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "gobha" meaning "smith" and "muine" meaning "thicket" or "shrubbery". The name likely referred to a person who worked as a smith and lived near a thicket or wooded area.
The earliest known recording of the name is found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Gorman of Belach-abann" in 946 AD. This entry suggests that the name was already in use by the 10th century and may have its roots even further back.
In the 12th century, the surname appears in the Book of Leinster, a medieval Irish manuscript, where it is spelled "Gormán". This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames in those early days, as they were often adapted based on local dialects and pronunciation.
The name Gorman has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest was Turlough Gorman, a 13th-century Irish chieftain who ruled over the territory of Ibrickan in County Clare. Another prominent bearer of the name was Miles Gorman, a 17th-century Catholic priest and historian who wrote extensively on the history of Ireland.
In the 18th century, John Gorman (1723-1804) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War. He rose to the rank of Vice-Admiral and was known for his successful campaigns against French and Spanish naval forces in the West Indies.
The 19th century saw the rise of Arthur Pue Gorman (1839-1906), an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Maryland. He was a prominent figure in the Democratic Party and played a significant role in shaping the party's policies during his time in office.
Another notable Gorman was John Gorman (1923-2001), an American football coach who led the Denver Broncos from 1986 to 1992. He is credited with helping to build the team's defense and guiding them to several playoff appearances during his tenure.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have carried the surname Gorman throughout history, each contributing to the rich tapestry of this name's legacy across various fields and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gorman
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorman, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gorman 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 Gorman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 26,047
- Black or African American3.9% · 1,162
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 1,072
- Two or more races3.3% · 1,003
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 574
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 244
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gorman
Gorman 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
#1,100
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,788
+503 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 10.78
Rank movement Down 76 places
2020
#1,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,102
-1,686 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 10.07
Rank movement Down 45 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,024 | 31,285 | 11.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,100 | 31,788 | 10.78 | +503 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 76 places |
| 2020 | #1,145 | 30,102 | 10.07 | -1,686 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 45 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 Gorman 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 | #1,100 | #1,145 | -4.1% |
| Count | 31,788 | 30,102 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 10.78 | 10.07 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gorman bearers went from 31,788 to 30,102 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 45 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,100 to #1,145.
FAQ
Gorman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gorman?
Name Census estimates that about 34,519 living Americans carry the surname Gorman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,929 residents.
How common is Gorman?
Gorman ranks #1,145 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 30,102 people with the surname Gorman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (34,519), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Gorman.
Has Gorman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gorman went from 31,788 recorded bearers to 30,102. That is a decrease of 1,686 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,100 to #1,145.
What does the Census say about the background of Gorman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorman, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Gorman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (26,047 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gorman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Black (3.9%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Gorman (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 Gorman mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Gormáin," meaning "descendant of Gormán," a personal name meaning "little blue one." 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 Gorman (10.07 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 Gorman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.