2000
#9,410
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,171
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.18
Rare Last name
Gorrell
A locational surname derived from a place in Lancashire, England, likely referring to a triangular hill or grove.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,424 Americans carry the last name Gorrell. That puts it at #10,271 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,103 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gorrell 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 Gorrell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 100,103
Census rank
#10,271
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,986 bearers of the surname Gorrell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10271st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gorrell
The surname Gorrell is of English origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old French word "gorrelle," which means "a small deep pool or stream." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a small body of water or in a low-lying area prone to flooding.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Gorrell can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1176, where it is spelled "Gorhille." This variation in spelling was common during this period, as standardized spelling was not widely adopted until much later.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records across different regions of England. For example, in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk from 1273, there is a reference to a "William de Gorhill." This spelling variation indicates that the name may have been influenced by the Old English word "hill," further suggesting a connection to a geographical feature.
Over the centuries, the name has been recorded with various spellings, such as Gorrill, Gorrell, Gorrel, and Gorrell. One notable individual bearing this name was John Gorrell, a 16th-century English merchant and landowner who lived from 1528 to 1594.
In the 17th century, the name Gorrell can be found in the parish records of Gloucestershire, where a family of that name settled in the village of Huntley. One notable member of this family was Richard Gorrell, who was born in 1657 and served as the vicar of Huntley from 1683 until his death in 1718.
Another notable figure with the surname Gorrell was James Gorrell, an English poet and playwright who lived from 1690 to 1762. He is best known for his works "The Tragedy of Belisarius" and "The Loves of Evander and Roxena."
In the 18th century, the name Gorrell was also present in Scotland. One notable Scotsman bearing this name was David Gorrell, who was born in 1746 and served as a minister in the Church of Scotland. He was renowned for his sermons and published several religious works throughout his lifetime.
As the name spread across different regions, it also gave rise to various place names. For example, in Lincolnshire, there is a hamlet called Gorrel, which may have been named after an early resident with the surname Gorrell.
While the surname Gorrell is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has left its mark on history through the individuals mentioned above and others who have carried this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gorrell
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gorrell 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 Gorrell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.1% · 2,601
- Black or African American6.3% · 188
- Two or more races3.4% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gorrell
Gorrell 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
#9,786
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,309
+138 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 376 places
2020
#10,271
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,986
-323 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 485 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,410 | 3,171 | 1.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,786 | 3,309 | 1.12 | +138 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 376 places |
| 2020 | #10,271 | 2,986 | 1.00 | -323 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 485 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 Gorrell 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 | #9,786 | #10,271 | -5.0% |
| Count | 3,309 | 2,986 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 1.00 | -10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gorrell bearers went from 3,309 to 2,986 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 485 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,786 to #10,271.
FAQ
Gorrell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gorrell?
Name Census estimates that about 3,424 living Americans carry the surname Gorrell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,103 residents.
How common is Gorrell?
Gorrell ranks #10,271 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 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 2,986 people with the surname Gorrell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,424), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 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 Gorrell.
Has Gorrell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gorrell went from 3,309 recorded bearers to 2,986. That is a decrease of 323 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,786 to #10,271.
What does the Census say about the background of Gorrell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gorrell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.1% (2,601 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gorrell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.1%), Black (6.3%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Gorrell (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 Gorrell mean?
A locational surname derived from a place in Lancashire, England, likely referring to a triangular hill or grove. 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 Gorrell (1.00 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 last name Gorrell?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Gorrell? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.