Find out how popular the last name Gorst is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gorst.

Gorst, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gorst surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gorst in America

Gorst is the 91221st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gorst surname appeared 202 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gorst.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gorst to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gorst

The surname Gorst is an English locational name originating from a small hamlet in Lancashire called Gorst or Gorste. The name is derived from the Old English word 'gorst' meaning gorse, a thorny evergreen shrub.

The earliest records of the name date back to the 13th century, with a Ralph de Gorst appearing in the Lancashire Assize Rolls in 1246. The Gorst family was well-established in Lancashire by this time, with branches of the family living in various locations across the county.

In the 14th century, the name is found in the Wigan Parish Registers with entries for Johannes del Gorst and Ricardus del Gorst, both from the town of Wigan. The 'del' prefix in their names indicates their connection to a specific place, in this case, the hamlet of Gorst.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Johen de Gorst, a knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century. He was a loyal supporter of the House of Lancaster and is mentioned in several contemporary accounts of the conflicts.

During the Tudor period, the Gorst family continued to be prominent in Lancashire, with several members holding positions of authority and influence. In the 16th century, a John Gorst was recorded as the Bailiff of Wigan, a position of considerable importance in the town's governance.

The name also gained prominence in the 18th and 19th centuries, with several notable individuals bearing the surname. Sir John Gorst (1835-1916) was a British Conservative politician who served as Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education and as a Member of Parliament for a number of constituencies.

Another significant figure was Sir Eldon Gorst (1861-1911), a British diplomat and colonial administrator who served as the Consul-General in Egypt and later as the High Commissioner for Egypt and the Sudan.

In literature, the name is associated with Harold E. Gorst (1856-1927), a British journalist and author who wrote several books on travel and exploration, including "The Curse of the Nile" and "The Haunted Mountains".

While the name Gorst is predominantly found in Lancashire and the surrounding areas of northern England, it has also been carried by individuals of note in other parts of the world, such as Sir John Gorst (1846-1919), a New Zealand politician and lawyer who served as the Attorney-General of New Zealand from 1875 to 1876.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gorst

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gorst.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gorst was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gorst has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gorst was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gorst, please contact us.

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