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

Gorton, 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 Gorton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gorton in America

Gorton is the 8060th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gorton surname appeared 4,110 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Gorton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gorton 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 Gorton

The surname Gorton originated in England and is believed to have derived from the Old English words "gor" meaning muddy or dirty, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement. It is thought to have been initially a place name for a settlement located in a muddy or marshy area.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Gortune" in reference to a place in Cheshire, England. Other early spellings include "Gorton" and "Gortun".

In the 13th century, records show a William de Gorton who held lands in Lancashire, England. This is one of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Gorton.

The name Gorton is also associated with the town of Gorton, now a part of Manchester, England. This town likely derived its name from the same Old English roots as the surname.

One notable figure in history with the surname Gorton was Samuel Gorton (1592-1677), an English Protestant Christian settler and founder of the town of Warwick, Rhode Island. He was a prominent figure in the early colonial history of New England.

Another individual of historical significance was John Gorton (1835-1916), a Canadian politician who served as the 10th Prime Minister of Canada from 1868 to 1871.

In the literary world, Ida Gorton (1861-1944) was an English novelist and short story writer who published several works in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Sir Benjamin Gorton (1776-1855) was a British naval officer and explorer who made significant contributions to the mapping and exploration of the Arctic regions in the early 19th century.

Finally, John Gorton (1911-2002) was an Australian politician who served as the 19th Prime Minister of Australia from 1968 to 1971, leading the country during a pivotal period in its history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gorton

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

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 Gorton 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 Gorton 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 Gorton was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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