2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gosden
From an Anglo-Saxon word meaning "dweller by the gorse-covered valley".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Gosden. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gosden 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 Gosden with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Gosden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gosden, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Black (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gosden
The surname Gosden has its origins in England, first appearing in records during the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "gos" meaning goose and "denu" meaning valley or pasture, suggesting the name may have originally referred to someone who lived or worked in an area where geese were kept or raised.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Gosden can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Islington, London, dating back to 1597. This record mentions a William Gosden, who was likely one of the first individuals to bear this surname.
In the 17th century, the Gosden name appeared in various parts of southern England, particularly in the counties of Sussex and Hampshire. It is possible that the name was initially concentrated in these areas before gradually spreading to other regions.
The Gosden surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One example is Sir William Eden Gosden (1777-1857), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a prominent advocate for the abolition of slavery.
Another individual of note is Charles Gosden (1803-1879), a British architect who designed several churches and other buildings in London during the 19th century, including St. Peter's Church in Hammersmith.
In the realm of literature, there is John Gosden (1845-1924), an English writer and journalist who worked for several newspapers and authored several novels and short stories during the Victorian era.
The name Gosden has also been connected to the world of sports. One example is Freddie Gosden (1908-1982), an English football player who played as a forward for several clubs in the 1920s and 1930s, including Southampton and Bournemouth.
Another notable figure is Sir John Gosden (born 1951), a highly successful British horse racing trainer who has won numerous prestigious races, including the Epsom Derby and the Breeders' Cup Classic.
While the Gosden surname may have originated in southern England, it eventually spread to other parts of the country and even beyond, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gosden
Among Census respondents with the surname Gosden, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Black (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gosden 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 Gosden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino7.7% · 9
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gosden
Gosden 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+16 bearers (+14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,227 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-13 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,660 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+14.0%) | Up 5,227 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 13,660 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 Gosden 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 | #130,610 | #144,270 | -10.5% |
| Count | 130 | 117 | -10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gosden bearers went from 130 to 117 (-10.0% change). The surname moved down 13,660 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #144,270.
FAQ
Gosden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gosden?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Gosden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Gosden?
Gosden ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Gosden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Gosden.
Has Gosden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gosden went from 130 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Gosden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gosden, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Black (2.6%). 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 Gosden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gosden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Hispanic (7.7%), Black (2.6%). 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 Gosden (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 Gosden mean?
From an Anglo-Saxon word meaning "dweller by the gorse-covered valley". 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 Gosden (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 Gosden?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.