2010
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gostlin
A surname possibly derived from a place name in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Gostlin. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gostlin 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.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Gostlin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gostlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gostlin
The surname Gostlin has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "gostling," which referred to a young goose or gosling. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, likely given to someone who tended to geese or worked with poultry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gostlin can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273-1274. This document mentions a William Gostling, suggesting that the name was already in use during the 13th century.
In the 16th century, the Gostlin surname appeared in various parish records across England. For instance, the baptism of Alice Gostlin was recorded in Beccles, Suffolk, in 1583. Additionally, the marriage of John Gostlin and Anne Tompson was documented in Ipswich, Suffolk, in 1592.
One notable individual with the surname Gostlin was John Gostlin (c. 1545-1626), an English clergyman and author. He served as the rector of Littlebury in Essex and wrote several religious works, including "An Exposition upon the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galathians" (1619).
Another prominent figure was John Gostlin (1637-1704), an English antiquarian and clergyman. He was the rector of Littlebury from 1679 until his death and authored "A Walk in and about the City of Canterbury" (1695), a valuable historical account of the city.
In the 18th century, the Gostlin surname can be found in records from various parts of England. For example, the baptism of Mary Gostlin was recorded in Rotherham, Yorkshire, in 1711, while the marriage of Thomas Gostlin and Elizabeth Poulson took place in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, in 1770.
Regarding place names, the village of Gostling in Kent may have some connection to the surname, although the exact relationship is unclear. Additionally, there are variations in spelling, such as Gostling, Gosling, and Gossling, which may have been used interchangeably in different regions or time periods.
Overall, the surname Gostlin has a rich history in England, dating back to the medieval era and potentially originating as an occupational surname related to the tending of geese or poultry. While not as widespread as some other surnames, it has been documented in various records throughout the centuries and has been borne by notable individuals in the fields of religion and antiquarian studies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gostlin
Among Census respondents with the surname Gostlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gostlin 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 Gostlin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gostlin
Gostlin appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,371 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 2,371 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 Gostlin 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 | #141,140 | #143,511 | -1.7% |
| Count | 118 | 118 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gostlin bearers went from 118 to 118 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 2,371 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #143,511.
FAQ
Gostlin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gostlin?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Gostlin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Gostlin?
Gostlin ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Gostlin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Gostlin.
Has Gostlin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gostlin went from 118 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Gostlin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gostlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) 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 Gostlin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gostlin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (3.4%), 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 Gostlin (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 Gostlin mean?
A surname possibly derived from a place name in England. 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 Gostlin (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 Gostlin?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.