2000
#6,454
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,850
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.80
Rare Last name
Gott
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname meaning "God," often bestowed as a nickname implying a pious person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,268 Americans carry the last name Gott. That puts it at #7,042 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 65,063 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gott 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 Gott with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.3K
1 in 65,063
Census rank
#7,042
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,594 bearers of the surname Gott in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7042nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gott, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gott
The surname Gott is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "gott" or "got," meaning a person or family who lived near a gap, pass, or opening in a hill or mountain. It is believed to have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire, during the Middle Ages.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire, compiled in 1273, there is a reference to a person named William del Got, indicating the use of a locational suffix derived from the Old English term.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Gott, a merchant and alderman in the city of York, who lived in the late 14th century. He is mentioned in various historical records from that period, including the York Minster records.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Gott appeared in several parish registers and tax records across northern England. Variations in spelling, such as Gotte, Gotte, and Gote, were common during that time.
Notable individuals with the surname Gott throughout history include:
1. Benjamin Gott (1762-1840), an English industrialist and wool merchant from Leeds, who played a significant role in the development of the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution.
2. John Gott (1613-1681), an English clergyman and author, who served as the Rector of St. Sepulchre's Church in London.
3. Samuel Gott (1770-1839), an English Quaker and philanthropist, known for his efforts in promoting education and social reform.
4. Sir John Gott (1886-1963), a British naval officer who served as Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet during World War II.
5. Reverend Thomas Gott (1704-1762), an English clergyman and mathematician, who contributed to the development of calculus and was a member of the Royal Society.
While the name Gott can be found in various historical records and documents, it is not known to have been mentioned in prominent sources like the Domesday Book, which primarily focused on land ownership and taxation during the Norman conquest of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gott
Among Census respondents with the surname Gott, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gott 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 Gott surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.2% · 3,960
- Two or more races4.9% · 224
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 203
- Black or African American2.9% · 133
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gott
Gott 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
#6,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,989
+139 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.69
Rank movement Down 303 places
2020
#7,042
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,594
-395 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 1.54
Rank movement Down 285 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,454 | 4,850 | 1.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,757 | 4,989 | 1.69 | +139 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 303 places |
| 2020 | #7,042 | 4,594 | 1.54 | -395 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 285 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 Gott 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 | #6,757 | #7,042 | -4.2% |
| Count | 4,989 | 4,594 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.69 | 1.54 | -9.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gott bearers went from 4,989 to 4,594 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 285 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,757 to #7,042.
FAQ
Gott surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gott?
Name Census estimates that about 5,268 living Americans carry the surname Gott. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 65,063 residents.
How common is Gott?
Gott ranks #7,042 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,594 people with the surname Gott. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,268), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Gott.
Has Gott become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gott went from 4,989 recorded bearers to 4,594. That is a decrease of 395 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,757 to #7,042.
What does the Census say about the background of Gott?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gott, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Gott in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (3,960 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gott appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.2%), Two or More Races (4.9%), Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Gott (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 Gott mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname meaning "God," often bestowed as a nickname implying a pious person. 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 Gott (1.54 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 Americans have the surname Gott?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.