2000
#10,375
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,846
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.06
Rare Last name
Govan
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place near Glasgow, likely meaning "small hill" in Gaelic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,486 Americans carry the last name Govan. That puts it at #10,105 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,323 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Govan 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 Govan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 98,323
Census rank
#10,105
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,040 bearers of the surname Govan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10105th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Govan, the largest self-reported group is Black at 68.2%. The next largest groups are White (18.4%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Govan
The surname Govan is of Scottish origin, deriving from the town of Govan, located on the south bank of the River Clyde in Renfrewshire. The name is believed to have originated from the Brythonic word 'go-uan', meaning 'little meadow' or 'little plain'. Alternatively, it may stem from the Old Welsh 'gau-fann', signifying a place of refuge or sanctuary.
Records indicate that the name Govan has been present in Scotland since the 12th century. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Register of the Monastery of Paisley, dated 1163, which mentions a 'Robertus de Govan'. This suggests that the Govan family held lands in the area during this time.
The Domesday Book, a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct mentions of the name Govan. However, it is possible that individuals with this surname were present in Scotland at the time, as the survey did not extend to that region.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Govan throughout history include:
1. John Govan (c. 1500 - c. 1570), a Scottish Protestant reformer and Presbyterian minister who served as the first Minister of Glasgow Cathedral.
2. William Govan (1625 - 1698), a Scottish merchant and provost of Glasgow from 1677 to 1680, known for his involvement in the city's trade and governance.
3. Archibald Govan (1804 - 1887), a Scottish-born Canadian engineer and shipbuilder who established the Govan shipyard in Glasgow, one of the largest shipyards in the world during the late 19th century.
4. Janet Govan (1854 - 1931), a Scottish author and feminist activist who campaigned for women's suffrage and wrote several novels and short stories.
5. William Govan (1908 - 1988), a Scottish footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Rangers F.C. and the Scotland national team in the 1930s.
While the name Govan is primarily associated with Scotland, it has also been found in other parts of the United Kingdom, as well as in countries with significant Scottish immigration, such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The name has also been subject to various spelling variations over time, including Gowan, Gouane, and Govane.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Govan
Among Census respondents with the surname Govan, the largest self-reported group is Black at 68.2%. The next largest groups are White (18.4%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Govan 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 Govan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American68.2% · 2,074
- White18.4% · 560
- Two or more races5.8% · 175
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 125
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 83
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Govan
Govan 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
#10,103
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,188
+342 bearers (+12.0%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Up 272 places
2020
#10,105
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,040
-148 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,375 | 2,846 | 1.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,103 | 3,188 | 1.08 | +342 bearers (+12.0%) | Up 272 places |
| 2020 | #10,105 | 3,040 | 1.02 | -148 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 2 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 Govan 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 | #10,103 | #10,105 | -0.0% |
| Count | 3,188 | 3,040 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 1.02 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Govan bearers went from 3,188 to 3,040 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,103 to #10,105.
FAQ
Govan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Govan?
Name Census estimates that about 3,486 living Americans carry the surname Govan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,323 residents.
How common is Govan?
Govan ranks #10,105 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,040 people with the surname Govan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,486), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Govan.
Has Govan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Govan went from 3,188 recorded bearers to 3,040. That is a decrease of 148 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,103 to #10,105.
What does the Census say about the background of Govan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Govan, the largest self-reported group is Black at 68.2%. The next largest groups are White (18.4%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Govan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.2% (2,074 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Govan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (68.2%), White (18.4%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Govan (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 Govan mean?
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place near Glasgow, likely meaning "small hill" in Gaelic. 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 Govan (1.02 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 common is the surname Govan?
Find out how common the surname Govan is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.