2000
#12,437
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,289
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Gump
A variant of Gumm, likely referring to a person who owned or lived near a gump or bog.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,604 Americans carry the last name Gump. That puts it at #12,934 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 131,626 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gump 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
2.6K
1 in 131,626
Census rank
#12,934
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,271 bearers of the surname Gump in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12934th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gump, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gump
The surname GUMP has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "gump," meaning a small mound or hill. The name was initially borne by those living in or near such geographical features.
In its earliest recorded instances, the surname appeared in various spellings, including Gumpe, Gumppe, and Gompe. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during that period.
One of the earliest known references to the name GUMP can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273. The entry mentions a Robert Gumppe, suggesting the name's existence in that region during the 13th century.
The surname GUMP is also linked to several place names in England, such as Gumpton in Nottinghamshire and Gumpton Hill in Warwickshire. These locations may have influenced the surname's development or been named after early bearers of the name.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname GUMP. One such figure was Sir John Gump (c. 1450-1512), a prominent merchant and politician in Bristol, England. He served as the city's mayor in 1494 and played a significant role in the local governance.
Another notable bearer of the name was William Gump (c. 1680-1741), a English author and poet. He published several works, including "The Poetical Miscellany" and "The Muse's Complaint."
In the 18th century, Samuel Gump (1717-1793) was a prominent clockmaker and watchmaker in London. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the affluent classes of the time.
The name GUMP also found its way across the Atlantic. One of the earliest recorded instances in America was that of Thomas Gump (c. 1720-1802), a farmer and landowner in colonial Virginia.
Finally, a more recent figure with the surname GUMP was Robert Gump (1910-1994), an American artist and sculptor known for his abstract works. His pieces were exhibited in various galleries and museums throughout the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gump
Among Census respondents with the surname Gump, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gump 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 Gump surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 2,077
- Two or more races3.5% · 80
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.4% · 54
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gump
Gump 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
#12,584
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,460
+171 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 147 places
2020
#12,934
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,271
-189 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 350 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,437 | 2,289 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,584 | 2,460 | 0.83 | +171 bearers (+7.5%) | Down 147 places |
| 2020 | #12,934 | 2,271 | 0.76 | -189 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 350 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 Gump 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 | #12,584 | #12,934 | -2.8% |
| Count | 2,460 | 2,271 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.76 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gump bearers went from 2,460 to 2,271 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 350 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,584 to #12,934.
FAQ
Gump surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gump?
Name Census estimates that about 2,604 living Americans carry the surname Gump. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 131,626 residents.
How common is Gump?
Gump ranks #12,934 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 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 2,271 people with the surname Gump. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,604), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 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 Gump.
Has Gump become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gump went from 2,460 recorded bearers to 2,271. That is a decrease of 189 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,584 to #12,934.
What does the Census say about the background of Gump?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gump, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.4%). 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 Gump in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (2,077 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gump appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.4%). 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 Gump (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 Gump mean?
A variant of Gumm, likely referring to a person who owned or lived near a gump or bog. 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 Gump (0.76 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 Gump?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Gump, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.