2000
#9,046
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,323
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.23
Rare Last name
Gust
A surname of Swedish origin meaning "gust of wind" or "strong wind."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,653 Americans carry the last name Gust. That puts it at #9,722 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,828 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gust 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 Gust with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 93,828
Census rank
#9,722
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,186 bearers of the surname Gust in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9722nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gust, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gust
The surname GUST has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "gust," which means "gust of wind" or "blast." This name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was perceived as being particularly energetic or forceful in their actions or personality.
The earliest known references to the surname GUST can be found in various historical records from Germany, such as church registers and tax rolls, dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. These records often list individuals with the name GUST or variations such as Guste, Guster, or Gusten.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname GUST was Hans Gust, a prominent merchant and banker who lived in Nuremberg, Germany, during the late 15th century. He played a significant role in the city's economic and political affairs and was known for his wealth and influence.
Another prominent individual with the surname GUST was Johann Gust, a German composer and organist who lived from 1717 to 1786. He was renowned for his contributions to church music and his compositions for the organ.
In the 19th century, Carl Gust (1819-1892) was a German-American architect who immigrated to the United States and designed several notable buildings in Chicago, including the Chicago Board of Trade Building and the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
The surname GUST can also be found in various place names throughout Germany, such as Gustow, a municipality in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Gustenfelden, a village in Bavaria. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the surname GUST who lived in or owned land in those areas.
It is worth noting that while the surname GUST is predominantly of German origin, it has also been adopted by families in other countries, particularly in regions with significant German immigration or influence, such as parts of Eastern Europe and the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gust
Among Census respondents with the surname Gust, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gust 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 Gust surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 2,890
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 102
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 86
- Two or more races2.5% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 16
- Black or African American0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gust
Gust 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
#9,652
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,362
+39 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 606 places
2020
#9,722
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,186
-176 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 70 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,046 | 3,323 | 1.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,652 | 3,362 | 1.14 | +39 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 606 places |
| 2020 | #9,722 | 3,186 | 1.07 | -176 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 70 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 Gust 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 | #9,652 | #9,722 | -0.7% |
| Count | 3,362 | 3,186 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.14 | 1.07 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gust bearers went from 3,362 to 3,186 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 70 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,652 to #9,722.
FAQ
Gust surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gust?
Name Census estimates that about 3,653 living Americans carry the surname Gust. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,828 residents.
How common is Gust?
Gust ranks #9,722 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 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 3,186 people with the surname Gust. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,653), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 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 Gust.
Has Gust become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gust went from 3,362 recorded bearers to 3,186. That is a decrease of 176 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,652 to #9,722.
What does the Census say about the background of Gust?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gust, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%). 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 Gust in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (2,890 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gust appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (3.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%). 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 Gust (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 Gust mean?
A surname of Swedish origin meaning "gust of wind" or "strong wind." 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 Gust (1.07 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 have the last name Gust?
You can see how many people have the surname Gust on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.