2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Guyden
From the English habitational name for someone from Guyden, a lost place thought to have been located in Yorkshire.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Guyden. 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 Guyden 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 Guyden 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 Guyden, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and White (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Guyden
The surname GUYDEN is of English origin, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from the place name "Guydon" or "Guyden" in the county of Lincolnshire. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "gyd" meaning "valley" and "dun" meaning "hill" or "down," suggesting it may have referred to a person who lived near a valley or hill.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname GUYDEN can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1195, where a certain Walter de Guyden is listed. This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 12th century. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a record mentions a William de Guyden, further solidifying the presence of the name in medieval England.
During the 13th century, the surname GUYDEN appeared in various forms, such as "de Guydon," "de Guyden," and "Guyden." These variations reflect the common practice of adding the prefix "de" to indicate a person's place of origin or residence. It is also possible that the name was derived from a now-lost or obscure place name, as many localities were subsumed or renamed over time.
One notable individual bearing the surname GUYDEN was Sir John Guyden, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in the 14th century. He is mentioned in the Court Rolls of Lincolnshire in the year 1367, where he is recorded as holding significant estates in the county.
Another interesting historical figure was Robert Guyden, a merchant and alderman who lived in the city of London during the 15th century. He is mentioned in the records of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, one of the oldest livery companies in the city, and is believed to have played a significant role in the city's trade and governance.
In the 16th century, the GUYDEN surname appeared to have spread beyond Lincolnshire, with records showing individuals bearing the name in other parts of England. For example, a certain William Guyden is recorded in the parish registers of St. Mary's Church in Warwick in the year 1589.
Another notable individual was Thomas Guyden, a scholar and clergyman who lived in the 17th century. He was born in 1623 and served as the rector of St. Peter's Church in the village of Coggeshall, Essex, from 1662 until his death in 1695. Guyden was known for his theological writings and his involvement in the local community.
The GUYDEN surname has a rich history and can be traced back to the medieval period in England, particularly in the county of Lincolnshire. While the name may have originated from a specific place or locality, it has since spread and evolved over the centuries, reflecting the migration patterns and experiences of those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Guyden
Among Census respondents with the surname Guyden, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and White (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Guyden 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 Guyden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American88.1% · 104
- Two or more races5.9% · 7
- White3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Guyden
Guyden 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
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 630 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 630 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 Guyden 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 | #144,141 | #143,511 | 0.4% |
| Count | 115 | 118 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Guyden bearers went from 115 to 118 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 630 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #143,511.
FAQ
Guyden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Guyden?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Guyden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Guyden?
Guyden 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 Guyden. 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 Guyden.
Has Guyden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Guyden went from 115 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #144,141 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Guyden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Guyden, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and White (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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Guyden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Guyden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (88.1%), Two or More Races (5.9%), White (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 Guyden (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 Guyden mean?
From the English habitational name for someone from Guyden, a lost place thought to have been located in Yorkshire. 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 Guyden (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 Guyden?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.