Find out how popular the last name Gwin is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gwin.

Gwin, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gwin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gwin in America

Gwin is the 7006th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gwin surname appeared 4,781 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Gwin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gwin to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gwin

The surname Gwin has its origins in Wales, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Welsh word "gwyn," which means "fair" or "white," and was likely used as a descriptive nickname for someone with fair hair or a pale complexion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gwin can be found in the Peniarth Manuscripts, a collection of Welsh manuscripts from the 12th to the 16th centuries. These manuscripts contain references to individuals with the surname Gwin, suggesting its use in medieval Wales.

The name Gwin can also be traced back to the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. While the Domesday Book primarily covers England, it does include some references to individuals and places in Wales, where the surname Gwin may have been recorded.

During the Middle Ages, the Gwin surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire in southeastern Wales. Some early examples of individuals bearing this surname include Ieuan Gwin, a landowner in Glamorgan in the 14th century, and Rhys Gwin, a prominent figure in Monmouthshire in the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Gwin surname appeared in various records and manuscripts, including the Llyfr Baglan, a collection of Welsh poetry from the 15th and 16th centuries. One notable figure from this time was Sion Gwin, a Welsh poet and writer who lived in the mid-16th century.

As the centuries passed, the Gwin surname spread beyond Wales, with some individuals bearing the name migrating to other parts of the British Isles and even to the Americas. One notable individual was William Gwin, an American politician and diplomat who served as a United States Senator from California in the mid-19th century (born in 1805, died in 1885).

Another notable figure was John Gwin, a Welsh clergyman and scholar who lived in the 17th century (born in 1605, died in 1688). He was known for his work on the translation of the Bible into Welsh and his contributions to Welsh literature.

In the 18th century, a prominent individual with the Gwin surname was William Gwin, a Welsh industrialist and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the development of the copper industry in Swansea (born in 1734, died in 1805).

As time progressed, the Gwin surname continued to be found in various parts of the world, with individuals bearing the name making contributions in various fields, including literature, politics, and industry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gwin

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gwin.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gwin was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gwin has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gwin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gwin, please contact us.

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