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

Gwinn, 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 Gwinn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gwinn in America

Gwinn is the 6915th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gwinn surname appeared 4,852 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 Gwinn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gwinn 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 Gwinn

The surname Gwinn has its origins in Wales, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Welsh word "gwyn," which means "white" or "fair." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname referring to someone with light-colored hair or a fair complexion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gwinn can be found in the Chancery Rolls of 1275, which mention a person named "Jevan Gwyn." Furthermore, the name appears in the Brogyntyn Manuscripts, a collection of historical documents from the 14th century, where it is spelled as "Gwynne."

Gwinn is also closely linked to the place name "Gwinnedd," an ancient region in northwest Wales. This region was once ruled by the powerful Gwynedd dynasty, and it is possible that some individuals with the surname Gwinn may have been associated with this royal lineage or hailed from that area.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Gwinn throughout history include:

1. John Gwinn (c. 1600-1678), an English Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of Wilby, Norfolk.
2. William Gwinn (1770-1835), an American politician who served as a representative in the United States Congress from North Carolina.
3. Martha Gwinn Kessler (1896-1994), an American philanthropist and patron of the arts, known for her support of the Kessler Theater in Dallas, Texas.
4. John Gwinn (1594-1675), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Ludlow during the reign of Charles I.
5. Thomas Gwinn (1766-1828), an American soldier and pioneer who fought in the Revolutionary War and later settled in Kentucky.

The surname Gwinn has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout history. For example, the village of Gwinnett in Flintshire, Wales, is said to have derived its name from the Welsh term "Gwyn-edd," meaning "the fair or white region." Additionally, Gwinnett County in Georgia, United States, was named after Button Gwinnett, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gwinn

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

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 Gwinn 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 Gwinn 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 Gwinn was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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