2000
#9,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,212
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Gwynn
A Welsh surname derived from the word "gwyn," meaning "white," "fair," or "blessed."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,519 Americans carry the last name Gwynn. That puts it at #10,024 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 97,401 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gwynn 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 Gwynn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 97,401
Census rank
#10,024
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,069 bearers of the surname Gwynn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10024th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gwynn, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.0%. The next largest groups are Black (32.2%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gwynn
The surname Gwynn is believed to have originated in Wales, deriving from the Welsh personal name Gwyn, which means "fair" or "blessed". It's likely that this name was initially given as a nickname or descriptive name to someone with fair hair or a fair complexion.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Gwynn can be traced back to the 13th century in various parts of Wales. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Gruffydd Gwyn, a Welsh nobleman who lived in the late 13th century.
In the 16th century, the name Gwynn appeared in several historical records and manuscripts, including the Register of the Gwydir Family, which documented the genealogy of an influential Welsh family with members bearing the surname Gwynn.
The surname Gwynn has also been associated with various place names in Wales, such as Gwynedd, which means "fair/blessed land" in Welsh. This suggests that some individuals may have adopted the surname Gwynn based on their place of origin or residence.
One notable figure in history with the surname Gwynn was Nell Gwynn (1650-1687), a famous English actress and mistress of King Charles II. She was born Eleanor Gwynn and became a celebrated figure in the Restoration era, known for her wit and charm.
Another prominent individual with the surname Gwynn was Matthew Gwyn (c. 1558-1627), a Welsh bishop and translator who played a significant role in the translation of the Bible into Welsh.
In the literary world, Edmund Gwynn (1877-1964) was an Irish scholar and historian who specialized in Anglo-Norman literature and served as the Provost of Trinity College Dublin from 1937 to 1951.
John Gwynn (c. 1713-1786) was an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Magdalen Chapel and the London Hospital.
Lastly, Stephen Gwynn (1864-1950) was an Irish journalist, writer, and politician who served as a Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons and wrote extensively on Irish history and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gwynn
Among Census respondents with the surname Gwynn, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.0%. The next largest groups are Black (32.2%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gwynn 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 Gwynn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White58.0% · 1,781
- Black or African American32.2% · 989
- Two or more races5.0% · 153
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 109
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gwynn
Gwynn 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
#9,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,268
+56 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 577 places
2020
#10,024
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,069
-199 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,317 | 3,212 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,894 | 3,268 | 1.11 | +56 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 577 places |
| 2020 | #10,024 | 3,069 | 1.03 | -199 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 130 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 Gwynn 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 | #9,894 | #10,024 | -1.3% |
| Count | 3,268 | 3,069 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 1.03 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gwynn bearers went from 3,268 to 3,069 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 130 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,894 to #10,024.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gwynn
FAQ
Gwynn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gwynn?
Name Census estimates that about 3,519 living Americans carry the surname Gwynn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 97,401 residents.
How common is Gwynn?
Gwynn ranks #10,024 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.03 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 3,069 people with the surname Gwynn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,519), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.03 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 Gwynn.
Has Gwynn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gwynn went from 3,268 recorded bearers to 3,069. That is a decrease of 199 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,894 to #10,024.
What does the Census say about the background of Gwynn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gwynn, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.0%. The next largest groups are Black (32.2%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Gwynn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.0% (1,781 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gwynn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (58.0%), Black (32.2%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Gwynn (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 Gwynn mean?
A Welsh surname derived from the word "gwyn," meaning "white," "fair," or "blessed." 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 Gwynn (1.03 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 Gwynn?
If you just want to know how many people are called Gwynn, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.