2000
#68,973
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 266
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Gabin
A surname derived from the French word "gaber," meaning to mock or make fun of.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 393 Americans carry the last name Gabin. That puts it at #62,967 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 872,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gabin 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
393
1 in 872,148
Census rank
#62,967
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
343
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 343 bearers of the surname Gabin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 62967th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gabin, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 58.6%. The next largest groups are White (27.7%) and Black (7.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gabin
The surname Gabin originated in France during the Middle Ages, deriving from the Old French personal name Gabin, a diminutive of the Germanic name Gabo. This name likely comes from the Proto-Germanic root "gab-," meaning "to give." The earliest known record of the surname Gabin dates back to the 13th century in Normandy, France.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England after the Norman Conquest, there are no entries for the surname Gabin, suggesting it was not yet present in England at that time. However, the name began appearing in English records in the 14th century, likely brought over by Norman settlers.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the Gabin surname was Jean Gabin (c. 1330-1395), a French nobleman and landowner from Brittany. Another notable figure was Gilles Gabin (1565-1629), a French painter and engraver known for his religious works.
In the 17th century, the Gabin surname spread to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands. Jan Gabin (1615-1681) was a Dutch merchant and trader who helped establish trade routes with the Dutch East Indies.
As the surname spread, it also underwent variations in spelling, including Gabain, Gaban, and Gabain. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and pronunciation.
In the 19th century, Jean-Baptiste Gabin (1821-1894) was a French philosopher and writer who published works on ethics and morality. Another notable bearer of the name was the French actor Jean Gabin (1904-1976), one of the most famous actors of the 20th century, known for his roles in films such as "La Grande Illusion" and "Pépé le Moko."
While the surname Gabin is relatively uncommon, it continues to be present in various parts of Europe, particularly in France and regions with French cultural influence. However, historical records and notable figures provide insight into the origins and evolution of this surname over several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gabin
Among Census respondents with the surname Gabin, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 58.6%. The next largest groups are White (27.7%) and Black (7.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gabin 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 Gabin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino58.6% · 201
- White27.7% · 95
- Black or African American7.6% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.2% · 11
- Two or more races2.6% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gabin
Gabin 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
#78,040
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 245
-21 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 9,067 places
2020
#62,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 343
+98 bearers (+40.0%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 15,073 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #68,973 | 266 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #78,040 | 245 | 0.08 | -21 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 9,067 places |
| 2020 | #62,967 | 343 | 0.11 | +98 bearers (+40.0%) | Up 15,073 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 Gabin 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 | #78,040 | #62,967 | 19.3% |
| Count | 245 | 343 | 40.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.11 | 43.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gabin bearers went from 245 to 343 (+40.0% change). The surname moved up 15,073 positions in the national ranking, going from #78,040 to #62,967.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gabin
FAQ
Gabin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gabin?
Name Census estimates that about 393 living Americans carry the surname Gabin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 872,148 residents.
How common is Gabin?
Gabin ranks #62,967 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 343 people with the surname Gabin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (393), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Gabin.
Has Gabin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gabin went from 245 recorded bearers to 343. That is an increase of 98 (+40.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #78,040 to #62,967.
What does the Census say about the background of Gabin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gabin, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 58.6%. The next largest groups are White (27.7%) and Black (7.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gabin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.6% (201 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gabin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (58.6%), White (27.7%), Black (7.6%). 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 Gabin (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 Gabin mean?
A surname derived from the French word "gaber," meaning to mock or make fun of. 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 Gabin (0.11 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 Gabin?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Gabin at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.