2000
#6,129
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,151
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.91
Rare Last name
Gaylord
An English occupational surname derived from the Old French gaillard, meaning "joyful" or "high-spirited."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,472 Americans carry the last name Gaylord. That puts it at #6,799 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,638 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gaylord 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
5.5K
1 in 62,638
Census rank
#6,799
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,772 bearers of the surname Gaylord in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6799th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaylord, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gaylord
The surname Gaylord originated in England and is derived from the Old English words "gæl" meaning "to hinder" and "horde" meaning "guardian." Together, the words form the meaning "guardian of the hurdle or fence." This name likely referred to someone who guarded an enclosure or a gate.
The earliest known record of the surname Gaylord dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as "Gailard." This entry suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including "Gaylarde," "Gaylhard," and "Gailard." These variations reflect the different dialects and regional pronunciations of the time.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Gaylord, who was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. Another early reference is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mentions a John Gaylord.
The name Gaylord is also linked to several place names in England, such as Gaylord's Green in Buckinghamshire and Gaylord's Farm in Essex. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname Gaylord who lived or owned land in those areas.
Historically, the Gaylord surname has been associated with several notable figures, including:
1. Walter Gaylord (c. 1550-1629), an English merchant and politician who served as an alderman and Sheriff of London.
2. Hugh Gaylord (1601-1657), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
3. John Gaylord (1636-1690), an early settler in Connecticut and one of the founders of Windsor, Connecticut.
4. William Gaylord (1784-1865), an English painter known for his landscapes and portraits.
5. Glaucia Gaylord (1896-1976), an American actress and dancer who appeared in several Broadway productions and films.
While the surname Gaylord has English origins, it has also been adopted by families in other countries, such as the United States and Canada, often through immigration or anglicization of similar-sounding names.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gaylord
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaylord, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gaylord 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 Gaylord surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.8% · 4,048
- Black or African American6.7% · 322
- Two or more races4.0% · 190
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 143
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gaylord
Gaylord 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
#6,567
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,159
+8 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.75
Rank movement Down 438 places
2020
#6,799
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,772
-387 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Down 232 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,129 | 5,151 | 1.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,567 | 5,159 | 1.75 | +8 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 438 places |
| 2020 | #6,799 | 4,772 | 1.60 | -387 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 232 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 Gaylord 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 | #6,567 | #6,799 | -3.5% |
| Count | 5,159 | 4,772 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.75 | 1.60 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gaylord bearers went from 5,159 to 4,772 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 232 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,567 to #6,799.
FAQ
Gaylord surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gaylord?
Name Census estimates that about 5,472 living Americans carry the surname Gaylord. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,638 residents.
How common is Gaylord?
Gaylord ranks #6,799 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,772 people with the surname Gaylord. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,472), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Gaylord.
Has Gaylord become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gaylord went from 5,159 recorded bearers to 4,772. That is a decrease of 387 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,567 to #6,799.
What does the Census say about the background of Gaylord?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaylord, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Gaylord in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.8% (4,048 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gaylord appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.8%), Black (6.7%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Gaylord (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 Gaylord mean?
An English occupational surname derived from the Old French gaillard, meaning "joyful" or "high-spirited." 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 Gaylord (1.60 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 have the surname Gaylord?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.