2000
#7,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,866
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.43
Rare Last name
Gish
Derived from a Middle English nickname meaning "hare" or "rabbit," likely referring to a swift or timid person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,148 Americans carry the last name Gish. That puts it at #8,705 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 82,631 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gish 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
4.1K
1 in 82,631
Census rank
#8,705
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,617 bearers of the surname Gish in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8705th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gish, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gish
The surname GISH has its origins in Scotland, where it is believed to have first appeared in the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "giuthais," which means pine tree or fir tree. It is possible that the name was originally a descriptive one, referring to someone who lived near a pine forest or who worked with pine wood.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GISH can be found in the Scottish parish records from the late 16th century. In these records, the name is spelled various ways, including "Gisch," "Gyshe," and "Gysche." This variation in spelling was common in those times, as there were no standardized rules for spelling.
In the 17th century, the GISH name began to appear in other parts of Scotland, particularly in the Highlands. This may have been due to migration or the spread of the name through marriage. One notable bearer of the GISH surname during this time was John Gisch, a Scottish poet and writer who was born in Inverness in 1630.
As the centuries passed, the GISH name continued to be found throughout Scotland, with some families eventually settling in other parts of the United Kingdom and beyond. In the 19th century, a prominent figure with this surname was Sir Alexander Gish (1821-1892), a Scottish industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of Glasgow.
Another notable GISH was Lillian Gish (1893-1993), an American actress who was a leading star of the silent film era. She was born Lillian de Guiche, but her family had anglicized their surname to GISH. Lillian's sister, Dorothy Gish (1898-1968), was also a successful actress during the early 20th century.
Other notable individuals with the GISH surname include Robert Gish (1919-2002), an American actor and director, and Duane Gish (1921-2013), an American biochemist and prominent advocate of creationism. These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who have carried the GISH name throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gish
Among Census respondents with the surname Gish, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gish 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 Gish surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 3,314
- Two or more races4.1% · 148
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 105
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 25
- Black or African American0.4% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gish
Gish 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
#8,711
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,768
-98 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.28
Rank movement Down 776 places
2020
#8,705
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,617
-151 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Up 6 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,935 | 3,866 | 1.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,711 | 3,768 | 1.28 | -98 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 776 places |
| 2020 | #8,705 | 3,617 | 1.21 | -151 bearers (-4.0%) | Up 6 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 Gish 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 | #8,711 | #8,705 | 0.1% |
| Count | 3,768 | 3,617 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.28 | 1.21 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gish bearers went from 3,768 to 3,617 (-4.0% change). The surname moved up 6 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,711 to #8,705.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gish
FAQ
Gish surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gish?
Name Census estimates that about 4,148 living Americans carry the surname Gish. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 82,631 residents.
How common is Gish?
Gish ranks #8,705 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.21 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 3,617 people with the surname Gish. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,148), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.21 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 Gish.
Has Gish become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gish went from 3,768 recorded bearers to 3,617. That is a decrease of 151 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,711 to #8,705.
What does the Census say about the background of Gish?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gish, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Gish in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (3,314 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gish appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Gish (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 Gish mean?
Derived from a Middle English nickname meaning "hare" or "rabbit," likely referring to a swift or timid person. 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 Gish (1.21 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 last name Gish?
See how many people have the surname Gish on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.