2000
#4,016
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.01
Rare Last name
Gorham
From a place name meaning "muddy or dirty homestead" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,230 Americans carry the last name Gorham. That puts it at #4,260 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,135 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gorham 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 Gorham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.2K
1 in 37,135
Census rank
#4,260
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,049 bearers of the surname Gorham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4260th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorham, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.7%. The next largest groups are Black (23.5%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gorham
The surname Gorham is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "gor," meaning "mud" or "dirt," and "ham," meaning "homestead" or "village." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a muddy or marshy area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gorham surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Goraham." This entry indicates that the name was already in use during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century.
Over the centuries, the Gorham surname has seen various spellings, including Goreham, Gorram, and Gorum, reflecting the phonetic variations common in the Middle Ages. These alternative spellings can be found in various historical records and documents from different regions of England.
Several notable individuals have borne the Gorham surname throughout history. One of the earliest was Thomas Gorham (c. 1414-1468), an English priest and academic who served as the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Another prominent figure was Sir Ferdinando Gorges (1568-1647), an English colonial entrepreneur and military leader who was instrumental in the early settlement of New England.
In the 18th century, John Gorham (1691-1756) was a prominent American merchant and politician from Massachusetts. He served as a member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council and played a significant role in the establishment of Gorham, Maine, which was named after his family.
Nathaniel Gorham (1738-1796) was an American politician and merchant from Massachusetts who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention. He is remembered for his contributions to the drafting of the United States Constitution.
Another notable figure was George Cornelius Gorham (1787-1857), an English theologian and Church of England clergyman known for his role in the Gorham Controversy, a significant theological dispute within the Church of England in the 19th century.
While the Gorham surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration and diaspora. Today, individuals bearing this surname can be found in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gorham
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorham, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.7%. The next largest groups are Black (23.5%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gorham 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 Gorham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.7% · 5,453
- Black or African American23.5% · 1,889
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 322
- Two or more races3.8% · 302
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 48
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gorham
Gorham 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
#4,190
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,458
+345 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 2.87
Rank movement Down 174 places
2020
#4,260
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,049
-409 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 2.69
Rank movement Down 70 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,016 | 8,113 | 3.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,190 | 8,458 | 2.87 | +345 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 174 places |
| 2020 | #4,260 | 8,049 | 2.69 | -409 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 70 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 Gorham 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 | #4,190 | #4,260 | -1.7% |
| Count | 8,458 | 8,049 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.87 | 2.69 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gorham bearers went from 8,458 to 8,049 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 70 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,190 to #4,260.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gorham
FAQ
Gorham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gorham?
Name Census estimates that about 9,230 living Americans carry the surname Gorham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,135 residents.
How common is Gorham?
Gorham ranks #4,260 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,049 people with the surname Gorham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,230), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Gorham.
Has Gorham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gorham went from 8,458 recorded bearers to 8,049. That is a decrease of 409 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,190 to #4,260.
What does the Census say about the background of Gorham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorham, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.7%. The next largest groups are Black (23.5%) and Hispanic (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 Gorham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.7% (5,453 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gorham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.7%), Black (23.5%), Hispanic (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 Gorham (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 Gorham mean?
From a place name meaning "muddy or dirty homestead" in Old English. 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 Gorham (2.69 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 Gorham?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.