2000
#4,640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,988
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.59
Rare Last name
Gosnell
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Gosa's hill" or "Gosa's hall."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,352 Americans carry the last name Gosnell. That puts it at #5,252 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gosnell 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 Gosnell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.4K
1 in 46,621
Census rank
#5,252
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,411 bearers of the surname Gosnell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5252nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gosnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gosnell
The surname Gosnell is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, with roots tracing back to the 12th century. The name is thought to have derived from the Old English words "gos" meaning goose and "nell" meaning a small valley or stream, suggesting that the original bearers of this name may have resided near a stream frequented by geese.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named Roger de Gosenhulle is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Gosenhulle," provides insight into the name's evolution over time.
The Gosnell surname is also associated with various place names across England, such as Gosnell's Leys in Bedfordshire and Gosnell's Green in Hertfordshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and spread of the surname.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Gosnell surname. One such person was John Gosnell (1625-1696), an English painter known for his still-life and portrait works. Another was Thomas Gosnell (1676-1742), a renowned maker of musical instruments, particularly violins, in London.
In the 18th century, William Gosnell (1756-1832) made a name for himself as a successful chemist and soap manufacturer in London. His company, Gosnell & Co., became renowned for its high-quality products and innovative techniques.
Moving into the 19th century, Reverend Peter Gosnell (1796-1869) was a respected Anglican clergyman and author, serving as the Vicar of St. Peter's Church in Wolverhampton.
Across the Atlantic, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Gosnell surname in America dates back to the late 17th century, when Thomas Gosnell (1660-1720) settled in Virginia and became a prominent landowner and planter.
While the Gosnell surname may have varied in spelling and distribution over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the English countryside, where the name's meaning and history were deeply rooted in the landscape and occupations of its earliest bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gosnell
Among Census respondents with the surname Gosnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gosnell 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 Gosnell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 5,903
- Two or more races3.7% · 238
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 126
- Black or African American1.2% · 75
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gosnell
Gosnell 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
#5,060
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,931
-57 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 2.35
Rank movement Down 420 places
2020
#5,252
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,411
-520 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 2.14
Rank movement Down 192 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,640 | 6,988 | 2.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,060 | 6,931 | 2.35 | -57 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 420 places |
| 2020 | #5,252 | 6,411 | 2.14 | -520 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 192 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 Gosnell 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 | #5,060 | #5,252 | -3.8% |
| Count | 6,931 | 6,411 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.35 | 2.14 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gosnell bearers went from 6,931 to 6,411 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 192 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,060 to #5,252.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gosnell
FAQ
Gosnell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gosnell?
Name Census estimates that about 7,352 living Americans carry the surname Gosnell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,621 residents.
How common is Gosnell?
Gosnell ranks #5,252 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.14 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 6,411 people with the surname Gosnell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,352), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.14 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 Gosnell.
Has Gosnell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gosnell went from 6,931 recorded bearers to 6,411. That is a decrease of 520 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,060 to #5,252.
What does the Census say about the background of Gosnell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gosnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Gosnell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (5,903 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gosnell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Gosnell (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 Gosnell mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Gosa's hill" or "Gosa's hall." 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 Gosnell (2.14 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 Americans have the surname Gosnell?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.