2000
#41,130
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 500
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.19
Very Rare Last name
Gwynne
A Welsh habitational surname derived from the name of the town Gwynedd.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 565 Americans carry the last name Gwynne. That puts it at #46,548 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 606,645 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gwynne 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 Gwynne with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
565
1 in 606,645
Census rank
#46,548
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
493
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 493 bearers of the surname Gwynne in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 46548th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gwynne, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gwynne
The surname Gwynne is of Welsh origin, derived from the personal name Gwynn, which means "fair" or "white" in Welsh. This name was likely given to individuals with fair hair or complexion.
The earliest recorded use of the name Gwynne dates back to the 13th century in Wales. It is believed to have originated in the counties of Denbighshire, Flintshire, and Montgomeryshire, where it was particularly prominent.
In the 16th century, the surname Gwynne appeared in various records, such as the Muster Rolls of Denbighshire in 1539, where it was spelled as "Gwyn." The name was also documented in the Visitation of Shropshire in 1623, where it was recorded as "Gwynne."
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Gwynne was John Gwynne (c. 1558-1626), a Welsh clergyman who served as the Bishop of Raphoe in Ireland. Another prominent figure was Matthew Gwynne (1628-1688), a Welsh lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for St. Albans.
In the 18th century, the Gwynne family established themselves as prominent landowners in Wales. One notable member was Walter Gwynne (1692-1772), a Welsh lawyer and judge who served as a Justice of the King's Bench.
The surname Gwynne has also been associated with several literary figures. One example is Nell Gwynne (1650-1687), an English actress and mistress of King Charles II, who was known for her wit and charm. Another notable bearer of the name was Edmund Gwynne (1609-1675), an English physician and author who wrote on various medical topics.
Throughout history, the surname Gwynne has been subject to various spellings, such as Gwynn, Gwyn, and Gwinn, reflecting the evolution of the Welsh language and regional variations. However, the spelling "Gwynne" has become the most widely accepted form.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gwynne
Among Census respondents with the surname Gwynne, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Gwynne 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 Gwynne surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.6% · 412
- Hispanic or Latino6.3% · 31
- Two or more races5.1% · 25
- Black or African American3.7% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gwynne
Gwynne 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
#44,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 489
-11 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 2,904 places
2020
#46,548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 493
+4 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 2,514 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #41,130 | 500 | 0.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #44,034 | 489 | 0.17 | -11 bearers (-2.2%) | Down 2,904 places |
| 2020 | #46,548 | 493 | 0.16 | +4 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 2,514 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 Gwynne 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 | #44,034 | #46,548 | -5.7% |
| Count | 489 | 493 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.16 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gwynne bearers went from 489 to 493 (+0.8% change). The surname moved down 2,514 positions in the national ranking, going from #44,034 to #46,548.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gwynne
FAQ
Gwynne surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gwynne?
Name Census estimates that about 565 living Americans carry the surname Gwynne. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 606,645 residents.
How common is Gwynne?
Gwynne ranks #46,548 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.16 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 493 people with the surname Gwynne. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (565), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.16 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 Gwynne.
Has Gwynne become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gwynne went from 489 recorded bearers to 493. That is an increase of 4 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #44,034 to #46,548.
What does the Census say about the background of Gwynne?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gwynne, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Gwynne in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.6% (412 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gwynne appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.6%), Hispanic (6.3%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Gwynne (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 Gwynne mean?
A Welsh habitational surname derived from the name of the town Gwynedd. 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 Gwynne (0.16 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 share the surname Gwynne?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.