Explore the Family Name Gambel

The meaning of Gambel

1. German: from a variant of the ancient Germanic personal name Gambert, or some other personal name formed with Old High German gam(an) ‘joy, play’. 2. English: variant of Gamble. This surname is now rare in Britian.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Gambel in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Gambel experienced a decrease between 2000 and 2010. The ranking of the surname fell from 51,119 in 2000 to 65,424 in 2010, translating to a drop of approximately 27.98%. Similarly, the count of individuals bearing the surname declined by 20.89%, moving from 383 in 2000 to 303 in 2010. This decrease was mirrored in the proportion per 100,000 people, with it falling by 28.57% from 0.14 to 0.1.

20002010Change
Rank#51,119#65,424-27.98%
Count383303-20.89%
Proportion per 100k0.140.1-28.57%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gambel

With regards to the ethnic identity associated with the surname Gambel, the Decennial U.S. Census data illustrated several trends from 2000 to 2010. The majority of individuals with the Gambel surname in both years identified as White, though this group saw a small decline of 1.60%. Those identifying as Black also decreased by 13.29%. However, those reporting their ethnicity as two or more races increased by 68.15%. No change was recorded for Asian/Pacific Islander, while the category of American Indian and Alaskan Native appeared in 2010 but not in 2000. There was a slight decrease of 11.49% in the Hispanic category.

20002010Change
White82.51%81.19%-1.6%
Black13.32%11.55%-13.29%
Two or More Races1.57%2.64%68.15%
Hispanic2.61%2.31%-11.49%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%2.31%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%