Explore the Family Name Gaster
The meaning of Gaster
1. German and East Frisian: from the ancient Germanic personal name Gastharo, composed of the elements gast ‘guest, foreigner’, earlier ‘foreign warrior’ + heri ‘army’. This surname is rare in East Frisia. 2. English (London): habitational name from Gastard (Wiltshire), named with Old English gāt ‘goat’ (genitive plural gāta) + steort ‘tail of land’, meaning ‘goats’ tail of land’. 3. French: from the ancient Germanic personal name Gastard, a compound of gast ‘guest, foreigner’, earlier ‘foreign warrior’ + hard ‘hardy, strong’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gaster in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Gaster showed a decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Gaster was ranked 34,114 in terms of surname prevalence, but by 2010, it had dropped to 38,948, marking a change of -14.17%. The count of individuals with this surname also decreased from 629 in 2000 to 566 in 2010, representing a decline of -10.02%. Furthermore, the proportion of Gasters per 100,000 people fell from 0.23 to 0.19, or -17.39%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #34,114 | #38,948 | -14.17% |
| Count | 629 | 566 | -10.02% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.23 | 0.19 | -17.39% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gaster
In terms of ethnicity, based on the Decennial U.S. Census the Gaster surname was predominantly identified as White in both 2000 and 2010, though the percentage declined slightly from 97.14% to 94.88%. The Hispanic representation for this surname saw a remarkable increase from 0.79% in 2000 to 2.83% in 2010. There was also a small increase in the Black community, with the percentage moving up from 0.95% in 2000 to 1.24% in 2010. Interestingly, there was an emergence of more than one ethnicity reported in 2010 (0.88%), which wasn't recorded in 2000. However, no data was reported for Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities in either census year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.14% | 94.88% | -2.33% |
| Hispanic | 0.79% | 2.83% | 258.23% |
| Black | 0.95% | 1.24% | 30.53% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0.88% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |